#IdleNoMore

It's tricky: mobilizing masses of people while presenting a consistent message and without causing disruption that could hurt your cause.

The growing Idle No More movement, a product of building frustration among First Nations peoples, is attempting to navigate those conundrums as it executes something resembling a controlled explosion on the national scene. The match that ignited this movement was Bill C 45, the Federal Government's omnibus budget bill that alters parts of the Indian Act and reduces protections for many Canadian waterways. This, along with other recent government legislation, didn't sit well with some native Canadians:

"These colonial forms of legislation that the government expects to unilaterally impose on us has brought us together, to stand together" - Jessica Gordon

They decided that enough was enough and it was time to mobilize.

But how? Just the term "omnibus budget bill" is enough to make people fall asleep. By writing that in this blog post I instantly lost 35 readers. How do you draw people's attention to something like that?

After the initial National Day of Action failed to garner much press; Rallies, flash mobs, hunger strikes and blockades continued to spring up across the nation and the media is taking notice.

With the spot light comes the challenges:

1) a cohesive message: As the Occupy movement grew, different factions in different cities had different objectives, and the message got watered down until most people saw the occupiers as nothing more than a bunch of illegal campers with too much time on their hands.

Idle No More has to maintain a consistent message. Is it a protest against bill C 45, is it about Attawapiskat, or is it a more general thing about indigenous sovereignty and an equal partnership with the Government of Canada, or is it something else? We can see on the news that there are protests, but we don't get a lot of insight into what it's about. They have to keep hammering home their intended message so that it filters through the 120 second news segments on TV and into the skulls of nimrods like me who wait to get fed what they need to know by the mainstream media.

The danger is that different aboriginal leaders will say different things, thus confusing the public and muddling the message. Worse, some may decide to capatalize on the "Idle No More" name recognition to promote their own causes. This will lead Idle down the Occupy path to oblivion, leaving the honest protesters as nothing more than angry Indians marching against who-knows-what in the eyes of many. This is to be avoided.

Already, though, it's happening: today in Winnipeg the Sagkeeng First Nation organized a rally at the Manitoba Hydro building to draw attention to the continued displacement of people in their community by last year's flooding. This is counter-productive. It may be a worthy topic, but it comes at the expense of the Idle movement.

2) keeping the public on your side: It may be tempting to cause disruption because a blockade or other such thing is very effective at getting people's attention, but this too should be avoided. Not all attention is good attention. Sympathy and support for your cause will quickly vanish if you piss people off.

There was a separate event at the Winnipeg airport today that partially blocked traffic. As somebody who recently missed a flight, I can tell you that people who are rushing to catch a plane are not going to be very receptive to anything that gets in their way. Apparently this was not an *official* Idle event, but only in support of it. Most people will not make that distinction. If you want to show support for Idle No More, why don't you show up at an actual Idle No More event instead?

3) supress the lunatics: All public statements by a corporation are tightly controlled by a dedicated PR department. The First Nations do not have such a luxury. There is a Grand Chief, and there are provincial representatives that have a voice, and there are also hundreds of band Chiefs across the country, as well as many other activists and voices. Naturally some are more intelligent than others.

While we have heard some very thoughtful statements from people like Pamela Palmater and Winnipg's own youthful activist phenom Michael Redhead Champage, we also have this guy in the car: http://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=832466

“ We ARE the representative! We ARE the example for the world!”

For this to be successful, people need to hear the reasonable and rational voices, and not that guy in the car or, God forbid, a grand standing buffoon like Terry Nelson.

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Alas, I fear these challenges may be too great. The Canadian First Nations are too diverse and loosely knit. It is unlikely that the message can be controlled in the way that it needs to be, and the movement may be undermined by the selfish or misguided acts of those who try to grab the spot light with their own independent protests in the name of Idle No More.

