Aboriginal publisher pleads guilty to assault

by Len Kruzenga

Winnipeg, Man.--The publisher of Winnipeg-based Aboriginal newspapers The First Perspective and the Drum pleaded guilty in a Winnipeg court late last month to assaulting Peguis First Nation Chief Louis Stevenson at a downtown YMCA gym last January.

Provincial Court Judge Marva Smith sentenced Wastasecoot to a $500 fine, 12 months unsupervised probation and imposed an order to keep 200 meters away from Stevenson at all times.

The court heard that Wastasecoot, who was running on the track area of the gym complex at the same time as the Peguis chief, punched Stevenson once, resulting in a laceration and swelling to the chief's face.

In a prepared statement read by defence lawyer, Paul Walsh, the 54-year-old Cree publisher apologized to Stevenson for his actions.

However, the long time vocal opponent of Stevenson's political leadership offered no explanation for his conduct.

As a result, Judge Smith said she was unable to consider a defence request to impose a conditional discharge, despite the fact Wastasecoot had no previous criminal record.

"Your conduct was totally unacceptable...you come before the court as a respected member of the community...as someone who lives by the pen but resorted to the sword," she said. "...You didn't live up to your obligation as a role model in the community and your conduct can't be accepted or condoned by the court."

Wastasecoot declined comment on the sentence.

Stevenson himself is no stranger to the court having pleaded guilty less than two years ago to pointing a handgun at a man's head during an alcohol fuelled dispute at a Winnipeg bar in the spring of 2000.