I uderstand those poll results, Ed but maybe with a different viewpoint than some. First of all, ya can't point a gun at the man with a bigger gun. Secondly, ya can't threaten someone and then back down. Doesn't matter the reasons, it all goes to shit if ya can't or don't back it up.

I PMd a lot with a number of Mudcatters about "all this" recently and in one of those PMs to one Mudcatter I pondered why there were not HUNDREDS of native lawyers. Indeed, free education surely should promote such? What natives need to enforce the treaties is LOTS of lawyers... not idle threats that have no chance of gaining anything more than media coverage, SOME sympathy from the general public that really do not know how natives have been so poorly treated for centuries and continue to be downtrodden by the "system" (yes, yet again, on BOTH sides) and evoke essentially lip service from the lackies of the big corporations when the idle threats are called.

I may take shit for that but that is the reality. Bravo to the whole works... for what it's worth. But it ain't gonna do SFA in the long run except gain a bit more the haves while the have nots get shafted on both sides.

Now, having said that, if all of this influenced the non-status rights case... YEEHAWWWW! But I still say, a shitload a good lawyers woulda won that one anyway. YMMV.

Why can't Canada turn out 100 native lawyers per year... fer a start?