Resignation rocks OCO

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The Calgary Olympic winter games is once again embroiled in controversy over Native involvement.

This week complaints poured into the OCO (Olympiques Calgary Olympics) office after the unveiling of the Olympic medals, which portray an Indian profile. Later that week OCO was rocked with the revelation of the "secret" resignation of Sarcee coordinator, Bruce Starlight. And this week, the announcement that more European museums are joining the Lubicon Lake band's call for a boycott of the Glenbow museum, appears to be seriously jeopardizing the games cultural component.

The medals controversy exploded last week after a public presentation ceremony outside Calgary's city hall. Several Indian leaders, including the IAA's Gregg Smith complained that OCO had not asked permission before using the profile, and other leaders ? including Stoney Chief John Snow, applauded the design.

However, later that week a new revelation hit the OCO camp when Bruce Starlight, one oft he main organizers of the Native component announced he had quit his job last May because "of the way" he had been treated by the organization.

OCO spokesman, Rene Smith along with other OCO officials, announced they were unaware of Starlight's resignation and had presumed he was continuing work on the Native component which includes a trade show, which had been scheduled to open in July.

And to really round off the week, three more European museums have announced they will not be sending artifacts to the Glenbown Museum for its exhibition, "The Spirit Sings."

The Lubicon Lake band has called for a boycott of this particular exhibition, called the "Flagship" of the Olympic Games in support of their land claim. The exhibition consists of Native artifacts, some dating back to the 1500s, which would be loaned to Canada by several European museums.

So far about 25 museums have supported the band's plea seriously jeopardizing the exhibition which is an integral and necessary part of the olympics.

At press time, no OCO official, nor Glenbow spokesman, was available for comment.