Splitting The Sky (John Hill), spokesperson for the Free the Wolverine Campaign, will be speaking in Ontario and Quebec from February 7 to 14, 1998 to raise awarness about the1995 Gustafsen Lake crisis . The speaking tour will be going to Windsor, Guelph, Waterloo, Hamilton, Toronto, Peterborough and Montreal.
Splitting The Sky is a former political prisoner and lifetime pan-Indigenist activist from the Mohawk nation. He took part in the defense of Shuswap territory at Ts'Peten (a.k.a. Gustafsen Lake) and is now a spokesperson for the Free Wolverine Campaign. He will be speaking about his experiences during the Gustafsen Lake seige, the subsequent trial, the legal arguments used by the defenders and how this crisis fits into the larger issue of contemporary colonialism in Canada. Splitting the Sky will be showing the video "Above the Law" (45 min) during his talk.
The trials of the Shushwap defenders have proven that the involvement of the Canadian Forces in the Gustafsen Lake seige was illegal, that the army breached its own Rules of Engagement, and that over 20,000 rounds of internationally prohibited hollow-point ammunition were fired at camp occupants.
On July 30, 1997, the year long criminal trial ended with 15 defendants being convicted, 13 receiving prison terms. Wolverine (William Jones Ignace), a 66 year old Shuswap elder, was sentenced to eight yea rs in prison. The judge refused to recognize the jurisdictional arguments and sovereignty defence that the Ts'peten defenders put forward, and their evidence that Canada was in violation of international law. The Ts'Peten defenders are now political prisoners in Canada.
The tour schedule is:
Saturday February 7, 1998 - Windsor, Embasador Auditorium, CAW Centre 7:30 p.m. Contact OPIRG Windsor for more info 519-253-1745For more information about the speaking tour, please contact the Anti-Colonial Action Alliance by email: thassan@trentu.caMonday February 9, 1998 - Guelph, Room 103 University Centre, Guelph University 8:00 p.m. Contact OPIRG Guelph for more info 519-824-2091
Tuesday February 10, 1998 - Waterloo, Waterloo PIRG office, University of Waterloo, call OPIRG Waterloo 519-888-4882 for time.
Wednesday February 11, 1998 - Hamilton, Ewart Angus Roo 1A4, MacMaster University Medical Centre 7:30 p.m.Contact OPIRG McMaster for more info 905-525-9140 x27289.
Thursday February 12, 1998 - Toronto, International Student Centre 33 Saint George St. University of Toronto 2:00 p.m. Contact OPIRG Toronto for more info 416-978-7770
Thursday February 12, 1998 - York, Steadman Lecture Hall-C, York University 6:00 p.m. Contact OPIRG York for more info 416-736-2100 x30323
Friday February 13, 1998 - Peterborough, P.R. Lecture Hall, Peter Robinson College 1:30 p.m. Contact OPIRG Peterborough for more info 705-748-1767
Saturday February 14, 1998 - Montreal, 1455 Maisonneuve vest h 110 Concordia University 7:00 p.m. Contact OPIRG Concordia 514-848-7585