JURISDICTION. The issue was land and a grotesque native land claims scam was uncovered. The demands of the Aboriginal people and their allies at Gustafsen Lake is the assumption that Canadian courts have jurisdiction over unceded territory. The assumption is illegal, fraudulent, treasonous and genocidal. The people want this issue to be addressed by a third party tribunal. Canada has no right to govern Aboriginals nor to send police into unceded territories unless they purchase the land or make a treaty with theowners. This process is outlined in the Royal Proclamation of 1763, a law of Canada, and guaranteed in Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution 1982.

RULE OF LAW. The people said over and over against "we are standing on the law" (that affirms our sovereignty). For over 11 months the judge says it is not relevant to the case. BC knows no treaty means no jurisdiction.

LACK OF EVIDENCE. There was no pre-trial hearing because there is no real evidence against the people in the camp. Canada has no jurisdiction. William Jones Ignace 'Wolverine' and others arrested during the August 1995 RCMP standoff will be found guilty even through there is a lack of evidence. The only illegal weapons in Gustafsen Lake were in the hands of the RCMP. The Aboriginals were confronted by an invasion force of a foreign power.

CONSPIRACY. The conspiracy of BC authorities to suppress the sovereignty rights of Indigenous People and to stonewall the legal arguments in the courts continues. The question is how to police the judiciary?

EXPENSE. It was the largest and most expensive RCMP operation in Canadian history.

PUBLIC INQUIRY. Why is it that in the province of Ontario both NDP and Liberal House Leaders are calling for a public inquiry into the events of Stoney Point/Ipperwash, while in British Columbia no politicians have mentioned anything about the events of Gustafsen Lake? Complaints should be filed including illegal prosecution, abuse of power, use of excessive force and creating false news. A full and open public inquiry into Gustafsen lake must he held now.

ELECTION STRATEGY. What was the connection between Gustafsen Lake operation and the NDP re-election strategy? Research and polling showed that the NDP was perceived as "soft" on native matters. A likely scenario is that the Gustafsen Lake operation was used to demonstrate a new "firm" position and to out hawk the hawks of the Liberal and Reform parties in the run up to the provincial election.

CANADIAN ARMY. Calling out of the Canadian army. It is against the laws of Canada to use the army against its own 'citizens' which was done at Oka in 1990. Three months before the Oka Crisis the federal government changed the law to make it possible to turn the army over to provincial authorities. Why hasn't there been an investigation into the use and enforcement of the Canadian army as required by the Defence Act? A mandatory review of army involvement was never done.

JTF2. What about JTF2 (Joint Tak Force 2) an elite federal commando unit of highly trained killers of which very little is known, but the unit has been mentioned in the disclosures of high ranking RCMP?

PROHIBITED AMMO. There is documention of the RCMP firing 77,000 rounds of internationall prohibited hallow point bullets at people in the camp.

LAND MINES. The RCMP used land mines, as reported in the Globe and Mail on October 8th 1996. So far there is no reaction. Canada protests the use of land mines in other countries but not against Aboriginal people in their own back yard.

SMEAR CAMPAIGN. The public RCMP smear campaign was orchestrated by Lance Bernard, the Crown Prosecutor, George Garrett of CKNW and Sgt. Peter Montague of the RCMP (A3/A5/A11). Statements in the RCMP Training Videos by a senior RCMP officer, Supt. Len Olfert, "Kill this Clark. Smear the prick and everyone associated with him"; Peter Montague, "Smear campaigns are our speciality"; and Inspt. John War, "It is not the first time we have had to take the flak jackets out to the firing range". The flak jacket episode never happened but was one of the RCMP's manufactured evidence to provide a motive to go in and kill the people. Smear and disinformation of Gustafsen Lake supporters including Doc Hill, Lavina White and other was carried out. Supt. Len Olfert also expressed on the RCMP video tape the belief that there will be inquiries on this "until hell freezes over".

AFN. Ovid Mercredi of AFN said the shootings amounted to "an act of murder that will not be supported by our People". "They are guilty of breaking Canadian law" (when they were on unceded territory). Ron Irwin, federal Minister of Indian Affairs, said they were damaging the treaty process.

RCMP SLEAZY HOME VIDEOS. Why didn't Judge Josephson release all the police video tapes? Parts of the 56 hour video which were shown to the jury incriminate the RCMP. Imagine what must be on the videos that the judge refused to release? Did these tapes show the RCMP's plans for their hitmen? Why did the judge issue a court order to not release these training tapes to the public. Is this a continuing coverup? The RCMP Training Tapes have serious implications for the police in general.

TARGETING FOR KILLING. Do police routinely sit around talking about how they will "kill" counsel and "smear" people and knowingly "release false information to the public"? What about the targeting of the 5 or 6 "hardliners" to be killed?