Recommended reading: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/wab-kinew/idle-no-more-canada_b_2316098.html

A thing called Keeyask

A belated follow-up to the earlier post $1.1 Billion deficit might not be our biggest problem. In that post I discussed some of the enormous risks facing Manitoba Hydro:

• over 11 billion dollars in investments in northern Hydro megaprojects, almost exclusively to sell power to a very weak export market in the US
• a track record of escalating costs
• a development with the Cree Nations partners that, fairly or not, places the entire burden of risk on Hydro while sharing potential profits of the Keeyask project.

I'm going to dive a little deeper into this Keeyask thing here. In addition to the Joint Keeyask Development Agreement that I talked about last time, there are Adverse Effects Agreements that layout the process for compensating ... hey ... wait! Where are you going? It's not that boring. Really. Stick around!

Okay. As I was saying ... there are these agreements. There are four of them -- one for each of Tataskweyak Cree Nation, War Lake First Nation, Fox Lake Cree Nation, and York Factory First Nation. Their purpose is "to provide appropriate replacements, substitutions or opportunities to offset unavoidable Keeyask Adverse Effects on practices, customs and traditions integral to the distinctive cultural identity" of the First Nations.

I don't want to lose your attention again so let's get straight to the money: how much will these replacements, substitutions and opportunities cost Manitoba rate payers? Well, it's complicated, but let's start with $7 million. That's not compensation. That's the cost of constructing and furnishing buildings to administer the compensation.

There are two buildings: the TCN Keeyask Centre, and the Fox Lake Gathering Centre in Gillam. Both serve purposes other than administration, for example storage, displaying artifacts, conducting educational seminars, etc..

The Keeyask Centre looks something like this, and is budgeted for $4 million:

I believe this beauty, designed by Friesen Tokar Architects, might be the Fox Lake Gathering Centre that was agreed to in the plan, except that its cost is $7.5 million, not the $3 million that was budgeted:

Okay, moving on ...

There are numerous "offsetting programs" funded under these Adverse Effects Agreements: language programs, educational programs, grave site restoration programs, youth wilderness traditions programs, etc...  There is an access program for TCN that funds up to 52,000 miles of air transportation for hunting, fishing and trapping each year.

There are budgets for this. On an annual basis for the life of the project, Tataskweyak Cree Nation is funded for $2,124,000 in 2008 dollars, indexed for inflation, with any unspent amounts carried forward.War Lake gets $266,000 each year. Fox Lake gets $710,000 per year, decreasing over time to $100,000 per year. York Factory First Nation gets total funding that adds up to $8,520,000 discounted present value.

In addition to all this there are other aspects to these agreements, including lump sum amounts for Residual Compensation:

Tataskweyak Cree Nation: $3,000,000

War Lake First Nation: $255,000

Fox Lake Cree Nation: $1,581,000

York Factory First Nation: $490,000

There are other clauses that allow for additional losses from traditional activities, other amounts for water levels above or below normal levels ($4,500 per foot per day, adjusted for inflation) and so on.

So what to make of all this? Certainly if you were adding up the costs of lost revenue from hunting and trapping on the 45 square kilometers of flooded land, it would be a miniscule amount by comparison. However intangibles are extremely hard to place a value on -- I know because I've done it in a previous life -- but also there is value in building willing partners with the First Nations.

Whether you feel this is way over the top or fair compensation, it is a cost to Hydro. These tens of millions of dollars will add to the burden, and represent thousands more megawatts of power to be exported to a weak US energy market.

Violence? Rebellion? What the hell is going on here?

This is depressing. The global economy is imploding, my city is bankrupt, and now I'm being told that my country is going to explode into a civil war between whites and Indians.

We all agree that the Indian Residential School system was a grievous mistake. If you can't turn back the clock and reverse the mistake, what can you do? I thought we were on the right track here: the PM formally apologized, the government has allocated $1.9 billion for compensation, and we put in place a forum to allow IRS survivors to share their stories and begin the healing process.

I guess I was mistaken, because the man in charge of the Truth and Reconcilliation Commision is predicting "great violence" if we don't pick up our game. Those quotes by Justice Sinclair in that article are remarkably inflamatory by somebody in his position. This man whom we entrusted with ecouraging the healing process is instead creating greater divisions, and giving tacit approval to violence by implying that such violence is understandable. This is highly irresponsible, in my opinion.

