'No:' Elijah Harper, who scuttled Meech Lake, dies at age 64
WINNIPEG - Elijah Harper, who became a symbol of power for Canadian aboriginals when he helped scuttle the Meech Lake constitutional accord, has died.
Harper's family says he died this morning of cardiac failure due to diabetes complications.
Harper, who was 64, was a politician and aboriginal leader for much of his life, and was best-known for his role in blocking the accord in 1990.
"Elijah was a wonderful man, father, partner. He was a true leader and visionary in every sense of the word," the family said in a statement.
"He will have a place in Canadian history forever for his devotion to public service and uniting his fellow First Nations with pride, determination and resolve."
The soft-spoken former chief of the Ojibwa-Cree Red Sucker Lake **>Indian
band<** in Manitoba was an NDP opposition member of the legislature when he prevented the accord from being ratified by Ottawa's deadline.
He said the deal, crafted to win Quebec's signature on the Constitution, ignored aboriginal rights. Last-minute scrambling by federal officials failed to appease Harper and other native leaders.
Brian Mulroney, who was prime minister at the time, was applying pressure on dissenting premiers to go along with the accord by approving it in their legislatures. Voting in Manitoba came late in the national debate.
Harper refused to allow legislature rules to be waived to speed debate of the resolution. He delayed it long enough to make it impossible to meet the deadline.
Pictures of Harper, clutching an eagle feather as he repeatedly and simply said "No" in the legislature, were flashed across the country as the clock ticked down.
Someone even wrote a song about his stand.
"I stalled and killed it because I didn't think it offered anything to the aboriginal people," Harper said simply of his decision.
He was voted The Canadian Press newsmaker of the year in 1990 for his actions, which helped propel native issues to the top of the political agenda - at least briefly.
He was the first status Indian elected to the Manitoba legislature where he served from 1981 to 1992. That included a two-year stint as minister of native affairs in former NDP premier Howard Pawley's cabinet. Harper's duties were interrupted briefly when he sought counselling for drunk driving.
Harper resigned from the legislature in 1992 and a year later left the New Democrats to run for the Liberals federally. He won a seat representing the sprawling northern Manitoba riding of Churchill.
He had some well-publicized financial problems. He was sued by creditors as well as his former wife. In 1992, two years after their marriage of 17 years collapsed, Elizabeth Harper said she had to go on welfare to supplement her meagre child-support payments for two sons and two daughters.
Harper had health issues as well. He became ill in the fall of
1994 when he was struck with a mysterious malady that doctors and native healers were at a loss to explain.
Harper, one of 13 children, was an intensely private man. It took years before he would even reveal his age to interviewers.
Despite spending much of his life as a civil servant or politician, the man who was born on a trapline frequently sought solace from the pressures of political life by returning to the bush to hunt.
His biographer, Pauline Comeau, once said that although Harper wasn't acting on his own in 1990, that in no way diminished the significance of his deed.
"In that world it was a collective effort and he played his role," Comeau said in an interview shortly after her 1993 book "No Ordinary Hero" was published.
Following his active career in public service, Harper spent much of the rest of his life visiting First Nations, meeting with indigenous leaders across North America, working with charities and doing international humanitarian work.
"Elijah will also be remembered for bringing aboriginal and non-aboriginal people together to find a spiritual basis for healing and understanding," his family said. -CP-
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Liberal Yvonne Jones wins Labrador byelection, recaptures Grit bastion The Canadian Press ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Conservatives urged Labrador voters to overlook spending rule violations and return incumbent Peter Penashue to Ottawa as a cabinet minister — an offer they answered with a resounding No.
Liberal candidate Yvonne Jones won the federal byelection Monday in Labrador, recapturing a traditional Grit bastion and handing the Harper government its sole byelection defeat in a Tory-held seat.
The riding became vacant when Penashue quit due to campaign overspending and ineligible contributions during the 2011 election. He finished a distant second.