RELEASE OF RECORDS. They did knowingly release records of people who were not in the camp, incriminating them, including records of people who had been acquitted of charges.

U.S. PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE CONSULTANT. Michael Webster, the psychological warfare consultant at Gustafsen Lake, is an instructor at the FBI training academy in Quantico Virginia USA and advised the U.S. Justice Department at Waco Texas where 80 men, women and children were exterminated by being burned alive. His job was to assist in the demonizing process and to develop psychological terrorism tactics to break down the camp occupants. Supt. Len Olfert in August 22nd 1995 said in the Edmonton Journal, "We don't know what they want or just what the issues are. We think they are fanatics and terrorists who simply want to make war for some reason". He had full knowledge of the attempts by the Ts'Peten Sundancers to gain guaranteed access to their sundance grounds. His remarks are the kind that are made about someone you are going to kill. Olfert knows full well what the issues are and exactly what the people are seeking.

MEDIA COLLABORATION. Democracy and a free press no longer exist in Canada. What was the collaboration between the British Columbia media establishment and the RCMP? Police disclosures show prominent B.C. media personalities like george Garret of CKNW and Clem Chappell were spying for the police. There was a deliberate lack of coverage by the media. During the standoff major media was told by the RCMP to print only what was first vetted by RCMP Peter Montague who threatened to charge them with complicity with the people in the camp. Why did the CBC senior management collaborate to contrive messages designed to manufacture consent for a final deadly raid on the camp? Why did they broadcast that the people were not prepared to negotiate a withdrawal?

Why did CBC senior management become so concerned over the legality of the crown corporation's close involvement with the police? Was it because they were manufacturing public consent for a lethal raid? Antoine Archie, a local band council collaborator chief of Canim Lake, told the RCMP "to go ahead and kill those people". CBC falsely broadcasted that the people would come out fo the camp if they were told by Archie that their safety would be guaranteed and they would be treated with dignity and respect. The people in the camp did not know anything about this RCMP plot and Archie knew they didn't trust him. However, Montague happily lied and told the public that "they refused to come out". We repudiate the way the mainstream media depicts the Canadian politicians as strong men to be admired, entirely ignoring their record of human rights abuses and law breaking on their part.

ILLEGAL SURVEILLANCE. Legality of extensive and sweeping surveillance such as phone taps on Lavina White, a highly respected elder and others.

CSIS INVOLVEMENT. The Canadian Secret Service (CSIS) involvement was extensive in Gustafsen Lake, and we must assume CSIS activity continues. Does this include surveillance and monitoring of visitors to the trial? Does this extend to cut brake lines, loosened wheel nuts and fire bombing of supporters' cars almost killing some of the defendants and their supporters?

PHONE TAPS. What about the intercepted privileged solictor-client communications during the standoff between Bruce Clark and his clients via a "section 6", extraordinary authority granted to tap communications between client and solicitor?

SHUSWAP LIAISON COMMITTEE. What about the Shuswap Liaison Committee of Jeannette Armstrong, Charlene Bealeau, Marlo Sam, Gordon Sebastien, Don Ryan, Dorothy Christian, Nathan Matthews, Antoine Archie and Agnes Snow. The provincial government paid them to betray their own people. Archie told the RCMP to use whatever is necessary to get them out of there, "Shoot them if you have to. You have our permission".

BC TREATY COMMISSION. Leaders that criticised the actions at Gustafsen Lake were the major movers in the BC Treaty process who were receiving up to $750 a day to bring the people into a treaty making position.

INDIAN AFFAIRS. Federal Indian Affairs Minister Ron Irwin said that these Gustafsen Lake Sundancers were causing serious damage to the B.C. Treaty process. Is this why B.C.'s corrupt native elite threw their own people at Gustafsen Lake to the RCMP wolves?

SHARPSHOOTER. What about the firing by police sharp shooters at unarmed campers within the RCMP declared "safe zone"? The Sgt. in charge sent in a letter to the camp outlining the no shoot zone, along with a map, "if you don't come outside of these boundaries, you wont' be shot". The RCMP violated their own agreement when they blew up the red truck and then shot 77,000 rounds at the camp.

SUPREME COURT COMPLICITY. How did the RCMP know in advance that Bruce Clark's action in the Supreme Court of Canada on September 12th 1995 would be unsuccessful? What is lawyer Stuart Rush's involvement, while advising the RCMP at Gustafsen Lake and also appearing in the Supreme Court of Canada representing the Gitskan on September 12th 1995 against Clark's sovereignty argument? Who leaked it to the RCMP and then sabotaged Clark? Even the Surpeme Court of Canada is illegal, immoral and dishonest.

OPP PRESENCE. Why was an observer from the Ontario Provincial Police present at Gustafsen Lake?