Douglas Bland expands on this in Saturday's paper, saying that there are no positive stories to tell and that there is no way to bring these issues to light in a non-violent way. The solution? A rebellion!

There is, of course, another way beyond aimless violence to convince Canadians to redress past wrongs... Paradoxically, a unified nationwide aboriginal rebellion may be the best way.

I makes me feel so much better that the "great violence" won't be aimless.

I couldn't help but think of Machiavelli's The Prince as he goes on to pragmatically explain the conditions and preconditions for a rebellion based on "current research". You know, there are some places where advocating a rebellion would be called treason, but I had better let that line of thinking go, as I sense that it won't lead me anywhere good.

So how do we avoid these dire consequences? Please explain in point form with clear understandable steps so we don't screw it up again. You first Sinclair:

You can contribute to that solution by understanding, supporting and engaging in those conversations, by encouraging society to do those things that need to be done and by acknowledging the validity of that state of respect.

Oh geeze. We're doomed. Please Bland, give us something to work with:

Work with the First Nations' community vigorously and immediately to reshape this young population into a positive, community-oriented work and leadership cohort. Finally, and again in co-operation with First Nations' leaders, we could launch a national campaign aimed at convincing these young people they are indeed prized citizens in our national community.

I think people are getting frustrated that we're spending billions of dollars and not achieving any of these nebulous objectives that are supposed to solve the problem. And maybe that's because it's impossible for the government to solve. The government creates laws and spends money. That's really what it does. It can attempt to do more, as it has with the Truth and Reconcilliation Commision, but if you're looking for pride and respect, well, that's a little more complicated, because those are things that start first within your own families and communities. Allowing private ownership of land on reserves might be a step in the right direction, but if you're expecting Canadians and the government to find some way to conjure up these things in a short time frame, well ... just first give me some time to fortify my house for the rebellion.

Bucket full of something ... and it's not water.

Saturday's Free Press included another one of their impressive multi-page exposés. This one was about the appalling conditions in the Island Lake First Nations communities, centering around a lack of clean water. It contained compelling stories about hardship, and heart-breaking pictures of children living in squalid conditions -- all the sorts of things that the obscure journalism organizations look for when they give out awards. However it also contained a bunch of exaggerations and misleading information.

I wasn't planning on writing about this at all, but by chance I happened to meet up with an acquaintance this weekend who works up at Island Lake. It was this acquaintance who told me that the story was exaggerated. For example, we read about these families who have no choice but to haul water by hand in "a used oil or chemical bucket." Not likely, says my acquaintance. Nobody hauls water by hand, they haul it with their Ford F150s. You don't have to take my friend's word for it though. 40 seconds into the video on the Free Press website two ladies put on a show for the camera by hauling water up the hill with their Chevy Silverado in the background:

I don't want to minimize the importance of clean water, but the continual references to third world refugee camps are unreasonable. They refer to the "dirty lake water" as though it were a muddy slough in the savanna. Remember, this is the same land that is so "pristine" that the government is spending over $1 billion to route Bipole III around it. So pure and untouched is this land that it demands the protection of UNESCO heritage status.* A family in Buduburam Africa would kill for this kind of access to water.

I also don't deny that there are serious health issues at Island Lake and Red Sucker Lake. We have seen the reports of TB and H1N1 outbreaks, and the rampant diabetes. But is this really all just an inevitable result of not having running water? People have lived for centuries without running water, and it wasn't that long ago that it was common to have large families crammed into a small house here in the prairies, but yet somehow the floors got swept and hands got washed.

