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Freedom Network News April-June 2001
– First Nations Report –
THE BATTLE TO BRING LIBERTY TO
1ST NATION PEOPLES PICKS UP STEAM
by Vince Miller
Meaghan Walker-Williams, Indian free market activist
with her 7-year-old son Josh.
If a human dynamo exists in the libertarian movement, it has to be 1st Nation activist Meaghan Walker-Williams of the Somena tribe on Vancouver Island. Frankly just contemplating her hectic schedule is enough to make a strong man falter from exhaustion.
Since she attended the ISIL World conference in London, Ontario, Canada last year, she has made quantum leaps in her efforts to expose corruption in her tribal government and the Department of Indian Affairs – while simultaneously laying the groundwork for the Salish Free Trade Model in her tribal area (the Cowichan region of Vancouver Island, Canada).
Media Appearances Galore
Walker-Williams waxes eloquent about the influence of ISIL on her life, saying that the contacts and support from individuals in the ISIL world network, following her appearance at the London conference, have been invaluable in catapulting her into the spotlight.
Only recently she has appeared on CTV Talk-TV's national cable show "The Chatroom" to discuss aboriginal issues such as accountability and "economic development as required for self-determination."
She has also appeared twice on CBC-Radio and TV National News to discuss the proposed changes to the Indian Act by Robert Nault, Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs.
She has written three Op-Ed's for Canada's Financial Post (one of the leading National Daily Newspapers) and is writing a weekly column for the Cowichan Valley Citizen (typically a scathing commentary on Reserve accountability issues and other pro-liberty topics).
She reports that she has been receiving equal parts fan mail and hate mail – which at some point she plans to put up on her website.
A Television Documentary In The Works
Meaghan is currently involved in the pre-production phase of a documentary on First Nations governance and accountability with Third Tribes Productions in Vancouver, Canada. Third Tribes, incidentally, is currently in the post-production phase of the indie full-feature narrative "Hitler Meets Christ," starring award-winning actor Michael Moriarty. (Moriarty as many of you may recall, is a staunch defender of free-speech, having battled tooth and nail with US Attorney General Janet Reno over TV Censorship of Violence in the early 1990s).
The Documentary will focus on the individual efforts of Meaghan and other First Nations people across North America, in their work to achieve accountability and self-determination. The working title of the production is "Just Another Dead Indian." Brendan Keown, the co-producer and director, is very excited about the project and keen on bringing his artistic talents to the task of telling this story.
Charles Champion of Champion Capital Corporation out of Florida, who Meaghan met through Michael Gilson de Lemos of the Libertarian International Organization – another London conference contact - is handling the business end of the production – and currently drafting budget and business proposals and an investor's package for production investors.
Look Out! Meaghan's On The Warpath
Recently Meaghan was threatened with a lawsuit by the Cowichan Tribes Indian Band for her comments about the management of their Economic Development Office. (Documents available on her website).
She condemned the managers of the KDC (Khowutzun Development Corporation of Cowichan Tribes) as being parasites and useless to the task of developing business opportunities for the Tribes – and of doing nothing but sucking at the Indian Money tit – while producing no results in the two years since a change in Management occurred.
Two months after the threatened legal action the KDC's board of directors was dissolved by the Chief and Council. The manager who Meaghan publicly criticized resigned – and the Chief and Council began to conduct a forensic audit into the affairs of this division of the Band.
Walker-Williams says:
"It never ends. The more I speak out about some issue or another (and the more dirt gets unearthed) the more information surfaces about unaccountable expenditures and waste by the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs – and some Band Governments. It seems endless."
"We are making progress though. From Cowichan – all the way to Nuu ChaNulth territory on the North of Vancouver Island, slowly, bit by bit, this area is becoming an Indian Band corruption-free-zone. (Which is extremely good news in helping bring about the stability and trust necessary for implementation of the Salish Free Trade Zone model).
"I guess I am getting tired of being threatened – with lawsuits and such. As our efforts are getting more attention – and more exposure. I just get very tired from time to time, wondering if there is an end in sight to this problem. I'm tired of having to work so hard to tear things down. I'd really like to focus on building something wonderful. A pocket of free-trade and liberty in North America."
Publishers Interested In A Book
Meaghan's colorful career has come to the attention of book publishers. She has been contacted in the past month by the CEO of a large publishing company in Eastern Canada to ask if she would be interested in writing a personal account of the history of the efforts of herself and the Somena Governance Society (which was founded by her late grandfather).
When asked about it, she laughed, "I barely have time to do my laundry – let alone take time off to write a book. I just don't have the resources – time, money, or energy right now."
Jumping to the rescue, Gordon Gibson, from the Vancouver-based Fraser Institute (a free-market thinktank) has offered to mentor Meaghan through the process of getting her personal account of the trials and tribulations of her struggle written in book format and published. When she has time to breathe – and other projects and finished – she will take him up on the offer.
For now she is simply trying to catch up: Find angel investors for the TV Documentary, and continue the battle against fraud, waste, mismanagement and abuse by Band and the DIA (department of Indian and Northern Affairs) – and write her weekly and monthly columns for local and national newspapers.
The Salish Free Trade Model
Last December Meaghan met with Matthew CoonCome, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief. Mr.Coon-Come, after reviewed the Working Papers on the Salish Free Trade Model, exclaimed that he is very intrigued. The Working Papers are now in the process of being reviewed by the National Chief's Office, Committee on Economic Development.
Meaghan's Coast Salish Big House Speaker mentor and dear friend Willie Seymour was chosen to head up the newly created First Nations Governance Institute. The Organization is a national clearing house on First Nations self-government projects and economic development strategy. Willie is very excited about bringing ideas like the "Salish Free Trade Model" into the framework of Negotiations between First Nations and the Canadian Government in the Treaty Process.
Meaghan Walker-Williams
Duncan, British Columbia
somena1@home.com
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