Native leaders, youth target Olympics

Native leaders won't rule out Olympic action

By Rod MickleburghWith the 2010 Winter Olympics little more than five months away, B.C. native leaders are looking toward the Games as a way to highlight their increasingly rocky relationship with the provincial government.

Despite the unprecedented participation of aboriginal communities in the coming Games, leaders say they have not ruled out targeting the Olympics as an example of the continuing erosion of aboriginal title in the province.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs said there was constant reference to the Olympics at last week's historic Assembly of Chiefs gathering, which strongly rejected government proposals aimed at recognizing aboriginal title in the province.

While stressing that it was premature "to know how it will all play out," Mr. Phillip said a native task force has been struck to consider "assertive strategies on the ground" to advance aboriginal rights.But the chiefs won't do anything drastic:Even as they contemplated their own strategy, however, native representatives said they would steer clear of any activities resembling those planned by young aboriginal militants, grouped around the slogan "No Olympics on Stolen Land," who have vowed to disrupt the Games, rather than protest peacefully from the sidelines.

"It's hard to generate public support [for native issues], if you poke people in the eye with a stick," said Mr. Phillip.The young militants disagree:Gord Hill, a native member of the Olympic Resistance Network, reiterated that the goal of the ORN is to disrupt the Games as much as possible.

"Absolutely. We can't let them hold their circus unopposed. We are a group that's determined and effective," Mr. Hill said on Wednesday.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Protesting in Beijing and Vancouver.