——-MAIL BOox——
ooksellers backed

Dear Editor:

I appreciated the balaaced coverage of the competition
between mega-booksellers and independent bookstores (New
chapter in Jocal book battle, April 9 News).

I am a regular customer at independent bookstores,
including North-shore based 32 Books. I appreciate the per-
sonal touch of independent booksellers, the first name basis
we often develop through our love of books, And on a prac-
tical note, if 1 am short for time, I can telephone the book-
store staff, or drop by in a hurry, and get excellent sugges-
tions for gift purchases or other needs.

The key for me is knowledgeable, friendly service. 1 also
believe we should support booksellers who feature our local
writers and books as part of their stock.

'..Your readers might wish to consider the Greater
Vancouver Independent Booksellers Alliance (GVIBA). This
- alliance of 44 bookstores produces a flyer that lists addresses,
. phone numbers, ¢ -mail and Web site information, and a pre-
cis of each store’s specialties.
.. You can find stores that specialize in cooking, mystery and
true crime books, travel information, health and healing, and
children’s books, to name a few. :

_ The. flyer. lists ‘several independent - bookstores: on the

North Shore.’ - . te a

“ BC/Yukon regional representative :
The. Weitere’ Union of Canada, ‘

: our government cannot
will not do its primary ; duty? ~
lo not end up in. criminal
charges due to the “mentally
ill”. aspect:: The police pro ‘
‘ceed under the Mental

school, I was taught that the
first duty ofa government - —

‘not just a selected few.
“For those baying for:

biood inthe Trott case, back .

up-a-bit, When. you can fig-
ure‘out how to get blood
from a system, you'll have the
teal reason Trott was free to -
The’ system, as it exists,
has no more answers: ‘tle Jessica Russell. :
«For the rest of u us, we can
ut keep a protective arm

we to resign our
-around our chiidren.

selves to forever being in an
f danger because

“CLOSED. SU

«When I was in elementary”: '

“any government — is to pro-'
tect its citizens. All of. them,

be in a position to abduct lic. :

—_ lenght direc. ca...

NO POINT IN MINCING WORDS

"There is simply no point in
mincing words" said Canadian Alliance
MP, Myron Thompson, during Second
Reading Debate on his Private Member's
Bill C-222 on November 4, 19S9. "In
1998 and 1999 the Federal
Gavernment spent $6.3 billion on
special programs for - aboriginal
people. The total benefit for status
Indians on reserves iz estimated to be
$19,903 per person. While the
amount spent is massive, there is
often little in the way of.
accountability on how the funds are
disbursed".

The purpose of Myron's Bill was to
establish a Native Ombudsman in
Canada, and was based on the inspiration
of Leona Freed, President of The First
Nations Accountability Coalition. Leona
has been working for 5 years to try to get
accountability, democracy, and equality,
established on reserves where it is absent
or inadequate, and clairs representation
from ‘almost 200 reserves amongst the

_ 5,000:members of her organization. "We
i: have .a’ crisis ‘in our First Nation -

communities" she wrote in a letter to

, MPs in March of this year, “And it is

érucial that a Native Ombudsman be
enacted into legislation. Without one
‘there “will \’ be: “more © Waterhen;
Gustufson and Oka crisis. Situations.
-have deteriorated so badly that people™
are threatening to take up arms
against their Chiefs and Council".

Myron and Leona held meetings with

_ grassroots natives on reserves all across |
Canada *" during 1999, using th
| suggestions they received ta help develop
the Bill as a practical way of dealing with .

complaints about “improper. financial
administration and allegations of electoral

irregularities”. Then, on October 15, 1999"

Myron introduced the Bill in Parliament
This is the story of what t happened to C-

222
MISMANAGEMENT AND FRAUD .

Both Leona . Freed,’ and = Myron

. Thompson,: have “spoken | ‘out publicly on”.
“numerous: occasions about. documented a :
i. accountability for} funds‘
disbursed: to" band chiefs: by Indian and
Northem Affairs. . -Unfortunately, the lack of :

a definition in the Indian Act with respect to

persons authorized to: spend such funds: -
: jobody can’ be held.
r charged, for mismanage-

fright fraud, Work b
eople jike 9 Leona, Myron, and the Audito
eneral for Canada though, are turning up>

“ more’ and’ more claims, and evidence, of:
_ corruption, -. vote-buying, and blatant -
misuse of band: funds. Hera’ are: some :

recent examples of the typés of situations - :

‘oat °C-22 mane ah to address’ via: the

“honorarium was 3171 ,060 (tax Aas yet
the’ ‘Band had ee a ‘deficit oft

unemployment rate on the Reserve was
about 90%.

The Chief and 12 councillors of the
Samson Cree Band are paid $1.5
million in salaries and benefits to
govern a Band population of about
§,006 people. The unemployment rate
on the Reserve is 83% and 80% of the
Band is on welfare.

Chief Francis Frank of the
Tiaoquiaht Band collected $109,000 in
salary and benefits in 1997 before
tesigning in December of that year. The
Band population is 500 to 600, almost
all of whom are unemployed. An
auditor called in to look at the books
was unable to express an opinion
because of the lack of documentation
related to the money spent.

Over.the past.30 years at least $60
billion has been spent by the Department
of Indian Affairs to create a myriad of
programs — exclusively for, aboriginal
people. ‘Despite this, one. third — of
aboriginals on reserves five — in
overcrowded conditions, an‘ average. of
50% of the people live in poverty, the

infant mortality rate is twice as high as that :{

for non-aboriginals, and alcoholism,
suicide, iliness, and crime rates are all at

“least thrée times thé off-raséive average
In addition, about 25% of Canada’s indian’ § --
‘bands are under remedial management.
-plans, dealing with a combined debt of

more than $139 million:.’A Department

survey of 300 band councils found that the-
most .common. problams wére ‘lack of.

control z and, onflict of interest.

‘HOW CAN IT BE FIXED?
When “questioned” in Parliament.

recently. - about.” the --, problems. . .of
accountability on reserves, the Minister.
Indian Affairs took the position that it is u
to band members themselves to hold thei
chiefs and: councils : accountable: or..the

‘eerie

: band’ members often feel intimidated:

1999, Alberta Judge - Reilly “said ‘that:

testimony from the’ ‘reserve mami s had:

should be laid at the feat of corrupt nativ ne 4
*fedéral:

ut misguided

Road North: Vancou

: http /warw: ‘ireatten dens

fsecbeh btlacteX erase tet

AT CAP

b> Spring

convocation date

correction

The spring
convocation ceremony
at Capilano College's
North Vancouver
campus will be held on
Thursday, May 25 at
7:30 p.m. in the
Sportsplex.

> Explore

Vancouver's
natural
environment

Vancouver has a
geological history that
is unrivalled in North
America. Explore its
beaches from Caulfield
Cove to Kitsilano
Point with geology.
professor, Amie
Thomlinson. The
Continuing Education’
course, Vancouver's’

- Waves and Beaches, is

offered on two). *
Thursdays beginning” ~

_ on May25 and -

includes a field
Saturday,-May 27.:~:
($95). Or enjoy a to

- of the bogs, lakes and
forests of the Capilano ,

watershed. Join”.

_ naturalist, Terry Taylor, :
., and an entomologi
and watershed guide