At one point as the author, Helen Fallding, was interviewing a resident, a very young child showed up drinking a can of Dr. Pepper. Helen, applying no critical thinking whatsoever, paints this and the diabetes that is sure to follow as an inevitable result of not having running water. Now I'm not a botanist, but I am pretty sure that the toddler didn't pick this can of pop off a tree in the back yard. That pop was purchased at a store. The same store that sells bottled water, juice, and any number of other beverages. Red Sucker Lake, Wasagamack, St.Theresa Point and Garden Hill all have Northern Stores. Northern Stores, in case you have never been in one, have a grocery section not unlike a Food Fare. Perhaps not as well stocked in these cases, but you can be damn sure that they sell bottled water. If your toddler is drinking Dr. Pepper, is it because of parental neglect, not necessity.

You can't help but wonder what else is due to neglect. One has to tread carefully when talking about these sorts of things, but it is hard to avoid the subject when you hear the same things from almost everybody who spends time on a northern reserve.

Another picture in the paper showed a guy, Gordie Rae, carrying water up his driveway with a presumably broken late 90s Dodge Stratus parked on one side and a late 90s Dodge Caravan or Plymouth Voyager on the other, the later with a missing wheel. What the hell happened? My car is late 90s and I'm planning on driving it for another 10 years. (It's not a Dodge, mind you).


Yet another picture shows Soloman McPherson dumping sewage in a sprawling garbage pile next to his house, with a circa 2004 Chevy Tracker in the background. Would it be possible, maybe, to use that vehicle to take your garbage to the dump? Garden Hill does have one. They all do. St. Theresa Point not only has a land fill, but a full time garbage truck that services all residences. Third world indeed.

Now suppose somebody doesn't have a vehicle to haul water -- which is unusual according to my friend -- but suppose. What about the neighbours? I attended a United Way event recently where the speaker was a very well spoken lady of aboriginal descent. She talked about how sharing everything you had was part of their culture, and about how it was necessary to survive in the past. Whatever happened to that? "Oh your Dodge broke down? Tough shit buddy." Is that the attitude now? When did selfishness become part of the culture? Perhaps around the same time that the chief and council started making six figure salaries? I don't know if that's the case, or if the author is only implying that it's everyman for himself. I don't know what to believe in this story.

What about the location of the houses? I have always wondered about that. The story points out that "No running water means that homes are built without bathtubs." In other words, homes are being not being built where the water is, but off in the bushes somewhere. Sometimes kilometers away. After the home is built they expect the government to pay tens of thousands of dollars to pipe water through the granite outcroppings and forest to these far flung residences. Who decides where these houses go? My understanding, and correct me if I'm wrong, is that the individuals do not own any land. It is all reserve land, and is controlled by the band council. I'm making an assumption here, but could they perhaps do a better job of planning their community in such a way that access to water would be maximized?

If the names of these reserves sound familiar, it might be because of an event last year during the H1N1 outbreak when the government sent dozens of body bags to the Island Lakes First Nations. The chiefs were outraged. So much so that one of them flew himself and a small entourage down to Winnipeg to express their outrage in front of the TV cameras. (You may also remember would-be mayor Judy Wasylycia-Leis getting on board calling it "the ultimate expression of incompetence.") Of course as it turned out the reserves' own health care workers ordered the body bags, and in fact they were sent fewer than they asked for. Yet the cost of that one trip alone could have bought everybody in the community a clean pail to haul their water in ... assuming it were needed. But these are the kind of grandstanding buffoons that we're dealing with here. Judy was right about incompetence, but she was talking about the wrong people.

So here we are: people surrounded by pristine ... oh sorry: "dirty" for the purposes of article ... freshwater lakes, with grocery stores stocked with various beverages including water, yet nobody can wash their hands or clean their floors, and kids have to drink pop. That's how it is, apparently. Helen and her crew sought out the most appalling houses and woeful people of the 10 thousand or so that live in the four communities, exaggerated their hardships, and portrayed this as the victimization of a hard working people by a negligent government. I have no doubt that they will win awards for outstanding journalism for this masterpiece, but perhaps the Giller Prize would be more appropriate.

*These communities are not actually in the proposed UNESCO zone. They are to the north-east of it.

The MMF president is a fraud

Not a big surprise:

It appears that David Chartrand has easily won re-election as president of the Manitoba Metis Federation Inc. After all polls reported Thursday night, Chartrand had collected 3,352 votes to 665 for challenger Frank Godon.

