Unity: Bulletin of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs -- Vol. 1 No. 2 (November - December 1970) · UBCIC Periodicals

Unity: Bulletin of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs -- Vol. 1 No. 2 (November - December 1970)

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Unity: Bulletin of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs -- Vol. 1 No. 2 (November - December 1970)

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1.06-01.01 Unity: Bulletin of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs

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November 1970

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BULLETIN OF THE UNION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA INDIAN CHIEFS VOLUME 1 NUMBER2 NOVEMBER — DECEMBER, 1970

MEMBERS
OF THE
CHIEFS
COUNCIL

LILLOOET

Victor ADOLPH
Box 707
LILLOOET, B.C.
256-7290

Alternate

Jim SCOTCHMAN
Box 391
LILLOOET, B.C.

FT. ST. JOHN

George BEHN

Box 325

FORT NELSON, B.C.
Muskwa — 2501

Alternate

Harry DICKIE
Box 449
FORT NELSON, B.C.

NORTH COAST

John CLIFTON
Box 236

PRINCE RUPERT, B.C.

628-9918

Alternate

Prince Rupert radio
“Kwatsu’’

KWAKGEWLTH

Bill SCOW
Box 177
ALERT BAY, B.C.

Alternate

Lawrence LEWIS
Box 42
QUATHIASKI, B.C.

WILLIAMS LAKE

SOUTH ISLAND

Douglas HANCE
Anaham Band
ALEXIS CREEK, B.C.
394-4378

Alternate

George ABBY

Box 1

WILLIAMS LAKE
C/o D. Hance

NORTH WEST ISLAND

Cliff HAMILTON
307 River Rd.

PT. ALBERNI, B.C.
732-7776

Alternate

George WATTS
Box 1057
N. PT. ALBERNI, B.C.

KOOTENAY -- OKANAGAN

Jim STELKIA

Box 765

OLIVER, B.C.
495-6267 493-0647

Alternate

Kathy TENEESE
General Delivery
WINDEMERE, B.C.

BABINE

Howard WALE
Hazelton Bank
HAZELTON, B.C.
842-5356

Alternate
Alvin WEGET
R.R. No, 1
KISPIOX, B.C.

FRASER

Delbert GUERIN
4077 Stautlo Ave.
VANCOUVER 13, B.C.

Alternate

Ed KELLY Jr.
R.R. No. 3
SARDIS, B.C.

TERRACE

Heber MAITLAND
Box 194
KITIMAT, B.C.
632-6077

Alternate
Bill MCKAY

Greenville P.O.
TERRACE, B.C.

Philip PAUL

Box 174

BRENTWOOD BAY, B.C.
Home: 652-2319

Office: 592-1211-Local 230
Alternate

Doug WHITE

554 Centre St.,

NANAIMO, B.C.

753-4269

THOMPSON RIVER

Forrest WALKEM
Cook's Ferry Band
SPENCES BRIDGE, B.C.
458-2266

Alternate

Clarence JULES
R.R. No, 3
KAMLOOPS, B.C.
372-9107

LAKES DISTRICT

Ron SEYMOUR
Apt. No. 13

901 Ahbau St.
PRINCE GEORGE

BELLA BELLA

Cecil REID
Box 68
BELLA BELLA

Office:
IR R.W. Large
Memorial Hospital

Home:
Radio ‘‘Telco-Bella’”’
via CAMPBELL RIVER

UNITY

Editor: Donna TYNDAL
6390 Crown Street
Vancouver 13, B.C.
266-8321

The Union

Membership in the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs com-
prises the Chiefs of bands throughout the province.
Basic duties of the Union exercised by this general
membership at annual meetings are to:

a. Establish Union by-laws and the constitutions,

b. Approve long term (one year or longer) objectives
policies and programs.

c. Approve the annual budget and major financing.

d. Review financial and operating results.

e. Elect the Chief's Council.

The chairman will preside at all meetings of the Union
and of the Chiefs’ Council.

The Chief’s Council

The Chief's Council comprises fourteen members. Each
member represents one of fourteen districts in the
province and is elected by the Chiefs of bands within
these fourteen districts at the annual meeting of the
Union, The Councils meets every three months and has
responsibility to:

a. Implement resolutions and policies approved by

the Union.

b. Recommend long term objectives, policies and
programs.

c. Recommend the annual budget and major financ-
ing.

d. Review short term financial and operating results.

e. Approve the working organization structure.

f. Appoint the Chairman, the Treasurer and a Re-
cording Secretary from the Chiefs’ Council.

g. Appoint the Executive Director.

h. Approve the appointments of senior employees.

