Eastern Door Volume 8 Number 12

Volume 8 Number 12

April 16, 1999

Drug Bust Tuesday
Two Locals Arrested and Charged With Drug Possession and Trafficking
By: Greg Horn

During the meeting that was held on the issue of drugs in our community on Tuesday night, the Kahnawake Peacekeepers made a drug related arrest.

At around 9:00 p.m. an elderly gentleman was walking down the highway and noticed some suspicious activity in the area of Nolan's Mall and Lafleurs. A black car pulled up and a group of youths went up to it. It was at this time that the witness called the Peacekeepers.
The Peacekeepers then set up surveillance and noticed two suspected transactions. The car, a 1994 black Pontiac Grand Am was pulled over in the area of Blind Lady's Hill.

When the Peacekeepers approached the vehicle and the driver opened the window a strong odour of suspected narcotics filled the air. Both the driver and the passenger were arrested and searched. It was at this time that more suspected narcotics were found by the Peacekeepers.

Also in their possession was drug paraphernalia, which included rolling papers and a small digital scale.

Lyle Sanipass, who turned 25 on the day of the arrest, was charged yesterday in Longueuil court for possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking. While the driver of the car, Shawn Yuan, 26, was charged with possession of narcotics.

"We met with the Longueuil court Crown Prosecutor for these files and explained to him the Zero Tolerance stance on drugs in Kahnawake," stated Chief Peacekeeper Warren Lahache.

"The Crown recommended that a Mohawk Council Resolution be enacted stating the Zero Tolerance stance on drugs. And that an Elder come during a drug sentencing to explain to the court the ZERO tolerance and what drugs are doing to our community. That would guarantee stiffer punishments."

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Drug & Alcohol Meeting
Many Community Members Show Up To Support Getting Rid of Drugs in Kahnawake
By: Greg Horn

On Tuesday evening well over 100 people showed up at KSCS. The purpose: to attend a meeting on the growing urgency of drugs and alcohol in our community and specifically how it is affecting our youth. Many people in the community feel that it is important for the community to do something about this problem especially since the recent incidents involving teenagers and alcohol and drugs.

One of these incidents had one teenager extremely intoxicated and suffering from alcohol poisoning. This teenager was then transported to an area hospital where his stomach was pumped in order to remove the alcohol from his system. Had he not been transported to the hospital he may have died.

Another instance saw two youths become unconscious in front of Lafleurs after consuming drugs of some kind. One of these teenagers actually fell flat on his face, and both were transported to a hospital for treatment.

The people who attended this meeting felt that it was high time that we, as a community did something about this situation before we have to go to a funeral.

Many people also felt that the present justice system which sends drug offenders to outside courts is not adequate. The arrest of Marc Lahache on drug charges last year and the fact that he recently plead guilty to those charges and received a slap on the wrist upset many people.

What message is this sending to our youth, asked many people. One woman, who works closely with our community's youth stated that some teenagers stated that they should start selling drugs because nothing will happen to them.

Selma Delisle relayed a story about several years ago a War Dance against drugs, alcohol and suicide was held at the 207 Longhouse. As she was telling the story on how it helped the kids and how they opened up about their problems she began to cry.

Another young woman spoke, she said that she just turned 18 and she could not wait to turn this age so she could buy her own beer. She is now a parent and a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. She stated that she has been sober for the past two years and asked what people her age, that are in her situation, can do for help.

Because she stopped drinking and doing drugs she lost all of her friends. She said that most people her age drink and do drugs and some of them even do drugs like cocaine.

When the meeting ended around 10:30 p.m., many people agreed that they would go to the Court of Kahnawake the next morning at 9:00 a.m. for the ABC Board meeting.

During the ABC meeting the group of about 20 women stated that they would like to see the drinking age in Kahnawake raised to 21, have the bar at the Sports Complex closed and have them put a freeze on giving out all permits to sell alcohol in the community.

During the Noon hour Partyline Talkshow on K103 on Wednesday the topic was the issue of drugs and alcohol in our community. The guests were PK Mike Stalk, Selma Delisle and Wilma Lahache. There were also people parking in the parking lot that were at the meeting the night before, there to show their support.

