News in Brief

Page 16

Bands pan public process

Dene Indian bands aren't getting their fair due when it comes to dealing with the mining industry and the Saskatchewan government, so they have decided to withdraw their participation from public hearings on a proposed uranium mine. The chiefs of Fond du Lac, Hatchet Lake and Black Lake announced they were cancelling meetings of the joint federal-provincial panel on uranium mining scheduled this month in their communities. Chief John Dantouze, a vice-chief for the Prince Alberta Grand Council, was the only Aboriginal and northerner sitting on the panel that was reviewing northern mines. He quit the panel in September. Dantouze said the chiefs want equal participation in the industry in both decision making and revenue sharing. He said this issue has been on the table for 20 years. In 1993, the panel recommended that the province enter into revenue-sharing agreements with northern communities. The province took in $44-million in uranium royalties last year alone. The province rejected the recommendation. (DL)

Three times lucky

The Fishing Lake First nation will enter into negotiations for compensation with the federal government over the surrender and subsequent sale of 5,200 hectares of reserve land in 1907. The government has concluded that it has a lawful obligation to the first nation under the guidelines set out in the 1982 Specific Claims Policy. Fishing Lake First Nation challenged the validity of the surrender and maintained that the surrender was invalid and not binding on the community. The government originally rejected the first Nation's claim in 1993 and again in 1995. The First Nation made application to the Indian Claims Commission to conduct an inquiry into the rejection of the claim and an inqui9ry was undertaken. "The fact that this claim is now accepted for negotiation shows a willingness on the federal government's part to revisit its past legal opinions when provided with further clear evidence." Said claims commissioner Roger Augustine. "this is a good sign for First Nations and Canadians alike because it provides an opportunity to settle the claim through negotiation rather than litigation and other adversarial means. Our process is effective because it allows for the full and open exchange of documents and provides an opportunity for the parties to put their minds to the issue." (DL)

Metis to be honored

Organizers of the James Isbister Memorial Fund are attempting to raise $25,000 for the purpose of erecting a life-size bronze statue comme4morating Metis James Isbister. Isbister was a key figure in Saskatchewan's rich heritage. He was born in 1833 and settled in 1862 on River Lot No. 62, located just east of the Prince Albert Federal Penitentiary. He worked for the Hudson's Bay Co. as a fur trader, postmaster and interpreter while maintaining his home and lands. In 1984, the Anglican Church recognized Isbister as a founding father of Prince Albert. The City of Prince Albert acknowledged him as a founding father during its Founders Day celebrations in 1995. The city has also agreed to provide a suitable site for the statue. Jack Jenson of Prince Albert will be commissioned to create the statue. If you would like to support this project, phone 384-5147. (DL)

Community mourns

If you knew Metis politics, then you knew Rod Bishop. If you attended Metis Heritage Days at Batoche in any year since 1971, you likely saw Rod Bishop. If you talked about Metis lands, resources, rights or the constitution, you had to mention Rod Bishop. Bishop, who was affectionately known as the mayor of Green Lake, suffered a fatal heart attack on July 31. His funeral service held at Green Lake's Roman Catholic Church on Aug. 5, was standing room only as hundreds of people turned out to pay tribute to this defender of Metis rights. "He's the last of his kind," said author Maria Campbell. "He never sold out, never short-changed his people...never took a holiday...(and was) a damned-good storytller" who "had no trouble taking on government or major interests," she said. Among his many accomplishments, bishop donated land for the building of the Alex Bishop child Care Centre, a group home for kids from family services, said Rose bishop, Rod's wife. With Gordon McCallum, Bishop helped to establish the area's rodeo grounds and organized its first gymkhana. He also negotiated with government for 30,000 cu. M of timber per year for the Green Lake sawmill. (TL)

Healing begins

For Shelley Fraser, being honest is helping her and a lot of other people too. Since she went public with her childhood ordeal of sexual abuse, as recounted in her 1996 book Broken Trust, the 29-year-old Metis woman has been amazed at the book's impact. On Aug. 24 she was in the spotlight at a book autographing session in Prince Albert, not far from the town where she grew up. A raffle, held along with the autographing event, raised $300 for the Prince Albert Mobile Crisis Unit. To date Broken Trust has sold about 275 copies in Alberta and Saskatchewan and is close to a fourth printing of another 100 books. (DF)