Jones, a former provincial Liberal party leader and 17-year veteran of the legislature, vowed that she would be a strong voice for Labrador who wouldn't dodge tough questions.
"The people of Labrador wanted change," she told a roaring crowd of supporters at her victory party in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
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Aboriginals call for Arctic energy moratorium as circumpolar leaders meet The Canadian Press A growing number of aboriginals from around the Arctic are calling for a moratorium on energy development in the North.
Groups from every Arctic country have signed a statement that calls for an end to offshore drilling and a pause in northern energy projects unless local aboriginals consent.
The statement was released in Kiruna (kih-ROO'-nah), Sweden, two days before leaders from the eight circumpolar nations meet and hand over chairmanship of the Arctic Council to Canada.
The statement also comes after federal cabinet minister Leona Aglukkaq, who will lead the council during Canada's two-year stint, told reporters that northerners support her pro-business agenda.
The statement is signed by major aboriginal groups from Russia, the United States and Canada, and by aboriginal leaders from Scandinavia.
Some major groups, such as the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, have not signed the document.
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Body snagged in net of B.C. fisherman slips back into Fraser river The Canadian Press CHILLIWACK, B.C. - A man fishing on B.C.'s Fraser River snagged a body in his net over the weekend, but before the net could be hauled in, the body slipped away.
The RCMP say a First Nation fisherman had placed his net in the river near Chilliwack Friday and when he checked it Saturday morning he saw a partially submerged body before the remains broke free of the netting in the fast-flowing river.
The body was described as having a small build, wearing a black jacket with a zipper up the wrist area.
The gender and age are not know.
The RCMP say a search along the river and from the air by a police helicopter failed to find the body and investigators are now checking missing person reports and appealing for help from the public.
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Sports Headlines
Injured Jamieson garnishes MVP honours
By Neil Becker Sports Writer
Cody Jamieson added another
chapter to his legendary
career in helping his
Rochester Knighthawks
make some history with
back to back NLL Championships.
Jamieson who hurt his
ankle during East Division
semi final play will years
from now be remembered in
Knighthawks history for
blocking out the pain and
bravely taking to the Langley
Events Centre in Langley
B.C. where he played a
major factor with three
goals and five points in
helping to lead his team to
a 11-10 NLL Championship
win against Washington.
“Cody said in his press
conference that his ankle
was pretty painful but
adrenaline just takes over
and he did what he had to
do,” Knighthawks assistant
GM Landon Miller said.
Naturally all championships
are special but
what might make this extra
special for Rochester who
finished the season at 10-8
is that remarkably they
were the first team since
the Toronto Rock way back
in 2002 and 2003 to successfully
defend their title.
Besides for Jamieson who
garnished the Reebok
Champion’s Cup MVP also
leading the charge were
sharp shooters Dan Dawson
and Joe Walters who
also both had five points.
The rule of thumb to building
championships no matter
the sport is that clutch
money goaltending is
needed and once again
that’s what Rochester had
with Matt Vinc who made
39 saves against Washington
including his biggest
with less than 10 seconds
remaining in regulation.
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Rebels’ Jamieson backstops undefeated Rebels to weekend sweep vs. Hamilton and Guelph
By Neil Becker
Sports Writer
Doug Jamieson couldn’t
have asked for a better start
to his Six Nations Rebels career.
Recently with his parents
and friends rooting him on
at the ILA Jamieson who
was an AP last year had a
weekend to remember in
earning his first two Junior
‘B’ wins in backstopping the
Rebels to weekend wins
against first Hamilton followed
by one in Guelph.
“I played a few periods last
year,” Jamieson said. “I just
wanted to relax and play my
game.”
Moments after kicking off
the weekend by backstopping
the Rebels to what was
a convincing 23-5 win
against Hamilton Jamieson
who is just one out of a
handful of rookies off to a
strong start couldn’t say
enough about the offensive
support.
