COLONIALIST COURT, COLONIALIST VERDICTS
After deliberating for 8 days, the Ts'peten (Gustafsen Lake) trial jury
returned with their verdicts. 14 indigenous traditionalists and 4 non-native
supporters were charged in connection with the 1995 RCMP and Canadian army
siege on sacred Sundance and burial grounds in central "British Columbia."
The jury expressed the wish to make a statement, but did not in fact deliver
it, apparently intimidated by Justice Bruce Josephson's statement that they
would be without immunity once they issued the verdicts and liable for
whatever they might say.
Holding an eagle feather, tears streaming down his face, the aboriginal
foreman read the verdicts. Other jurors were also openly weeping.
Wolverine (William Jones Ignace), James (OJ) Pitawanakwat, Edward Dick and
Suniva Bronson were found guilty of mischief to property causing actual danger
to life and posessing a weapon dangerous to the public peace. Wolverine was
also found guilty of discharging a firearm to prevent arrest and using a
firearm in assaulting a "peace officer," but acquitted of attempted murder.
Joseph (JoJo) Ignace, charged with attempted murder and various mischief and
weapons charges, and brothers Francis and Edward Dick, charged with mischief
were acquitted of all charges. All the other accused were found guilty of
mischief of private property of a value exceeding $5,000.
Sentencing for most of the accused will occur June 6 and 10. A hearing will
take place Thursday morning to decide issues of bail and sentencing dates for
Wolverine and OJ.
The crown indicated that it will push for harsh sentences. Regarding
Wolverine, jailed since September 1995, prosecutor Lance Bernard stated that
"the crown will be seeking a lengthy custodial sentence, well in excess of
what he has already served."
The 66 year old Shuswap elder, who faces a possible life sentence, told
S.I.S.I.S.: "We were wrongfully convicted. The judge wouldn't hear the law.
The prosecutor admitted there was no purchase and no treaty - so how could the
court possibly have jurisdiction? This is fraud, treason and genocide."
In a bizarre sidebar to the trial, defendant Shelagh Franklin was arrested on
another charge immediately after the court adjourned. She was charged with
contempt of court for allegedly failing to return one of the RCMP training
tapes, and held in jail with her 11 week old infant. They were later released
pending a hearing on Thursday.
RCMP media liaison Peter Montague today told CTV News that the next time
"there's no question that RCMP would respond in a similar fashion." Observers
have been shocked by testimony which revealed that RCMP initiated shooting
incidents, employed land mines, fired 77,000 rounds of hollow-tipped bullets,
ordered the shooting of unarmed people in an agreed upon "safe zone," and
twisted or outright fabricated incidents for the media as part of a "smear and
disinformation campaign."
Many questions remain unanswered about the involvement of the RCMP, the army
and especially the senior officials of both federal and provincial governments
who sanctioned and directed the operation, including Prime Minister Jean
Chretien, who is currently seeking re-election.
-=-=-=-=->>>Calls for a public inquiry are urgently needed<<<-=-=-=-=-
Please tell federal candidates that your vote is dependant upon their support
of an inquiry.
On Tuesday, the national broadcaster CBC invited viewers to call if they
thought a public inquiry was necessary. We believe a broad, international
response will be required to have any impact.
Please leave a message calling for a full and comprehensive inquiry into the
Gustafsen Lake matter at: (604) 662-6397.
Ts'peten Defence Committee
Spokespeople: Bill Lightbown - Phone: (604) 251-4949
Splitting the Sky - Phone/Fax: (604) 543-9661
More information on the Ts'peten trial:
http://kafka.uvic.ca/~vipirg/SISIS/gustmain.html
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S.I.S.I.S. Settlers In Support of Indigenous Sovereignty
P.O. Box 8673, Victoria, "B.C." "Canada" V8X 3S2
Email: <SISIS@envirolink.org>
WWW: http://kafka.uvic.ca/~vipirg/SISIS/SISmain.html
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