Chartrand said the turnout was low — there were 52,718 eligible voters — but attributed that to the low profile by the last-minute candidacy of his opponent, Frank Godon.

Frank's response in the comment section of that story:

So David wants to blame the low turn out on me? Not the fact that Metis people from across Manitoba told me that they weren't voting because the MMF does nothing for them. Not the fact that this was the fastest called election with little room for people who wanted to run to get their nominations in. Not the fact that there were only 37 days of campaigning available. This was a protest vote plain and simple - the people are fed up with the MMF and its dictatorship style of administration.

We here at the Peanut endorsed Frank on May 6 (I am sure that gained him, maybe, zero votes) so we're somewhat disappointed in the outcome. Is there any legitimacy to his comments? Hard for me to say as I am not an eligible MMF voter, but there has to be something wrong with the process when voter turnout is less than 10%.

Some clues to the low turnout might be found on the MMF web site, where the election received second billing to, um, Elsie Bear's Kitchen:


I took that screenshot on May 6 -- one month and 5 days before the election. There was a basic list of candidates, and little else. No instructions on how to vote or where to vote, or advanced polling, or anything like that. Not that I could find. You would figure that the election of the MMF president would be a pretty big deal to the MMF. You would figure they would have profiles of all of the candidates, where they stand on the issues, etc .. so that the Metis people of Manitoba can best judge who represents their views. I guess it's hard to put that stuff together when you only get started one month before you finish.

This is a failure on the part of the MMF to motivate the people they claim to speak for. Tell me: what duty does the government have to consult with David Chartrand, when only 6% of the Metis people agreed to have him represent them?

Keep this in mind next time you see the MMF taking a stand in your friendly neighbouhood newspaper.

** edit: fixed some bad math **

Local film hits Cannes, Al Jazeera hits Winnipeg

Produced by Winnipegger Merit Jensen Carr's Merit Motion Pictures, the film Tu Tu Much follows a group of girls as they try out for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. It was shown for a few days in January at Silver City here in Winnipeg, and now is making it's rounds around the world. According to it's Facebook page, it will be at Cannes Market May 19th and 20th, followed by a number of viewings in New Zealand. You can read more about the movie here.

Tu Tu Much is not Merit's first film about the RWB. I saw 40 Years of One Night Stands at Cinematheque a couple of years ago. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would enjoy a ballet-related film.

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You may notice an Al Jazeera news gadget on my right sidebar. I put that there recently because I like to check out AJ for an international perspective on the world events. Anyhow, I went to the AJ home page yesterday morning to see what was going on around the globe and found a video from here in Manitoba about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission:

Yay! We made the international news!

Frank for President! .. and other Friday stuff

It turns out that there's more than one election going on in these parts. On June 10 my half-blood buddies will be able to go out and vote for President! David Chartrand is running for re-election, as are two other folks: Frank Godon and Robert Nolin. I'm pulling for Frank, who's returning from a stint in Russia teaching English. If I'm not mistaken, Darcey of Dust My Broom fame is part of his campaign team. Also see his Facebook page.

Cybersmoke is calling for more fiscal responsibility from the MMF.

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I know many of you spend hours sitting around and wondering "why can't I find a blog about poutine?" Well, your wondering has been answered.

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I haven't done my Friday video in a while, but here's one for you from Winnipeg break-core musician Aaron Funk, a.k.a. Venetian Snares. Turn this up LOUD. Yes, especially if you're at the office.

Of his many albums, one is called Winnipeg is a Frozen Shithole, and features songs like "Die Winnipeg Die Die Die Fuckers Die".

I'm sure he means that in a nice way.

