IF HATE
MAINSTAY
YOU WISH
DEBILITATE MY
WAY...IF TRADE
AND MONEY AND
POWER IS HERE
TO STAY ...1F
VIOLENCE AND
GREED I!IS_ THE
WAY THAT YOU

IS A
AND
TO

AREN’T
AND
OKAY...
THEN
BETTER
POLICY

YOU’RE
GONNA

Native Youth Likens
Stephen Owen to
Slobodan Milosevich

Ss
An interview with Keyway. by Skeena Reece
A member of the Westcoast Warrior Society.
A rebuttle to the comments made by Stephen
Owen, the junior minister of Indian Affairs. K

S: Tell me about yourself.

K: I'm 24 years old, Nuu’chah’nulth/Finnish and |
have a two year old daughter.

S: What involvement have you had in direct
action?

K: Most recently, | have coordinated a drug/alco-
hol rehab program for native youth from the
Cheam community. My involvement in direct
action includes; Cheam Fishing dispute,
Westbank Logging dispute, Cheam roadblock,
Alert Bay Fish Farm dispute, Burnt Church
Treaty dispute.

S: What is the biggest misconception about
being a member of the Westcoast Warrior
Society?

K: That Warriors utilize violence as a means of
accomplishing the goal of attaining a sover-

PLAY...1F WOMEN

ME AWAY...THEN

AWAY AND THROW |!

ALLOWED
THAT’S

THROUGH

REIGN.
THROUGH
FIRE AND
STRUGGLE.
THROUGH
FIGHT AND
PLIGHT.
HAVE

YOU’D
CREATE
TO KEEP

SURE
LOCK ME

eign society. It is not the warriors that have
introduced violence into the minds of our
youth. Through society, media, movies,
learned behavior and excessive force used by
law enforcement officers. Violence has
become a commonality to Indigenous people.

: In light of recent comments made by Stephen

Owen - what do you suppose his reasons
were in likening Native Youth to Palestinian
militants?

: It wasn’t necessarily to attack Native Youth or

those of us who are involved with warrior soci-
eties. The tactic was to persuade popular
support back on the side of treaty. It is well
known that a lot of native youth have voiced
their opposition to the negotiations taking
place. | would liken Stephen Owen to
Slobodan Milosovic. A former Yugoslavian
president currently on trial for war crimes
against ethnic Albanians. Owen's comments
are detrimental to the healing and strengthen-
ing of native youth. While he is not endorsing
the vicious genocidal attacks like Milosovic
the magnitude of his negative influences in
regards to our actions is the same if not
worse. We are not Palestinian militants and
that Owen diverting the attention back to
international affairs is a mainstay of Canadian
tactics used to disguise the disputes that exist
here.

THE KEY AWAY...
THE
PAIN AND YOUR |!

SEEN

S:

KG

THE
THE

THE
THE

LIGHTNESS.

| HAVE FELT LOVE.
HAVE KNOWN
PEACE.
AND I
STANDARDS.
>CONFESSIONS
OF A CANADIAN
TERRORIST>

So K EE £& N A
REECE.2002

HAVE

You say that the treaty process is a detriment
to your way of life. What is your way of life?

The way of life that | am fighting for that | wish
to revitalize is a way of life that has been craft-
ed for thousands of years by my ancestors. It
is easy to see the many negative aspects to
the society we live in, but the reality is that
there are very little or no positive aspects to
current native life. Therefore, the way of life
we wish to attain is one that is expedient
towards our needs, a way of life that provides
solutions and healing rather than problems.

: Do you think that it will be difficult to attain a

better way of life after the treaties have been
signed?

: Definitely, it is very difficult as it is where slan-

derous remarks towards those of us that are
attempting to reclaim a strong and healthy
way of life for our people. Implementation of
these treaties will only worsen the conditions
on reserves. As a result, more authority and
control will be granted to the Canadian gov-
ernment.

Comments regarding this interview can be directed to
Keyway: mr_keyway@yahoo.com

(a)