The Terrace Standard, Wednasday, January 10, 1996 - AS

eT Sk 1 Se SO Tle CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD

The Mail Bag

Write that letter!

Dear Sir: Last September my family and I were dealt a mortal blow when our dearest friend and our two godchildren were killed by a drunk driver in Prince George. Jim, Emma, and Rylan Ciccone were killed by a man who had already heen convicted of two drunk driving charges and was wanted for two outstanding warrants for assault. On Dec. 22, 1995 justice was seen to be served in a courtroom in Prince George and what a mockery it ; was! David Kevin Johnson pled guilty to killing the % Ciccone family. His sentence for this terrible crime? Three years and six months tacked on for the cowardly act of running away when tie saw what destruction he had we onght. In reality this means he will serve 14 months in jail. The maximum sentence for the crimes he pled guilty to is 14 years with usually a third being served. The punishment bas to fit the crime; there has to be some accountability and proportion in our system. This is nol about vengeance but about honour, integrity and valuing the lives of our innocent children. The family asked for the maximum sentence and the Crown only asked for 6 to 8 ycars. Why? They were nol asking for new laws to be written only for those that are already in place to be enforced. We have to Jet those who have the power, whom we have elected or appointed to know that this kind of back room, plea-bargaining kind of justice is not ac- 7 ceptable to us, > Mr. Johuson’s defence lawyer was quoted, in court, : as saying that in the eyes of the law his crime carried “no more moral culpability than if he would have hit a parked car!” Are these the kind of vatues that the ma- jority of us hold? There arc only 30 days to appeal this sentence. I hope there are people who read this who will not wait to live through the agony of losing someone they love dearly hefore they act. The address of the Attorney General of B.C. is 1012 Douglas Street, Victoria, B.C. V8W 2C5. Dr. Maureen McTavish, Salmon Arm B.C.

Two solitudes?

A fault line of perception. divides natives and non-natives

By TOM WEEGAR College instructor Tom Weegar takes aim at common misperceptions about native people,

Mi Myth #1: Native People Don't Pay Taxes. The majority of Native people in Canada pay the same taxes as everyone else.

Usually people who hold to this myth are thinking of two tax exemptions: 1) income tax exemption for work: undertaken on reserve, and 2) sales tax exemption for goods delivered onto a reserve,

Out of Canada’s total Native population, a rel- alively small percentage are eligible for income tax exeniption.

Income tax exemption has three requirements:

1) the person must be registered under the In- dian Act — as a Status Indian, 2) the person must live on reserve, and 3) the person must be employed on reserve.

A large percentage — roughly 40 % — of Na- live people live off reserve. They are not in- come tax exempt.

Furthermore, of those 60% who live on reserve, very few actually work on reserve — jobs are simply not available! The vast majorily of Native people who have jobs (unfortunately, the unemployment rate on reserve is 70% to 80% in the Pacific Northwest), work off reserve in nearby communities. These people too, are hot income tax exempt.

i Therefore, when one examines the entire pic- i ture, a very small percentage of Native people . in Canada are actualty income tax exempt!

Some commodities purchased off reserve are - exempt from sales tax.

' But this is only the case if the goods are being

delivered onto reserve and are being purchased

by a Native person. All other items are eligible for the regular sales tax, The majority of Native Canadians pay taxes like everyone else. ‘They pay income taxes, they pay property taxes (when living off reserve), they pay sales ; taxes, they pay environmental taxes on tires, : they pay taxes on cigarettes and luxury items, ; and they pay the $5-15 Airport Improvement Fee at the Vancouver Airport. The notion that Native people pay no taxes is simply false!

@ Myth #2; First Nations lived in primitive,

uncivilized societies prior to European con- tact. 2 Even esteemed civic leaders such as B.C. I? Chief Justice Allan McEachern, who portrayed Native pre-cantact socicty as ‘‘nasty, brutish, and short’”’ cling to this myth.

In fact, this couldn’t be farther from the truth.

neeni naan cri iene a

Get it right Dear Sir:

Every time someone writes or talks about the Terrace airport, the phrase pops up ‘‘the airport looses $800,000 a year.’ What garbage. They fost that once, some years ago, Update your material.

The $800,000 phrase is used to win political points, but it’s not true. The feds use it to support their off loading. Town council uses it to enhance their bid for the airport and some ‘free’ provincial land.