“I didn’t have to worry
about letting in one or two
goals,” Jamieson said in regards
to his team scoring 11
first period goals. “It helps
me to relax.”
Jamieson, who faced only 28
Hamilton shots credited
Rebels leading goal scorer
and current captain Ian Martin
for his encouragement
and pre-game pep talk.
“Ian just said to do my
thing and I knew what I can
do,”Jamieson said.
When asked about future
goals Jamieson who the
next day faced 39 Guelph
shots in a 17-5 win didn’t
even hesitate before replying
“To get more wins and win
another Founders.”
Coming off a 20-8 season
opening win against Windsor
the Rebels once again
thrilled their home fans with
a full display of offensive
fireworks starting in the first
30 seconds when Dallas
John scored his first of three
goals.
Unfortunately for Hamilton
who yielded 78 shots
the deficit just got bigger
and bigger as Austin Staats
who is another rookie off to
a sizzling start scored two
of his six goals within the
first five minutes to give Six
Nations a 3-0 lead.
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Arrows show potent scoring depth in opener vs. Toronto By Neil Becker Sports Writer
There is no question that
it’s an exciting time to be a
Six Nations Arrows fan.
If there season opening 14-
11 win in Toronto is any indication
then fans will be in
for an entertaining summer
in watching this team
which lost last year in the
Junior ‘A’ lacrosse finals.
Playing without some of
their established veterans
Six Nations received production
from those trying
to make their mark in
Tehoka Nanticoke ( 1 g. 4
pts) along with Jordan
Durston (3 g. 5 pts.), and
Leo Stourus who had an assist.
Also stepping in and
making a statement right
away were Tyson Bomberry,
(1 g), Brier Jonathan (1 g, 2
pts.), Jacob Bomberry (1g,
2pts.), Spencer Hill ( 1pts.),
Haodias Maracle (3 g. 5 pts)
who were all part of last
years’ Six Nations Rebels
Founders Cup team.
Meanwhile Arrows’ veterans
such as Brendan
Bomberry and Brandon
Montour who both played
on the Caledonia Pro-Fit
Corvairs were both flying
on all cylinders asBomberry
registered three goals and
five points while Montour
had two assists.
Six Nations were forced to
play catch up in this one as
they got first period goals
from Jonathan, Bomberry
and two from Maracle but
still trailed 5-4 after a period.
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Local News Headlines
Councillor accuses HDI of hatred
Six Nations Band Councillor Carl Hill accused the HDI's interim director Hazel Hill of fostering
hatred towards band council during her weekly radio address to the community on
Saturday mornings.
He made the accusation at Monday's Committee of the Whole meeting when elected Chief
Bill Montour commented on the division between band council and Confederacy Council.
"We're all people here," he said. "We're all Haudenosaunee."
Councillor Hill interjected to say Hazel Hill's comments on the radio are fostering hatred
towards band council.
"Before you even go there, chief, I don't know if you've been listening to the radio in the
last month," he shouted. "If you're going to talk about he or she or...dividing the community
- I suggest you start listening to the Saturday (radio show) when Hazel (Hill) is on there,
bashing us."
Montour shouted back, "I'm not interested in that, Carl."
But Councillor Hill persisted.
"I'm telling you: where do you think the community's getting their feedback? Why do you
think they hate us so damn much all the time? Because you've got somebody there every
week feeding it to them."
Hill said when the Burtch lands are ready to be transferred back to Six Nations in September,
council won't let them be transferred back to the Confederacy, as originally negotiated.
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SN police
investigate
stabbing
Six Nations Police are still
investigating a reported
stabbing incident. Around
11 p.m. on Friday, May 10,
SNP responded to a report
of a stabbing at a Fourth
Line Road residence. A male
was transported by ambulance
to Hamilton General
Hospital with what police
believed to be a stab
wound, reports said. A man
and woman at the residence
were both taken into custody
for questioning. The
injured male, reports said,
was uncooperative with the
investigators, and refused
to provide any information
regarding the incident.
