Canada’s Oldest First Nations Newspaper - Serving Nuu-chah-nulth-aht since 1974 Canadian Publications Mail Product haasi^ >sa “ Interesting News” Vol. 32 - No. 1 - January 13, 2005 Sales Agreement No. 40047776
Nuu-chah-nulth-aht complain of police abuses in Campbell River By David Wiwchar Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter Campbell River – First Nations people in this small coastal city are complaining of racial profiling, and of abuse at the hands of the local RCMP. “Even though there’s a high proportion of First Nations people here in Campbell River, it’s as if the cops think we all look the same, and if they’re after a native person, we’re all suspects,” said Steven Jules, who had a couple of runins with the local constabulary this past summer.
“Even though there’s a high proportion of First Nations people here in Campbell River, it’s as if the cops think we all look the same, and if they’re after a native person, we’re all suspects,” said Steven Jules. The well-known artist said he was first stopped in July, and accused of being drunk and harassing tellers in a local bank. Even though he hasn’t consumed alcohol in years, and said he was clearly sober when being questioned, Jules claims the officer continued to accuse him being drunk and disorderly. Jules later received a letter from the bank after making an inquiry, stating no such complaints had been made.
The next month, Jules alleges he was beaten by four RCMP Constables after trying to sell a small 10K gold bracelet he and his son had found a year earlier. Despite having a clean record, Jules claims he has been the victim of repeated police harassment, which has complicated his ability to find steady employment and receive social assistance for he and his wife and three children, two of whom are epileptic and require special services. “We’re not treated as equals, even though we pay taxes and are a big part of this city,” he said, adding that he has spoken with the Mayor of Campbell River, lawyers, and senior police officers, and has become frustrated by the lack of assistance. As Jules shows the 6-month old scars on his wrists he suffered from overtightened hand-cuffs, he claims the stress has prevented him from carving, as his fingers still ache, and is unable to properly concentrate on projects. “My whole family is still in shock, and don’t want me going out to get groceries or anything. They’re really worried,” said the 44-year old Kyuquot member. Jules suffered numerous scrapes and bruises, and had to walk with crutches for weeks after, because of a pair of broken toes. As he started telling his story to more and more people, Jules said more and more First Nations people have told him similar stories of abuses they’ve suffered at the hands of the RCMP over the years.
“They said I looked like the person they were chasing, and the dog came over and started biting on my leg, and the cops were beating me up and kicking me, and telling me to shut up,” alleges Conrad Swan.
Alison Vincent points to where blood was splattered on their home, as Velina Vincent explains how an officer allegedly pointed a gun at her when she opened her bedroom window to investigate a scuffle outside.
Three years ago, a 20-year old Conrad James Swan filed a complaint against the Campbell River RCMP after he was allegedly attacked by a police dog and officers searching for someone who had been breaking in to area homes stealing Christmas presents from underneath trees. “They said I looked like the person they were chasing, and the dog came over and started biting on my leg, and the cops were beating me up and kicking me, and telling me to shut up,” alleges Swan, who tried to complain, but quickly became frustrated at the lack of services
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Fish farm refused move .......................................... Page 4 Post-Secondary FAQ ................................................ Page 5 PAFC Dinner draws hundreds .............................. Page 6 Oxford responds to apology request .................... Page 7 Maaqtusiis unveils mural ....................................... Page 9 NEDC Business News ............................................. Page 20
Steve Jules stands where he alleges four Campbell River RCMP officers attacked him on a side street.
Old Tree Spikes terrorize fallers By Denise August, Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter Clayoquot Sound – More than a decade after Clayoquot Sound’s War of the Woods began one of it’s ugliest and most dangerous products has resurfaced threatening injury and even death to the unsuspecting wood cutter; the dreaded tree spike. In the early 1990’s environmentalists went head-to-head against forestry giant MacMillan Bloedel and its employees in an effort to stop the clear-cut of oldgrowth forests in the Sound. In their world-wide call for support environmentalists attracted the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s founder Paul Watson, described by many as an ‘eco-terrorist’. Watson sailed into the Sound in the summer of 1993 promising “Clayoquot Sound would not be wasted without a fight…we will spike trees and we will attack logging equipment.” The selfproclaimed inventor of tree spiking provided seminars on the topic before sailing out of the Sound and onto other causes. His students, with their newly acquired skills, roamed the forests randomly spiking trees with the knowledge that any blade striking the spike could have grave consequences for the person doing the cutting. Tree spiking involves the hammering of large metal nails into trees and removal the head of the nail in order to conceal the spike. The intended purpose of spiking is to damage chainsaws and mill saw blades, thus endangering the lives of
woodcutters. The spikes are difficult to find without metal detectors and pose a danger to anyone who cuts trees or logs. In 1987 a mill worker in California was injured when his band saw struck spikes in a log causing the blade to splinter in an explosion of shrapnel.
More than a decade after Clayoquot Sound’s War of the Woods began one of it’s ugliest and most dangerous products has resurfaced threatening injury and even death to the unsuspecting wood cutter; the dreaded tree spike. Six fallers contracted by Iisaak Forest Resources (IFR) discovered the spikes while harvesting a cutblock in Beddingfield late last year. Faller Leo Manson of Tla-o-qui-aht says while the crew suffered no injuries from the spikes themselves, several chains were destroyed after striking the large nails. “There were six of us (fallers) that went in and four guys hit them (spikes),” Manson explained. Several chains were ruined and IFR sent in engineers armed with metal detectors ahead of the fallers. They found several more spikes; Manson estimates 18 spikes were handed over to IFR. Ray Bartram, General Manager for IFR confirmed the story saying, “the fallers have found a number of spikes in the trees, and an engineering crew with metal detectors found a few more.” He
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