"Nindawayma"*, they call the wind...

The on-going saga of the theft of First Nations land in Caledonia, Ontario goes on, quietly that is.

Since Premier Daltie McG appointed his predecessor Liberal Premier David ( "Is that a profiterole I see?) Peterson to sort things out, things are moving at a slower, but oh-so-much-gentler pace.

The weekend commentary on discussion was that both sides had reached agreement on some aspects of the dispute - probably what, and where, was lunch and who was payin'. Back at the dispute site the warriors raised a second barricade to keep the white-eyes off a now-disputed bridge.

Why don't Natives do this stuff in March? The site developer was at work in March. Maybe there was no dispute in March. Sometimes these things, like a case of the scoots, just come on you sudden. Sometimes it's seasonal - "in the spring a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of burnin' tires...". Maybe the nice weather is nicer for sitting around to stand-up for your rights.

Davey Peterson - with his mediation skills honed by many hours spent over power lunches in some of the "Big Smoke's" finer dining establishments, should have things sorted out by the time the next election rolls around. Did the natives really cede that land, did some farmer really buy it and was the money really used to benefit the Queen-Empress' red 'childern'? If so, does that stuff abrogate the inherent rights of to-day's native people to land their ancestors took off somebody else's ancestors long, long ago? Just the thought requires the introduction of a portable buffet.

Hey, this stuff keeps the minds of the stupid off the important stuff like Hydro rate increases and MPAC disgrace that the Libs are 'unable to fix'.


* Davey P is the premier responsible for Ontario's $40 million purchase of the Norwegian Ferry (renamed) Nindawayma for the Tobermory-Manitoulin Island run. The ferry ran one year and spent the next nine rusting quietly in Owen Sound Harbour, before being sold for $1.5 million worth of boxed meat to a Quebec company. Given the cost of refitting and annual upkeep and harbour fees - this little exercise in public transport set the taxpayers of Ontario back about $150 million. Dave made the NDP look good to Ontario.