Members of the Council are responsible to report
periodically the work of the Union and their participa-
tion in this work to the Chiefs of bands in their
respective districts. As individuals they are responsible
to promote the work of the Union at band level and to
formulate general policy based upon close contact with
the bands.

The Executive Director

The Executive Director is responsible to the Chiefs’
Council for the work of the Union with specific
responsibilities to:

a. Provide leadership for the working organization.

b. Co-ordinate the work of major organizations and
of the numerous operating activities of the Union.

c. Co-ordinate and promote public relations with
Indians, governments, industry, and the general
public.

d. Conduct public speaking engagements and make
major policy statements for the Union.

e. Recommend senior appointments and heads of
major activities and approve minor staff appoint-
ments.

f. Decide on major operating problems.

g. Authorize expenditures and financing arrange-
ments encompassed within the approval annual
budget.

h. Co-ordinate fund raising activities.

i. Prepare the annual budget.

The Executive Committee

This committee comprises the Council Chairman,
Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Executive Director,
Administrator, Research Director, and Planning Co-
ordinator. It is chaired by the Executive Director and
has responsibility generally to review major policy
matters and specifically to:

a. Develop overall policies and programs.

b. Locate major sources of financing.

c. Review budget requirements of the major acitivites

and the overall annual budget.

Arrange Union audits.

Plan the annual convention.

f. Assess social, educational, political and economic
growth, and prepare progress reports for the

annual convention,

EDITORIAL

Recently | attended an informal meet-
ing, the purpose of which was “‘Indian
Education”. At this meeting was a
very commendable lady whose sole
purpose seemed to be to denouce the
Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs. Her back
was up because the Union has an
Educational policy and a department
which has not consulted the Band
Education Committees. She said that
the committees have been wrestling
with these problems for at least 20
years and the Union was decidedly
amiss in not consulting with them
first. It took several attempts to
patiently explain (and | still doubt
that she was completely convinced)
that the Union has no Education De-
partment, as yet, and therefore, no
educational policies. There are only
the very broadest outlines of future
hopes in the field of improving Indian
education in the B.C. Position Paper
{tentative draft).

This lady exemplified to me something
| have, unfortunately noticed before.
Some people seem to be looking for a
brick to throw at the Union of B.C.
Indian Chiefs. | suppose that a large
part of the reason is that nasty human
failing which is the secret desire to see
something beautiful and good fail and
die. It is the same vicious little quirk
that causes so many people to feel glad
when the mighty Montreal Canadians
or the New York Yankees begin to
sink. It's a kind of smugness which
says — How the Proud have fallen!

The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs is the
most perfect Indian organization ever
formed in B.C. because of its structure
— “the Chiefs and their local govern-
ments."’ Even the founders probably
were unaware of the beautiful thing
which they were creating. And as it
grows and gains strength, it will prove
its infinite worth. How the Indian
people of B.C. will benefit!

So, let’s support the Union of B.C.
Indian Chiefs. Only with whole-
hearted support can this organization
thrive and do what you want it to do.

So many people ask — ‘What is the
Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs doing for
me? Realize this — the Union of B.C.
Indian Chiefs can only do as much as
the Indian people of B.C. will allow it
to do. Without support we can do
nothing. Do you want the Union to
establish a comprehensive programme
of Health Liaison? Do you want to see
an Education Department set up
which can at last, make the changes we
all know have been needed for years
and years for our children? Do you
really want the successful settlement
of the B.C. Land Question and the
Aboriginal Rights Issue?

Through your support and your sup-
port alone for the Union of B.C. In-
dian Chiefs these things will happen.

Then there are those who say that the
Union is overstepping its bounds. We
should handle none of the problems
heretofore handled by the Organiza-
tions. My answer to these people is
this — If a job is being done, if pro-
gress is being made, if problems are
being solved for the betterment of
Indian lives, what does it matter who
is doing the work?

MORICETOWN MEETING

In by-gone days the proud people of
the Nishga nation ruled their splendid
land and supported their needs by
hunting and fishing. Now they live on
small parcels of land allocated to them
through the ‘“‘benevolence’’ of the
government. They may try to hunt,
but the brave game of the forests now
appear to be the property of the ‘Big
Game Hunter’’ whose idea of sport is
to fly in from the nearest plush resort,
and with his high-powered rifle, shoot
down a moose (approximately
800-1200 pounds of meat), or a
mountain goat, (approximately 100
pounds of meat), take the trophy and

fly away leaving a carcass to rot where
it lies. Fhey may try to fish, but the
rivers are no longer theirs. They appear
to belong to that Department called
“Fisheries” whose minions diligently
scour the rivers and streams searching
for an Indian who may decide to
supplement his $1000 - a - year in-
come by selling a fish to a white man,
while, at the same time, these fish
wardens are forced by their bosses in
Ottawa to ignore the Russian menace
hauling in untold quantities of B.C.
salmon and also those ultimate des-
poilers of the rivers, the pulp and
paper industries.

