Eastern Door Volume 6 Number 29

Volume 6 Number 29

August 22, 1997

Bushed suspect arrested
By: Tom Dearhouse

A 31-year-old LaSalle man, wanted by police on 23 arrest warrants, led MUC police and Peacekeepers on a wild chase through Kahnawake Monday afternoon where he eluded police by hiding in the bush for over seven hours. The suspect's whereabouts kept the community on edge until after sundown when he was spotted along the OCR and arrested by the PK's, quite thirsty, hungry and mosquito-bitten.

The getaway vehicle, a 1990 Chevy van reported stolen from Laval, was left with the engine running near Lindsay Diabo's home. PK Corporal Maggie Mayo, and P's Larry Beaton and Richard White, Jr., chased the suspect who fed on foot and quickly lost his sandals.

The suspect came out of the bush near Blake Kirby's home, where PKs Landon Meloche and Billy Diabo made the arrest.

PKs identified the man as Michael Stabenow, 31, of Montreal, arrested by PKs back in 1991, with a long criminal record of armed offenses, including, sexual assault, B and E, theft, car thefts, and fraud.

Peacekeeper Chief Warren Lahache said, "He (Stabenow) is a major criminal, the PKs know of him, and we definitely don't want him here."

PK investigator Tom Lahache, handling Stabenow's file, said, "he's a hard core criminal who know the system. He was classified as being on illegal liberty since April of this year, since he never reported back in as required - that's where the Canada-wide warrant comes in. He said he would turn himself in before winter."

An MUC patrol car with a senior officer and a four-month rookie were in pursuit right from the city, where they intended to pull the van over for a broken brake light.

Peacekeeper Chief and his men had to contend with the sensitive issue of several MUC patrol cars within the village territory. When the investigators arrived at the OCR scene, they instructed the MUC police that PKs would handle the search, the MUC police agreed, and a caravan of MUC police left the reserve by the OCR and took Route 138 back to Montreal.

The chase led from the 138/207 exit onto the 207 and towards the multi-dwellings. There was a turn onto the highway and straight down the OCR.

Fortunately there were no reports of injuries, although a resident's van sustained minor damage after being hit in the chase.

Lahache said Stabenow thought by coming to the reserve, the MUC police would stop. Also noteworthy is the news that several people in town know of Stabenow, who has had LaSalle and Chateauguay addresses, and his involvement in shady activities.

In an interrogation by PK investigators, Stabenow confessed to the chase, and admitted hitting a vehicle. In the end, he apologized for the inconvenience he cause.

Stabenow appeared in Longueuil court Tuesday facing five charges: theft of a vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle, dangerous driving, leaving the scene of an accident and obstruction of PKs (his getaway). Lahache said the bail hearing was postponed to September 3rd, so Stabenow remains in custody until that time. Lahache said it's probable he'll make a deal through his lawyer to reduce his sentence.

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Promoters all set for George Jones
By: Kenneth Deer

There will be no caviar and champagne when George Jones arrives in Kahnawake. Jones is a meat and potatoes kind of guy and he will be feasting on turkey dumplings and meat pie catered by our own Louisa Deer.

Brian Goodleaf, one of the promoters of the concert along with Mouchie Goodleaf, Innovex Insurance and K103 says that Jones has heard about Kahnawake and is looking forward to coming here.

"His road manager sent us a list of food which Jones likes to eat and the list included pork, beef, turkey and the like.

So we went him them menu that Louisa will be laying out, you know, the usual wedding fare of dumplings, meat pie, roast pork, turkey, ham, etc. When they read the menu, they wrote back that they may want to move the dinner up from 5:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in order to recover in time for the show," said Goodleaf.

In terms of beverages, Jones does not want any alcohol in or near his room. He has not touched alcohol in years and prefers Dr. Pepper.

Jones, performing in Barrie, Ontario, on Saturday evening, will arrive in Montreal by 4:00 a.m. Sunday.

Between 11:00 a.m. and Noon the equipment will arrive at the arena and the crew will have lunch.

The lights and speakers will be set up in time for a sound check between 3:30 and 5:00 p.m.

Supper for the whole crew is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.

Inside the arena, new safety stairs have been installed over the arena boards to allow for quick exit off the floor in case of emergency.

"We have adhered to every MCK ordinance we have been required to observe. Including enforcing a smoke free environment in the arena. Smoking will only be allowed in the bar," said Goodleaf.

The promoter have hired 32 security guards for the event with Peacekeeper John K. Diabo as Head of Security. "George Jones wants an orderly crowd. Anyone disorderly will be ejected. He deserves and will receive a very orderly crowd," said Goodleaf.

There will also be a number of parking lot attendants to organize the parking of vehicles around the arena and the overflow parking area across from the quarry.

In case of medical emergency, 15 Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) from the Kahnawake Fire Brigade will be on hand. A special area for wheelchair seating will be available and even Satekanhatie Marion Phillips, still spry at 103 years old, will be there to see the show.

Information you need to know

The show will begin at 7:00 p.m. with Del Phillips and Country Dynasty as the opening act. Joe Delaronde of K103 will be the MC.

At 7:45 p.m., the stage crew has eight minutes to remove the opening act's instruments (or the promoters will be penalized). The Jones Boys will take the stage at 8:00 p.m. After two or three songs, George Jones will then enter center stage.

The show is almost sold out but tickets are still available.

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Editorial

Land issue at Oka is not settled
By: Kenneth Deer, The Eastern Door

Despite what the Mayor of Oka says, the land around Kanesatake is still in dispute and will continue to be until Quebec and Canada recognize our inherent right to our own lands.

The recent settlement between the Government of Canada and the Municipality of Oka over the transfer to Canada of over 12,000 square metres of land (about three acres) around the Kanesatake graveyard can only be described as a small step in a much larger process of returning the original Seigneury of the Lake of Two Mountains to the Mohawk people.

It is true that accommodation of a larger graveyard for Kanesatake is an important step. The graveyard was a rallying point in the 1990 occupation of the Pines by Mohawks and the stark image of a golf course being constructed around the graves gave the protesters a public relations edge in the confrontation. But the land issue goes much deeper than the graveyard, and it is much larger than the Seigneury itself. The real issue is the Mohawk territory as such, now lying with the borders of Canada.

There is no treaty between the Mohawk People and the British Crown or the Government of Canada by which the Mohawks would have given up their land or their sovereignty. The root of the 'Oka Crisis' is not the cemetery or the Seigneury, but the colonial attitude and actions of the Canadian Government.

The land issue at Oka or anywhere else in Mohawk Territory will only end when the Canadian Government recognizes the sovereignty of the Mohawk Peoples, begins a true nation-to-nation relationship and gives just reparation to the Mohawk People for the land they have been occupying illegally all these years.

Yes, the land settlement for the Kanesatake cemetery is an important step, but only a very small one.

Something to think about

The Mayor of Oka drove a hard bargain in negotiations with the Federal Government. But his hard bargaining may help set the price for future land negotiations.

The Government of Canada paid the Municipality of the Village of Oka $230,000 for 3.05 acres of land, at a cost of $75,409 per acre.

In the Seigneury of Sault St. Louis, which Kahnawake rightly owns, about 29,336 acres are illegally occupied by several municipalities. If this land is worth at least as much as the Village of Oka, then the value of the occupied Seigneury of Sault St. Louis is 29,336 acres times $75,409.00 equals $2,212,198,424.00

Two trillion dollars is an interesting amount of money. Negotiators for the Seigneury St. Louis should take note.

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