Spiritual man wants no fanfare

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The man that helped end the Gustafsen Lake standoff wants no publicity. In his opinion, publicity and power politics are what led to the protracted tensions between the police and the people in the Sundance camp.

"He doesn't want a big name for himself, or to be known," said spiritual healer John Stevens' daughter Philamine. "He is just here to help the people; to pray for them."

Percy Rosette, spiritual leader of the protesters at the encampment at Gustafsen Lake had been requesting Stevens for weeks, she said. Rosette was worried that the next time Stevens came to the camp, the protesters would all be laying dead.

"It took a long time to phone him (Stevens), because the (Shuswap) council wanted to do it their way," she said. It was only when the situation got really critical, when it got tense on both sides, that the RCMP and the council submitted to Rosette's request and put out a call to the Stoney man from Morley, Alta. Steven's mission started with a sweat and a smudging ceremony, said Philamine. Then he drove through the night from the Edmonton area to Gustafsen Lake.

When he arrived at the site he was frustrated by the rules and arrangements the RCMP were imposing. They wouldn't allow his family into the camp with him and they were trying to keep him at 100 Mile House. His family act as interpreters and help with the traditional ceremonies. They could do nothing unless they all were allowed into the camp.

A frustrated Stevens finally warned RCMP that he would go back to Alberta if he was detained any longer.

"I came to go over there to bring out the people," he said. "But if I'm not going in there with the family, then I'm leaving." Three times on the way to the camp the RCMP tried to limit the number of family members who would accompany Stevens inside, said Philamine.

Stevens and his family were eventually allowed to approach the camp. Outside the area, Stevens requested Rosette's pipe as a way to assure himself he was dealing with the right person, said Philamine.

Rosette's pipe was loaded and brought out to Stevens who accepted the pipe and began to pray.

"People in the camp began appearing and started running towards us. It was really very touching. They were crying.

"We talked to them and they said 'Now we know what to do,'" said Philamine.