Protect the whistle blower

Page 6

At first, we discarded a couple of letters this month from readers who felt the need to speak out, but who were too afraid of retribution to sign their names. That's standard newspaper practice, a practice to which the newspapers published by AMMSA strictly adhere regardless of the merit of a letter. Letters from people who won't stand behind their accusations or opinions, who hide behind the veil of anonymity, are rejected on principle. They go right into the recycle bin.

But a recent drama in southern Alberta has made us take a step back and reconsider that position. We refer, of course, to the trouble that Bruce Starlight of the Tsuu T'ina nation has found himself in after writing, and dutifully signing, a confidential letter to Indian Affairs Minister Jane Stewart and then having that letter leaked to the very fellow who in the letter Starlight accuses of corruption, his chief. In response, the chief filed a defamation law suit against Starlight and effectively muzzled his opposition.

By not protecting its source, Indian Affairs stripped the average Joe of the only leverage average Joes have to effect change in Aboriginal communities. We feel it's important for our readers to know that the same government ministry that had all those enlightened things to say in the Statement of Reconciliation, submarined any hope of achieving the second and third objectives in Canada's new Aboriginal action plan. Efforts to strengthen Aboriginal governance and develop a "stable, predictable and accountable" fiscal relationship with Aboriginal governments and organizations has been dealt a leveling blow.

We know how hard it is to get information from Indian Affairs if they don't want us to have it. That makes us extremely suspicious of this leak, particularly when confronted with the fact that Chief Whitney ran as a Liberal in the past. If the letter was leaked for political reasons, we know it'll be harder to get information about that then it was for that letter to escape from the ministry.

In protest of this breach by Indian Affairs, Windspeaker has decided to break a long-standing policy and print some of the anonymous letters sent to the paper. Because, the lesson learned from the Starlight affair is you've got to protect yourself, because no one else will.

The stories you read in Windspeaker are often achieved by speaking to people not willing to go on the record, but willing to give background material so the right questions can be asked. News organizations know a thing or two about protecting their sources. And we know that protecting those sources is essential to maintaining our independence and credibility. Just as Indian Affairs lost all credibility when that protection was denied Starlight.