Justice LaForme, TRC Thank you for alerting us to this issue. You have the support of many. This MUST be independent of politicians and bureaucrats. We will do what we can. Thank you. g Date: Mon, Jul 28, 2008 at 10:25 PM Subject: TRC, Canada: Process is corrupt cover up To: egonzalez@ictj.org, jmendez@ictj.org, macosta@ictj.org, mfreeman@ictj.org To: International Centre for Transitional Justice http://www.ictj.org/en/where/overview/ This latest concern expressed by Justice LaForme leads me to write to you. It is just one in a series of very grave concerns that both Canadians and Indigenous Peoples have about the federal government's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Government wants Truth and Reconciliation Commission secretariat ... Pique newsmagazine - Whistler,BC,Canada The federal government is challenging the independence of Canada's first Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), its chair said in an interview with Pique. Speaking from Quebec City last week, Ontario Court of Appeal Justice Harry LaForme said the commission's independence is being challenged by the federal government's decision to have its secretariat, or administrative arm, function as a government department. This creates the potential for inappropriate interference with the commission's work, LaForme said, because it has been established as part of a class action settlement agreement to which the federal government is a party. "We want to be as accountable for the funds as anybody should be, but the question then became, who is actually responsible for such things as hiring and firing within the commission?" LaForme told Pique. "The government of Canada thought it was, so that caused a problem and we've been sorting through that." Concerns: 1) There is no 'justice' in the process for those most severely affected. A chance to 'tell your story', giving your own name but not the name of the perpetrator is not justice. Most traditional Indigenous People, those most severely damaged by the system, will not come forward and give their name to the federal government! They know they or their family may well be punished for it, if not by the federal government than by Canada's imposed Band Council governments. The Band Council's are 'Canada's 'Indians' and they or others may act as enforcers on the reserves (as they learned to do in the schools). 2) Regardless of Justice LaForme's efforts, the TRC will answer to Indian Affairs whether we like it or not. Indian Affairs has been responsible for all of the corruption, abuse and death that Canada has visited on Indigenous Peoples, and will not let go of its power easily. 3) The TRC process was developed by Indian Affairs and the Assembly of First Nations Chiefs. Neither of these groups represents the majority of Indigenous People, who are traditional people. It was the children of traditional leaders who were treated most harshly and most likely to die in the schools. It was traditional leaders who were sterilized to prevent births. It was traditional leaders who were beaten and jailed to stop their ceremonies. The AFN Band Chiefs are elected ... unless Indian Affairs doesn't like the choice of the people, then the government parachutes someone else in and the enforcers take over. http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=3486022596349494527 http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=2997575407264544575&q=&hl=en 4) The TRC made no plans to address the children who died in the schools. That is the 'scandal' they do not want to deal with. Over 50,000 children died that we know of, and we suspect there may be twice that. Some are buried in unmarked graves that the federal government refuses to acknowledge. I am sickened at the thought that Canada (MY Canada, but I say that only defiantly these days, not with pride) will pervert this process as it has perverted every process related to Indigenous Peoples. Canada has not yet acknowledged that the reason for the genocide of the residential schools was to assist Canada in stealing the land. There is just so much crime here that is underhanded, hidden, covered up, and still continuing. It is very discouraging for well intentioned Canadians, because we can see that our government is perverting the process to cover up it's responsibility for these policies, these crimes, these deaths, and this theft of land, which it will not acknowledge. Is there not some way this process can be taken out of Canada's hands, and overseen by international personnel such as yourself? It is just another Canadian cover up by politicians, and that is not what the Canadian people want. It is not what traditional Indigenous Peoples want either. We insist that there must be full disclosure and full acknowledgment and justice for the lost children - the thousands of children who did not come home. Please help us make this process real, make it really work, and make it fair and just. I do not believe our governments (ANY of them!) will do it justly. It is just a coverup. We need direct International assistance. Justice LaForme needs your assistance. This MUST be removed from the hands of our politicians. If anyone in Canada is to be responsible for the TRC, it should be the Senate or the Governor-General, NOT the bureaucrats or politicians. We implore you to assist. Thank you. g http://grannyrantson.blogspot.com/ My Canada includes rights of Indigenous Peoples. Love it or Leave it!