Following the Talkshow the supporters headed over to the MCK offices. They demanded that there be an emergency meeting on Banishment, called at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday April 17 following the march which starts at the tunnel at Noon.

The MCK quickly agreed to the meeting which will be held at the Karonhianonhnha School gym at 2:30 tomorrow.

Also as a result of the events of the past week, the MCK has decided that all the ABC permits that have been issued will now be deemed as temporary. The bar at the Sports Complex will also be closed. They are also looking into making amendments to the intoxicants law, specifically to change the legal drinking age in Kahnawake to 21 years.

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Meetings Held To Protest Agreements
By: Kenneth Deer

Community members gathered twice in the last week to discuss the recent agreements signed by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake and the government of Quebec. Participants ranged from the angry to the curious, all seeking answers to what the agreements mean and what can be done about them. Today, petitions and letters are being written to try and overturn these agreements.

The first meeting was held at Jumbo's on Friday, April 9, where over 50 people crammed into the banquet room to hear various speakers express their opinions on the agreements. There were many different agendas and the chairman, Peter Jacobs, had his hands full keeping everyone on topic.

In brief, here are some of their comments. Mel Jacobs was adamant that the agreements mean tax and that the MCK was going to run a central distribution center to control tobacco, alcohol and fuel. He felt that the 16 percent of the electorate who voted in the last election do not give the MCK a mandate to sign these kind of agreements. He said the agreements that seem to benefit the people like the Step By

Step and Daycare agreement is only icing on an arsenic cake.
Stuart Myiow Jr. gave a detailed history of the self-government process the MCK is involved in and how these agreements fit into that process. He said that the only solution is to unite the Longhouses so that the MCK can fulfill its 1979 mandate to return to traditional government.

Bo Curotte and others commented that the agreements violate the Two Row and Treaty Rights.

Rheena Diabo commented that there is a silent majority out there who is tired of taking sides and that insulting people who vote just continues the divisions. Instead of placing blame, a plan is needed to bring people together.

Myiow reminded everyone of the unity process between themselves and the Longhouse on Rt. 207.

One person suggested that the businessmen in Kahnawake should form a Chamber of Commerce to deal with issues that affect them.

Another suggested that the current members of the MCK should be removed and replaced with an interim council while new elections were held.

The meeting ended with the intent of having another very shortly. There were no representatives of the MCK to refute any of the issues raised.
In news article that appeared in The Gazette the following day, the last quote, attributed to Mel Jacobs which he denies saying, states that Jacobs encouraged the burning down of the MCK offices. This was a distortion of the mood of the meeting and there was no intention by the participants to encourage any violence.

MCK attends meeting

The second meeting took place at the Legion Hall on Wednesday evening with over 70 people present, many, but not all, of the same people at the previous meeting. The MCK, who were invited to attend, was represented by Peggy Mayo, Arlene Jacobs, Davis Rice, Mike Delisle, Lindsay Leborgne and Tiorahkwathe Gilbert along with negotiators Mike Bush and Alwyn Morris.

As expected, the MCK were peppered with questions. Many of the same comments made at the Friday meeting were repeated. Some questions were answered by members of Council, others by the negotiators.

When asked why the MCK had given up contraband, the MCK responded by stating that they did not give up contraband. The MCK is organizing a meeting on Wednesday, April 21, for business people to discuss the impact of the agreement on their businesses. Mike Delisle explained that the agreement in principle was signed but the detailed agreement on its application was yet to be signed.

The issue of price parity was raised several times. Frosty Deer the brought up the fact that he may have to lay off four employees if he has to give up any edge he has on the competition. John Stacey Jr. stated that his supplier sent him a letter asking for the number units he sold to non-Natives and he asked why.

(When asked the next day, Morris explained to The Eastern Door that price parity only applies to tobacco, alcohol and petroleum products and not to other goods.)