For entire story purchase a subscription package.
Remains of
missing
Ancaster man
found Hamilton Police announced Tuesday the remains of missing Ancaster resident Tim Bosma have been found. Joint Forces have discovered the charred remains
of a man buried in a shallow grave on property in Ayr believed to belong to the man accused in his disappearance. Bosma went missing May 6th after getting
into his truck with what he thought were potential buyers. When he did not return his wife alerted police. Investigators from the Centre of Forensic Sciences
are on scene. Dellen Millard, charged with Bosman’s disappearance of Tim Bosma, told writer Rob Seaman wrote in Wings Magazine in 2005 that he was "a
direct descendant of Chief Joseph Brant," the Mohawk leader who aided British forces during the American Revolution in the mid-1700s. For entire story purchase a subscription package.
Editorial
Racist remarks, ousting
smacks of 1924
The verbal war between the Six Nations Band Council,
farmers and Confederacy council has reached an ugly
stage.
Monday the band council, under the guise of asking the
local farmers to explain their issue with the Confederacy
Council’s Haudensaunee Development Institute (HDI)
staff took the opportunity to lash out at HDI staff members
while trying to promote their own agenda.
And band council does have an agenda.
Unfortunately Monday’s meetings makes it appear as if
their agenda is to repeat 1924 and oust the Confederacy
Council. At least that’s the message that has emerged
after councillor Ross Johnson called for removing the HDI?
An odd comment. What the councillor doesn’t seem to
be able to grasp is the HDI is a department of Confederacy.
It’s no different than people calling to oust the band’s
land research staff and its costly consultants.
But what took the debate to a new low was the inability
of band councillors to divorce the personal from the political.
Councillor Helen Miller’s charges of HDI staff inflicting
elder abuse against chiefs and clanmothers is outlandish.
And if that wasn’t a new all time low then came the
racist remarks made by the Six Nations Farmers Association
vice president.
The remarks are not acceptable and Art Porter owes both
Hazel Hill and Aaron Detlor an apology for them.
But in amongst the heated debate was a comment made
by councillor Carl Hill who accused Hazel Hill of fear mongering
with a radio show she has launched locally. The
councillor’s remark is telling.
Instead of learning from Hill’s “show” he has taken it as
offensive and misleading.which tells us the HDI is failing
to communicate it message to the community and for
that, anger is bubbling.
For entire story purchase a subscription package.
United Nations Declaration
UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Please speak out! Within weeks, the United Nations General Assembly must make a decision on the long awaited and urgently needed UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Either the international community will move ahead with final adoption as has been urged by Indigenous peoples and their supporters worldwide, or adoption of the Declaration will once again be delayed due to the demands of a small, yet vocal group of states.
Please take this opportunity to support the Declaration.
More than 14,000 individuals and organizations have already signed a global petition hosted by Amnesty International Canada in support of the Declaration.
If you haven't already done so, please add your name and encourage many others to do so.
The petition, in English, Spanish, French and Russian is online at:
Cause of fire that saw over 2500 tires go up in flames unknown
By Chase Jarrett
Writer
Fire ripped through a field storing more than 2500 tires leaving the field covered in
melted tires and partial rims protruding. (Photos by Jim C Powless)
Six Nations Police are investigating
a fire that
erupted in a hidden dump
site on Third Line Road that
saw about 2500 tires go up
in flames.
The fire Tuesday was behind
a Third Line Road residence
but neither officials
or nearby home owners
know how the fire erupted
or that the dumpsite was
there.
The day after the fire was
doused, a small patch of
ground was still smoking
and a tire burst into flames
put out by Turtle Island
News photographer Jim
Powless.
Over 100 tires remained
scattered in piles on the
property. A stripped automobile
found on the property
Tuesday had also been
removed.
"I've heard it was an accident,
but I've also heard it
was intentional through the
grapevine," said Fire Chief
Michael Seth.
