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First Nations defend illegal Manitoba smoke shop in provincial court
BRANDON, – Some members of a Manitoba First Nation are in court defending their right to operate an illegal smoke shop.
The Dakota Chundee smoke shop near Brandon opened in 2011 and has been raided several times by police.
Craig Blacksmith, with the Dakota First Nation, says he isn’t beholden to provincial law and has a right to sell Mohawk tobacco from Quebec for half the price of a legal carton in Manitoba.
He says he’ll argue the First Nation doesn’t have official treaty status with Canada so the government has no jurisdiction.
Grand Chief Derek Nepinak (NEE-pin-ack), with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, says aboriginal people have been trading tobacco with each other for thousands of years.
He says the federal government is underfunding First Nations and they have a right to support themselves through free trade.
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