1988-07-27 Char-Koosta News

              imposta
!A news puBCication of the Saíish and 'Kootenai Tribes
of the Jíathead Indian Reservation
Chief Charlo of the Salish VOLUME 17, NUMBER 10
MONTH OF CELEBRATION DANCES
Chief Koostatah of the Kootenai
Kootenay Nation protests border through territory, Customs policy
Over 100 Kootenay Indians staged a peaceful protest July 12 when they partially dismantled a wooden fence marking the U.S.-Canadian border as it slices their nation in two.
As one section of the fence came down, chairs and drums were set up for an evening of speeches in Indian by elders, and dancing and drumming, while Canadian immigration officials looked on from a short distance away.
10 «
is
o o
o
!
The protest illustrated to U.S. and Canadian officials, who had been notified in advance, that the people of the seven Kootenay bands affected (five north of the border and two from "down south") don't recognize the border, which some refer to as the 49th parallel. Further, they resent being treated like immigrants in their own territory by Customs officials whenever the northerners want to visit their southern cousins and vice versa. Also disputed is the midnight border-closing curfew.
Canadian Customs' treatment of border-crossing Indians was observed earlier that day when a 15 -car caravan from Elmo was held up while seven rigs were throroughly searched for anything illegal.
Such treatment was supposed to be a thing of the past, Kootenay Indian Area Council staff members said, thanks to an agreement struck just nine days earlier.
The KIAC had agreed to close the "Indian crossing", which is less than a mile west of Customs, in exchange for fewer or no inspections in the future and longer hours at the official crossing. While the KIAC followed through with its part of the arrangement, Canadian officials didn't, Council members said, as evidenced by the July 12 inspection of the cars from the Flathead.
Such treatment wasn't even supposed to happen in the first place, the Koote-nays say, because the earliest treaties signed between them and the British government over 200 years ago guaranteed the former's freedom to travel in their accustomed territory without restrictions. Modem-day officials are ignoring those treaties, saying they're not bound by them today, the Kootenay Council charges.
Some 18 band members have been (Continues on pages two and three)
Hearing set for proposed bird-hunting regs
The Tribal Council will hold a public hearing Aug. 1 on proposed regulations for the 1988-89 bird-hunting season on the Reservation. The hearing will begin at 7 p.m. and will take place in the Council's chambers at Tribal headquarters in Pablo. For more information, see the notice elsewhere in this issue or call 675-2700.