In 1990 when the mayor of Oka wanted to build a golf course on the burial ground, the mayor and government officials began contruction that was when the violence broke out and the people from Kanestake began their protest. They set up blockades and road blocks. The people from the town thought that the Kanestake people were being unreasonable and that the mayor was doing what was right. One police officer was killed; the army was called in but just brought more anger to the people of Kanestake. The people from the reserve were unable to get food and basic needs for their families and relied on the Red Cross but it took days. At one point during the standoff one of the Mohawk warriors was beaten by a group of army men, no one was ever caught or charged for the assault. The sad event which ended in no golf course being built on the sacred land, one life lost during this attempt to take more of the land.

I remember the events in the news and how i felt then was disgust and anger that the sacred land where people had died would be a golf course. My mom who would always sit watching the news cried one day and said that a man had been beaten and was worried someone else would die because of the governments need to make money. i still feel angry with government officials because their still doing this here in Saskatchewan in the news the last month the government sold crown land and now FSIN are angry and want the government to realise that land was our land.

The case is Marvin band manager for Leech River needing to make a decision on hiring an welfare administrator. Deciding on the position as fair as possible in hiring for the band.
I do know of a sitution similar to this case where preferrence was given because one person be given the opportunity to hire someone they liked and was already working in the band office. I would do testing with each candiate to ensure they have the skills required for the position. I would perform all of the steps in conduting criminal and reference checks. I would screen out and decide on what is best for the reserve. I would prepare a written document and prepare for feedback from the chief and council on why I choose this candiate.

The video was about how First nations police officers in Ontario dealt with working in their communities. The officers had very stressful lives because of the connectiveness with knowing each other and some of them being relatives that were needing to be prosecuted or handled by the law enfoecement.
I felt the video showed how difficult being a first nations person working as law enforcement in there own communities is.  I found the video showed the reality that First Nations communities struggle with many issues. And the officers have an understanding and a developed a relationship with people in the community which seems to work with out too many people being placed in jail or instiutions rather then deal with every situation differently.I know many communities in Sask that have their own policing. I know that they work together with RCMP and this system reduces the crime and people from the reserves feel safer and have a healthy attitude toward this form on law enforcement.

The Video by the National Film board of Canada was a timeline of events that the Mi’gmaq people who began to fight for the rights to the natural resources with the governent of Quebec. The timeline was from 1981 when the chief then fought for fisheries to be an open market for his reserve to benefit from this resource.  Then when the forestry was benefiting from the sale of lumber and no band members little to no band members were being employed. The band set up a blockade and for over a month they refused to let the government owned lumber company through.  The negotion procress with the government and the Mi’gmaq Nation was a power struggle and no real negotion took place.  In the end an agreement was reach and the  Mi’gmaq gained and benefited from the both resources and preservation of the land. 

My feelings toward the video was that all of the fighting between the government and the First Nation was horrible.  The people who protested and took action had the best intent with wanting to be able to provide for their community but had so many barriers put in place by government. The area was rich in natural resources and the thought that ran through my mind as I watched was this is sick why can’t the government see that the land and the water should be shared.

My thoughts are now on today with what is happening to the First Nations university and INAC refusing funding.  Why aren’t the leaders taking action the leadership is not there.  When they are trying to get a quality education to provide for themselves.  I am angered that our First Nation leaders are to scared to stand up for the students when they are needed the most.  I will continue to voice that FSIN is a waste of money and the leadership needs to be reviewed and a new plan take place. Accountablity will continue to be an issue as long as we have leaders who get money to sit and do nothing.

The video was an overview of theRoyal Commission of Aboriginal Peoples process when travelling to communities to examine the problems First nations people face in their communities.  Their findings would be presented to government in hopes of finding sollutions to these problems.  Areas in the treaties were discussed such as housing, health, socio and economical challenges were shown this was the real events that First Nations people face. The video highlighted the fact that government relations with First Nations people are not working because of the anger and frustrations people have. The members of the commision Allan Blakney, George Erasmus, were  two people I had grown to respect for showing a true caring to the obstacles First Nations people are faced with on a daily basis. First Nation leaders such as Mathew Cooncum, Ovide Mercredi were also n the video and discussed how the problems are not changing and in fact getting worse.

My two nephews watched the video with me and through the video they would stop it and ask me questions like why was the protest in Oka so extreme where weapons and violence was what it took for government to intervene.  They asked me why government issues can’t be dealt with by our courts, and the saddest statement coming from both young men was I hope in my children generations things will be better for them because I have no hope for changes happening any time soon.  Another reason I will not continue to encourage education and creation of economic development and the need for our people to get involved in the politics to create awareness of to government change will happen.

The National Film board produced this video. The topic of  part 1 of the video was the procress of the constitutional talks between First Nations Leaders and the government of Canada.  The chair of the meeting was then Prime Minister Trudeau who set up the meetings and chaired the discusion process between leaders and premiers in making changes to the constitution. Ron Wilson and his family members from BC discussed the problems their clan had with the government and how the land and the life was changed.

My feelings were of anger and frustration when the disrespect was shown by government leaders to First Nations leaders through through out the negotion process.  The meetings did not show any progress toward defining aboriginal rights in Canada, it was clear that government was not ready to implement rights in the constitution.  The land and the resources were in dispute and as for rights of self government were a issue. Why I felt frustrated was because the government wasted money in bring the leaders to Ottawa when they had an agenda of their own.