Manitoba Hydro: the golden beaver - updated

Trappers suing for $64M. Say Hydro, province took away livelihood

Will $64 million help? I know it would help me. It would help me to buy a new gullwing AMG Mercedes SLS, for example. But, the question is: will it help the trappers in Chemawawin? First, the history:

In 1968, Hydro builds a damn, and floods 500,000 acres of land -- "one of the best wildlife areas in North America" according to the lawyer that the band hired. Prior to building the damn, Hydro, attempting to do the right thing one would suppose, negotiates with the affected community and moves them to a new location, giving them roads, schools, running water and electricity for the first time. While you might think that this would lead to an improved standard of living, alcohol abuse took hold of the community "as it became clear the new site, built on bedrock, was no good for traditional trapping, hunting and agricultural practices." There is cause-and-effect implied in that statement that I am not convinced is true. Many other communities got plagued with alcohol abuse, without any drastic change in their trap lines to blame it on. But in any case, many years later in 1990 Hydro paid $13.7 mil to Chemawawin to compensate for the "outstanding effects of the damn."

End of story? Hell no ... Another 18 years later, a group of trappers from the community are going after Hydro for $64 million in lost income. This is for "as many as" 118 trappers or descedants, suffering a 50% drop in their standard of living (I guess running water and electricity don't count). That's over half a million dollars for each of the 118 people.

Sanity check time: $64 million works out to over $1.5 million per year since the damn opened. If this represents a 50% decrease in their revenues from trapping, then that implies that the total value of their trapping, had that revenue not been lost, would have been over $3 million per year -- more than the value of all wild fur produced in the province each year by over 7000 trappers, according to the Manitoba Trappers Association.

Now, I'm not saying the trappers in Chemawawin are not 428.5 times better at trapping than everybody else, or that their former land wasn't that much better. I just find it hard to believe, is all. The cynic in me is thinking that this is one last money grab before the trappers in question get too dead or forgetful to recall the glory days of catching 500 muskrats a week.

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I wrote in the comments of a recent post by David Watson that, while in general racial tensions have largely decreased in Canada, they seem to be growing larger with respect to the First Nations. There is increasing frustration among many Native leaders and groups that they are not being properly compesated for past wrongs, and continue to be denied the resources that they deserve; and there is increasing frustration among non-Natives that the more the government gives, they more the First Nations demand. There is a sentiment that it is high time they take responsibility for their own state of affairs -- a sentiment that grows each time an unreasonable demand like this is made. As the demands get bigger, the divide grows larger.

*** update: in related news ***

oh geeze, this isn't gonna help with the whole racial tension thing ...

Last week the band council on the Kahnawake reserve, southwest of Montreal, delivered letters to 26 people identified as non-natives living with their Mohawk spouses or partners. The recipients were told they had 10 days to leave.

Ottawa, as all Canadian governments tend to do, is avoiding this like the plague:

"It is important for people to realize that whether I like the decisions or not, these are decisions made by First Nations people on their own land," Mr. Strahl told reporters in Ottawa.

Whatever.

Mr. Delaronde said all the eviction letters were delivered last week. He could not say whether anyone has heeded the notice yet. The band council plans to publish the names of anyone who has not left by next week, he said.

That must be the "or else..." part of the eviction notice.

Gail Asper and the Temple of Gloom: drilling holes

I was wondering about this ... The site of the future Canadian Museum for Human Rights was sitting idle for years, and then one day they moved in cranes and started drilling big holes in the ground. "Gee, that seems like an odd way to do an archaeological exploration of a site" I thought to myself. Everybody was so concerned about what might be in the ground under the proposed apartment building near the Upper Fort Garry site, yet here at the Forks we're just punching holes in the ground like a kid in a sandbox with a stick in his hand.

Apparently I wasn't the only one wondering why they're not bothering to do a proper archaeological assessment of the site. According to the Free Press story today, some archaeologists are asking similar questions. Maybe the museum folks are rushing to get construction past the point of no return before the whole project falls apart because of cost overruns. Or maybe the tedious process of digging up artifacts is simply too time consuming.

I also wondered why First Nations leaders were not up in arms about giant holes being punched in a site that may very well contain important Indian artifacts or even remains of their ancestors. Perhaps they are just very anxious to have their woeful story of abuses and neglect told in the museum for all to see. I suspect that story will not include anything about the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs giving $1,000,000 to one of the richest families in Canada rather than fixing the dilapidated houses and infrastructure in their communities.