CONFLICT OF INTEREST. There should be a close examination of the role of the BC Attorney General Ujal Dossanjh. Did his twin portfolios of Attorney General and Human Rights Minister conflict? Why was Judge Josephson who has already demonstrated a prior bias against Bruce Clark and the sovereignty argument, chosen to sit on this case in which he has an obvious conflict?

POLICE WITNESSES. Most of the more than 70 witnesses were police who were all discredited. They blatantly lied. 1,100 hours of their own video tapes contradicted their evidence. A 56 hour "RCMP Training Tapes" of dirty and lethal tricks was made of the standoff to teach other police forces in Canada on how to "deal with the Aboriginal problem".

STATE TERRORISM. The RCMP and state brutality against the people at Gustafsen Lake and during the trial shows that the Canadian state and the RCMP have never been interested in peaceful negotiations. Before the crisis, the RCMP was secretly preparing this siege and to kill the people in the camp. Canada and BC showed they were willing to use any means and to make any promises to carry out their deadly plans. It is not the first time that petty politicians presented one opinion in public and a different one in private. There is no outcry by anyone about human rights violations fo the Aboriginals who were standing on their won unceded land. The ruling elite does not tolerate any form of opposition that might challenge its power and privileges. State terrorism then becomes their weapon to fight against such opposition thus defending the status quo.

CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT. What about the commitment of Bruce Clark for a compulsory psychiatric examination? Isn't this cruel and unusual punishment? What are the circumstances of the cruel and unusual punishment of Wolverine and his son Jo Jo? The RCMP knew Jo Jo to be innocent of the crime for which he was charged because he was not there. After political statements and pressure from BC politicans Wolverine's bail was revoked. Why were the tapes which would have shown Jo Jo to have been in Chase on the day that the alleged offence occurred, destroyed?

JUDICIAL INTERFERENCE. In what manner were the authorities able to use the carrot and stick to divide the defenders?

ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTALISTS. What about the white environmentalists, except for Shelagh Franklin, who initially came to Gustafsen Lake to support the Aboriginals and then turned against them on the jurisdictional argument, the basic issue?

NATIVE CONSTABLES. Why were native RCMP constables who were brokering a peaceful settlement suddenly removed from their assignment 3 days before the insertion of the 'covert probe'. Native constables would not murder their own people and had been setting up a peaceful resolution. They were used to relax the people in the camp while the war plan was being put into motion. The RCMP wanted to kill those people as an example of Canada's genocide policies and had to remove the native constables.

RCMP MANUFACTURED CONFLICT AND THEN MANUFACTURED CONSENT. According to RCMP Supt. Olfert's testimony, plans for this opration were developed in May 1995 or earlier, many months before there were any persons at Gustafsen Lake and before there was any conflict in the Sundance camp. The RCMP manufactured the conflict.

GREEN LIGHT TO MASSACRE. In the video tapes the green light order was given by RCMP Inspt. Kemble to kill everybody. It was planned on August 9th to first blow up the red truck while they were driving to the lake for water and kill the occupants and then to "shoot to kill" the rest in the camp. The plan was put into motion on August 10th, but they could not implement it until the 11th. At this time there was supposed to be an incoming group of elders to negotiate with the people in the camp. If they had been on schedule the RCMP would have killed them too and accused the "terrorists" of shooting their own elders. As soon as the 'eye in the sky' plan flying 16,000 feet above them filming everything saw them going for water, the RCMP signalled everybody to put their fatal plan into action. They blew up the red truck with a land mine triggered by a remote, crushed it with an APC and then fired 77,000 rounds of ammunition into the camp. Why are the RCMP not being charged with attempted murder for shooting at unarmed people, hitting one in the arm as they came out fo the water, which was filmed by the RCMP?

DEAD MEN DON'T TALK. There was a conspiracy to kill all the people in the camp. 'Dead men tell no tales', as Peruvian President Fujimori showed when he ordered all Tupac Amaru executed. The RCMP and their bosses never intended to have a trial where people would testify and bring up the jurisdiction issue.

WHAT NEXT?

WHAT DID THE ESTABLISHMENT/RCMP LEARN FROM THIS OPERATION?

* FBI Mike Webster said, "We learned how effective native spirituality can be". That is why the government has taken over the spirituality/healing/pacifism business by financing programs to stop Aboriginals from criticising the government.

* How to effectively use the band council collaborators and utilise Aboriginal intermediaries by controlling them through their greed for money.

* Demonization of the Gustafsen lake people alienated much potential support from Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals because RCMP marketing of the standoff made them out to be fanatics and terrorists.

* To kill everyone in the camp so that it will never go to a trial.

* Ex U.S. Attorney General Ramsay Clark described the BC judicial system as "outrageous and abusive". If the goings on in BC can attract a prominent activist such as Ramsay Clark, why has there been no similar concern voiced by activists in Canada?

* To cut off Aboriginals' financial resources. The government has all the resources available to them to hire people to work against Aboriginals.

- CASNP