British Columbia

Budget ‘continues war on lan

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The UBCIC will lose some $210,000 out of a total budget of $600,000. And when monies from other departments — which have not remitted so far this year — is included, the total cut could amount to $300,000, he said.

In addition, the Native newspaper Kah- tou, a bi-weekly with a circulation of 7,500, will lose its $240,000 funding.

Terry charged that the cuts were a deliberate policy on the part of the government, directed not only at limiting Native organizations’ ability to communi- cate with their communities but at muz- zling the union’s outspoken criticism of federal government policy.

“The funding we receive from the fed- eral government is to enable us to address in a democratic way the policies that are being imposed on Indian people by the federal government,” he said. ““We give

critical analysis to those policies — and that’s what the government is trying to terminate. It’s an attempt to silence the critics of the department.”

The UBCIC has been particularly out- spoken in its criticism of the government’s five-year old policy, initially laid out in the 1985 Neilson Task Force Report, of reduc- ing federal funding of Native programs, co-opting Native bands into accepting municipal-style self-government as a sub- stitute for constitutional recognition of aboriginal rights, and stonewalling on the negotiation of Native land claims. A Department of Indian Affairs official des- cribed the policy as the “buffalo jump of the 1980s,” a term the UBCIC has picked up and popularized in its campaign against the government’s strategy.

Last year, the UBCIC also declared its opposition to a review of Native policy initiated by the Department of Indian

Cuts ‘intolerable’: AFN

OTTAWA — The Assembly of First Nations predicts the capping of federal expenditures for Indians will create “unprecedented and intolerable” hard- ships for Canada’s aboriginal people.

“Wilson is treating first nations as if we're one of the wealthy provinces with a large tax and economic base to offset fed- eral spending cuts,” noted AFN national chief Georges Erasmus.

“There is a great misconception out there that the federal government is improving the social and economic well- being of first nations by pouring billions upon billions of dollars into our commun- ities. This is a complete distortion of the truth. In fact, since 1984 we have witnessed a steady loss in available program dollars because the federal government refuses to

fully compensate for inflation and our immense (aboriginal) population growth. Wilson’s capping on Indian programs represents the worse case scenario as far as our people are concerned,” he said.

The AEN leader said program capping

will stop band councils from building much needed water and community infrastructure systems. But the Indian Affairs program cuts are only part of the picture. Through the budget the Secretary of State will significantly slash funding to aboriginal political organizations and community-based publications and radio programming. _ “We havea ‘third world’ situation right In our own backyard and no one, least of all the minister of Indian Affairs, is doing anything about it,” Erasmus said.

claims’

SAUL TERRY ..

Affairs called the Lands, Revenues and Trusts (LRT) review. Prompted by a 1985 court case, the review is being used by the government to further its strategy of reducing funding, shifting the responsibil- ity for programs to Native bands and pro- vincial governments and continuing to refuse to recognize aboriginal title in land claims.

Some bands across the country have accepted the government’s process but several others, including the UBCIC, have rejected it.

“We did not agree with government’s options in the LRT process — and they said to us, ‘because you’re not going to agree, we’re cutting your funding,’ ” Terry told reporters.

He also emphasized that there has been “no movement towards resolutions of claims in this province although we have submitted many. Significantly, in its Dec.

. cutting off funding intended to

-than militant ...,” he told reporters Feb.

TRIBUNE PHOTO — SEAN GRIFFIN

silence criticism.”

18, 1989 submission to the B.C. Supreme Court in the Gitksan-Wet’suwet’en land claim case, the federal attorney-general’s department stated that its position was that aboriginal title had been extinguished in British Columbia.

But in spite of what he called “govern- ment destabilization efforts,” Terry said the UBCIC would “not cave in” to the government’s strategy and would con- tinue to press for settlement of land claims.

He added that he would be meeting with others early this month to consider a course of action against the budget cuts.

““We have been very patient and less

27. “But what the government seems to be doing is trying to force us into a situa- tion where we have to become more mil- itant. If that is the course that a lot of our people want to take, I have absolutely no

qualms in pursuing that.”

PSAC outraged as Crown rejects charges in picket line injury

By KIM GOLDBERG NANAIMO — The Public Service Alli-

ance of Canada is calling on the provincial government to re-open an investigation into a November picket line incident at Nanoose Bay that left one worker indefinitely dis- abled. .

Brad, Holmes was knocked down and dragged seven metres by a four-wheel drive truck while walking a picket line at the Can- adian Forces Maritime Experimental and Test Ranges (CFMETER) during the November PSAC strike.

