A-Infos (en) Fwd: colonialism in Canada

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     A - I N F O S  N E W S  S E R V I C E
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Subject:     colonialism in Canada

"Colonialism in Canada"  Speaking tour aims to free Wolverine, First
Nations political prisoner in Canadian prison

by Laura Metcalfe

Splitting the Sky, aka John Hill, the National coordinator for the
campaign to free Wolverine, spoke last week in Peterborough. He told the
audience that he intended to speak the truth about Gustafsen Lake "to undo
the lies and the deceit that was purposely manufactured and consented by
the mainstream media with the assistance of the RCMP."  The Peterborou gh
event was one stop in "Colonialism in Canada" an eight city tour organized
by the Anti-Colonial Action Alliance. The tour aimed to raise support to
free Wolverine, aka Jones William Ignace, a 67 year old Ts'peten political
prisoner. Wolverine was sentenced to eight and a half years in jail as a
result of attempts to defend his life and unceded Shuswap territory at
Gustafsen Lake. He has been a political prisoner since September 29, 1995.
The event began with a showing of "Above the Law," a film whic h outlined
what happened at Gustafsen Lake and the subsequent court proceedings where
18 defendants faced charges. The film explained that a Sundance Ceremony
was held at Gustafsen Lake on land claimed by a B.C.  rancher, Lyle James,
who could not produce a deed for the land. The Sundance took place in
June, but after its end a group decided not to leave because of their
assertion that the land was unceded Native land which did not belong to
the rancher. The group was asking for a Privy Council inquiry
 into the mistreatment of First Nations in Canada, since before
Confederation The Canadian response resulted in the costliest RCMP mission
in their history. Four hundred tactical assault team members, five
helicopters, two surveillance planes, nine Armoured Personnel Carriers,
eight RCMP 'deta sheets' (land mines), flares and 77 000 bullets were all
deployed by the RCMP. Splitting the Sky stated in the film that "we saw
the rise of nothing less than a fascist police state."  The RCMP began the
confront ation on August 23rd, and it lasted until mid-September. B.C. 
Attorney General branded the stand-off as strictly a criminal matter,
refusing to consider political negotiations. The Ts'peten defenders were
branded as terrorists, even though they took an entirely defensive
position. After the film Splitting the Sky discussed the effective smear
campaign ensued against the defendants. Splitting the Sky asserted that it
was necessary from the point of view of the State so that people would not
believe th e state was "engaging in a Nation to Nation war with the
legitimate occupiers of Gustafsen Lake." Disclosure revealed that RCMP
were fully prepared and ready to kill the defenders and that the RCMP
purposefully promoted a smear campaign. Splitting the Sky described the
purpose of the smear campaign: "They knew that you would have to see us as
other than a legitimate resistance movement that was standing on
international constitutional as well as our own national laws so they
started calling us terror ists, they started calling us religious
fanatics, they started calling us militants, renegades, thugs... [but]
they are guilty of every single level of discredit and defamation of
character that they assert on us. They themselves are practising
colonialism, illegal theft of land and the genocide of people." Almost all
of B.C. is unceded territory. Central to the stance of the Ts'peten
defenders was the assertion of First Nation's sovereignty. The smear
campaign was an attempt to distract from this fa ct, according to
Splitting the Sky: "They knew that Canada would be exposed for illegally
selling Indian land... people are assuming that the Crown has title of
that land and the Crown has no title because title was never willfully
ceded by the majority consent of the Shuswap or the various nations to the
Crown. It wasn't purchased according to the 1763 Royal Proclamation."  In
asserting First Nations rights entrenched in Canadian Law the RCMP,
Canadian courts and governments "criminalized the true free dom fighters,"
according to Splitting the Sky. For the act of self defence Wolverine was
convicted, as was his son O.J. Pitawaniquat. Splitting the Sky pointed to
the double standards of Canadian courts by citing the light sentence given
to the O.P.P. police officer who killed Dudley George of Stoney Point
First Nation in the same summer as the RCMP siege at Gustafsen Lake. "Now
William Jones Ignace, known as Wolverine is doing eight and a half years,
and O.J. Pitawaniquat is doing four years for defen ding their
territories, while Kenneth Deane of the O.P.P. is doing 18 months
community service with pay for killing Dudley George. Sounds to me like a
two-tyred justice system."  Presently, supporters are demanding a full
citizens inquiry into RCMP activity at Gustafsen Lake. They are also
demanding that the fifteen hours of police surveillance tapes which are
banned to the public be shown at public forums. Finally, supporters want
the media to report live from public showings of the tapes. Splitting t he
Sky argues that the tapes do not match police testimony and police
records. "We appeal with this film and with this information to the
newcomers, our relations and our allies who will hear and look and listen
to the truth," said Splitting the Sky.  The talk emphasized that Wolverine
and O.J. are political prisoners: "Wolverine and O.J. sit in jail with
thousands of political prisoners and prisoners of war all throughout this
country and the world. They sit in there with Leonard Peltier, they sit in
with Robert Cross, Warren George [defender of Stoney Point First Nation]
will be sitting in there with these comrades -people determined to be a
free independent sovereign people. Is there something wrong with that
notion, for Native people to protect their homelands against foreign
incursion? Or should we just be a willing participant in our own genocidal
demise?" Splitting the Sky concluded by reminding the audience of their
duty "to guard against the rise of fascism." He suggested that supporters
write to demand a citizens inquiry and that they write O.J. and Wolverine
expressing understanding and recognition of their status as political
prisoners. 

Wolverine (William Jones Ignace)
Political Prisoner
Box 4000
Abbotsford, BC
V2S 5X8

James Pitawanakwat (OJ)
Political Prisoner
c/o Mission Institution
P.O. Box 60, Mission BC
V2V 4L8

for information:
Splitting the Sky - (604) 572-8154 or (403) 865-1784

Settlers In Support of Indigenous Sovereignty (SISIS)
P.O. Box 8673
Victoria, BC
V8X 3S2                                                                   
                                                                          
                                                                          
                                                                          
                                                                          
                                                                          
                                                                 




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