Eastern Door Volume 6 Number 43

Volume 6 Number 43

November 28, 1997

Bid Official for 2002
By: Waneek Horn

It was made official yesterday, Wednesday, November 27, 1997, at a press conference held in the John Molson reception room at the Molson Breweries that Kahnawake will bid to host the 2002 Indigenous Games.

The process began in late July when the Kahnawake Bid Committee of Joseph Tokwiro Norton, Davis Rice, Billy Two-Rivers, Tiorahkwathe Gilbert, Daniel Robin, Robert Church, Alwyn Morris, Carol Goodleaf and Harlean Sky submitted a letter of intent to bid to the Indigenous Games Council.

Upon review of the letters of the three bidding parties of Manitoba, Ontario and Kahnawake they were unsure that Kahnawake had the community and area support. To ensure that there was support shown from other Quebec Natives, the Assembly of First Nations Quebec Chief, Ghislain Picard, submitted a letter of support for the Kahnawake bid.

Following this the bid was officially accepted and the committee is now rounding up support from Montreal and the surrounding area to help host the Games in 2002.

In a speech made by Norton he expressed that the Games would help communication and relations between Natives and non-Natives and would do away with some of the stereotypes of Natives that many people hold. Norton also explained the strong cultural aspect of the games and the spiritual nature of the First Nations in North America.

Francis Fox, a representative from Montreal International a company that works to promote the Montreal area stated that they are willing to give financial and moral support for Kahnawake's Bid.

He continued to announce that Montreal International is giving $25,000 dollars to help with the cost of the bid to the Indigenous Games Committee, to be presented next week in Miami, Florida. Fox is interested in working with Kahnawake on the bid and feels that it will be for not only Kahnawake but the entire Montreal area as well.

AFN's Ghislain Picard also expressed his support for the bid and feels that it is important for Native peoples to come together and participate in the Games promoting solidarity amongst Native peoples in North America.

Morris summed up the press conference with a brief overview of the history of the Games and Kahnawake's involvement since the beginning in Edmonton Alberta in 1990. He expressed the need to make a big impression on the 26 member Indigenous Games Bid Committee who will be coming to visit the area in late spring, early summer.

The support seems to be strong in the Montreal area as well as inside Kahnawake. The Youth Center's Sharon Rice feels that Kahnawake has a very good chance considering that it is near a big city and can host many event in Kahnawake as well.

Rice was surprised that at all of the past Indigenous Games have not been hosted on a reserve and she feels that it is about time.

The consensus seems to be that "We want the Indigenous Games in Kahnawake!" now is the time to work to get it.

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Warrants never received, PK Chief
By: Tom Dearhouse

The Kahnawake Peacekeepers have failed to deliver seven arrest warrants within the reserve, the RCMP claims, relating to the South Texas Ranch smuggling and fencing ring which was busted in September.

PK Chief Warren Lahache said, in term of warrants, we (the PKs) have never been given them. Lahache is in Quebec City this week discussing police protocols with members of the Solicitor-General's office. He has made them aware of a news article in the Gazette that appears to tarnish to PK's image. He contacted the RCMP headquarters but he is still waiting for word.

Lahache maintains that if an outside police force like the RCMP or SQ have a problem, there is a protocol to follow which means going through the Liaison Committee.

On a daily basis, PK's make arrests either with warrants in hand or they take suspects to where the warrant is, Lahache explained. Baliffs drop warrants off at the station, and it works every day like that.

Back in September, RCMP and MUC announced 22 arrests at a press conference and prominently displayed weapons and stolen goods, some linked to Lazare, some in separate cases.

At the same time, police claimed PK's would not cooperate and did not offer assistance in the raid aimed at a warehouse full of stolen goods, reported by a police informant.

Watio Lazare, 35, and Bryan Jacobs, 36, were arrested for their involvement after being tricked off the reserve.

RCMP Sgt. Mike Roussy, who collared Lazare himself in LaSalle, said the arrest warrants were sent two months ago and they have never been executed. Lazare and Jacobs are in jail awaiting trial on 62 counts relating to smuggling and stolen property.

The Gazette article states names on the warrants are for Sheila Lazare, 45, allegedly in charge of the books. Others include: Matthew Stacey, 48; Loann Leborgne-Lazare, 42; Edwin Regis, 30; Pierre Poulin, 38; and Keith McComber, 28.

Police are looking for Stephen Clapperton, 33, of St. Eustache, Michael Nolan, 44, and Christopher Denis Lazore, 22, both of the Akwesasne reserve. All face smuggling related charges.

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Editorial

Commentary on the hiring of Angus Reid
By: Donna Goodleaf, Ed.D.

I wish to respond to the Mohawk Council's plans to hire an outside source, Angus Reid to conduct a community poll regarding the ADM project and economic development.

What is Angus Reid? It is an organization that conducts national and international polls or surveys for governments, corporations, etc., who are interested in acquiring information based on quantitative (statistics or numerical) research methods. Let me state here that employing another research tool to measure or assess the community's response based on quantitative methods in not at issue here. However, there are some critical issues the community must be aware of. Due to space constraints, I will briefly point out some questions the community has the right to ask both the MCK and Angus Reid.

To begin with, did the MCK acquire the full and informed consent from the community to bring in an outside source to conduct a survey in Kahnawake concerning the ADM issue and economic issues? Is there going to be any kind of research done in Kahnawake (by an outside source) where and how does community involvement and participation fit in the design and implementation of the research survey?

Does the community have a full and complete understanding of what the research is about, and what their participation in the research will consist of? What kind of ethical guidelines will Angus Reid use to conduct their research? What kid of research process is Angus Reid going to use to get their data? What method will they use to arrive at the final results?

Remember, the researcher has the ethical responsibility to provide the community a full explanation describing every aspect of the research being conducted. For example, what kind of questions will be asked of you? You, the community, have the right to be asking these questions because it will be you, the people, who will be asked to be participants in this research survey.

From another perspective, why does the MCK feel it has to hire an outside source to "legitimize" the community's response to the ADM issue in particular and economic issues in general? Is this not a gross example of internalized racism against our own people? What does this mean for the community?

Does this mean that "white is right" and our own KSS students excellent research and presentation along with the community's voice expressed through peaceful demonstrations, community meetings and radio talk shows is not valid enough for the MCK?

If the MCK feels it is necessary to acquire data based on statistics, why would the number of signatures listed on the petitions distributed by the parents of the students of the Kahnawake Survival School not be considered? Is not the KSS petition one example of employing an equally valid research method grounded in quantitative (statistical) data analysis? In fact, the petitions give validity to the research method employed because there are faces attached to the signatures, telephone numbers and addresses.

In this way, the numbers of the signatures on the petitions cannot be manipulated.

In the context of hiring, why must the MCK feel it has to hire an outside source when it can hire our own people as consultants, who possess the same skill and knowledge to conduct the same survey Angus Reid will be hired to do? How much money is the MCK dishing out to Angus Reid for consultation fees? No doubt, such fees will amount in the thousands of dollars.

I believe in our people and I have confidence that our people are capable of conducting an excellent survey - after all, who better knows our community than our own people? A suggestion would be to get a team of people who possess the necessary knowledge and skills chosen by the people, independent of the MCK, and they design the survey. This method would prevent any influence or bias coming from the MCK.

In closing, perhaps it is time to start sharing and redistribute the community's financial resources with our own people. Instead of funneling community moneys to the outside and supporting them, why not keep the moneys inside and support our own community?

Isn't this what economic self-sufficiency is all about?

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