Bush area around the tires
also caught flames on Tuesday.
Welby White, a nearby
resident, and one of 11
owners of the Third Line
Road estate property where
the fire erupted, watched
from the road on Tuesday as
smoke filled the sky. "I saw
it on the way back from the
dump," he said. He said he
didn't know how the fire
started.
The fire took four hours to
fight and upwards of
12,000 gallons of water to
douse. Water trucks from
Onondaga, Mt. Pleasant,
Hagersville, and Caledonia
were called in.
The breakdown of rubber
during a tire fire releases
toxic chemicals into the air.
In 1990, more than 4000
people were evacuated during
a Hagersville tire fire
that saw 14 million tires
burned.
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Tire fire rekindles illegal dump site debate
By Donna Duric
Writer
A tire spontaniously caught fire while Turtle Island
News staff were on site last week. (Photo by Jim C Powless)
Six Nations Band Council is
exploring publishing the
names and addresses of local
residents hosting illegal dump
sites on their property.
The move comes after an estimated
2,500 tires caught
fire on Third Line and spewed
toxic black smoke into the
sky last Tuesday.
Council says it hopes people
who operate illegal dump
sites will bow to public "peer
pressure" and stop the practice
if their names and addresses
are published.
Councillor Dave Hill says they
have to get a legal opinion
first."I don't know whether
we can use the names or
not," he said. "We've got to
be very careful...if somebody
comes back and sues us.
We've got to get an opinion
on this stuff."
Hill said council knew nothing
about that particular
dump before the tires caught
fire. He personally knows of
about five illegal dumps that
are visible from the road but
if they're located far off in the
bush, there's no way council
can know about them, he
says.
"There's probably a lot of
things back in the bush we
don't know about," said Hill.
One dump between Fifth and
Sixth Line is littered with an
estimated 500,000 tires, he
said.
Elected Chief Bill Montour
said illegal dumps around the
reserve have been a bone of
contention for him since the
1980s.
"We've got people in this
community who care less
about the health of Mother
Earth; they're only worried
about their pockets," said
Montour. "So they're willing
to accept any piece of crap for
monetary consideration."
Montour says the waste at illegal
dumps, mostly tires and
shingles, comes from off the
reserve. Roofers who do jobs
for customers off-reserve
bring old shingles here and
dump them on private land,
he said.
"Rather than pay the $150 to
$200 a tonne to dispose of
waste in the municipal landfills,
they choose to bring it
here and just dump it in
somebody's yard and that's
wrong," said Montour.
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Racial remarks, threats of ousting fuel hot Band Council debate
By Donna Duric
Writer
A Six Nations Band
Council discussion on the
future of the Burtch lands
turned sour Monday when
councillors and farmers
hurled accusations and
racial remarks at the Haudenosaunee
Development
Institute (HDI).
An angry Six Nations Band
Councillor Helen Miller accused
the Confederacy’s
planning department staff
of abusing and taking advantage
of Confederacy
Chiefs and Clanmothers.
As the debate at the Committee
of the Whole session
grew heated District 3
Councillor Ross Johnson
called for the ousting of the
HDI from the community.
But it turned uglier when
Six Nations Farmer’s Association
vice-president Art
Porter hurled racial remarks
at the HDI .
Ironically the remarks came
just as Elected Chief Bill
Montour told the meeting
the Burtch lands should not
come back to Six Nations
under the return to reserve
program, fearing the Minister
of Indian Affairs will
continue to control the
lands.
Instead Montour agrees
with a Confederacy stand
that the land must come
back under the Haldimand
Deed. It’s a concept the
Confederacy has been
pushing since Mohawk
Chief Allen MacNaughton
negotiated the Burtch Tract
lands be returned under the
Haldimand Deed.
The Burtch lands have
been mired in controversy
since the Six Nations Farmers
Association (SNFA) refused
to sign a lease
agreement with the Confederacy
to farm the lands for
the second year in a row.
