|
Contact: Kat
Norris, Indigenous Action Movement: (604) 682-3269,
Extension: 7718 csiaction@gmail.com
A group of Indigenous Action Movement members will
post and walk around with signs stating: Canada Is Occupied
Territory to remind Canadians on whose land they are on.
the term: occupied territory:
Territory under the authority and effective control of
a belligerent armed force. The term is not applicable to territory
being administered pursuant to peace terms, treaty, or other
agreement, express or implied, with the civil authority of the
territory. See also civil affairs agreement.
Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US
Department of Defence 2005.
Mainstream Canadians are celebrating
"Canada" Day without realizing its impact upon the hearts
of the Indigenous people of this land. To Indigenous people,
Canada Day is a reminder from the government, the 'imperialist'
powers that we as a distinct people and our lands are no longer
free. National Aboriginal Solidarity Day, on the other hand, is
virtually ignored by media and not acknowledged fully by the
government as Canada Day is. There are far more issues at hand
than is mentioned here but here is a small list of issues that we
continue to deal with and face today as Indigenous people.
** Reservation system - still corrupt today, dependent
upon government handouts
** Residential School system, established by the
Canadian government, still impacts today
** Canada opposed the United Nations Draft
Declaration of Indigenous Rights
** Indian Affairs system, corrupt- created to control
'canada's indigenous people through subjugation
** Indian Act
** The term 'genocide' need to be used in the Truth
and Reconciliation process, or it's still genocide.
** History books exalt the -so-called- discovery of
these lands without admitting to or by literally avoiding
the fact that colonialism was built upon the denigration,
stigmatization, genocide, of an entire race of people.
** Arbitrary place names- dsregarding Indigenous
territorial and historic place names.
the term: Genocide: Wikipedia is
the mass killing of a group of people, as defined by Article 2 of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the
Crime of Genocide (CPPCG) as "any of the following acts committed with intent
to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm
to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group
conditions of life, calculated to bring about its physical
destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to
prevent births within the group; [and] forcibly transferring children
of the group to another group."
Significantly,
this definition of genocide under international law does not include
repression against political or economic groups.
The preamble to the CPPCG not only states that
"genocide is a crime under international law, contrary to the
spirit and aims of the United Nations and condemned by the civilized
world", but that "at all periods of history genocide has
inflicted great losses on humanity".[1]
Report Remains Impending for Frank Paul
Inquiry
Contact: Kat
Norris: message number:
(604) 682-3269, Extension: 7718
http://www.frankpaulinquiry.ca/
Members of the
Indigenous Action Movement and supporters peacefully handed out
educational reading material about the reality of the legacy of
Columbus on June 6 at the Britannia Shipyards where the replica ship
Nina was docked. We had a great response from all and only one
refusal. Many were willing to stop and chat as we explained why we
were there. We stayed until just before dark - leaving behind a
banner and some leaflets. This article is from the Richmond Review.
Columbus' legacy is not a happy one Richmond
Review Article Here
The day, The Friday of May 16, 2008 was
a momentous day as it was the last day of the Frank Paul
Inquiry. The lawyers, the
Aboriginal organizations, grassroots organizations, publications,
blogs, websites, Indigenous Action Movement and all of the advocacy groups,
individuals and organizations, and empathetic citizens from all walks
of life can only wait to see what the justice system will hand
out.
Unfortunately, as
with many Indigenous cultures around the world, we have come to learn
to expect less than the best in terms of treatment, justice, human
rights and basic service due to the colonialist, imperialist
mind-set.
Frank Paul's death
awoke something within people such as myself, it pained us to see one
of our own being dragged like a wet deer carcass across the cold
cement floor, dragged in, dragged out, not worthy of dry clothes, not
worthy of a wheelchair or a helping hand. He ran out of chances so they
dumped his body in an alley and left him there, likely already dead
which is why it took so long to come to an inquiry, which is likely
why the likes of Larry Campbell said 'no' to a public inquest which
was the right thing to do.
We no longer
choose to expect less than the best because we know that we come from
a beautiful, strong people with a culture, discipline, roles,
spirituality and land which the queen's government hoped to strip
away from us to leave us penniless of hope, penniless that we would
accept our learned dependence on meagre handouts. It worked but times are changing.
Society may not
see what an important case this is but those who believe in justice
and humanity do.
- like the movie Network- many of us
as Howard Beale's character yelled:
"You've got to say, 'I'm a HUMAN BEING, Goddamnit! My
life has VALUE!' So I want you to get up now. I want all of you to
get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to
the window. Open it, and stick your head out, and yell, I'M MAD AS
HELL AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!"
Kat Norris,
Coordinator: Indigenous Action Movement, Coast Salish Territory,
Lyackson First Nation
[Kat notes: I've
had requests for info on the Frank Paul ceremony held May 8 08. Photos by Rose Shaatra mailto:rosevox@hotmail.com. Contact Rose for photo information.
Some photos of the Soup N Frybread feast for the people whom we
called: Giving Back. Other photos of the Frank Paul
Ceremony. More photos
available by Rose and also by Susan Stout stoutspstout@telus.net
Such an awesome
event great turnout.]
Dealing
with badly intoxicated and habitually miscreant individuals
By Malcolm McColl
Some people in
society don't necessarily relate to each other too well, and the
stratification is sometimes found between authorities and street
people for instance, and between police and drunks. People like Kat
Norris are working toward a just society and toward improving the
fundamental street-level encounters in a stratified society like the
Downtown Eastside of Vancouver because of this crucial communications
gap.
