Harper visits Blood rez; women forcibly removed for “Tweeting”

On February 7, 2014, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper made a surprise visit to the Blood reservation’s Kainai High School in Standoff, near Calgary, Alberta, where he announced a “historic” agreement with the Assembly of First Nations on a revised First Nations Education Act.  But not before at least two Native women were forcibly removed by police, at least one for allegedly “Tweeting.”

PM Harper announces First Nations Education Act, Standoff, Alberta, Feb 7, 2014.

PM Harper announces First Nations Education Act, Standoff, Alberta, Feb 7, 2014.

Two separate Youtube videos have been posted documenting the removal of the two women, members of the Kainai (Blood) nation, from the high school.  In both, a Blood tribal police officer is involved, as well as several white males wearing civilian clothing, most likely an RCMP security detail for the prime minister.

The first video, entitled “Blood Tribe Youth’s Removal by Blood Tribe Police 2-7-14,” shows a young woman sitting on bleachers with a Blood tribal cop next to her, and what can be assumed to be several plain clothes officers standing around.  You can’t hear the conversation, but the in the end the police grab the women and forcibly march her out of the gymnasium.

The second video (above) shows the removal of Twila Eagle Bear-Singer from the gym.  According to the description for this Youtube video: “Twila is removed from spectators’ stand by Blood Tribe Police at Stephen Harper speaking event. Police claim her tweets made her ineligible to take part in the proceedings.”

The FNEA has been the target of protest several times over the last few months, by groups such as Idle No More, Defenders of the Land, as well as the Blood Indian Act band council (despite their hosting of the event).  It includes $500 million for infrastructure on reserves and $1.25 billion for First Nations education over a three year period.  But it also incorporates greater control and regulation over Native education.

Posted on February 7, 2014, in State Security Forces and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. 20 Comments.

  1. I really don’t what to say about some of my community members and their blind love affair with the prime minister. Divide and conquer was the order of the day as the people who were removed were members of Idle No More and their supporters. Freedom of just being is being taken away by our Brave Dog and Horn Society members who have taken it uponthemselves

  2. Each of these two incidents on the Blood Reserve is associated with other acts of The Assassination of Canadian Indigenous Cultural Strength, by the RCMP all across Canada. In these acts, the RCMP directed the assassination of the Cultural connection of the woman and her children, firstly to the community event and secondly to the community members who are employed as security officers. These efforts have created additional division within the Blood Reserve Community. The age old approach of, ‘Divide and Conquer’, is very much alive and well, and is being used against Canadian Indigenous Social Connectivity very effectively by the RCMP.

  3. What was Canadian Prime Minister Putin doing there?

  4. sharon baptiste

    pitiful how our men still disrespect woman!

  5. Put as much money into First Nations education as the non natives receive than get out of the way. Like Kitigan zibi educators have stated they don’t need the Canadian govt. meddling in their academic affairs, they have been quite successful on their own. Just give them the money they deserve and leave them alone.

    • Native population in Canada: 700,000
      Canada Population 34,880,000

      That’s 2%. The ‘student’ population of Native Americans in Canada: 110,597, An average cost of $14,000 a student per year.

      I won’t bore with the numbers of non Native American students, but it is $7100 CAD per student the federal government funded.

      Giving them as much means taking 50% of what they get, back. But they’re always being short handed by the federal government.

  6. There are so many thing wrong with this not the least of which is: how is this an appropriate use police resource? And how is it legal for plain clothes officers to be targeting and monitoring civilians in order to interfere with their charter right to free expression?

  7. This is so wrong. I am outraged that Harper thinks he can show up ‘unexpectedly’ on First Nation sovereign land and still make the rules on who can be there.

  8. The first video is of Twila’s 17 year old daughter, she said that she was physically abused when they took her outside.

  9. Twila escorted out as well as others who questioned why twila was being removed.

    Protesters removed from the Kainai H.S. gym.

  10. Totally bizarre, but typical of the Harper government.

  11. I continue to be ashamed of both our prime minister and the behaviour of his sycophants…

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