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update: I wrote that the site "was sitting idle" but that's not quite accurate. There was in fact a dig last year that found a few things. Still I wonder how much was really know about what's laying in the ground under this site with that limited study. If this were a privately-funded development instead of the museum, I suspect there would be more concern about it.

Christopher Pauchay and circle of kindness

Christopher Pauchay, the guy who killed his two daughters by dropping them in a snowbank while intoxicated, faced his scentencing circle. Their recommendation : Pauchay should serve his sentence in the community. Probable punishment: setting up rocks for sweat lodges, filling and lighting pipes before ceremonies, and assisting elders with other tasks.

If you think he's getting off easy, you're wrong. Just listen to Chief Robert Whitehead:

It's a lot tougher than traditional courts because you have to face the people who you wronged and try to make things right.

See? There you go. Let's have a look at some of what transcribed when he faced the people he wronged:

Tracey Jimmy, his ex-wife and mother of the girls: "He was just such a good dad. I just love him and you guys are taking him away from me - the only person who can actually feel what I'm feeling."

Elder Evelyn Burns suggested Pauchay does not need to go to jail. "Every day you must think of your little girls - that's punishment enough, I think."

Pauchay's stepmother, Jo Anne Machiskinic: I'm not mad at him because he never intended such a horrible thing to happen..

Pauchay's uncle, Francis Nippi: jail should only be used for animals. "Release him to the elders".

Pauchay's gay lover, armando: "I miss the way he beats me when I've been bad. Please don't take him away from me."

The local liquor store owner: "He should stay in the community. He's one of my best customers."

Ok ... I'd better stop before the Southern Chiefs Organization sic their lawyers on me. The point I'm trying to make is this: A scentencing circle may be effective in some situations, but in this case, the victim's family is Pauchay's family. The community members are Pauchay's friends. How is the scentencing circle supposed to be effective when many (most?) of the participants are sympathetic to the criminal?

Look, I feel bad for the guy. I can't imagine what he's going through. I just question whether a scentencing circle is the right tool for the job.

It's all attitude, Baby.

What is Birdtail Sioux First Nation Chief Ken Chalmers doing differently than the other four Dakota chiefs?

Just as Enbridge Inc. moves to improve and formalize relations with aboriginal populations across Western Canada, the oil and gas pipeline giant has given $100,000 to each of Manitoba’s five Dakota First Nations as a goodwill gesture. -fp-

Chief Chalmers took the $100k and built a new general store and gas bar for his people. “A lot of people are on social assistance,” Chalmers said. “This way, they can stretch their meagre dollars.”

"I know (our people) were frustrated in the past ... We don’t want the future to be full of blockades. We want to move ahead here. My people are tired of this.”

Seems (from the article) to be a reasonable and intelligent guy who is making the best of the situation and is approaching the partnership in a positive manner. The other Chiefs, maybe not so much:

Canupawakpa Chief Frank Brown says Enbridge has not come through as they promised. “The other Dakota are standing behind me too. We’re all in the dark. We all got fooled the same. We all got lied to the same.” If he does pull out of negotiations with Enbridge, Brown says his band will keep Enbridge’s money

That's the spirit, Brown. You tell 'em.

By they way, Chief Nelson, has Chavez gotten back to you yet?

"I don't think it was ever about the cost."

Sounds like something a person might say when they are spending someone else's money.

A $175,000 eagle statue has some people from a Manitoba First Nation questioning the spending decisions of their council.
...
Long Plain Chief Dennis Meeches said the statue is a tribute to residential school survivors. Some people who live on the reserve said they were left out of the decision to purchase the statue -- and feel the money could have been better spent. [ctv]

Even if the money came from VLT revenues, every dollar spent on this is a dollar less for community necessities.

Chief Meeches wants to build a $250,000 garden on the site where the eagle currently sits, and is hoping governments will help fund it.

I am guessing that climbing beans are not on the agenda for the garden.
x-posted at the Broom