Do some research. Every ticket sold in Terrace has a

NATIVE CULTURE is strong on the north coast, but that shouldn't be misinterpreted as meaning natives want to return to the past, argues writer Tom Weegar. Computers, modems and high-tech mapping equipment are merely the newest “trade items” and make native people no less traditional,

soe sO sd

Native cultures on the Northwest coast were complex, sophisticated societies highly adapted to their environments, They had their own sys-

tems and institutions of government, commerce,

justice, and education,

While it is difficult to estimate pre-contact Native populations in North America, scholars estimate that the overall population at the time of contact was 100 million people.

In the mid-1400’s, this figure represents one- fifth the population of the entire world, and three times the population of Europe, These are hardly the characteristics of a primitive, uncivi- lized socicty!

@ Myih 43: First Nations culture and society is static and incapable of change.

Like all cultures, First Nations society has al- ways adapted and responded to neighbouring cultural influences.

The trade of food and commodities was highly evolved throughout North America, For exam- ple, it is known that First Nations of the Yukon were involved in trade with the Chinese in Asia (via the Bering Strait), Trade routes were also well established from the coast and into the in- terlor of B.C., and then over the Rocky Mountains.

Of course, First Nations participated actively in trade with Europeans upon Grst contact. As a result of their extensive history in trade and ‘commerce, First Nations were shrewd and determined bargainers who took advantage of European trade for their own benefit.

Due to these cultural interplays brought about by trade and commerce, First Nations culture

_ has been remarkably adaptive and dynamic.

Thus the horse became a major feature of Plains culture, the outboard motor became im- portant to Northwest Coast fishermen, and the compuler has become significant to First Na- tions across the continent for both communica- tions and for teaching traditional languages to Native youth.

Yet, under no circumstances docs the use of

‘these new ‘‘urade items’? diminish what it Means to be a Native ‘person; First Nations cul-

ture is no less “‘traditional’’ with or without the use of the computer and the modem!

When Canadians talk about trade with First Nations, the discussion often centres around the so-called material ‘‘benefits’?’ which westem socicty has contributed — e¢.g., automobiles, computers, aircraft, etc. These discussions infer that the benefits flowed only one way — from weslern sacicty to First Nations. :

All Canadians have a responsibility to better inform themselves of the history of contact and the issues which face First Nations and Canadian society as a whole.

What is often left out of the discussion are the many significant contributions Native Amer- icans have made to western society.

For example, when Europeans came to North America, they were introduced to the use of such crops as potatoes, squash, beans, and corn. Prior to coming to North America, Europeans knew nothing of these crops; they depended primarily upon grain crops such as wheat, rye, barley, oats, and rice (from the Near East),

The European adoption of crops which Native Americans had grown for centuries initiated nothing less than an agricultural revolution. In three hundred years (1650 - 1950), the popu- lation of Europe increased sixfold (from 100 million to 600 million), The overall health of Europeans increased dramatically as well. This was largely due to the introduction of these cm- cial food staples. So the next time you cat mashed potatoes or french frics, remember their Native American origins!

m Myth #4: Land Claims are a “Give- Away’? to First Nations’ ’

Land claims (or the ‘“Ticaty Process” as. itis 7

better described) are based upon a long legal history and tradition of negotiating with Fist Nations. They are not a ‘‘government gift” they are not a ‘‘give-away’’; the treaty process is a legal and constitutional obligation that all Canadians share.

There is no other choice! But aside from legal and constitutional obligations, the treaty process is simply about learning to live together as neighbours in mutual respect and understand- ing.

Up to now, this mutual respect and under- standing has not been offered to First Nation societies.

Instead, Canadians have attempted to deny First Nation contributions to society, diminish their history, eradicate their language, and destroy their cultures.

This is referred to as assimilation, and a sur- vey of the history of contact will demonstrate how it was (and continues to be) used. These myths (and others) are all too common within our country and are based on a collective sense of public ignorance,

This ignorance tends to promote anger, dis- trust, and suspicion, But it doesn’t need to be that way. All Canadians have a responsibility to better inform themselves of the history of con- tact and the issues which face First Nations and Canadian society as a whole.

With a better sense of these issues, we Will all be able to discuss a common future that reflects a sense of equality and mutual respect, dignity, and understanding,

Tom Weegar teaches First Nations Studies in Terrace for the University of Northern British Columbia and the Northwest Community Col- lege. He works for the Haisla Nation in Kitamaat Village,

$41 federal tax on it. Multiply that by 100,000 pas- Pid senger movements per year equals $4.1 million doliars . of federal government revenue generated by this’ airport;

— not an $800,000 loss.

Yes, that money is to pay for air services and naviga- lion aids. Air services and weather services are being axed everyday, and the navigation system in here is

1955 technology.

Do some arithmetic — $4.1 million minus air ser- vices payroll. Six people at $100,000 a year (don’t they wish) plus the ‘$800,000 ‘loss is $1.4 million, leaving a

surplus of $3 million. We know why town council is tawa over this rip off. It’s because they want land,

Les Watmough, Terrace, B.C.