So expert have these Fish Wardens, et
al, become at preventing the Indian
from taking fish at. this traditional
source, that in the Moricetown area
this winter the larders are devoid of
fish.

The Indian people of Moricetown have
had to stop gaffing fish, the people
further down the river have been
ordered to stop using nets longer than
10 fathoms — restrictions, restrictions,
and still more restrictions!

Finally, the people cry out for help.
Pressures were brought to bear and a
meeting was arranged at which
officials of the Fisheries Department,
the Game Department, the Indian
Affairs Department, and members of
the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs,
would meet with the dissatisfied In-
dian people of the Bulkley Valley.

The meeting was held in the Morice-
town Hall on October 20th 1970.
Representing the Fisheries Depart-
ment, was J.W. Connor, District Con-
servation Officer from Prince Rupert,
B.C., A.M. Groat, Federal Fisheries
Officer from Smithers; representing
the Game Department was Mr. Les
Cox, game warden for the Smithers
area; Mr. J.W. McFarlane, Superinten-
dent, Hazelton Agency for the Indian
Affairs Branch, and Mr. T.F. Rothery,
Regional Fisheries Specialist, Van-
couver Office, Indian Affairs Branch.
Representatives of the Union of B.C.
Indian Chiefs’ included two members
of the Executive Council, Chief For-
rest Walkem of Cook's Ferry band and
Chief Heber Maitland of the Kitimat
band; member of the Chief’s Council,
Howard Wale of Hazelton and also
Myrus James and Donna Tyndall
Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs’ employ-
ees. Also present was Mr. Joe L’Orsa,
president of SPEC group in Smithers
and Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Miller of
Smithers. But, most important were
the people of the nearby villages who

filled the hall, eager and hopeful.

What happended at the meeting? Quite
a number of significant things.

The governmental departments spoke;
the people listened. The people spoke;
the government officials listened —
this is very significant! For once the
Indian people and these officials spoke
to one another as men should and not
as Authority-to-Subject. In fairness to
the agents of the government agencies,
it must be said that they seemed, in
the end, to appreciate the vaiue of
establishing these more sensible lines
of communication.

Chief Heber Maitland demanded that
the Fisheries state exactly who they
believe are the true ‘‘predators’’ who
have caused the sorry depletion of our
salmon resources. Is it the Indians? Is
it the sport fishermen? Is it the Russ-
ians? Is jt the big industries who
through pollution kil! our rivers? Or is
it the sorry policies of the Fisheries
Department themselves? The only
ones who seem to be constantly blam-
ed and constantly penalized and made
to feel like real “predators” are the
Indian people of the province. Chief
Maitland stated that this is a matter
which the Fisheries should investigate
and come up with a definite answer to
his question.

Chief Forrest Waikem rose to say that
the Union of B.C.'s Indian Chiefs were
attending this meeting to assist these
people in seeking answers and solu-
tions to their problems. He also said
that it seemed that the Indian people
seemed always to be blamed for the
depletion of the fish stock.

Mr. Connor promised that in the early
spring of next year and each ensuing
year, officials of his department will
meet with the people of each village in
the Skeena-Bulkley area to discuss the
forthcoming year’s fishing, the restric-
tions which they are contemplating
and they will listen to the people’s side
of the story. How many misunder-
standings would be avoided if this
procedure was followed in every fish-
ing area throughout B.C.!

The people of Moricetown have said
for twenty years that a promise made
to them, before the contruction of the
fish ladders in THEIR canyon, that
frozen or canned fish would be
supplied to them should the fish
ladders diminish in any way, the sal-
mon run. Mr. Connor said that he feels
that it is likely that some such promise
was made and therefore he will investi-

gate the possibility of fulfilling this old
promise.

Mr. Connor conceded also that per-
haps the fish ladders had not too
successful and he would see that some
studies be done to determine this one
way or another.

