Below is the letter I wrote to Madam Justice Brown before she sentenced Harriet Nahanee to 14 days in Surrey Pre-Trial dentention center which is unabashed hell. Harriet is now fighting for her life in St. Paul's hospital. She developed pneumonia in Surrey Pre-Trial. I am extremely upset that Madam Justice Brown would do such a thing. Betty Krawczyk

Jan. 3, 2007

The Honourable Madam Justice Brown
The Supreme Court of British Columbia

Madam,

I understand that writing to one’s judge is frowned upon, especially when one is writing about another accused, however, I am very worried about Mrs. Harriet Nahanee.

Mrs. Nahanee is not well. She has asthma and is suffering the after effects of a recent bout of flu that has left her very weak. Still, Mrs. Nahanee is also very stubborn and will insist on reading the Proclamation of 1763 when she appears next before Your Ladyship. The problem is she won’t be able to get through the entire thing without help but will insist on trying anyway. I would like to act as Intervenor for Mrs. Nahanee, to help her through the reading of the Proclamation, but also to bring forth two other issues she wants to bring to your attention:

Number one, Mrs. Nahanee is part of an action presently before the court (File No. S036483, Te Kiapilanoq (Capilano) v. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of the Province of British Columbia and the Attorney General of Canada) that concerns hereditary chiefs challenging the right of the elected chiefs of the Squamish Nation to negotiate away traditional Squamish Lands off the Squamish Reserve, lands that include Eagleridge Bluffs. This action potentially has serious ramifications for the entire band concerning who has the right to negotiate away traditional Squamish Indian lands. Mrs. Nahanee would also like to point to a recent Supreme Court of Canada decision (R.v. Marshall; R.v. Bernard) that seems to lend at least some support to Mrs. Nahanee’s claim that provincial laws can be superseded by federal laws concerning the Proclamation.

I am sure that Mrs. Nahanee would be very satisfied with simply some help in reading the Proclamation and then leaving the legal papers with Your Ladyship. Perhaps my assistance could take the form of acting as some sort of interpreter for Mrs. Nahanee as she hears my voice clearly (because it’s so loud, I suppose) while she said that the talk though the loud speaker came through garbled to her. Her presentation shouldn’t take that long. I am sincere in my desire to be of assistance to the Court in this matter, as well as assisting Mrs.Nahanee. If it is not possible for me to act as Intervenor (I understand Your Ladyship must approve) or some kind of interpreter then perhaps Your Ladyship might simply keep the above mentioned issues in mind when hearing Mrs. Nahanee’s case.

Very truly yours,


Betty Krawczyk
604-255-4427