On Feb. 21, after a three-month investi- gation, the Vancouver Island regional Crown counsel announced that no charges would be laid against the driver, Roy Michaelis, a senior U.S. official who was trying to enter the base at the time of the incident.

The decision came in spite of testimony from eyewitnesses who said that Michaelis intentionally struck the 34-year-old Nanaimo man twice after threatening the day before to “run right over” any pickets who got in his way.

“When Michaelis hit him the first time, Brad staggered ahead,” fellow picket Stan Douglas said. ““And then Michaelis kept going ahead, bumped into him again, knocked him down on one knee and then kept going right over the top of him. I was standing not more than 10 feet away,” he said, adding that the entire rear end of the vehicle lifted when the differential housing between the rear wheels dragged over Hol- mes’s body.

“Then Brad came rolling out from under the truck and lay. ina little ball in the middle of the road moaning and groaning,” he said, while Michaelis kept on driving.

Be bi

BRAD HOLMES ... hospitalized tor several weeks after being run over by U.S. driver.

Homes sustained four crushed vertebrae and head injuries which sent him to hospital for three and a half weeks and have left him recuperating at home more than three months later.

“Michaelis is a real hot head,”’ Douglas continued. “The day before, when he drove out he told us, ‘The next day I’m coming through and [I’m running right over you guys.’ And that was in my statement (to the Crown counsel).”

Nanaimo Crown counsel Glenn Kelt said “half a dozen people saw bits and pieces” of what happened. Kelt said that the Crown was satisfied, as a result of certain testim- ony, that there was “no criminal intent” attached to Michaelis’s actions.

Midway through the lengthy investiga- tion, a U.S. Navy officer came forward as a new witness, claiming he saw Holmes sitting on the pavement in front of Michaelis’s truck before it ran him over.

However, three eyewitnesses and Holmes

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News update: In response to the PSAC letter, the deputy assistant attorney-general’s office stated Feb. 28 that it would investigate the issue, including Crown counsel's action in not laying charges. Ernie Quant, director of operations for the office, stated: “We are going to consider all the issues in the (PSAC)

letter.” (CRE ee ie ea ES

himself deny the claim, and insist Holmes was standing when he was hit. “He stopped, looked at me, drove ahead and knocked me down,” Holmes said. “How could he not know I was there?” ;

CFMETR employees and their union PSAC say some political strings were pulled to let Michaelis walk.

“There are political overtones here,” PSAC regional representative Gary Owen said. “It would appear . . . that several indi- viduals have conspired to deny natural jus- tice in this matter.”

Owen maintains Michaelis was given -

“preferential treatment” by the Crown because of his position as a senior U.S. official in charge of all technicians at CFMETR’s Winchelsea Island command centre for the joint Canada-U.S. weapons testing facility.

Michaelis has been working at the U.S. Navy base in Keyport, Wash. since the November incident, But Nanoose base commander Dan McVicar has recom- mended that Michaelis return to his job at CFMETR if no charges are laid.

McVicar says he is convinced from the Crown counsel’s investigation and from a separate investigation conducted by the U.S. Navy that the incident was an “unfor-

tunate accident” and that Michaelis did not intentionally run Holmes down.

However, Owen said PSAC is “prepared to go to court if that’s what it takes to make the government uphold its legal obligation. This is about an individual’s right to not be run over.”

Owen has sent a letter to Assistant Dep- uty Attorney General Bill Stewart in Victo- ria stating Michaelis committed “a criminal act ... in using his automobile as a wea- pon.” é PSAC is insisting that the investigation

be re-opened and that the Crown counsel’s behaviour be reviewed to “discover if their actions hindered the progress of natural jus- tice.”

Stewart said insan interview Feb. 26 that he will consider PSAC’s request and will give PSAC an answer “as soonas possible.”

Holmes, who has been collecting social assistance since his sick pay expired, doesn’t know when he’ll be able to return to his job as a deckhand aboard a fueller and water boat at CFMETR, and he has filed a civil suit against Michaelis.

“IT don’t know when Ill be going back to work,” Holmes said. “It’s really difficult for me right now. Doing simple things like making my bed or cooking a meal are major tasks.”

Holmes is still plagued with blurred vision, headaches, sleep loss, memory loss and intense lower back pain. He said he wasn’t really surprised when he heard no charges would be laid.

“I think no matter what happens, he’s going to get away with it. He’s going to get off scot free,” Holmes said.

“If it was me who ran him over, I'd be

behind bars in the bottom bunk.”

Pacific Tribune, March 5, 1990 « 3