Native column lauded Dear Editor: Re: Oct. 1 Hana Mercer Fair Comment column. This morning over break- fast I read your article, and [ have to say thar it is a great article. Irs about time that people spoke their minds, and aren’t afraid to tell the truth. . In all honesty, I believe that natives should not -feceive any more benefits “than any other ordinarv Canadian. °° These people along with =; our politicians in tow are ‘making 3 mockery of this “country. ‘and its laws. ~ Unfortunately for the majori- “ty of Canadians the issue seems hopeless and even gh it” strikes a cord of ~ anger. when. tead, nothing ‘ever seems to get done. about . it therefore, nothing seems O- get corrscted. Ii’s quite pathetic isn’t it, symbol@pop2.intergate.bc. a" oo I am’, offended: by: Tana $80 oo Ody oe: Fair morth shore news MAIL Box Local racism Dear Editor: After reading the Sept. 29 fetter to the edi- tor titled “Racism reversed” by Gracme Parker of North Vancouver I want to say, my Ged! You obvigusly have no knowledge or under- standing of native issues or the past history of the first people of Canada. My name is Susan George and I originally come from London, England, however I am roud to say that [am a member of the Tsleil- Vaututh Nation. 1 have been married to 3 Tsleil-Waurtuth man for 29 years and I am the wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and auntie to my relatives in this beautiful community (the Burrard Indian reserve), my home. If you really want to talk about racism, Graeme, ler me begin by telling you that our Tsleil-Waututh grandparents parents and chil- dren were not allowed to attend public schools. They were ripped away from their families, forced into boarding schools and their way of life was destroyed. Native people were treated the same way as prisoners of war in concentration camps, given numbers instead of names, humiliated, raped Dear Editor: _ “T value free speech as a to the furure with an aware- ness of our past, we'll gct to . West Vancouver CUSTOM HOME CONSTRUCTION UNCOMPROMISING QUALITY lives on and beaten daily. They were also nor allowed on buses, in restaurants, liquor stores or able to own Jand or even vote. The Department of Indian Affairs appointed one physician and one dentist to attend to the natives. Thev had no voice in this matter; once again rights were taken away. Native people were forced on tc reservations and forbidden to participate in any of their cultural ways or belicts. I am going to quote my hero, Oprah Winfrey, who said it most eloquently, “Some white people don't get it. They are the privi- feged race, and when you are privileged how can you possibly know what ir is like for those who are not?” This is most evident in this pathetic lerter that you have written. Did you know that the schoo! would not have received funds for these computers if it were not for the native students. I t00 have had enough; it is unfortunate, chat as we approach the new millennium, racism still tives in the hearts and minds of some resi- dents of the North Shore. Susan Geo: Tsleil-Waututh Nation CHRISDALE Homes Lip. Futly WARRANTED - to vears exeerieNce PHONE 298-1222 5 Rian: Rie Ss ey iprst 088 HRISTMAS; IS HERE! Just arrived for the festive season, trees, trimmings, gift, _ decorations and . Reach out to First Nations Juliet Balfour ©) 0. °- hallmark of democracy as much as does any Canadian. When I read columns like Yana Mercer’s Oct. 1 “Native culture has been . cared: to death,” 1 admit I. » gestion this value, It’s not that I want to shut Ms, Mercer up; I just wonder why ‘you can’t find a columnist who will go to the trouble of understanding: an issue. before she ‘shares her in cexrent with us. want to sez public “Money squandered cither. The. fact is, though, that much. is changing for. the - better in First Nation com- munities and will continuc to . do's oO. What Ms. ‘Mercer -not-te. be aware of is history - of sboriginal/new: -aboriginal relations in this country that : led.co the cirzent situation. From her perspective, now is the right answer. The North Shere is my community. It’s also part of the traditional territory of the Squamish and Tslcil- Waututh First Nations. They are both negotiating treaties: with .B.C. and Canada. Those treaties will fay a long overduc basis for our co-exis- . tence. Since neither the First - Nations nor the rest of us are going anywhere, it secms pretty clear to me that my community should be active- ly reaching out to these two First Nations and talking about the kind of future we “jointly envision. Only by accepting that we have some . differences, but also “many things. in common «will we get-to an accommodation that enriches ali of us. To me that’s the © Canadian vision. 1 like it, 1 believe in it, and I think we s Galore “1120 Park -Royal South Phone 1( (877), 913-8882 - POPi Childrenswear Enterprises Ine. ‘ali there is.and-it looks bad. + From “my “perspective, the worst is behind us.'There are sis the, only media y beautiful B,C..to report what I actu- ‘attempted to say — at ancouver. Public Library rarest, Oct.6-News rting” has been dis- iggcs! ‘mention: the: riot But. f lawyer, Dou “ Chistie and 1 had ‘by ono! al interest groups i in that ‘demonstration, it would hav “been’a ‘page oné' story.’ Obviously, the, ‘Sun’ 5 sympathy lay with © Bat Paper six “days later equated the.“ Protesters’ ” violence with free speech. . She even repeated the ie, which both the wa and Province had to retract, that 100. skinheads had attended my successful fund raiser in the North Van City library. Television was no better, and of a bad lot have a huge opportunity to this issue. It’s all about attitude, Ms. Mercer. the CBC was the» wors a 7 Prominently. featured es ; vd by bug-cyed demonstrators: that’ t the’ the law- abiding Canadian Free Speech: League, which s onsored the meeting, was 2. “cover: for . “right-wing, hate groups:”. Needless to say, I was not interviewed and no CBC cameras covered what I had to say. ‘Nor’ for that ® matter, did any othier: media cameras. Viewers would never have known that my address had to do with the NDP’s attack on free speech, as evidenced by the outrageou id there was no me been’ a funds for my appeal against that code and its kan- Baro court “tribunals.” b The BCTV coverage was only marginally better. * Most of today’s media members have been to university, where they .must have been brainwashed by Marxist professors. For certainly there has been no media sup- port for my case against the discredited NDP overnment.. oug, Collins West Vancouver do something’ positive on - “POP "Group Inc. "Grand ‘Ohesing Tae. ; -In honour of. the opening of Park Royal POP. Saturday, October 23,. 1999. - Il 130 am = 233 ‘choice of different designs, size 1- 10. _(while quantities last).- “ 4 - Also visit us in: Pacific Centre © Metrotown Centre’ 2 stores) Richmond Centre.» Lansdowne Park « * Surrey Place Mall « 2 Hans, rey Place ¢