Quebec, Kanesatake band council meet to discuss problems after standoff

NELSON WYATT
Canadian Press
Saturday, January 17, 2004

MONTREAL (CP) - The beleaguered chief of the Kanesatake reserve and the
Quebec government took tentative steps toward reconciliation Friday, just
days after he criticized the province for its handling of a standoff in the
troubled community.

Grand Chief James Gabriel said that he and Native Affairs Minister Benoit
Pelletier discussed a wide range of issues during a 2-hour meeting at a
downtown hotel but stressed there are no immediate solutions to
Kanesatake's problems. "We know these are long-term problems,"
said Gabriel, whose attempts at cracking down on organized crime in the
community sparked two days of tensions that saw his house burned by rivals,
police officers confined to their station by a mob and key highways
blocked.

Gabriel said he remains determined to address the community's crime
problem, although greater security and secrecy will surround future plans
because this week's efforts were sabotaged when details were apparently
leaked. "The goal of tonight's meeting wasn't to come up with a plan,
a final solution on how we fix all the problems in Kanesatake,"
Gabriel said, calling the meeting was "an exchange of ideas. I think
that overall the discussions were positive."

Among the issues discussed at the meeting were getting counselling for
children traumatized by this week's crisis. Other matters raised were
security in the community, economic development and governance. Pelletier
promised Quebec's help in resolving matters in the community, saying the
band council and the government are working in "solution mode."
"What I'm doing publicly is telling the grand chief, we are there if
you need us," Pelletier said.

The meeting came two days after Gabriel criticized Public Security Minister
Jacques Chagnon, who helped broker the deal that ended a tense standoff in
the aboriginal community, west of Montreal, on Tuesday. Gabriel accused the
government of allowing dissidents in his community to claim victory. That
view was echoed by the Assembly of First Nations, which said it backed
Gabriel and established a fund to help him and his family rebuild their
home and replace their possessions.

Gabriel did not retreat Friday from his criticism of Chagnon but said he
appreciated Pelletier's efforts. Pelletier was firm Friday in his support
of Chagon, saying he is convinced he took the proper decisons to avoid
bloodshed at the community best known in the rest of Canada for a lengthy
land claims standoff in 1990 that left one police officer dead.

Several aboriginal leaders outside the community said they recognized
Gabriel as grand chief until he is democratically replaced. Pelletier also
reiterated Quebec's support of Gabriel as the community's leader.
"There is one legitimate grand chief and that is Mr. Gabriel."

Gabriel's house was burned Monday night when tensions broke out between the
grand chief and opponents who didn't support his initiative to replace the
band's police chief and bring in outside aboriginal officers to fight
organized crime, particularly marijuana growing operations. The deal to end
the crisis, reached without Gabriel's input, allowed aboriginal police from
two Mohawk reserves to take over law enforcement in Kanesatake temporarily.
It also allowed about 60 police officers who were barricaded inside the
Kanesatake police station to leave.

Gabriel, who has not been back to the community since his house was burned,
would not discuss details about his personal security measures or when he
would return to Kanesatake. Gabriel's longstanding concerns about illegal
drug activity helped to persuade the federal and provincial governments to
jointly fund a $900,000 emergency plan to combat organized crime in the
community. Political opponents have accused Gabriel of being fixated on a
phantom drug problem.


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