🚀 go-pugleaf

This is a very important story about the ways in which the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police (RCMP) attempted to manipulate the situation in the summer
of 1995 into an attack on an encampment of Sundancers of the Shuswap
Nation. This story dates to just before Christmas, but we'll have an update
to send out next week. For more information, check out the webpage for
SETTLERS IN SUPPORT OF INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGNTY listed below.


 RCMP "DISINFORMATION AND SMEAR CAMPAIGN" REVEALED IN GUSTAFSEN LAKE TRIAL

          - posted by Settlers In Support of Indigenous Sovereignty

For immediate release - Friday, December 20, 1996

Jurors were visibly shocked at the ongoing Gustafsen Lake trial when defense
lawyer George Wool played a portion of RCMP training videos made during the
Gustafsen Lake standoff in the Summer of 1995.

The tape presented records a meeting of the RCMP 'management team' held in
the 100 Mile House detachment board room in early September.

Principal police negotiator Dennis Ryan is clearly heard asking the team for
names of people and parties "that can help us with a smear and
disinformation campaign."

In response, one of the members relates a conversation with a representative
of a national aboriginal organization who seems to be "willing to assist
us."

The RCMP's chief media liasion for British Columbia, Sgt. Peter Montague, is
heard to state that "swear campaigns are a specialty of mine."

Prior to the video being shown, RCMP negotiator Sean Wylie denied repeatedly
any knowledge of a smear and disinformation campaign. After the video was
played, he admitted knowledge of a planned release of criminal records of
some camp occupants to the media.

Officer Wylie also spoke of "political pressure" on the RCMP. Disclosures of
high-ranking RCMP indicate repeated meetings and conversations with NDP
Deputy Attorney-General Stephen Owen, Assistant Deputy Minister Maureen
Maloney, and the Attorney General's assistant Ernie Quandt to make sure "the
political people are in line."

This clear and plain indication of conspiracy on the part of senior RCMP and
the province of B.C.'s NDP government only reinforces the continuing demand
for a public inquiry into the Gustafsen Lake standoff.

Wolverine -- the 64 year old Shuswap traditionalist -- remains in jail. Bail
was once more refused by Judge Josephson on Wednesday, despite these
dramatic revelations.

The strategy now must be to push for a full and comprehensive public inquiry
into the Gustafsen Lake crisis and the unfolding conspiracy of prominent
high-level government and police officials. We feel that, at this point,
Gordon Wilson is the best hope for bringing about an inquiry, as he is an
independent MLA who is not directly connected with the N.D.P. Please direct
your inquiry demands to:

     Gordon Wilson
     Member of the Legislative Assembly of B.C.
     Progressive Democratic Alliance
     Phone: (250) 356-8170
     Email: tnewhouse@galaxy.gov.bc.ca

Please send us a copy of any email message. We will be collecting them and
delivering them en masse to the N.D.P.

In support of the Ts'peten Defenders and all sovereigntists defending
indigenous lands and peoples,

SETTLERS IN SUPPORT OF INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGNTY
PO Box 8673
Victoria, BC
Canada V8X 3S2
email: mg@uvaix.uvic.ca
WWW: http://kafka.uvic.ca/~vipirg/SISIS/SISmain.html

reposted by Prison News Service
pns@pathcom.com