Eastern Door Volume 4 Number 31

Volume 4 Number 31

September 8, 1995

Akweks Primed for Home Opener
By: Harley Delaronde

This Sunday at 2:30 promises to be an historic moment in the history of sports in Kahnawake. That's approximately the time when the Kahnawake Junior "A" Akweks will face off against the Lachine Maroons at the Sports Complex in the league opener for the new franchise.

Just a few short months ago, rumors began to rise that certain individuals were working on trying to land a junior team in Kahnawake. Many in the community tossed those ideas aside, thinking that as with most rumors there was little real substance to the story.

But in what surely can only be described as a whirlwind of activity a franchise was acquired, an organization structured, and an actual team iced. Presto-ladies and gentlemen, the brand new, exciting Kahnawake Akweks just waiting for the community to come out and support it.

Drawing raves from hockey people throughout the league and surrounding area, the Akweks professional approach and desire to excel has so far resulted in an 7-1 exhibition record along with considerable interest well beyond the boundaries of Kahnawake. That has been reflected in many ways, among them being coverage by the Gazette and journal de Montreal, the interest of numerous hockey scouts and turnout of nearly 120 players to the team's initial training sessions.

Now, the fruit of many people's labors begins to pay off this weekend with the first official action getting underway. The word action should be a key one this year for the Akweks. Off what has been seen throughout the pre-season the black and gold clad squad should present loads of it for fans this winter. Coach Allan Primeau has run a tough camp and certainly has, along with the rest of his coaching staff, had to make some very difficult decisions about who to deep and who to cut. The result though seems to be a team that is already being labeled with contender status. Heady stuff indeed for a franchise that last year finished 10th out of 13 in the QTAHL, but probably no unwarranted.

This team seems loaded with offensive firepower, from Jason Dumont who has impressed with his smooth and alert play to 62 goal sniper Denis Lamoureaux and others like of Chris Cooper, Bentoit Caron and Ryan Keenan. Primeau has the difficult task of seeing that all of them get enough ice time. Luckily he feels that the players are gradually developing a team concept where the word "we" is tossed around much more liberally that "I".

In a brief interview, Primeau mentioned that although his team possessed loads of offensive ability there were areas that needed to be worked on, not the bast of which was the team's defensive zone play. He seemed confident though that this would improve once more time was spent on it during practice. The possible addition later in the season of a number of major defenseman and other (Brad Hanraham) attending the Chicago Black Hawks camps would also serve to bolster the team's defensive ability, according to Primeau. In addition the coach seemed confident in the goaltending of people like Mario Caron.

Local fans who have attended some of the team's exhibition games so far will have noticed that Bobby Cunningham's name hasn't been mentioned. Cunningham, who has been the obvious standout so far in camp, will be attending the training camp of the professional Kansas City Blades of the IHL on September 18th. Therefore because of league rules which stipulate that you must sign a contract to play in a league game, Cunningham will not suit up Sunday for the Akweks. The door obviously will remain open for him, if he is unsuccessful with the Blades who are affiliated with the Sam Jose Sharks.

Still, the Akweks should posses more than enough scoring punch to please the hometown crowd. The question now is what type of crowd will it be. Primeau hopes that the fan support will be there. In his usual energetic way, the coach expressed the desire that the Kahnawake fans would turn out to be noisier, better and more supportive than those at Joliette and Valleyfield obviously two of the franchises with the best backing. He hoped that a jammed, rowdy and energetic house on Sunday and for all other games would provide the Akweks with the extra "7th man" that just might "put us over the top."

The organization of the team, who according to Primeau have as much desire to win as he has, have certainly gone the extra mile in trying to put a top product on the ice for Kahnawake. With a few native players in key roles, an impressive ice surface, best uniforms in the league and an exciting hockey club in the works, the stage is set for Sunday's opener. There's no where else to be if you're a Kahnawake Sports fan.

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Two Natives Killed by Ontario Police
By: Kenneth Deer

The number of dead is now two, with another Native in critical condition in hospital after being shot by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) at Ipperwash Provincial Park, north of Sarnia, Ontario.

There are conflicting versions of what actually happened Wednesday night, September 6. The OPP claim they were fired upon by Native protesters and returned fire. The Natives are saying they are unarmed. The incident took place at barricades were set up in early August. The Eastern Door pieced the following story together from various sources.

The OPP approached a barricade set up across route 21 at the gate of Ipperwash Provincial Park in order to remove protesters. The Natives resisted and the police retreated only to come back about 9:30 PM in riot gear. An incident broke out between the police and a protester who the police say approached who them menacingly. The protester was shot. The mother and sister of the victim tried to get him to a hospital, but the police intercepted them and initially changed them with manslaughter. The mother said her son was already dead at the scene but the OPP claimed he was only badly wounded even though charging the mother with manslaughter. The victim was Nicholas Cottrell George, aged 15.

Sometime during the ensuing melee, at 4x4 jeep or truck sped towards the police when the shooting started. Then a bus attempted to push a dumpster between the police and the protesters to protect the protesters from gunfire. Both vehicles were hit by police fire. A second man, Dudley George, a cousin of Nicholas, what shot in the back and killed while he was fleeing the incident.

The police claim shots came from the truck or the bus. The OPP have set up an investigative team to study the incident.

