Lac Seul First Nation Seeks to Stop Hunger Strike by residential school survivor
Lac Seul First Nation talks healing after hunger strike
Residential school survivor Garnet Angeconeb ends protest
By Jody Porter, Posted: Sep 16, 2014
Residential school survivor Garnet Angeconeb ended his five-day hunger strike on Monday. (Garnet's Journey)
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Lac Seul First Nation, in northwestern Ontario, is working toward healing internal rifts after a five-day hunger strike by one of its members.
Residential school survivor Garnet Angeconeb was protesting his community's use of a law firm that is currently being investigated for allegedly mishandling survivor's claims.
Angeconeb said the First Nation has agreed to sever ties with the Kenora firm, Keshen and Major.
"The resolution is very favourable," Angeconeb said on Tuesday, after ending his hunger strike the previous evening. "One of the survivors called me last night after the breakthrough and said, 'thank-you, I've been heard.'"
In a news release on Tuesday, Lac Seul Chief Clifford Bull said he is "pleased" the hunger strike is over and he "now looks forward to working with the entire community to foster an environment of healing."
Council 'not in full agreement'
Bull also praised Justice Murray Sinclair, the chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, for helping resolve situation.
"The [band] Council had received the concerns of many other band members, residential school students included, that opposed the ongoing hunger strike and the potential implications for First Nations governance," the news release said.
"While not in full agreement with the results of mediation, the Council has chosen to support the agreement....Chief Bull has commended the Council for their demonstration of leadership under the extreme pressure of the hunger strike action."
Angeconeb said he's aware people in the First Nation have strong feelings about Keshen and Major.
Day of Healing planned
"There is a long history here of people wanting to sever ties with this law firm and there's also people who love to work with these people," he said. "So there's been a polarization of people in the community and that's really what needs to be addressed."
"I think one of the things about this protest is it has opened the doors to lead us to collective healing," he added. "Healing has to happen."
Bull said he and Angeconeb are now working together "to plan a Day of Healing and Fall Feast to honour the extraordinary courage it has taken for the survivors to come forward and speak about the abuse they suffered."
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Garnet Angeconeb, residential school survivor, ends hunger strike
Residential school survivor and Lac Seul First Nation negotiate end to protest over law firm
By Jody Porter, Posted: Sep 15, 2014
Residential school survivor Garnet Angeconeb, from Lac Seul First Nation, began a hunger strike on Thursday Sept. 11. (Garnet's Journey)
Related Stories
- Doug Keshen's residential school disbursements raise questions
- Kenora Lawyer Doug Keshen under investigation
- Residential school survivor says 'walls of silence have come down'
A tentative agreement was reached early Monday evening to end a hunger strike by a residential school survivor from Lac Seul First Nation in Northwestern Ontario, according to a source close to the negotiations.
Garnet Angeconeb was in the fifth day of his hunger strike, protesting his First Nation's use of the Kenora law firm Keshen and Major. The firm is being investigated for its dealings with survivors.
"What I see is vulnerable people being taken advantage of to the point where some of them, not all of them, but some of them are helpless and not being listened to wherever they try to take their concerns," Angeconeb told CBC News on Sunday.
At least four survivors have reported various concerns to the Indian Residential Schools Adjudication Secretariat. The "information suggests the Keshen firm may have denied some IAP [Independent Assessment Process] claimants the full amounts of compensation for abuse suffered at Indian Residential Schools...," according to the Secretariat's website.
A joint news release from Lac Seul and Angeconeb was expected to be issued later Monday night.
'Never again'
Justice Murray Sinclair, the chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, is mediating the dispute between Garnet Angeconeb and Lac Seul First Nation. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)
On Sunday, Angeconeb said his hunger strike was a show of solidarity with the survivors who sought justice for their abuse through the law firm and feel they were "re-victimized" in the process.
"Really what this is about is to lend support to these people as they seek justice one more time," Angeconeb said. "Here we are as survivors thinking 'I thought we said never again' and here [they] are being hurt by someone else's actions."
A news release from Lac Seul First Nation, dated Sept. 12, said the community has suspended ties with one of the partners in the firm, Doug Keshen, but not Will Major.
"By suspending the services of Douglas Keshen, but not the entire firm, we are trying to find the right balance that serves the best interest of the entire membership," Chief Clifford Bull said in the release.
But the chief said ending the relationship with Major would jeopardize an ongoing court case.
"It's been my belief that you can't have one foot in the door, and the other out," Angeconeb said. "The First Nation really has to support the survivors as they pursue their own struggles, before supporting lawyers who've worked with the First Nation."
Justice Murray Sinclair, the chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, helped mediate the dispute.
Angeconeb is a diabetic who also has a muscular degenerative disease, so going without food and medications created significant risks.
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Lac Seul First Nation Seeks to Stop Hunger Strike
Posted 13 September 2014 by James Murray
THUNDER BAY - Chief Clifford Bull and Council for the Lac Seul First Nation have asked one of their band members to refrain from taking any further action until a mediation process can be established.
On September 11, 2014 Garnet Angeconeb sent an email to the Chief and Council announcing his intention to begin a hunger strike if the Council did not sever all ties with the law firm of Keshen & Major of Kenora Ontario. Garnet Angeconeb, is concerned that Douglas Keshen of the law firm of Keshen and Major is currently being investigated by the Indian Residential Schools Adjudication Secretariat.
Instead of severing a 30 year relationship the band has had with Keshen & Major, the Chief and Council have asked Justice Murray Sinclair to provide mediation between the two parties. The Council has also passed a Resolution suspending all ties with Mr. Douglas Keshen until the IRSSA investigation has concluded and a verdict rendered.
"By suspending the services of Douglas Keshen, but not the entire firm, we are trying to find the right balance that serves the best interest of the entire membership," said Chief Clifford Bull. "We have taken immediate action and signalled that we will not tolerate any actions that would further burden survivors of Residential Schools, but at the same time, we have an obligation to protect the rights of all band members and not put in jeopardy the critical work the law firm is conducting on behalf of all of our citizens."
The Chief went on to say that he fully believes it would be extremely harmful to members of the band to sever all relations with the law firm at this time, given it could put at risk upcoming court cases and settlements that have been in negotiation far too long.
"As Chief and Council, we all know the suffering, hardship and the trauma that was encountered by our people, an experience no individual should ever have had to endure," said Chief Bull. "However, as the duly elected Council of the Lac Seul First Nation, we must place the health and welfare of the entire band membership first before any one individual. If we lost this focus on the community, we would not be fulfilling our sworn duty to act in the best interests of the entire membership"
In the meantime, Justice Sinclair has agreed to facilitate mediation and will be in contact with both parties. Until these meetings take place, the Council has asked all members to refrain from taking any further action until the meetings have concluded and a resolution has been reached.
The Chief and Council closed by saying it was their desire to work with Garnet and find a solution to this issue that will not put our future settlements in jeopardy and rob the future of our children.
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Click here to read Letter from Garnet to Lac Seul Chief and Council
Click here to read Lac Seul BCR in response to Garnet's email