The SNFA began planting
crops on the property last
week, defying a direction
from the Confederacy to
work out a lease with the
HDI, the Confederacy's
planning department.
Adding fuel to heated debate,
Dan Elliott, a local
contractor, claimed his
company, which is currently
working on the clean up of
the contaminated soil at
the site, was kicked off the
Burtch lands last week by
the HDI.
However, Elliott may actually
have been a victim of
the farmer’s push to farm
the land without permission.
Aaron Detlor, HDI board
member, said Elliott’s workers
were not kicked off by
the HDI.
"His company was not
kicked out of the Burtch
lands," said Detlor.
"We had our monitor onsite
advise Infrastructure
Ontario (IO) the remediation
needed to stop until
the safety concerns were
addressed. The farmers
were discing next to the
tree planters. If you got hit
with a discer you'd be
chopped into a hundred little
pieces."
Infrastructure Ontario is
holding the lands in trust
until clean-up at the site is
finished sometime this September.
Councillor Helen Miller accused
the HDI of committing
elder abuse against
Confederacy Chiefs and
Clanmothers.
"They go in and talk and use
these big words and aggressive
nature," said Miller.
"They don't ask - they just
tell: this is what we're
doing. Everybody sits there;
they don't seem to be asking
questions or making
comments. To me, that's
elder abuse. They're taking
advantage of them."
For entire story purchase a subscription package.
Councillor accuses HDI of hatred
By Chase Jarrett Writer
Six Nations Band Councillor Carl Hill accused the HDI's interim director Hazel Hill of fostering
hatred towards band council during her weekly radio address to the community on
Saturday mornings.
He made the accusation at Monday's Committee of the Whole meeting when elected Chief
Bill Montour commented on the division between band council and Confederacy Council.
"We're all people here," he said. "We're all Haudenosaunee."
Councillor Hill interjected to say Hazel Hill's comments on the radio are fostering hatred
towards band council.
"Before you even go there, chief, I don't know if you've been listening to the radio in the
last month," he shouted. "If you're going to talk about he or she or...dividing the community
- I suggest you start listening to the Saturday (radio show) when Hazel (Hill) is on there,
bashing us."
Montour shouted back, "I'm not interested in that, Carl."
But Councillor Hill persisted.
"I'm telling you: where do you think the community's getting their feedback? Why do you
think they hate us so damn much all the time? Because you've got somebody there every
week feeding it to them."
Hill said when the Burtch lands are ready to be transferred back to Six Nations in September,
council won't let them be transferred back to the Confederacy, as originally negotiated.
For entire story purchase a subscription package.
NextEra a done deal, band session over Mother’s Day weekend
By Chase Jarrett Writer
Floyd Montour asks NextEra representative Josie Hernandez about wind turbines at
a five hour engagement session over Mother’s Day weekend. (Photo by Chase Jarrett)
Six Nations community
planner Amy Lickers, Six
Nations says a Summerhaven
wind project on Six
Nations treaty lands was
going to go ahead whether
Six Nations agreed to it or
not.
When asked Saturday at a
consultation session if the
project would have gone
ahead even without Six Nations
consultation, Lickers
replied “Unfortunately,
yes.”
The five hour open house
style consultation session
was held in the Sports Den
of Six Nations Community
Hall Saturday from 10 a.m.-
3 p.m. and included a free
lunch.
NextEra, a wind energy
company, has planned a
wind turbine project on
Nanfan Treaty lands in
South Haldimand County
and is now asking Six Nations
for comments. Construction
is already
underway and operation is
expected to begin this summer.
“We’re here to inform
members about the project
and to discuss benefit
agreements,” said Lickers.
A council team has already
been consulting with NextEra
for over a year and a
half and negotiated a $8.7
million dollar agreement.
Benefits for Six Nations include
$435,000 a year for
20 years, $15,000 a year for
scholarships, and $50,000
for a deer and eagle monitoring
program.