Mrs. Alice Grey told the meeting in a
quiet voice filled with the sadness of a
long lifetime of hardship. She spoke of
how her net was taken from the river
by the Fish Warden. Her net was filled
with fish and all this fish was given to
the local hospital. Her net was thrown
in a basement where it rotted. When it
was returned to her it was less than
useless.

Mrs. Grey holds no grudge towards

anyone. She says....“maybe next
year, | find some more net some-
place...’ She lost her net because it

was longer than a stipulated length —
another Fisheries restriction. Mr.
Connor explained the imposition of
this restriction this way — ‘Ten fath-
oms of net will catch plenty of fish for
one man, one family. No one family
can possibly use all the fish which a
longer net would catch.’’ Donna
Tyndall, Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs’
staff, pointed out to Mr. Connor that
he was making the same old mistake of
judging our people by the White Man's
standards. ‘‘When an {ndian catches
game or fish, he shares with everyone.
The Indian wastes nothing. Generosity
is our way of life. If there is someone
in the village who cannot fish, they
receive the bounty of another man’s
net. You, Mr. Connor, believe that if
an Indian has more fish than he needs
for his personal use, he immediately
behaves in true “civilized’’ pattern and
rushes to bootleg his extra catch.
“Don’t judge us by your standards.”

Mr. Connor explained that this restric-
tion was placed with the consent of a
“good cross-section” of the Indian
people involved. (What!) When asked
many questions on this laughable
statement, including the obvious one
as to why so many people would
violate a restriction which they had
consented to, he was forced to admit
that he had taken the word of his Fish
Wardens that this ‘cross-section opin-
ion” had been given. In actuality,
about two people had consented to it.
So Mr. Connor was forced to admit
that the restriction should never have
been set down. Donna Tyndall of the
Union then asked what would now
happen to those people who have been
charged and fined and have lost their

nets. Would restitution be made? The
answer is a classic — No, the law was
broken. Whether it was a good law or
not, it was still THE LAW.

Through an investigation instigated by
the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs and
conducted by T.F. Rothery, indian
Affairs, Vancouver, B.C., it was un-
covered that the much-despised ‘’Fish-
eries shack’’ at Moricetown Canyon
was built and occupied without any
legal authorization. No lease had ever
been taken out, and consequently, as
Mr. Connor had to admit, Fisheries
had no right to occupy this shack. It
was suggested by a Union of B.C.
Indian Chiefs’ staff member that a
member of the Moricetown band, pres-
ently living in a converted bus with his
wife and three children, should move
into the Fisheries hut. Mr. Connor said
that he could do nothing to prevent
sucn an occurence.

“STANDING TALL”

| look to the fading forest
Once standing tall

Aged by a century

Now growing small

| look to the Indian
Once standing tall
Aged by a century
Just learning to crawl

| look to the growing forest
Now growing small

Seeing a century ahead

To make them again so tall

| look to the once proud Indian
And see a century ahead

As a beginning for brothers all
To stand again so proud and tall

Once again with forest tall

Little Indian baby in cradle

Will rock but never-fall

With a mighty forest standing tall

Once again, brothers, hear the call

Of the mighty Indian warrior standing
tall

And hand in hand, we as brothers
walk,

Big and strong as the mighty mountain
rock

— Ronald M. Coombes

Kwakgewlth Chieftain James King

CONVENTION ISSUE OF
“UNITY”

The 2nd Annual Conference of the
Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs was held
in the Hotel Vancouver from Novem-
ber 16th to November 21st, 1970.

Vancouver and the Hotel Vancouver
were chosen as locations by the plann-
ing committee headed by Mr. Wesley
Modeste, Conference Co-Ordinator. It
was felt that publicity was essential to
our organization at this time. A new
organization striving to gain recogni-
tion and support must: make the public
aware of its existence and the reasons
for its existence. The importance of
publicity made Vancouver the im-
mediate logical choice as the Conven-
tion site because the news media are
naturally all headquartered in B.C.
largest population centre.

Consideration was then given to the
idea of having all delegates ‘‘under one
roof” which would facilitate matters
as far as the meetings were concerned.
Another important aspect was that we
have our meetings in surroundings
which would demonstrate that we are,
in fact, and not just in theory first-
class citizens.

This we proved.....

SECOND ANNUAL A ALL-CHIEFS’ x

: “Report — fad! to “have
‘Report. due 1G break: “in at.

“A Word of Wisdom to the Indian’’!

Let Us Not Look Back in Anger,
Nor Forward in Fear,
But Around in Awareness.

