Les Rêves Canadiens

      I was solicitor general when American Indian activist Leonard Peltier's
  extradition proceedings commenced in May, 1976. By that September, I was
  minister of Indian affairs. During that time, I was approached by certain
  Indian leaders from both Canada and the United States who requested that I
  intervene to stop the extradition. I made inquires with respect to this matter,
  but was told that it was before the courts and that justice would take its course.
  Unfortunately, something took its course, but it was not justice. It was only
  after the extradition and Peltier's return to the United States that we learned
  that the affidavit submitted to the Canadian court was false, that the evidence
  of witnesses was manufactured and that certain other evidence had been concealed.
  As a minister of the Crown at the time I consider myself and the Canadian
  government to have been misled by the authorities of the American government.
  This is not the treatment one expects between friendly sovereign nations.
  And as a result, I have been pursuing this matter for over 12 years.
      I am hopeful that the publicity surrounding Peltier, currently serving a life
  sentence, from the movie Incident at Oglala will lead to a new trial and a
  fair hearing.

  Warren Allmand,
  Liberal MP, Nôtre-Dame-de Grâce,
  Ottawa.