Nesika: The Voice of B.C. Indians -- Vol. 2 No. 9 (September 1973)

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of undeliverable, please return to Union of B.C. tndian Chiefs,
: 2140 West 12th. Avenue, Vancouver 9,B.C.,Canada

THE VOICE OF B.C. INDIANS

(Chinook meaning “US”)

POSTAGE PAID IN VANCOUVER.— 2nd CLASS MAIL REG. No, 3025.

FISHING DEMONSTRATION for native rights
proceeds with traditional weir and spears. Weir was
built to specifications across Cowichan River section
of the Quamichan Indian reserve off Duncan. It is

EL 18
.

FISHING DEMONSTRATION WITH TRADITIONAL WEIR
is ,

Oe
the first built since 1936, and reportedly “the best

Vol. 2, No. 9

seen in the Cowichan valley” since. The
demonstration — subject of controversy between
the Cowichan Band council and the _ leaders story in page 2.

September, 1973-

organzing the fish-in — started shakily, was judged
satisfactory by spokesman Gordon Elliot, and has
also provided weir for the fall salmon catch. See full

(Photo by G. McKevitt)

OTTAWA — A confidential paper
on Indian and Eskimo land claims,
presented by Minister Jean
Chretien to the cabinet last April,
said it was clear that ‘the native
peopie had the right to use and
occupy the land and have lost it.”

“With that loss they were
deprived of an entire way of life,”’
the memorandum marked
“Secret” continued. ‘It is a loss of
use which is compensable rather
than an ownership which did not

‘exist in their terms. Adequate
compensation would involve a way
of enabling them to create for
themselves a suitable substitute
for the way of life which is now
gone — a substitution which would
fit into their cultural heritage and
the larger society as well.”

The memorandum was one of
confidential documents reported
stolen from the department of
Indian Affairs about early Sep-
tember, and the loss is being linked
with the demonstration staged at
that time of the Native Youth
Association.

Settlement through legislation or
by reference to the Canadian
Supreme Court was ruled out in
favor of negotiations, as has been
started with the Yukon Indians.

The memorandum noted that the
Alaska type of settlement was
preferred by the native peoples,
and cited two other means of
settlement: ;

“NATIVE PEOPLE HAD RIGHT TO USE AND OCCUPY THE LAND”

1. Creation of a claims com-

‘mission as in the U.S. If payment

were made to the 280,000 Indians
and Eskimos through the -com-
mission, the cost would be about
$2.5 billion.

2. Payment of a lump sum on per

capita — say $10,000 or $11,000 per
person in cash, land or other
benefits — the cost would reach
several billion dollars.

In B.C. and in the Yukon alone,
settlement would cost more than
$600 million and more than 26
million acres.

Cabinet was warned that the
government’s announced intention
to negotiate ‘might easily be
exploited by militant elements,
with potentially far-reaching
emotional effect” if there is any
undue delay or follow-through to
negotiate.

The memorandum cited ‘some
signs of growing militancy among

small groups and it is not
impossible to imagine a growth of
demonstrations, sit-ins, and even

-violence.”’

A case was that of Manitoba
Indian bands who said on March
15, 1973, they would occupy ‘‘some
380,000 acres of Provincial Crown

and which they claim should be

VANCOUVER — The president
of the B.C. Native Women’s
Society, commenting on a recent
Supreme Court decision, said that
a five-year trial period should be
required before women lose or gain
Indian status.

Mildred Gottfriedson said that
when an Indian woman marries a
non-Indian, she should have the
right to choose between her
husband’s status or her own Indian
status.

Similarly, before a non-Indian
woman who marries an Indian is
allowed Indian status, she must go
through a five-year trial period to
prove her sincerity about
becoming an Indian.

In a 5-4 decision the Canadian
Supreme Court recently reversed a
lower court judgment which

reinstated Indian status to two
Indian women who had married
non-Indians, Yvonne Bedard and
Jeanette Lavell.

DISCRIMINATORY SECTIONS
Speaking through Mr.. Justice
Roland Ritchie, the high court
ruled that although status sections
of the Indian Act discriminate
against women, the Act is not
made inoperative by the Canadian
Bill of Rights. :

Mrs. Gottfriedson also said that
she opposes granting native status
to a non-Indian male, even if a
mixed marriage succeeds.

On the other hand, if it fails, she
said, Indian women suffer “serious
problems’’.

“Here they’ve lost their Indian

-Status,” said the B.C. native

women’s. leader, ‘‘and they’re not
-even fully recognized by white
society.”’

NATIVE HUSBANDS

As to non-Indian women who
marry Indian men, Mrs. Gott-
friedson explained that ‘‘too
many” abandon or divorce their
native husbands after gaining
privileges that come out of Indian
status.

The BCNWS president said that
such privileges include a share in
an Indian Band’s funds, free
medical and hospitalization care,
and the right to live on the reserve.

Those who oppose granting
status to Indian women who marry
non-Indians have expressed the

Continued on Page 9
See: INDIAN ORGANIZATION

theirs to bring land holdings up to
parity with other treaties. At the
time land was first selected, they
were entitled to 2,939 acres more
than they took. There is now a
dispute as to how to calculate their
remaining entitlement after ‘a
lapse of nearly fifty years.”

A “complex question” is who
would be eligible for com-
pensation; the memorandum said
there was. no difficulty in iden-
tifying Eskimo claimants but
Indian status is a problem.

