May 21, 2010
Occupied Squamish Nation territory

Five of our aboriginal members and activists have died since December, and a sixth is missing and presumed dead.

All of these people were public critics of the Roman Catholic church's killing of residential school children, and had participated in protests against this church and the Anglican Church and the United Church of Canada.

Their names are:

Johnny "Bingo" Dawson, died December 8, 2009 after a severe beating by three Vancouver policemen

Mike Wickson, died February, 2010, cause unknown

Elder Phillipa Ryan, died April 26, 2010 from "cancer" in less than a month

Norma Jean Baptiste, died early May, 2010, apparent heart attack

Chief Louis Daniels, died May 16, 2010 in a Winnipeg hospital, cause unknown

Missing: William Combes, presumed dead after receiving poisoned crack cocaine

Chief Louis Daniels was on the Executive of the FRD. He was about to lead a major protest against the government's whitewashing "Truth and Reconciliation Commission" forum in Winnipeg on June 15; and he was scheduled to conduct an aboriginal delegation to Rome this September to heighten pressure on the Vatican for its murder of native children.

Elders Phillipa Ryan and Norma Jean Baptiste led the drumming and our group when we occupied Holy Rosary Catholic church in Vancouver in March, 2008, that grabbed headlines across the world and forced an "apology" from the government of Canada.

Johnny Dawson had led several church occupations in Vancouver and publicly accused the police of being involved in the present day disappearance and murder of aboriginal women. He was also scheduled to be part of the recent April protest in Rome led by our FRD group.

William Combes was an eyewitness to killings at the Catholic residential schools in Kamloops and Mission, BC, and a regular speaker on our weekly radio program Hidden from History.

We believe that these activists and eyewitnesses were murdered, now that the Catholic church especially is potentially facing criminal charges for the Pope's personal complicity in the rape and torture of children - and Canada and its churches may be  censured and investigated by European politicians and human rights groups.

We ask you to help us stop any more of these killings, by supporting our campaign to bring the churches and government of Canada to trial for their crimes against humanity - and to confront the Pope in London and Rome next September.

Don't let the sacrifice of our people be in vain. 

Which of us will be the next to die?

Please share this Alert with your network and media - and join us this September in Europe!

Written by Kevin Annett and The Surviving Members of the Executive, The Friends and Relatives of the Disappeared (FRD) - Canada
www.hiddenfromhistory.org

 

May 21, 2010
Occupied Squamish Nation territory

Five of our aboriginal members and activists have died since December, and a sixth is missing and presumed dead.

All of these people were public critics of the Roman Catholic church's killing of residential school children, and had participated in protests against this church and the Anglican Church and the United Church of Canada.

Their names are:

Johnny "Bingo" Dawson, died December 8, 2009 after a severe beating by three Vancouver policemen

Mike Wickson, died February, 2010, cause unknown

Elder Phillipa Ryan, died April 26, 2010 from "cancer" in less than a month

Norma Jean Baptiste, died early May, 2010, apparent heart attack

Chief Louis Daniels, died May 16, 2010 in a Winnipeg hospital, cause unknown

Missing: William Combes, presumed dead after receiving poisoned crack cocaine

Chief Louis Daniels was on the Executive of the FRD. He was about to lead a major protest against the government's whitewashing "Truth and Reconciliation Commission" forum in Winnipeg on June 15; and he was scheduled to conduct an aboriginal delegation to Rome this September to heighten pressure on the Vatican for its murder of native children.

Elders Phillipa Ryan and Norma Jean Baptiste led the drumming and our group when we occupied Holy Rosary Catholic church in Vancouver in March, 2008, that grabbed headlines across the world and forced an "apology" from the government of Canada.

Johnny Dawson had led several church occupations in Vancouver and publicly accused the police of being involved in the present day disappearance and murder of aboriginal women. He was also scheduled to be part of the recent April protest in Rome led by our FRD group.

William Combes was an eyewitness to killings at the Catholic residential schools in Kamloops and Mission, BC, and a regular speaker on our weekly radio program Hidden from History.

We believe that these activists and eyewitnesses were murdered, now that the Catholic church especially is potentially facing criminal charges for the Pope's personal complicity in the rape and torture of children - and Canada and its churches may be  censured and investigated by European politicians and human rights groups.

We ask you to help us stop any more of these killings, by supporting our campaign to bring the churches and government of Canada to trial for their crimes against humanity - and to confront the Pope in London and Rome next September.

Don't let the sacrifice of our people be in vain. 

Which of us will be the next to die?

Please share this Alert with your network and media - and join us this September in Europe!

Written by Kevin Annett and The Surviving Members of the Executive, The Friends and Relatives of the Disappeared (FRD) - Canada
www.hiddenfromhistory.org