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NEWS > 23 December 2005

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 Article sourced from

Canada NewsWire (press release
23 December 2005
This article appeared in the above title/site.
To view it in its entirity click this link.


Police Brutality : Algonquins

WINNEWAY, Dec. 22 /CNW Telbec/ - Nathalie Mathias and her 14 years old
daughter Cassandra, two Algonquins from Winneway, have been brutally arrested,
a totally unjustified action as they were taking part in a pacific protest.
Mrs Mathias will file a complaint with the Police Ethics Commissioner against
one or many Sûreté du Québec policemen. "They have use a strength which was
unnecessary and have deliberately hurt my daughter," says Mrs Mathias.
The event took place last December 13 as Mrs Mathias and her daughter
were pacifically protesting with less than ten other Algonquins against
Domtar's forest cutting on their ancestral land. About 15 policemen in ten
police cars rapidly arrived on the scene escorting each of the Domtar
transport trucks. After a while, Mrs Mathias has left the scene with her
daughter and a girl friend of hers to get back to her family in the community.
It is then that she fell in an ambush set by the SQ policemen. Six policemen
surrounded her car and forced her to step out. One of the policemen grabbed
her daughter by the neck with an unnecessary force. She afterwards was victim
of a traumatic shock and suffered for many days from a sore throat. The only
arrest motive the policemen have found is mischief, without giving any more
precision.
Brought by force, Mrs Mathias has afterwards been compelled to wait more
than two hours in the back seat of one of the SQ's cars. "They wanted to
humiliate me in front of my daughter and other members of my community,"
complains Nathalie Mathias. She has been brought to the Rouyn-Noranda police
station where she spent the night. The day after, she was brought before a
judge who let her go with a promise to appear on January 19th 2006.

The SQ plays cowboys

This event, which is not the first one of this kind in this area, worries
at the highest point the Algonquin communities leaders who try by different
means to protect their ancestral rights against forestry operations. Long
Point First Nation (Winneway) Chief Steeve Mathias and Lac- Simon Anishnabe
Council Chief Daniel Pien both condemn the abuse of power of the SQ
constables. "The SQ plays cowboys with us. One would come to believe we are in
a bad western movie", complains Chief Mathias. On his behalf, Chief Daniel
Pien is wondering if the Quebec government is aware of the gravity of the
situation: "Does the government really think confrontation will solve the
problem?" he asks.
The government's nonchalance and a total lack of respect is directly
responsible of this unjustified arrest. Chiefs Mathias and Pien remind that
the Algonquins have ancestral rights and an aboriginal title on a vast
Abitibi-Temiscamingue territory "Quebec government and Domtar continue each
day to infringe our rights and to encroach illegally on our lands," says
Steeve Mathias. "It is urgent that the government assumes its responsibilities
and accepts to negotiate," claims Chief Pien.
The Algonquin Chiefs are determined to have their legal rights on their
land recognised and invite the Quebec government to negotiate in good faith in
order to avoid other disgraceful scenes.



For further information: Steeve Mathias Chief Long Point First Nation
(819) 629-7455; Daniel Pien Chief Conseil de la Nation Anishnabe du Lac-Simon
(819) 856-6581

 

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