Today, | Am
As An Indian, | Can
Become Aware, | will

by Ronald Coombes

COMMENT

Reproduction of
Jack Wasserman Column
Vancouver Sun

‘NEWS. TO ME
bia. government
“Canada: First’
struction . jobs:

the government ‘this past dahon

the 3.1 miles of roadwork’ and bridges os

the Upper Levels ftom Cypress. Cro

Horseshoe Bay. contain a clause ’ hat. ob.
servers of: the construction trgfe have.
never noted before. “‘Contractofs are eli-..

gible,” . according: to the tegder form,
“re at the time the contrag is‘ entered

Canada, -or, if the contracfor was a cor-
f one near

poration, it was, for ape
immediately prior ‘to. ‘ha

rated and carrying on bfisiness in Cana: .
da, or the owners. qf a majority. of
shares of ‘such. corporftion were, resi-.
dent for a period of ope year immedi- ty

ately prior te incorpordtion in Canada.”
If the’ protectionist polify was

fied it’s now too little} and far too late, ‘ i

since’ virtually . every | maj
struction firm, with a fo
exceptions, are’ U.S; dwned,

been for long enough to qualify under

the provincial requirembnt. It’s alm
ease. of protecting the ‘j
are -here from. the ones \

sd come in. ‘ ‘

» ako. nad to tists toc
vie musicians who write.
ongs can attest. Possibly -

a few more souls ventur
uwnh to Georgia SI ect, th

- BY THE SEE — Probably the © ple

‘ prOst. significant aspect of the recently d

concluded meetings of the Union of B.C. 4

held in the Hotel. Vancouver. Don’t hol-
ler “‘racist!"’: just yet. I don’t. claim

. to ‘be an -expert on Indian prob-
‘Jems, which. puts. me in the company of
about 22 million other Canadians, includ-

- Ing most Indians. But I’m qualified, by
may trade at least, to make some obser-
- vations: about what goes on at a major

hotel at convention time.

f Indian. Chiefs: at the Hotel: Vancouver. ot
“was: the: fact that the meetings were i

Tt was an educational experience both =

for the Indians and for the non-Indians -
“who happened to be. around the hotel
‘during the week long gathering. And it.
wasn’t without its traumas. In its ba-
‘roque way the Vancouver has to be a --
- symbol of the middle class way of life to
which many Indian activists want their
people to aspire, Let’s not get intoan |
argument. about why such symbols may
- be hardly worthy of aspiration, The fact
“is , that. there: were Indians. everywhere
you ‘looked . around the hotel’ for’ that
; oweek, ‘There were Indians in the restau- ~ +
fants’ andon the convention floor and in.
. ‘the ‘bars. It’s probable that there were
- more’ Indians concentrated in the up- -
~ town -area‘than at any time in Auodere oy
: Vancouver history. '

apparently.

tion. I might a

_ make . that

ence -peerin :

‘You'll have to take my word for. it : ee

i that ‘there were fewer untoward inci: |.
‘dents around the hotel district than dur- > ¢

convention of equivalent Wy

long experi-
lit rooms.
one’s con-

BOOK
REVIEW

The following is a brief, prepared by
several students and interested per-
sons, for presentation to the assembled
Chiefs at the Annual Conference of
the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs in
Vancouver.

Unfortunately, time ran out on the
Conference before this brief could be
presented and discussed.

ALAN FRY —
HOW A PEOPLE DIE

Alan Fry is the Superintendent of the
North Island Agency. He has been
employed by the Department of
Indian Affairs for fifteen years. Areas
he has worked in include Hazelton,
Yukon and Alert Bay. He has recently
put out a book entitled ‘‘How a People
Die”’.

Although this book is listed as being
fiction, there are too many paraliels
between the ficticious Indian vitlage in
it and a village on the Island where a
band was relocated within the last ten
years.

Some of the points that Fry seems to
point out in the book are:

1. Indtan people cannot help them-
selves possibly because of genetic
and cultural factors.

2. Indian homes are filled with stench
and filth.

3. Indian women are stupid and ig-
norant of the sex act; hence be-
cause of their ignorance, they tend
to be morally loose.

4. Indian women neglect their child-
ren,

5. Indian people are irresponsible.

6. Indian people have no pride.

7. Indian Affairs officials are so sensi-
tive to Indians needs that they face
an ‘‘agonizing dilemma” in helping
the Indians.

-8. The general condition of the Indian

people is that of a drunken stupor.

There is no cultural aspects of com-
munity life among the people pointed
out at all. The book shows no solution
to the problem chiefly due to the
ignorance of the part of the people. It
states “How can you help a people
who will not help themselves?’” The

whole tone of the book is racist in
nature. It is a slur against Indians in
general. It indicates in every way that
he is trying to excuse |.A.B’s failures
to the Indians.

