Windspeaker Briefs - February

THE CANADIAN FORCES WILL
offer an official apology for listing the Mohawk Warrior Society as a potentially violent insurgent group in a draft manual in 2006. The listing angered many who claimed Mohawks were being compared to such terror groups as Hezbollah and the Taliban. The draft document singled out the Aboriginal traditional group as an example of “radical Native American organizations” that can be “viewed as insurgencies with specific and limited aims.” Military officials are working on the wording of the apology. A spokesman for the Canadian Forces has called the apology important, and said it will be heartfelt. “We want to make sure that it’s [the apology] delivered in a proper format with a proper amount of respect and from the proper level,” said Maj. Martell Thompson.

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CONST. GENNIFER FURKALO,
an RCMP officer serving a remote northern community in Manitoba, is working to save a population of wild dogs in a First Nations community. The dogs are located in Shamattawa, located about 700 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. Residents have regular “shoot days” to control the feral dog population to prevent them from forming packs. Furkalo transported five puppies to adoptive families in Winnipeg, Brandon and Portage la Prairie. And word of her efforts quickly spread. Animal welfare agencies are involved and other groups are trying to raise money to spay and neuter dogs too wild or old to be adopted out.

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ASSEMBLY OF FIRST NATIONS
Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo has called on all governments to respect First Nations’ jurisdiction over tobacco sales and distribution in their communities. “First Nations leaders and governments are legitimately asserting their authority and jurisdiction regarding tobacco sales and distribution in their communities based on their authority over health, commercial activity and economics and trade,” said Atleo. The statement was in response to tobacco products seized on reserves in Alberta and Ontario. “It is obvious that there is no consensus regarding the jurisdiction issue since the tobacco products seized come from federally licensed First Nation tobacco manufacturers and, generally, provincial jurisdiction on reserve is limited, according to Canada’s own constitutional law.” Atleo said the consumption, sales and regulation of tobacco in First Nations communities is not a new issue, but recent events in Alberta and Ontario indicate that jurisdictional disputes regarding tobacco may be an emerging priority. “Federal, provincial and First Nations governments need to reconcile their interests and authorities through intergovernmental dialogue and agreements, and the AFN is willing to assist in this matter in any way that is helpful,” the national chief stated. “First Nations are in the best position to locally address and regulate health and safety concerns regarding tobacco, particularly since it is a sacred substance. The bottom line is that First Nations’ jurisdiction must be respected.”

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THE NEW TOP MOUNTIE
in Saskatchewan is RCMP Chief Supt. Russ Mirasty, a member of the Lac La Ronge Indian band of northern Saskatchewan. He has taken over as the commanding officer of F Division, and is the first First Nations person to lead an RCMP division in the force’s history. Mirasty joined the RCMP in 1976.He was one of only two First Nations cadets in his troop at Depot Division, the RCMP’s training academy in Regina. He worked his way through the ranks working in general detachment policing, highway patrol and police dog services and was stationed in areas across the country, from Gander, N.L., to Prince George, B.C. Cree is Mirasty’s first language and his background helps him understand people better, he said. Mirasty started full-time duties in mid-December but the official change of command won’t happen until February. He’s glad to be back in Saskatchewan, he said.

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NEARLY FIVE YEARS AFTER
Judge Ted Hughes issued his report into B.C.’s child protection system, the Ministry of Children and Families’ own reviews point to “systemic” failures that played a role in the deaths of several children over the past three years. “The B.C. Liberals have shown that they aren’t interested in protecting this province’s most vulnerable kids. The cuts to budgets and services have been too deep, there is confusion throughout the ministry about a vague new framework that no one understands, and we have a minister who just doesn’t seem to understand the impacts all of it has had on children,” said New Democrat children and families critic Maurine Karagianis.† Twelve case reviews were posted to the government Web site in compliance with the recommendations made by Hughes intended to bring about improvements in policy, practice and public accountability. Karagianis pointed out that in November the independent children’s representative reported that half of the recommendations made by Hughes in 2006 were still incomplete, including several regarding case reviews. The representative stressed the importance Hughes put on improving child death reviews, but went on to say the changes implemented by the ministry are “inadequate in meeting the intent of the Hughes Review in the key areas of continuous system-wide improvement, public accountability, and clarity and consistency.” One of the child death reviews says “systemic barriers such as competing caseload demands, staff inexperience, and availability of supervisory consultation impacted service quality.”