Only a handful of Six Nations
community members
came out to NextEra’s most
recent session last Saturday.
Lickers said she wasn’t
thinking when she planned
the session for Mother’s
Day weekend. “I didn’t realize
until last week it would
be Mother’s Day weekend,”
she said. More consultation
sessions are planned.
The agreements were announced
two weeks ago at
a community meeting
where NextEra came under
fire for removing an eagle’s
nest without consulting Six
Nations. The nest was cut
down to make way for a
wind turbine.
For entire story purchase a subscription package.
Six Nations Band Council looking at distributing tobacco
By Donna Duric Writer
Six Nations Band Council islooking at rescinding its
plan to impose business
registration fees here and
setting up its own cigarette
distribution system.
After a local business group
told band council its new
business registration system
will impose taxes on them
band council said they
would hold meetings with
the business community
and discuss getting rid of
the quota system.
Council said Tuesday night,
it wants to set up an arms
length agency and distribution
centre to distribute cigarettes
here.
The move came after the
Turtle Island Trade and
Commerce member and
local businesswoman Audrey
Hill said the new system,
which charges businesses
a $25-a-year
registration fee, is akin to
taxation. "Those fees can
only be construed as a form
of taxation," said Hill, who
owns a lumber supply company
with her husband.
"Under the Indian Act, if the
administrative body levies a
fee or a fine, those things are
considered a form of taxation."
She called on band
council to rescind the move
during the testy discussion.
Council says it created the
new system because it is
"determined to protect businesses
from outside taxation
as guaranteed by our
treaty and inherent rights."
Council says the previous
recognition system, which
consisted of a simple letter,
failed to provide them with
enough information to advocate
on behalf of Six Nations
businesses who
encountered problems with
outside laws and taxes.
For entire story purchase a subscription package.
Waste disintegrator unit delayed inventor says 'be patient'
By Chase Jarrett Writer
The inventor of a waste
disintegrator unit that is
now four months late says
Six Nations needs "to sit
down and be patient" and
Elected Chief Bill Montour
agrees.
"I think they have to be
patient too," Montour said
of Six Nations people. "This
doesn't appear at the snap
of a finger."
He said "inclement
weather" in Nova Scotia
has been the main cause of
delays.
The $450,000 prototype
waste disintegrator unit
was constructed with Six
Nations money in Nova
Scotia by inventor John
Kearns of Kearns International
Ltd.
The unit was slated to arrive
in Jan., was delayed
until Feb., then delayed
again until late Apr., and
has now been delayed a
fourth time this time with
no approximate date of arrival.
"I'm hoping for the end of
May, but I'm not making a
commitment that's when
it's going to be," said the
elected chief.
Montour said once the
machine is tested in Nova
Scotia with garbage from a
local municipality, it will be
disassembled and shipped
to Six Nations, which
could cause more delays.
"I call him twice a week.
I'm getting the shit kicked
out of me because it's not
here. He (Kearns) knows
the urgency that I put on
his shoulders," said Montour.
"I talked to Mr. Kearns on
Tuesday. They are putting
the fire in it this week. He
has ordered a load of municipal
garbage from Sydney
to do the preliminary
burn."
An ad hoc committee including
Coun. Wray Maracle
is supposed to go Nova
Scotia to make sure the
machine is in working
order before it is shipped
to Six Nations.
"We've been kind of waiting
with our bags packed,"
Coun. Maracle said. "I'm
just as disappointed as
anybody (by the delay)."
Meanwhile, Kearns is
promising to have the machine
ready by this week.
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Six Nations at the Cross Roads
The Day The Trust Died
April 20, 2006 OPP Raid Kanonhstaton
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Prime Minister China Agreements
Floyd Montour asks NextEra representative Josie Hernandez about wind turbines at
a five hour engagement session over Mother’s Day weekend. (Photo by Chase Jarrett)
