CRIMES COMMITTED IN A SPIRIT OF GREED

Criminals who tried to use First Nations' spirituality to justify
their actions have shamed themselves and saddened law-abiding true
believers. - - -

In the long-running trial of six people charged with operating a huge
marijuana farm on a Saskatchewan First Nation, there is a little-known
victim.

Those charged with setting up and running this growing operation
("grow op") testified that they were told by "the Creator" to assemble
it, supposedly to grow dope for "medicinal" purposes. The prosecution
argued this was just a thin excuse to disguise a criminal intent to
raise and sell marijuana in expectation of huge profits.

The latter was the clear conclusion of the veteran judge who presided
over this lengthy jury trial, which saw three people acquitted and
three others convicted (for unlawfully producing marijuana and
possession of the drug for trafficking).

"Was their motive altruistic or grounded in personal gain?" the judge
asked during Monday's sentencing hearing. "Without reserva-tion, I am
satisfied that it was the latter . . ."

It is a mark of how strange this trial was that one of the three men
found guilty, having received their multiyear sentences on Monday,
decided to argue with the judge in the vain hopes he might suddenly
reverse his verdict.

Now, let us turn to the "victim" in this case: First Nations spiritual
beliefs. The defendants' claim that they were growing this illegal
drug at the behest of the Creator, and that doing so on "sovereign
First Nations' land" supposedly made them immune from Canada's drug
laws, has left many First Nations people absolutely aghast.

They worry that some people unfamiliar with First Nations spirituality
will hear this, will think less of that spirituality, in particular,
and First Nations, in general.

It would be a true shame if that happened, as First Nations
spirituality is undergoing a remarkable rebirth and offers much
comfort and inspiration to its adherents.

Don't be deceived by what the defendants claimed: First Nations faith
no more offers a way out of breaking the law of the land than does,
say, Methodism or Catholicism. Twisting First Nations spirituality in
order to get out of legal trouble seems a particularly cruel insult to
believers.

This might be a good time to do some research and find out what First
Nations spirituality is really about. Learning about each other will
make all of us in Saskatchewan a little better.