When asked if the MCK had sold out our treaty rights by signing with Quebec, Bush responded by saying that the MCK has to deal with a two headed monster: Canada and Quebec. He said the agreements had to be made to protect our rights to tax free goods and that nobody is collecting taxes on behalf of the Quebec government. Any goods that require price parity, the parity amount will be kept by the business and not turned over to the province.

Mel Jacobs repeated his statement of the previous Friday and also said the agreements violate the Two Row. Jacobs was challenged by Laborgne who asked why he had a Quebec license to sell alcohol and wasn't that a violation of the Two Row. Jacobs explained his alcohol license is similar as everyone getting a Quebec drivers license.

Jacobs also said that all that is needed to fix the sales tax issue is to have Quebec modify its tax laws by removing the phrase the insists that goods must be delivered on the reserve.

Stuart Myiow Jr. stated that we need to find common ground to resolve the divisions. He said we can't blame the MCK because they did consult the community and that the people at large are responsible for the situation we are in. "The people only come together when we think that the MCK has done something wrong," said Myiow. "This is a false issue. The governments are laughing at our divisions. The people did not come to the political meetings when they should have. We are not all at the same level - the voting people and the Longhouse people."

Myiow went on to say that only Minister of Indian Affairs Jane Stewart can get the MCK to pull back the agreements and encouraged those that vote to send letters to her and Chevrette to cancel the agreements because they violate our rights.

Davis Rice supported Myiow's suggestion to find common ground and stated he signed the agreement because he thinks that they will help the people. But he has an open mind and still doesn't trust Quebec.

John Stacey Jr. asked for an explanation of Article 13 in the Consumer Goods agreement and could not get a clear explanation.

One woman stated that everyone in Kahnawake should get a copy of the agreements and not wait until it comes out in the press.
Stacey asked how these agreements can be canceled and there was no direct answer from the Council except to say that there will be consultation meetings.

Bo Curotte said that there should be a referendum on a issue as important as this.

At the conclusion of the meeting, it was agreed that a petition would be circulated for people to sign and that people were encouraged to send individual letters to the two Ministers of Indian Affairs and the MCK.

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Conway Ronwaniente Jocks, a.k.a. "Tsiti"
By: Cultural Center Staff

Conway's first editorial cartoon appeared in his high school newspaper in the 1940's. He claims that there were few, if any, conflicts in the editiorial direction since he was also the editor. His first job, with the Chicago Tribune's New York office, was cut short when he was drafted into the U.S. Army.

With the army engineers at Schofield Barracks he once again managed to create and edit a battalion magazine, featuring, what else - his cartoons. He says, "Early on, I evolved a personal, one-line code of ethics: No one tells me what I can or cannot draw." That personal code cost him his first crack at a syndicated comic strip when he was with the USAF's Strategic Air Command. The powers-that-be wanted to insert recruiting themes into the feature, and he quit the strip.

In between his army and air force career he took time out to hunt for a cartooning job in the Big Apple. Prowling the halls of journalism he discovered that Bob Kane, the creator of Batman , was looking for a cartoonist. Kane gave him a chance - and again, Conway rebelled at being told what to draw. His take on what Batman should say was not well received and he was out on the street again. "Besides," he says, "The cartoonists, all eight of them, were working like monks slaving by candlelight in a dark room, and that wasn't for me." When he returned home to Kahnawake after a civilian career in photogrammetry he turned to magazine cartooning and joined the Cartoonist's Guild of America. One of his many steady customers was Easyriders , a raunchy motorcycle magazine.

Around this time he was named the Communications Coordinator in the then-new Kanien'kehaka Raotitiohkwa Cultural Center. Conway also took time out to design and illustrate the Historic Kahnawake Series booklets and Seven Generations and several logos which are now familiar in Kahnawake. He's now thoroughly involved in TGIF and Aksakta Kafe and is planning to publish a collection of both cartoon series. Seen weekly in The Eastern Door, TGIF has won Conway three Local Cartoon Premier Awards in 1996 and 1997 (the award is presented to the best editorial cartoon in Quebec and in Canada). Here's what Conway has to say about his role as editorial cartoonist:

"I consider my 'community' to be the Native people of our land. I'm one of the few Native political cartoonists and I feel a responsibility to focus on our common situations/problems, whether they may be on the west or east coast or in the far north. Therefore I get some satisfaction when I hear a particular cartoon has been reprinted in local aboriginal papers, or widely circulated by organizations such as the Department of Defense or the RCMP. I was particularly happy to hear the Parti Québecois felt so offended by one reference that they communicated that to my editor. Bingo!