A main incentive
for Kat Norris is to honour the memory of her friend, Frank Paul, the
Mi'kmaq from New Brunswick who died in 1998 at age 47. His death
became extremely public after what appeared to be an apparent form of
negligent homicide, when Frank, yet again, encountered, encumbered,
and, finally, exasperated officers of the Vancouver Police
Department.
At least two VPD
police officers were exhausted by Frank's repeated surrender to
internal torment, and two in particular left him by the wayside to
die in a winter night in a downtown alley. In that alley Frank must
have suffered spasms grief from this final act of neglect. The two
police officers involved received two-day suspensions in 2000 but the
story would not cease to make people angry.
It did not end
there because Kat Norris, a Vancouver citizen, a Salish member, an
activist for justice, promised herself to honour Frank's memory, and
with other members of the Indigenous Action Network in Vancouver,
B.C., to work for social change.
She did so partly
because Frank died a wrongful death, and especially after watching
the shocking video of him in custody, because the Mi’kmaq died
shortly thereafter, which video showed why after it was released to
the family (and subsequently the public) in 2003.
From that moment
to now the public has heard a need expressed, “to provide Mr. Paul’s
family and the public with a complete record of the circumstances
relating to Mr. Paul’s death,” (according to the terms of reference
for the Frank Paul Inquiry). On May 31 08 the inquiry will,
“recommend changes considered necessary to the rules, policies and
procedures,” for dealing with badly and habitually intoxicated
individuals.
An inquiry came
about because a newly constituted Police Complaints Commissioner
(2004) saw things the same way as Frank’s family and friends. Peggy
Clement (Frank's cousin) and other relations and friends call it the
Frank Paul Support for Justice.
In the aftermath
of Mr. Paul’s demise, the society in the Lower Mainland is examining,
“the rules, policies and procedures of the Vancouver police board and
of the Vancouver police department respecting police interaction with
persons who are incapacitated by alcohol or drug use.”
People in the city
work together with the help and encouragement of the Indigenous
Action Movement and Kat Norris, and it were these people who were
instrumental in putting Frank's case before a public inquiry.
They continue
working on public awareness, for example, holding a Frank Paul Rally on May 8 08, at 5 P.M.,
at the Vancouver Detox, including a march to the Vancouver Police
Department, “soup and frybread to follow.”
The inquiry came
to be on Feb 22 07 when the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor
General announced a public inquiry into the Frank Paul case. On Mar 9
07, Hon. Stockwell Day announced William Davies would act as
commissioner. On Aug 10 07 the B.C. Attorney General released the
terms of reference. Hearings began in Nov 07.
His Honour William
H. Davies, Q.C. (former B.C. Supreme Court Justice), is the 'sole
Commissioner,' "appointed under the Public Inquiry Act."
The terms of reference for the Frank Paul Inquiry called for
hearings, “in or near the City of Vancouver, into the circumstances
surrounding the death of Mr. Paul.”
The commissioner
would gather facts surrounding various responding agencies or
departments. The Frank Paul Inquiry itself that began hearings in
November 2007 is nearing completion, entering Phase Four of the
hearings: Apr 28 - May 8, and Closing Arguments: May 9-16, 2008.
"We are in
full support of this man in death," said Kat. "It doesn't
matter if he was an alcoholic," or whatever other personal
issues he had.
The inquiry will
examine related services, “respecting the interaction of staff of the
British Columbia Ambulance Service with persons who are incapacitated
by alcohol or drug use,” and the inquiry is undertaking to, “identify
the health care and social service programs and facilities available
in the City of Vancouver.”
Frank Paul lived
in a reality that included the atypical legacy handed to Indians of
reservation life, the Indian Act, residential school, and false
promises of ephemeral dollars for education, health, and basics like
housing.
"He was
searching," said Kat, "went to 'sweats' and tried to
live," within the confines of his 'character defects' but Frank
wasn't a complete wretch, even by the usual standards (whatever those
are), because others have paid homage to his dignity. (Perhaps Frank
had other problems, undiagnosed Parkinson's or Lou Gehrig's, or
something else.)
When a video
surfaced in 2003 it was sent to his family as part of his police
file, and this video was, “released
to counsel acting for Mr. Paul’s family,” showing, “portions of the
police jail surveillance video depicting Mr. Paul’s arrival and
departure at the Vancouver Police jail on December 5, 1998.”
Frank's last
movements in the custody of VPD were pathetic and a louder call for
justice was issued by the family. It was obvious he was incapacitated
beyond comprehension, crawling and mumbling, intoxicated probably on
the potent but physically damaging rice wine. He needed a hospital
bed for a few hours of observation.
Frank provided a
foundation for public awareness of the issues of substance abuse,
public intoxication, race, and poverty issues in the Downtown
Eastside of Vancouver. He put a face on suffering, and his
vulnerability went on display. Frank has been martyred in a way, and
his inquiry and his demise, "shows people there is a place to
vent, to talk about the hurt of our people," said Kat.
Each year on the
anniversary of his death, Dec. 5, they gather downtown for a
candlelight vigil. A rally point is required because people lack
these centres in the midst of their homelessness and despair.
"In essence
we get this done to catch people when they are down. Our basic
message to society is that if you feel good about yourself," and
do things for others, "you will have no reason to look down on
others."
(http://www.frankpaulinquiry.ca has details and http://www.indigenousaction.ca
offers 24 hr
updates (604) 682-3269 Ext 7718. Kat is on-air Monday mornings 10
A.M.11 A.M. to "You're On Coast Salish Territory"
|