On the basis of this book, Mr. Fry has
been asked by the Smithsonian In-
stitute to serve on the Stable of
Authors writing on North American
Indians.

Because of the nature of this book and
because of the drastic implications this
book represents we ask that:

1. Mr. Fry be asked to resign from his
position at |.A.B.

2. Mr. Fry donate half his royalties
from the sales of this book to the
Indians.

3. The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs
take a stand supporting this criti-
cism of Mr. Fry‘’s book.

Some quotes:

“How can a police officer enforce the
law among people who cannot appre-
ciate its values or understand its com-
plexities’’.

“How can an Indian Agent help a
people build a better life if they refuse
to take on the most elementary steps

to help themselves?”

He ends the book with this quote
referring to an “‘able-bodied”” young
man asking for assistance:

“You, you poor bastard never had any
to start with. You're nineteen and
you're dead already.” in reference to
pride.

PERSONAL TO MR. ALAN
FRY FROM THE EDITOR OF
THE “UNITY”

Dear Mr. Fry:

Thank you for your book. It must
be read and appreciated because for
the first time you have stripped away
your hypocritical facade and shown
your true feelings and judgements (and
those of most of your Department)
towards the Indian people. ! have, in
the past, had dealings with you in your
capacity as Superintendent of the
North Island Agency. Also | have
heard much about your administration
from my relatives and friends in the
small villages in the North Island area.
And so, your attitude has not gone
unnotice, but it is still refreshing to
have it brought out in the open. You
poor supercitious person, you are truly
deserving of the title ‘Indian Agent’,

Editors Note:

Our thanks to Mrs. Sharon Charles
for her fine review of Mr. Fry’s book
“How a people Die’. Unfortunately
space does not permit reproduction in
this issue.

3RD CONSULTATION ROUND!

It is hoped that each chief will be, at
present, meeting with his people and
discussing the B.C. Position Paper; the
Lands Claims Paper, prepared by E.
Davie Fulton; and the Proposed Con-
stitution and By-Laws of the UBCIC.
Then when the Consultation meeting
is held in his own district, each and
every chief wili be prepared to speak
on these matters for his people.

Chiefs of British Columbia — your task
is set out for you and you probably
will never have a more important one!

SCHEDULE OF
CONSULTATION ROUNDS

TEAM 1

January 8- 9 *Kamloops
January 12-13 Williams Lake
January 15-16 Prince George
January 18-19 “Fort St. John
January 22 - 23 *Lillooet

January 29-30 “Vernon (Kootenay-
Okanagan District
Council meeting
January 26 - 28)

TEAM 2
January 15-16 *Hazelton

Terrace — Prince
Rupert combined

January 19-20 *Bella Bella
January 26-27 Campbell River
February 4- 5°*Port Alberni
February 8- 9 Duncan
February 13 - 14*Sardis

“Confirmed

.
in

one
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INDIAN
EDUCATION

INDIAN EDUCATION

Whenever a group of Indian people get
together to talk about education two
topics always come up: boarding
homes and Indian counsellors. The
B.C. Native Indian Teachers Associa-
tion is studying both topics.

The Boarding Home study is an at-
tempt to find ways of improving the
Boarding Home program. Since it is
being done by native Indian teachers,
and since they will be collecting in-
formation from Indians throughout
B.C., a better understanding of the
program and some fresh ideas for im-
proving it should resujt. They intend
to talk with those who have chosen
not to be on the program, as well as
students who have. The more informa-
tion they can get, the better the results
of the study will be. If you have some
ideas, information or complaints about
the Boarding Home program, write to
Alvin) McKay, Chairman, Indian
Education Resources Center, Uni-
versity of B.C., Vancouver.

The second project is developing a
proposal for promoting the use of
more Indian liaison counsellors (often
called Home-School Coordinators),
providing a training program and de-
veloping better working conditions for
these Indian liaison counsellors, Any
ideas which you have will be appre-
ciated.

ito" INDIAN EDUCATION

RESOURCES CENTER
University of B. C.

Boarding Home Study

Introduction

At the first meeting of the B.C. Native
Indian Teachers Association in Sep-
tember, 1970, the following motion
was passed:

“That a committee of members be
appointed to look into the boarding
home problems throughout B.C.
and to recommend immediate ac-
tion.”

