Dakota Plains chief issues ultimatum over mould

September 23, 2004

Web Posted | Sep 20 2004 04:14 PM CDT

Dakota Plains chief issues ultimatum over mould problem

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WINNIPEG - People who live on the Dakota Plains First Nation are fed

up with inaction on the part of the federal government in dealing

with a mould problem on the reserve.

The community near Portage la Prairie was built on a bog, and over

the past decade, black mould has appeared in most of the buildings.

Chief Oliver Smoke says the mould has caused all manner of health

problems, including asthma, bronchitis, and respiratory bleeding

deaths in babies.

" It's black. It's blotchy. It's on the walls and on the ceilings.

It's just in plain view, " he says. " We had to relocate some of the

families because of doctors' directions. "

Smoke has been trying to get the federal government to do something

about the problem for years. Now, he says he's given up on expecting

Ottawa to help.

" I think at this point in time, I really don't want them to do

anything other than recognize my sovereignty so I can exercise my

rights with my jurisdictions intact so I can go and retrieve whatever

I need to address the problem, " he says.

Smoke believes the solution is to move the entire community to drier

land.

As a sovereign nation, he says, the band could act on its own to work

out a deal with the provincial and municipal governments to make that

happen.

A spokesperson for the federal Department of Indian and Northern

Affairs say the department has received Chief Smoke's request to

negotiate a treaty, and hopes to respond later this week.

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