"The British cartoonist Osbert Lancaster said: 'The cartoonist must remain fundamentally bloody-minded, hold no cow sacred, be capable of thoughts in the worst possible taste.' But my friend, Terry "Aislin" Mosher, said it even more succinctly: 'Sacred cows make the best hamburger.'"

The KRCC Gallery is pleased to present the work of Conway Jocks for the months of April and May. The exhibition opening, this past Wednesday April 14th, was enjoyed by all. Conway's exhibit will run through April to the end of May. Admission is free. B

"Aislin" visits "Tsiti"
By: Kenneth Deer

Terry Mosher, better known as Aislin, the nationally known cartoonist for The Gazette, dropped by the Cultural Center to for a sneak preview of cartoons by Tsiti, better known to us as Conway Jocks.

"This is wonderful stuff," said Mosher. "The drawing of Lucien Bouchard is just super. Conway has a gentle but occasionally cutting style. He's very sly."

Mosher is an authority on cartoons. He has won numerous awards and has published a number of books.

Asked if he has influenced Jocks, Mosher said that Conway is his own man. "Every good cartoonist absorbs other peoples work. We don't copy other styles but we all glean something from them when we are impressed with their stuff."

Mosher said that the exhibit at the Cultural Center is a good selection of Tsiti's work. "Conway needs more exposure," said Mosher. "He deserves the recognition."

Mosher, who was once denounced in the House of Commons for drawing a cartoon showing Pierre Trudeau tripping Brian Mulroney, commented that cartooning is a creative vent.

"A good cartoonist would be in jail if they didn't draw."

Tsiti's cartoons are currently on display at the Cultural Center until May 14.

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A Chorus Line Opens April 22
By: Dan Rosenburg

Let it never be said that KSCS Drama Club director Kevin John Saylor bows to adversity.

When Skanalea Deer, one of his dancers in the KSCS presentation of "A Chorus Line", broke her leg in a skiing accident last winter, thus rendering her unable to perform in the production opening next Thursday at the United Church Hall, Saylor did the gentlemanly thing: He stepped in and replaced her himself!

"I was hoping it would only be a temporary arrangement, but..." said Saylor last Monday. "Even if she was off crutches today, there's no way Skanalea could learn the steps by Thursday. Anyway, her part was originally written for a man and we had adapted it for a girl. I hope she'll be involved in the show in some other way."

Anyone who saw the movie would have presumed that the two lead roles in this musical are the ones played by Michael Douglas and the actress portraying his ex-girlfriend. Not so in the theatre version, says Saylor.

"The movie took many liberties with the script," says Saylor. "In point of actual fact, the roles are equally spread out among the characters and there are no lead characters per se."

Nevertheless, a reporter managed to persuade Saylor to reveal the fact that the part played in the film by Douglas will be handled on stage by Taylor McComber. And the part of his ex-girlfriend belongs to Brittany Leborgne. Featured soloists are Angela Loft, Kariann Jacobs and Jessica Hernandez.

The cast of 14 females and seven males have been learning the script since January after first getting together for improvisational games last October.

Saylor, 36, considers this venture a challenge because "there are no fancy costumes or scenery. It's all about the performers. Often a director can mask a show with gimmicks such as spectacular lighting but this one relies totally on the actors."

The toughest thing he has encountered so far is the fact that there are more chorus numbers than in most musicals. "Every song is a big dance number that entails the cast working together and making a firm commitment to show up for rehearsals."

Is he worried about the cast being ready in time?

"There are always some people who put off learning their lines," he replies. "But when the crunch comes at the end, they somehow find the energy to get it all done."