The people inside the park are adamant the they do not have any firearms.

Despite the deaths, the Natives have not left the park. On Thursday, September 7, upwards of 200 supporters marched from the Kettle Point Reserve to Ipperwash Provincial Park, through the police lines and joined the protesters there.

Background

In 1942, the Canadian Government 'borrowed' an area of land called the Stoney Point Reserve to establish a military training facility for the war effort. Residents were forcibly removed to Kettle Point Reserve. After the war the land was not returned. On July 15, 1995 the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed the matter of land jurisdiction as being "Not of public importance." Ipperwash Provincial Park is adjacent to the military base and was the burial ground for the Stoney Point residents up until 1942.

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Fire guts Valu-Mart
By: Reaghan Tarbell

Mohawk Valu-Mart, a convenience/health and beauty aids store was struck by fire last Friday evening at 6:48 p.m. just 7 weeks after it doors first opened for business.

Damage from the fire was mostly contained to the rear of the store. Though products in the front were destroyed by water, smoke and heat damage.

The Kahnawake Fire Brigade was called to the scene after Peacekeeper Eddie Stacey noticed smoke coming from the building while on patrol. Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames and stayed on the scene to ensure the fire had not spread into the walls.

Though no one was injured in the fire, "some fire fighters experienced irritated eyes and throats from the Javex and Uorox (fumes). There was also minimal danger from the pressurized cans," said assistant Fire Chief David Brighten.

Peacekeeper and Fire Brigade reports state the cause of the fire as accidental and have ruled out foul play. A Peacekeeper report, though unconfirmed, states book matches may have been a possible cause though they did not speculate how.

The two other businesses in the Teharonhio:rens Commercial Centre, Jumbo's Smoke Meat and Curotte's Pizza did not sustain any damages to their business, other that the smell of smoke.

Hydro-Quebec was called to cut the power while electricians checked the wiring. The loss of power, stated Jumbo's owner, Barry Alfred, resulted in lost business "on one of their business nights." Power was restored at 12 a.m.

Damage to Mohawk Valu-Mart was estimated at no less than $10,000.

Assistant Fire Chief Brighten added there was no smoke detector in the store. ("If there had been one) the alarm would have went off a lot earlier and it may have cut the damage," said Brighten.

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Editorial

The New Terrorist
By: Kenneth Deer - The Eastern Door

There was a time when a terrorist was a person who indiscriminately killed people for a political or criminal purpose. Placing bombs in mailboxes like the FLQ did in the seventies, or in buildings like the World Trade Towers in New York by Arab extremists are what most people would describe as terrorist activities. Terrorism is defined as "the policy of using act inspiring terror as a method of conducting political opposition."

Organizations like the IRA and PLO are synonymous with acts of violence for political gain. Hundreds if not thousands of men, women, children, policemen, and soldiers have been killed by these organizations. They have terrorized the populations of entire countries by creating fear. Fear of being killed on the way to work or to school. Fear of being killed voting or just shopping for food. Terrorists use fear to destabilize a country to attain a political goal.

Today there is a new definition for terrorists according to Canadian politicians and law enforcement agencies: an Indian protesting by occupying a piece of land. The Mohawks in the Pines in 1990 were called terrorists as are the Defenders of the Shuswap Nation in British Columbia. In both these incidents some of the people involved were armed but none of them "terrorized' the Canadian population. They didn't bomb buildings, kill innocent by standards of hold hostages for ransom. Nor did they make the streets of Canadian cities unsafe to wall on. Yet they are described as terrorists.

It is no longer necessary to be armed to be called a terrorist. A local mayor near the Ipperwash Provincial Park, which is being peacefully occupied by some local Native people, has called these occupiers terrorists. The mayor skipped all the other adjectives such as radicals, malcontents, rebels, trouble-makers, squatters, trespassers, and all around bad people, right to terrorist. Why beat around the bush with wimpy names when calling Natives terrorists will get national attention?

Therein lies the motive for use of the term terrorist. A terrorist is the most despicable kind of political zealot-murderer-assassin. To paint a Native movement in the worst possible light and to eliminate public sympathy, one only has to brand them as terrorists. If a police force or the government can make the term stick, then they will not have to worry about a large public outcry should some Native people have their human rights violated and their very lives taken away.

This week, the RCMP has brought in four armored personnel carriers manned by the Canadian Forces to Gustafsen Lake. For defensive purposes they say. The may be so, but time will tell.

"Today, there is great concern amongst multi-nationalist, government and large land holders as to how to deal with the physical occupations and takeover of ancestral lands by Indigenous Peoples.

The conclusion reached is to remain silent on Aboriginal title, example: B.C. Ignore the Nation-to-Nation Treaties and disregard international law, which clearly recognizes our possession of our homelands by right of first occupation.

The strategy is to remove any political link between our lands and Canada's fiduciary responsibilities by reducing the whole standoff issue to a provincial law and order level where, through the criminalization of Indian People, labeling such as renegades, terrorists and revolutionaries and extremists, public support can be had to bring this problem to a conclusion by all means at their disposal.

This now allow the "Indian People" to be solved by a military solution rather than a peaceful negotiation. Justifiable murder! A warning to all Indian People who oppose the establishment, they will kill to keep what they stole."

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