A-list message, [A-List] FW: INDIGENOUS PEOPLE HAVE ENJOYED ONLY SMALL GAINS I

September 23, 2004

This article is an important document to be circulated within the local governing systems of B.C. Canada. As an Indigenous sovereign, Bear Clan of Maxan Lake, clan mother and earth warrior of this only unceded province of Cananda, I have a few words to add to this important statment.

In the past few years, I have been a human rights defender under IHRAAM: International Human Rights Association of American Minorites. An International NGO in consultative status with the United Nations. IHRAAM serves as an umbrella organization to facilitate and coordinate the efforts of individuals, minorities and community organizations to gain access to international law and its enforcement mechanisms.

In addition to Consultative Status with ECOSOC, IHRAAM also holds Associate Status with the UN Department of Public Information, and Observer Status with The African Commission on Human & Peoples' Rights and several other international organizations.

IHRAAM was founded in 1985 at The Hague Academy of International Law in the Netherlands by African American students. It was incorporated in 1988 in Chicago, in 1996 in London, and in 1997 in Canada.

"I cannot imagine how difficult and futile (HRC review of state reports under the ICCPR) would be if we did not have the active cooperation of NGOs like yours. I only hope that the International Human Rights Association of American Minorities will continue to work with the Human Rights Committee in the protection of Human Rights worldwide." Francisco Jose Aguilar-Urbina, Chairman, Human Rights Committee, United Nations.

"The Office of the High Commissioner for Human RIghts and the Center of Human Rights attach great importance to the protection of minority groups in all countries. In this regard, we encourage IHRAAM's efforts to promote and protect the fundamental human rights of African-Americans in the United Sates. My office and the Centre stand fully prepared to provide you with all the necessary information and mechanisms available to the United Nations human rights system." Jose Ayala-Lasso, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights letter to IHRAAM, October 5, 1995.

IHRAAM's initiatives constitute a very important contribution to the mobilisation that the crusade for the respect of human rights implies." El Hadj Amadou Niang, Conseiller Juridigue, African Commission on Human & People's Rights, The Gambia.

From Telquaa:

Since I have been an IHRAAM representative for the past two years, I have heard and seen so much, and I have felt the plight of many Indigenous women from throughout the province, that it seems that no one knows fully well, what HUMAN RIGHTS really is. This past decade of Indigenous people, has put so many of our indigenous people into their graves, evicted and relocated so many more. The streets of Vancouver is littered with our indigenous people, who once owned lands and traplines, in their respective territories. The prisons are also holding captive, many indigenous people of BC, which makes them Prisoners Of War. AS this illegal treaty process is the cause of many of these problems. The so called treaty chiefs are the only ones gaining with greed, through this illegal treaty process. Meanwhile, many Indigenous women and children go missing/murdered, of which many were land holders, trapline holders, holders of indigenous names to their territories. The ind! igenous women who are alive, and trying desperately to protect their young women and children, are threatened with their life, their homes, and their welfare cheques, if they are caught speaking out. Indigenous women are being raped at an alarming rate, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, do nothing about the rapists. In the end, no one, is charged with the rapes and murders, but the number of missing/murdered indigenous women is rising. In the interior of BC, between Prince George and Prince Rupert, it is now dubbed "the highway of tears" as this is where there has been so many missing/murdered indigenous women.

In the past few days, an RCMP officer has been at my doorstep, to do an investigation about a white girl that has been missing/murdered, on "the highway of tears", whose name is Nicole Hoar. Only because I have been doing my own investigation on all these missing women, that my name came up. Now I am a part of this investigation because I mentioned Nicole's name. If they can hunt me down because I mentioned her name to someone in Prince George, why can't they hunt down the culprits who did this murder. My question to this officer was "why is Nicoles case of such importance to the authorities, when there is also so many missing/murdered indigenous women and children also, in this area. His answer was "because Nicoles family has been pushing them to find her murderer." I asked "is the parents of the missing indigenous women and children not pushing as hard to find their missing family members" and "why aren't they just as important". He would not answer that question. In ot! her words if Nicole Hoar, who is a white girl, did not go missing/murdered, there would be no investigations at all, on the 'Highway of Tears' regarding the missing/murdered indigenous women.