They have been practising six hours a week for six performances. On April 22, 23, 24, 29 and 30, admission is $6 for adults and $4 for students aged 12-17. A special benefit performance to raise money for a new auditorium will take place Saturday, May 1 with a $20 price tag for all seats. Curtain goes up at 7:30 p.m. all six nights.

Ticket sales for the 80-seat church hall have been typically slow so far. "That's normal," he points out. "Hopefully, they'll start to move more briskly as show time approaches."
Saylor says a new auditorium will cost in the neighborhood of $250,000. "Our first goal is to raise $25,000 to show the community and both levels of government that we're serious about this.

So far the KSCS Drama Club has raised $17,000 from two cabaret shows (one at the Knights of Columbus Hall and one at Patton's Golf Club); looney-tooney drives, and two dances sponsored by The Eastern Door.

"So far, The Eastern Door has been the most generous of all community organizations," says Saylor.

"A Chorus Line" is the Drama Club's third effort, following on the heels of "Fiddler on the Roof" and "West Side Story." The summer drama camp run by Saylor has put on six stage presentations, most recent of which was "Hello Dolly" in 1998.

"Eighty percent of the cast of 'A Chorus Line' has been with me for many years and keep improving with each production," Saylor compliments. "They enjoy theatre as a hobby and a lot of them pursue it at the CEGEP or university levels."

Other members of the cast are Tommy Deer, John Dee Delormier, Aiana Goodleaf, Robin Guyer, Joshua Jacobs, Kawenniostha Jacobs, Peter Jaramillo, Katsi Little Bear, Meagan McComber, Elaina Montour, Mark Ouimet, Krissa Paul, Randy Peterson, Trisha Sky, Walter Scott and Marian Snow.

For tickets or further information, call 632-5300 or 632-1384.

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Editorial

Banishment
By: Kenneth Deer, The Eastern Door

Here we go again. The issue of banishment rears its head. As a deterrent to crime, banishment should be effective.

Forcing someone to leave their home and perhaps their family is a severe punishment in the community of Kahnawake, because there is no other place quite like it.

In the non-Native society, every community is much like any other. A person's rights are not linked to where they live. If they move from place to place, their culture, language and heritage, is generally still around them.

But for Native peoples this is not the case. Because of the Indian Act and government policy, many of our rights stop at the border of our reserves. Recently the Federal government stated that to recognize the Native right to tax free goods off reserve would be discriminatory. They concluded that when Natives leave the reserve they are equal to all other Canadians, and that any additional rights would make Natives unequal. A strange statement coming from Canada, the country who created our inequality.

Nevertheless, the Federal government's policy makes banishment a much more severe punishment for Natives than for non-Natives. A person banished from Kahnawake will not be able to exercise many of his or her rights in the outside society. If the Federal government does not recognize our right to tax free goods unless delivered to the reserve, then the banished person will not be able to exercise that right.

That person will also not be able to obtain land, get a housing loan, or any other benefit we all take for granted. A pretty severe punishment.

Unless this person can get residency in another Native community, he or she will wish never to have heard of the word drugs or whatever crime would cause the person to be banished.

On another level, banishment raises the issue of individual rights versus collective rights. Where do the rights of the individual end and of the collective begin? This is not a small argument. The international campaign to protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples hinges on the recognition of our collective rights.

Many proponents of Human Rights advocate that all Human Rights are individual rights and that there is no such thing as collective rights. This is a position that has been developed since the advent of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. It is a position that the United States uses against Indigenous Peoples and our right to self-determination.

We, on the other hand, insist that we have collective rights and that our sense of community that has allowed us to survive and prosper in our lands. And if we are to continue to survive, our collective rights must be recognized.

Banishment is a case in point. Our community is being undermined by drugs and alcohol, and our security is put to risk by criminals whose activities attract the attention of outside forces. It is in the best interest of the collective to remove these persons for the betterment of the collective. Why should the individual right to commit crime override the community's right to peace and security?

At the same time, since banishment is such a serious punishment, we must be careful how we use it. Banishment should only be used when the punishment suits the crime, and only when there can be no doubt about the guilt of the accused.

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Comics

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