Suggestions Needed

[dik]

I’m involved with trying to stop Manitoba Hydro from continuing to flood the South Indian lake area because of the destruction of natural resources and the desecration of native burial sites. The original problem started about 50 years back. The following is a fragment from my letter to the government minister involved:

“This, personally, is a sensitive issue. ‘Engineering gone wrong’ is when a major engineering project fails to properly accommodate effects, both short term and long term, that the project has on the socio-economic, the environment and the natural resources of the project area. The original flooding of South Indian Lake was my first exposure to ‘engineering gone wrong’, and I was greatly disappointed with the lack of care and judgement shown by the profession. It is because of the initial devastation of South Indian Lake that I do not wear the traditional engineer’s ‘iron ring’.”

I’m looking for suggestions about how to take this to an international level, such as the World Court or the United Nations. I would appreciate any comments or suggestions.

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

 

[waross]

May I respectfully share a perspective Dik?
There was a logging road being built on a hillside in BC.
The road was to run through an area of ancient Indian gravesites.
There was a protest organized by the local Indians.
Disclaimer; The organizer was politically active in the Indian band.
There was some suspicion that he may have been more interested in political traction than in the sites themselves. (More on this later.)
A Native Elder, Mom P...., the wife of a hereditary chief and the mother of at least one hereditary chief shared her thoughts concerning the protests and concerning the organizer with me;
"He's got no business doing that.
Nobody remembers those people.
As long as someone is left who remembers you, your grave is sacred.
When there is no-one left who remembers you, your grave is just dust.
He's got no business doing that.
He's my nephew, but he's got no business doing that."
One point of view from someone who cares.
Motivations;
I was socializing with Mom's son, at the time the Band Chief, later to be the Hereditary Chief, and one of his cousins.
There had been a new bridge built across the river and an unintended consequence was a change in the river's course downstream.
The river started to cut into a bank some miles downstream and expose coffins of a burial ground.
They were remembering their work rescuing as many coffins as possible and re-burying them in a safer location.
Neither of these gentlemen was active in the current protest.
Are any of the persons buried there still remembered by someone still living?
If so you have me support.
If no, I will watch with interest but decline to become actively involved.
Except:
Here are a couple of links.
You may wish to follow this article to the First Nations International Court of Justice.
Link
Another issue is the motivation behind bill C-31.
As I recall, an Indian Women lost status by marrying a white man. The marriage failed after a few weeks.
The chief would not let her return to the reserve as she had lost her Indian status.
She fought all the way to the world court who ruled in her favour and chargrged the Canadian Government with gender discrimination.
The World Court informed the Canadian Government that they would allow a fixed time to make amends, and if there was no suitable action within the time limit, they would release the findings publicly.
The result was Bill C-31
This may be worth a search.
Respectfully yours
Bill


Bill
--------------------
Ohm's law
Not just a good idea;
It's the LAW!

 

[dik]

Thanks Bill... will take a read.

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

 

[dik]

As long as someone is left who remembers you, your grave is sacred.

My family is of the opinion that as long as you are remembered, you don't die...

Are any of the persons buried there still remembered by someone still living?

Of course... the Province of Manitoba treats the 'dead' as artifacts and not as people to avoid the 'desecration' label.

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

 

[waross]

I meant remembered as in personally remembered, not remembered as an historical figure or handed down information.
Respectfully.

Bill
--------------------
Ohm's law
Not just a good idea;
It's the LAW!

 

[dik]

Concur...

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

 

[waross]

Is a respectful re-internment an option on either side of the table?

Bill
--------------------
Ohm's law
Not just a good idea;
It's the LAW!

 

[dik]

It's not only the desecration... it's the damage to the environment. See the attached pix... the 'black' coloured lakes are pristine while the 'greenish-grey' coloured waterways have been affected. In addition there are numerous social issues.

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

 

[waross]

Gut wrenching burial site.

Remains of Children of Kamloops Residential School Discovered

Band Website
Link to Press release.

Bill
--------------------
Ohm's law
Not just a good idea;
It's the LAW!

 

[dik]

Brought to you by the Canadian Government that has the gall to fly flags at half mast for their results. There are lots of these across Canada. Our Jim Crow moment.

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

 

[waross]

We also had an epidemic of teen suicides in the late 70's early 80's.
It had been over for a number of years when I was enjoying a game of pool with a Councilor of the band worst hit and with the Chief of a neighbouring.
Someone came in and brought the sad news of another teen suicide on the reserve.
It was like a hard kick in the guts.
Someone said;
"God, I hope that's not starting again."
We kept playing, but it was the quietest game you ever didn't hear.

Bill
--------------------
Ohm's law
Not just a good idea;
It's the LAW!

 

[moltenmetal]

dlk: a bit of a history anecdote for you.

During WWII, Roosevelt met with Churchill, on ships anchored in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland- before Nfld was a Canadian province. A deal called the Atlantic Charter was struck. Part of that deal was the trading of some tapped out US warships in return for 50 US bases in the British Empire.

One such base was destined for Argentia, on the shore of Placentia Bay.

While the Beothuk aboriginal people of Newfoundland- the ones who fought off the Vikings or so it was thought- were accidentaly-on-purpose genocided to extinction, Europeans had settled in Argentia and had been living there continuously for 400 yrs or so. The Newfoundland colonial government expropriated their land and cleared them off. But when the US moved in to construct their base, they turned to the local people and said, "Hey- you've forgot something- take THEM with you!"

They were referring to the graveyard, with its 400 yrs of history- and its dead.

The graves were expropriated too. Everybody was moved, living or dead.

The base was there until 1989, hitting a peak of some 50,000 people. The people of the relocated town, and their descendants, made their livings largely servicing the US base. But they never forgot that they had to move their dead.

I was told this story no fewer than 5 times when I visited the area. Unprovoked. It is an ancestral grievance.

Is it a legitimate grievance? That's a matter of values.

 

[dik]

The Beothuks were hunted to extinction... another part of Canadian history. My problem is immediate.

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

 

[waross]

I understand that the ones who were not physically exterminated were administratively exterminated.
The government declared that there were no Beothuks left.
Henceforth, you cannot be a registered Beothuk as you no longer exist.

Bill
--------------------
Ohm's law
Not just a good idea;
It's the LAW!

 

[waross]

This just in on my phone:
Kamloops Petition
And that led to this:
Kamloops Petition
Kamloops Petition
South Indian Lake Petition

Bill
--------------------
Ohm's law
Not just a good idea;
It's the LAW!

 

[dik]

They also have to identify the government that was involved with the policies and also the politicians involved.

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

 

[dik]

It's the South Indian Lake problem that I'm involved with.

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik