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First Nations targeted by marketers
Retailers see windfall in residential school payouts

Paula Beauchamp
The Calgary Herald

Saturday, October 27, 2007

CALGARY - First Nation communities are bracing for the possible fallout as
lump-sum payments of up to $38,000 for residential school survivors begin
to arrive.

With so many residents on reserves affected, more than $50 million will
flow into some individual reserves.

That has officials fearing everything from fraud to scams that target
recipients to increased drug trafficking.

Residential school survivors have already been targeted by retailers,
including out-of-province dealers offering cars in return for a share of
residential school payments.

Rick Tailfeathers, spokesman for southern Alberta's Blood Tribe, said the
number of businesses applying to trade on the reserve has almost doubled --
from 20 to 40 -- in the past year.

"We are concerned some survivors could end up with nothing," Mr.
Tailfeathers said.

"We don't want to see our members taken advantage of, ending up with cars
that are lemons or appliances that don't work. That's the danger."

"No trespass" signs have been erected at the Blood Tribe's reserve gates in
a bid to keep unscrupulous vendors out.

Caroline Yellow Horn, a survivor and volunteer working for the Piikani
First Nation in southern Alberta, said telemarketers offering everything
from cruises to trips to Disneyland are phoning survivors on the reserve.

"We're also seeing a lot of credit card offers in the mail that we didn't
see before, with people's names printed on the offers."

It's a practice condemned by Manitoba's senior aboriginal leader, who says
chiefs saw this coming months ago.

"It's a shame to see marketers taking advantage of people," said Assembly
of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Ron Evans. "We're already suffering. ...
This is not a time to harass people," the grand chief said.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2007