Native leaders are concerned that the RCMP are no longer in control of the
situation and are turning over the operation to a national anti-terrorist
presence, pointing to the heavily armed personnel in camouflage fatigues. In
a show of support for the RCMP, 100 Mile House residents lined the highway
in town with placards reading "One Law, One Canada" and "End it Now",
expressing their anxiety and frustration over the duration of the standoff.
A group of natives on the other side of the road held up a sign "We Would
Love To End This Too."
On the National CBC News, Sep. 13, it was reported that Orville
Lookinghorse, a spiritual leader from South Dakota had entered the camp to
speak and pray with the people there, hoping for a non-violent solution to
the standoff.
Later, in a show of good faith, one of the camp occupants came out with the
demand that if a respected chief of the Shuswap nation would give them a
message, they were ready to surrender.
Chief Antoine Archie of Canim Lake then broadcast the message over CBC
radio, that people coming out of Gustafsen Lake have been treated with
dignity and respect, as will the rest of the camp occupants should they
choose to surrender.
He was optimistic that this might bring a quick end to the standoff, maybe
even that same evening.
.......................................................
H. Henning Riebe <riebe%dtmgmbh@Germany.EU.net>
+49 2351-28425 (fon/fax)
[ I'll post a followup article to this one shortly. --Gary ]