Since that time Resources center staff, .

particularly Janice Mathias and Alvin
McKay, and the committee members
(Richard Atleo, Bert McKay, Bob Ster-
ling, Angie Todd) have been gathering
background information to develop
more specific objectives and informa-
tion-gathering procedures for the
study. During the Center Council
meeting October 29 and 30, the back-
ground information was discussed. The
following is an explanation of the re-
sults of the preliminary work.

Objectives

The main objective is to find ways of
improving the Boarding Home Pro-
gram. This is the first time that a
group of Native Indian Teachers have
taken a coordinated look at the pro-
gram. It is hoped that the fresh ap-
proach they bring will result in a num-
ber of new ideas. The intention is to
look at those who have chosen not to
be on the program, as well as students
who have.

Method

1. Statistics

Collect information on numbers in-
volved in the program, a breakdown of
costs, reasons for being on the pro-
gram, areas from which students come
and areas where students are sent.

2. Interviews

Collect information through personal
interviews with Indian young people,
students, parents, boarding home par-
ents and boarding plan counsellors.
This information will include: deeper
analysis of reasons for involvement in
the program; types, cause and fre-
quencies of problems; and pin-pointing
successful situations and attempting to
find suggestions for improvements
from these situations. These interview
will be conducted on a fairly informal
basis by members of the B.C. Native
Indian Teachers Association through-
out the province. Already a number of
the teachers are involved with stu-
dents, parents groups, or Education
Committees in discussing the Boarding
Home program and it is expected they
will be able to collect a very accurate
picture of the attitudes of many indivi-
duals.

3. Cautions

Since some of the information § in-
volved in the study will be of a person-
al and private nature, the following
cautions will be followed.

a) Students have a right to taik or
not talk about their boarding
home situations. Some students
carry on only by forcing the
problems out of their minds.
Asking provocative questions
and dwelling on problems couid
result in the student giving up
and dropping out. We must
avoid hurting the student in this
way.

—

The right to participate or not
also belongs to the parents of
the tndian student, and the
boarding home parents. We must
respect this right.

4, Compilation and Reporting

The results of the study will be com-
piled and interpreted, and recommend-
ations will be produced under the
direction of the appointed committee
of the B.C.N.1.T.A. The emphasis will
be upon ideas which are feasible, and
on “plans for action’ rather than rec-
ommendations.

The expected completion date is April,
1971.

DIALOGUE

“DIALOGUE”

We have reprinted here a letter re-
ceived from the Honourable Jean
Chretien, Minister of Indian Affairs.
This letter answers several letters on
the matter of Educational Assistance
to Off-Reserve students, which was
previously being denied.

October 19, 1970

Mr. Bill Guerin,
Executive Director,

Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs,

6390 Crown Street,
Vancouver 13, British Columbia

Dear Mr. Guerin:

Members of my department, as well as
Indian people across Canada, have told
me that some Indian families, in the
process of becoming established in
centres off-reserves, need educational
assistance. Extra money may be need-
ed to pay for books and_ school
supplies and provide spending money
for senior students to take part fully in
the activities of their local school.

To help off-reserve families pay for
these items | have instituted a change
in the present educational assistance
policy of my department whereby
assistance can now be granted for
these purposes if the following condi-
tions are met:

(1)the parents request this assis-
tance;

(2)the need for assistance is estab-
lished;

(3)the assistance granted does not
duplicate a service provided by
other agencies.

Under this arrangement money can
now be provided for books and shcool
supplies and for an educationa allow-
ance for off-reserve students equiva-
lent to that now paid to those on-
reserve. This educatianal allowance
would be provided for students who
are enrolled in Grades IX to XIII or
who have passed their 14th birthday.

For students who live on the reserve
and who have to leave home for their
education, the present forms of educa-
tional assistance will continue.

Yours sincerely,
“JEAN CHRETIEN”

This assistance is available in this

manner:

Since the objective of the Department
is to assist Indian peaple to compete
on equal terms with all other Cana-
dians, the Minister has approved the
extension of educational assistance re-
lated to books, supplies and education
allowances to off-reserve students. Ed-
ucational assistance may be granted on
the basis of need at the request of the
parents to provide:

1. Funds for books and_ school
supplies.

2. The educational allowance
which is now paid to on-reserve
students to provide for transpor-
tation to school, miscellaneous
and personal supplies and to en-
able the student to participate in
school acitivities. This allowance
may be provided to students in
grades 9 to 13 or aged 14 years
or over.

The bases upon which such assistance
may be granted are:

1. There is no duplication of the
services provided by other agen-
cies.

2. The need for assistance is estab-
lished.

Applications should be sent to the
nearest District Office.