Since the 'Decade of Indigenous Peoples' began over ten years ago, a famous court case started also, the so called Gitzsan/Wetsuweten Land Claims court case. In fact this area is now dubbed the 'highway of tears' where indigenous women have gone missing, much the same time, as this famous land claims court case began, over ten years ago. It makes me wonder, if there is a connection. I have noticed so many grave sites have sprung up, withing the past ten years, and mostly along this "highway of tears" area. During this time also, I have had to bury so many of my own family members, for my speaking out on these very issues. I took it on for myself, to figure out what human rights violations are, and to make things right for everyone. As I found out that my family and myself, have human rights protections, under international laws. Locally, the authorities and many people in power, were constantly violating my rights and my familys rights. Even more so, w! e now have Indigenous peoples human rights, of which no one, in power here cares about.

Yesterday, we were at family night, at the Vancouver Indian Centre, where many of our family members meet, every wednesday night. It is called the West coast family night, where we do networking, and make sure the different family members are okey. As it is, the Vancouver Indian centre is the only place in the lower mainland, that we as Indigenous people can meet, as there is no other place in Vancouver, where we are allowed to meet. It seems that we are discriminated against because we are indigenous people from B.C. As people of BC, we are being forced off the premises of the indian centre, because we are standing up and protecting our elders rights. AS the elders group could only work out of the indian centre. In the past few months, these elders have been pushed around, laughed at, and intimidated, and harrassed, by the very person who is suppose to take care of them. This person is suppose to cook a meal for the elders, and distribute the food bank amongst the e! lders, and take care of the elders, so they could get involved in out side projects. The head person of the elders group, said that there was a bunch of salmon, that was donated, to the elders group. That they had a freezer full of donated fish. Yet, they choose to starve the elders group, and say snobish remarks about the salmon, such as "the stinking fish". As indigenous people of BC, we are used to having meals of fish, served to us. Our people lived on fish for thousands of years, and have never gotten tired of it. The elders group are, also barred from using the kitchen at their free will. Many of us were already forced off our sacred lands, by the illegal treaty process, now "they" are trying to force us out of our only meeting place, in the only place left for us to go to, which is the Vancouver Indian Centre. Other than this, we have nothing. For many, this indian centre, is the only place, some poorer familys can g! et a good meal to eat or to adopt another elderly person, to fulf ill their close family ties that was shattered by the past residential schools syndrome years.

The younger indigenous people, choose to rally and protest about the wronged being done to them and their sacred lands. They rally about being homeless, landless, their sacred lands becoming polluted, their waters being polluted and lands being destroyed, by multi-national corporations. The governments do nothing to help the Indigenous people of BC, Canada. The prisons are full of young indigenous people, mostly from BC. Many are imprisoned for things they did not commit, and the real murders and rapists walk free. At family night, we were confronted by the youth of vancouver, to see if we could attend their protest rally, the next day, regarding "sun peaks ski resort". We agreed we would be there. Today, is here now, and we could not make it to this rally. As we were going into Vancouver to attend this rally, we were hauled over by the Chilliwack Royal Canadian Mounted Police. What a coincidence. As we did not have a valid dr! ivers license, we were told to park our vehicle at the gas station, until we could get a valid driver. In their past tactics, toward us, the police have stacked up motor vehicle violation tickets, onto both of us, so we could never again get a valid drivers license. Without a drivers license, as a disabled person, I could not go into the city to see my doctors or dentist. Which is another violation of my very human rights. As it is, I was disabled by one of their own, by them running my vehicle off the road, which left me half paralized. This accident happened, four years ago. With this, their harrassment and intimidation toward my family, has not ceased. The police tactic of adding up motor vehicle violations tickets, toward the indigenous people of this only unceded province, makes many indigenous familys, go hungary. Starvation is torture. We told this policeman, that he was in violation of our international human rights and he was also viol! ating the Canadian Bill of Rights and in violation of our Indigenous h uman rights. Eventually, he let us go, and we drove away. We drove home, instead of going to the protest rally. Otherwise, I would of had to drive my electric scooter, the twenty miles, to get home, if they decided to tow my vehicle away. We are human rights defenders, we are not criminals yet we are treated as criminals.

[A-List] FW: INDIGENOUS PEOPLE HAVE ENJOYED ONLY SMALL GAINS IN PAST DECADE: UN EXPERT