On June 10, I attended the meeting organized by the Coalition Against No-fault Insurance in Prince Albert. At this meeting, I paid close attention to the introductory remark of Dr. George Gale's presentation(4) stating that the level of democracy of a society is measured by the way the government treats its minority. I also paid attention to the allegations of violations of human rights by the Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) against the injured victims and to Gordon Adair's explanation that no remedy is possible against these violations. Adair(5) explained that legal class actions are not permissible in Saskatchewan, that any individual legal action against this government is practically futile, and that the assertion of individual rights has become today not a legal issue but a political one. I must add that any potential individual legal action is further frustrated by the fact that our lawyers cannot receive contingency fees, and that nobody, I say nobody, will find a lawyer who would be willing to jeopardize his/her practice and go against this government.

At this meeting in Prince Albert, I was particularly moved by the presentation of Barbara, an Aboriginal injured victim of no-fault. While in pain and sobbing, Barbara stated how after she lost her husband and I believe a child in an automobile accident, she had to look after her four children and bear the outrageous behaviour of a SGI adjuster telling her that she should stop playing bingo or gambling. She blamed the adjuster and SGI of racism, and I got disconcerted about the state of confusion of Barbara as she could not discern racism from the violation of her human rights.

Last Saturday, I read the news that the government is investigating Dutch Lerat, Chair and CEO of the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Commission (SIGA)(6). Lerat is accused of misspending $360,000 on gifts, powpows, travel and sundries. Pierre Bellegarde, the Chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (SFIN), has said that everything is legal at SIGA, that Dutch Lerat is not going to be removed from his position and that Lerat cannot be reached for comment since he is on annual leave."

Our fundamental problem is not racism, our fundamental problem is the government's creation of a corrupted environment on behalf of the "few and privileged" and against the "poor and disfranchised." Our governmental leadership is corrupted and they serve themselves( 7), our Aboriginal leadership is corrupted and they have learned from our governments to serve themselves(8)(9). And this is the other fundamental problem: this corruption on behalf of the few and privileged is occurring in the absence of remedies against human and individual rights!

Monday morning I read the news(10) that the "Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) is making use of a unique satellite training program to overcome Aboriginal stereotypes. On Monday, hundreds of health care workers in Saskatchewan will learn more about Aboriginal culture..." Victoria Gubbels of SAHO adds "We need to have a change in attitude... Historically, the two communities have walked separate paths and have not walked together with this understanding of both communities."

This government has created an environment where people in power can serve themselves, and where the voices of common people are muzzled by the lack of fundamental human rights. And now SAHO is taking the first lead across Canada to bridge the gap of the two communities by teaching how to change attitudes! The two communities I see are the two communities of the "few and privileged" versus the "poor and disfranchised." We don't need a change of attitude to have remedies against the wrongs of the "few and privileged;" instead, we need fundamental changes where the common people are able again to acquire their individual freedom and assert their individual human rights.

References & Endnotes

Quote by Donella Meadows "challenging a paradigm is not a part-time job. It is not sufficient to make your point once and then blame the world for not getting it. The world has a vested interest in, a commitment to, not getting it. The point has to be made patiently and repeatedly, day after day after day" ftp://sy sdyn.mit.edu/ftp/sdep/Roadmaps/RM1/D-4143-1.pdf http://iisd1.iisd.ca/pcdf/meadows/default.htm

General reference: Articles by Mario deSantis published by Ensign

1. A World for the Few and Privileged in S askatchewan, by Mario deSantis, February 18, 2000

2. Government Mistrust in Saskatchewan: Th e Continuous Saga, by Mario deSantis and reviewed by James deSantis, June 4, 2000

3. Democracy and Human Rights in Saskatche wan, by Mario deSantis, February 23, 2000

4. Dr. George Gale, Clinical Director, Rothbart Pain Management Clinic, Toronto, Expert on Chronic Pain Management, Whiplash Injury and Post Traumatic Syndrome plus Precise Diagnosis of Spinal Pain and Its Palliati on, Prince Albert, June 10, 2000 http://www.angelfire.com/nf/coalitionagainstnf/pa.htm

5. Gordon Adair, CA, Co-ordinator of the Anti-No Fault Committee in B.C. and former Executive Director of Finance at the Insurance Corporation of B.C., No Fault: An Insurance Company's Dream ADA Victim's Nightmare, Prince Albert, June 10, 2000

6. SIGA won't dump Lerat, by Jason Warick, The StarPhoenix, June 17, 2000, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

7. Governments must stop serving themselve s and their friends, by Mario deSantis, February 13, 2000

8. Setting a new standard in deception, Straight Talk by Randy Burton, The StarPhoenix June 17, 2000, Saskatoon, Sask atchewan

9. No accounting for Canada's Indian policy, by Gordon Gibson, National Post, June 16, 2000

10.  Breaking down barriers in Saskatchewan, CBC Saskatchewan, http://www.sask.cbc.ca Web Posted | Jun 18 2000 3:17 PM EDT