Education Allowance

a) $10.00 per month may be provided
to students in Grades 9 to 13 or
aged between 14 and 17 years, who
are attending off-reserve provincial
schools full-time while living on a
reserve.

—

$20.00 per month may be provided
to students aged 18 years and over
attending off-reserve provincial

schools full-time while living on a
reserve, and who are enrolled in
grades up to and including Grade
13. As the Youth Allowance ter-
minates at age 18, the increased
amount for this age group is intend-
ed to replace the Youth Allowance.

LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR

Dear Miss Tyndail:

Thank you for the courtesy of
supplying me with a copy of the first
issue of the Unity Bulletin.

You are to be congratulated on this
effort and | wish you every success.

Walter Dinsdale, P.C., M.P.,
Brandon-Souris, Manitoba

November 12, 1970

Dear Sirs:

| am attaching a cheque in the
amount of $3.00 for a one year sub-
scription to your magazine “Unity”.
This magazine ts an excellent means of
keeping those of us who are interested
in the progress of our people informed
on the “latest’’,

Since the Union (of B.C. Indian
Chiefs) is the voice of the B.C. Indians,
it deserves the support of every Indian
in B.C. It has mine.

(Mrs.} Joan L. Cranmer
November 26, 1970

Dear Miss Tyndal,

| read with great interest the first
issue of “Unity’’ and | should tike to
commend you on such an excellent
beginning to what | am sure will be-
come a_ strengthening instrument
among the Indian people of this prov-
ince.

| should very much like to be in-
cluded on your mailing list — 1 should
also like to have the first issue, as |
borrowed it from Bill McKay in Green-
ville, and left it there. Enclosed is my
cheque for $10.00 — will this do for a
year’s subscription?

All good wishes to this project.
Douglas W. Hambidge
Bishop of Caledonia
December 3, 1970

Dear Miss Tyndall:

Please congratulate all concerned,
they have produced a first-rate journal.
Fhe design and layout is most pleasing,
making the text easy to read. | am
most pleased to have received a copy.

| don’t know what costs may be
involved, but | would suggest that
pictures of the executive and staff be
included in a future copy. | suggest
this because while each staff member
was introduced and a resume given, a
picture of each individual would have
perhaps personalized the presentation
even more.

The information contained in the
pages is good and readable. Further-
more, the issues are topical and rele-
vant. The tenure of the presentations
indicates that the Union of B.C. Chiefs
are “‘no one’s Indians’. Indeed, the
message is clear and concise that
Union of B.C. Chiefs are responsible

only to its membership and not to any .

government or governmental agency.

Perhaps, in time and if enough
people read the publication, many
presently uninformed people will learn
to understand the meaning of paternal-
ism and tokenism. Once having learned
this, people of good will who are
honestly concerned for the self deter-
mination and dignity of Indian people
will avoid being trapped into support-
ing tokenism and paternalism in any
form.

J.E. Cooper
Director of Adult Education
October 28, 1970

Note:

Thank you sincerely everyone who
took the time to write to us about the
initial issue of the “Unity” bulletin.
The comments were all complimentary
and very much appreciated.

Donna Tyndall

CONGRATULATIONS

On the second day of the Union of
B.C. Indian Chiefs Convention, the
North West Island delegation, led by
their Chief Councillor Cliff Hamilton
and his alternate George Watts, made a
presentation to the Union of B.C.
Indian Chiefs which consisted of a
brief but definite statement of con-
fidence for the Union of B.C, Indian
Chiefs, and an envelope containing
$2,500. Such an overwhelming show
of support must be applauded by
every member of the Union. The
Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs can do
only as much as you, its members will
allow it to do,

At the banquet on Friday night
November 20th, Chief Dennis
Alphonse presented $750 on behalf of
the Cowichan Band.

Congratulations to these two

groups for their wonderful moral and
tangible shows of support!

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U.B.C.LC. STAFF

ADAM ENEAS DONNA TYNDALL WILLIAM N. GUERIN MARION HAMILTON WES MODESTE
Communications Director Publications Director Executive Director Executive Secretary Conference Co-ordinator

GEORGE SADDLEMAN TIM SPINKS . CLARENCE PENNIER LEN MARACLE MYPRUS JAMES

Accountant Community Development Accountant : Fund Raiser Health Liaison Co-ordinator
Director

MAJORIE PERCIVAL NANCY MICHEL DARLENE TIMMONS MARIO de CERDA
Recording Secretary Clerk Office Receptionist Volunteer Worker

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