United Church officers named as accessories to murder

Media Advisory: June 30, 2009

Breaking News: United Church officers named as accessories to murder and obstruction of justice by the family of murdered residential school student Victoria Stewart

Vancouver, Canada:

A month after publicly disclosing the evidence of the murder of their sister, Victoria Stewart, at the United Church's Edmonton Indian Residential School, relatives of the deceased child have issued a Public Notice of Liability to the head officers of the United Church, and declared their intention to secure a commercial lien against these persons' property and assets to recover damages from the church.

The Public Notice, which the Stewarts will be filing in the B.C. Supreme Court, names the church officers as accesories to the murder of their relative, and labels them as "public enemies of the peace" who must be brought to trial. The United Church officers named by the Stewarts include Moderator David Giuliano, General Secretary Nora Sanders, and nine other people.

"This letter is required to show that no statement or so-called 'apology' by the United Church diminishes by one iota the liability of their officers for murder and other crimes" said Rev. Kevin Annett, a friend and advisor of the Stewart family, and co-founder of The Friends and Relatives of the Disappeared (FRD).

The Notice of Liability is being delivered to every level of the United Church, and will be posted on United Churches across Canada this Sunday morning, July 5, at memorial vigils held for Victoria Stewart at these churches by the FRD network. (In Vancouver at 10 am outside St. Andrew's Wesley United Church, Nelson & Burrard st.)

Further announcements about this campaign will be forthcoming. A copy of the Notice of Liability is posted below, along with a recording of evidence.

Information: FRD at 1-888-265-1007 (pager, Canada only) or c/o hiddenfromhistory@yahoo.ca .

Issued by the Stewart family and the FRD Vancouver chapter.

..............................................................................................................................

Public Notice of Liability -
To the Fiduciary Officers of the United Church of Canada

June 30, 2009

To: The Moderator and Officers of the General Council of the United Church of Canada, and the officers of British Columbia and Alberta Conferences, including David Giuliano, Moderator, Nora Sanders, General Secretary, Peter Short, Debra Ann Bowman, Dan Chambers, Doug Goodwin, Lynn Maki, Mary-Frances Denis, Marion Best, Jon Jessiman, Brian Thorpe, and many others;

From: The Family of Victoria Stewart, including Eliza Charlotte Stewart, Moses Stewart, and Inez Beryl Spencer.

This Notice of Liability applies to you, the aforementioned men and women of flesh and blood who are fiduciary and responsible officers of the corporation known as the United Church of Canada, Ltd., concerning your responsibility and liability for the murder of our relative Victoria Stewart on April 9, 1958 at the Edmonton Indian Residential School owned and operated by your church, and for all the suffering and loss arising from Victoria's death.

Let it hereby be known that no statement or lack of it by you or your church regarding the death of Victoria Stewart in any way diminishes your liability for her death and the resulting grief and losses suffered by our family, and your responsibility to grant to us full justice, disclosure and financial reparations;

Let it further be known that under the doctrine of vicarious liability, established by the Supreme Court of Canada in relation to residential schools litigation, you, the aforementioned men and women of flesh and blood, as responsible and fiduciary officers of the United Church of Canada, are legally and morally responsible and liable for the death of our relative, Victoria Stewart, who was killed by your employee Ann Knizky, and possible accomplices;

And therefore, we, the family of Victoria Stewart, do hereby publicly name you flesh and blood men and women as accessories to the murder of our relative, Victoria Stewart, and as guilty parties who we hold absolutely accountable for her death and for all the suffering and loss arising therefrom;

As a consequence, we, the family of Victoria Stewart, do hereby declare our intent to impose on each of you aforementioned men and women, and on your personal property and assets, a commercial lien for the recovery of damages, because of your position as fiduciary and responsible officers of the United Church of Canada;

And we further declare you to be public enemies of the peace because of your being accessories to murder and to the obstruction of justice, and we request that all citizens and peace officers assist us in detaining you for questioning and in bringing you into common law courts to secure our lien against you and the fulfillment of our demands, contained in our Letter to you dated May 30, 2009.

Signed and witnessed this Thirtieth Day of June, 2009, in the city of Vancouver on occupied Squamish Nation territory (signed in the original):

Eliza Charlotte Stewart and Moses Stewart

Witnessed by the Corresponding Agent for the Stewart Family:

Kevin Annett - Eagle Strong Voice of The Friends and Relatives of the Disappeared
c/o 260 Kennedy St.
Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 2H8

cc: world media
      international human rights agencies
      Prime Minister of Canada
      RCMP

Posting: Recorded statement of the murder of Victoria Stewart by eyewitness Beryl (Stewart) Spencer of Terrace, B.C.:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMfw0ClW0aw

Media Advisory: June 30, 2009

Public Notice of Liability -
To the Fiduciary Officers of the United Church of Canada