One more time Dear Sir:

‘‘Airport lease plan draws fire’, ‘Docs fear hospital cuts’? and the editorial ‘‘Ampulation’’ in the Dec. 27, 1995 issue all seem to suggest a denial of fiscal reality.

The federal Liberals offload an airport because the airport needs an $800,000 subsidy to operate. I can’t recall much criticism from city council directed at the federal government for the officad of the $800,000 on

the regional taxpayers.

At the time it was viewed by them as an exciling new challenge to run the airport better and make some

moncy doing it.

The additional land beyond what was required for airport needs would be necessary to create revenue and some of them assumed (again) that the provincial government would step in and give them 2000 acres of Jand to subsidize the airport. If the municipality decides to walk away from the challenge would you care to guess who will be expected to step in and who will be

crilicized if they don’t... not the federal government.

Once more the province has to step in and pick up the

federal government slack.

Then there is the health funding issue. The provincial

not screaming at Ot-

government has increased health funding by $1.3 bil- lion dollars since 1991. No other province even comes oa close. Tolal MSP payments to doctors have increased a by $330 million since 1991 — an increase of 25 per cent ~— and ‘Docs fear hospital cuts.’’ ; Then there is the lack of recognition of the $1.3 bil- lion dollars that the feds will cut from payments to B.C. for health, education, and social scrvices, If all this isn’t enough to put things in perspective

ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW

Native ‘plight’ the envy of many

i The following are excerpts from a letter written

by local resident Allan Grier in reply to earlier levers thal outlined native grievances.

Here’s just how good aboriginal people al- ready have it:

M@ Indian housing is owned, paid for and susidized by lhe working taxpayers of this coun- try.

W The rent you pay is minimal and a mere pit- tance to what most working taxpayers pay, Most whiles consider your ‘‘rent’? as a benefit.

W@ ‘‘Education!”’ Explain to me how a people who pay litle to no taxes are given special con- siderations in colleges and universities when my wife and ] both work and pay almost half our eamlings on Income tax, These taxes build and operate educational facilities and yet we can never dream of affording to put any of our chil-

. dren through university because we are paying ~ to educate your children,

@ Employment offices, Again, our taxes pay

»-for and operate these facilities and after a white

person gets training and a job said person will more than pay back the cost through taxes, while an Indian may go to work on a reserve and not pay taxes.

@ Voting. Why are a people who don’t recog- nize, accept or listen lo a government even al- lowed to vote for this government?

@ Owning the house you reside in. White tax- payers pay exorbitant prices, upwards of $100,000 for a home. For the rest of their lives, these ‘‘home owners’? will pay $1,000 or more a year in taxes or have their home taken away by the government and sold for back taxes. Is this what you mean by “owning” your own home?

M2 There are enough costs in educating chil- dren without hiring special people to train na- tives in their own tongue, which is not used but in their opwn bands, while the rest of us speak English. And again it would be the taxpayer who would bear the brunt of special education for your people.

Mi I don’t belicve your whole race was beaten and punished in school, and by the way, I received my share of ‘punishment’ and “strappings"’ for getling out of line in school, and I’m not even native,

Mi Many white children are subjected to rape and sexual abuse still by pedophiles and other such sick individuals so don’t consider natives alone in their plight,

Wi ‘Sexual abuse’’. I would consider a neigh- bouring tribe invading and raping and pillaging abuse. .

Mi Natives moved from their homes. 50 too were the Japanese in the 'd0s, and look at the plight of people in South Africa or Bosnia. This injustice is not exclusive to natives, it happens to be the circumstances of the time.

Wi For having a devastated and diminished ex- istance, most natives have pretty nice housing, vehicles, boats: and benefits. Far better than mine and J work for a living,

them remember that Gordon Campbeil promise to cut $3 billion dollars from provincial spending. Where do

people think those cuts will come fram?

As much as it is necessary ito be watchful of a deterioration in health care services in this region, I think the spreading of fear docs nothing more than

serve a political agenda for some.

Are local people going south for more treatments and services than they did before 1992? No, and we now

don’t have to go south for a CT Scan,

Are the waiting lists longer for emergency treat- ments? No, they are shorter. Where are the stats to

show that services have been negatively affected?

The taxpayer, as always, determines what level of any service is affordable. Health care is no different. There is likely a minimum beyond which reductions become a problem but let's base that discussion on a. recognition of the reality of what the taxpayer can af-

ford and is willing to pay.

Helmut Glesbrecht, MLi.A, Skeena