“In the provinces, claims will be
pressed by registered Indians who
are unlikely to support claims of
non-status people,” the memo
added.

Present federal expenditures on
Indians and Inuits were also made
known to the cabinet:

1. Reserve land and ineome
earned on reserves are exempt
from taxes. Indian people living on
reserves do not pay sales taxes in
some provinces.

2. Services include ‘‘normal
Federal including family
allowances, Old Age pensions and
so forth’’ available to other
Canadians.

3. Expenditures on behalf of
Indians and Inuits were about-$175
million. in 1968/69; appropriations
will be over $500 million with
cumulative expenditures of over
$2.3 billion over the next five years.

Page Two

ERE IR aR
SALMON BARBECUE rou

protest. It was held in front of an old horse barn
headquarters

that served as

nd of

f the final day of

for fishing

N ES § KA

demonstrators. Since the main salmon run had not
started yet, only half of the fish used were harvested
from the weir. The rest was-donated by Cowichan

By G. McKEVITT
We stood in the light drizzle, that
intermittently turned to a down-
pour, eating our barbecued salmon
and potato salad. There was the old
umbrella, but, otherwise, no one
seemed to mind the rain too much.

Behind us the old, once neglected
horse barn had taken on new life
over the week of the Cowichan
fisheries demonstration. What
space in the barn that was not not
taken up by the kitchen help,
pushing out the steady stream of
tin plates full of food, was covered
by old mattresses and by other
evidence of campers that had
stayed throughout the week.

A radio somewhere in the back
blared out a steady stream of
country and western music. A huge
sign had been erected on the front

of the barn proclaiming the.

essence of the demonstration:
Salmon for Survival.

This was the scene on September
6, the final day of a week long
fishing protest staged by Cowichan
Band members and. friends on
their Quamichan Reserve.

The protest had been staged to
backup ‘demands for the right of
the Cowichan Band to fully sustain
themselves from fishing on .their
own-reserve., 2.8 wn

In a brief printed up by the
organizers the demands were
stated as follows:

1. The right of Indians to hunt and

fish for food on their land should be

unrestricted in time or place, and
without limit on the size of catch,
and without the requirement of any
sort of permit. /
2. All traditional methods of
fishing should be recognized as
legal.
3. Indian people should be given
the right and the means to manage
the natural resources on or flowing
through their lands.
4. Thesystem of requiring permits
for fishing should be abolished.
HATCHERY ON COWICHAN
The brief went on te explain how
the demands related specifically to
the Cowichan Band:
i. Thesystem of requiring permits

’ should be done away with.

THERE WAS THIS OTHER PROBLEM—

2. The Cowichan Indians should be:

permitted to fish for food with
weirs, spears, gaffs, dipnets, and
larger. nets, both staked and
drifting, at-all-times of the year
and week. o gal « :

3. There should be a hatchery built
on the Cowichan River to be
operated by the Cowichan people,
to assure the supply of salmon and
to provide employment.

GRADUAL BUT STEADY
Unlike many demonstrations,

this was not really touched off by

any single event, but was the
culmination of what the organizers
felt as a gradual, steady erosion of
native rights over the years.

According to. one of the
organizers and chief spokesman
for the group, Gordon Elliott, he
has been tossing the idea around.
for nearly four years. The first
official proposal to council called a
general meeting at which the
demonstration was over-
whelmingly supported by the vote.
The council stipulated after this
meeting that the protest should
have a limit of three days.

Four days later at a special
meeting called by the council, a
postponement of a month was
requested to give them time to
make formal submissions to the

government first. This was the

parting of the ways between the
protest organizers and the council.

BAND MEMBERS’ WISHES

Gordon Elliott explained -their
objections to the  council’s
stipulations. ~

“First of all a demonstration of
three days would be absolutely
ineffectual. The fisheries officials
would just bide their time and
ignore us knowing how long it was
going to be, and then we would be
right back where we started with
nothing accomplished.

“Secondly, ina general meeting,
we were wholeheartedly supported
by a band vote to go ahead with the
demonstration, and we don’t think
the council has the right to change
or go against the wishes of the band
members,” Elliott said.

Elliott added that if the
demonstration was delayed a
month, by the time the planned

Band members farther downriver. Minister Jack
Davis had been invited to attend, but the minister
refused to attend and join “lawbreakers,”’

ee oe

(Photos by G. MeKevitt) _

weir was built the fall salmon run
would be almost over.

REPORTERS’ FEARS

The Cowichan. Band-. Council
consequently withdrew their
support, but a camp was prepared
and the demonstration went on as
planned. On August 29 a small

.group, mostly young native In-

dians, gathered at the campsite
along with what seemed like an
equal number of reporters for the
official beginning of the. protest.

It was a lovely warm summer
day; the camp had an almost lazy’
picnic atmosphere, but ‘the.
reporters were sure that this was
the biginning of Canada’s own
racial riots. :

“Elliott patiently fielded
questions such as: ‘‘Were you
inspired by Wounded Knee?” and
“Would you call yourself a militant
or a radical?”

Later, stores in the dailies talked
about unsmiling Indians insolently
cleaning their fingernails with
machetes.

CHALLENGE DEPARTMENT

Elliott explained that he really
did not think “‘a Wounded Knee”
could happen in Canada at present.
He pointed out what he and the
other organizers, Larry Seymour
and Joe Sylvester, had in mind.
Through the protest, he said, and
through the building of a sup-
posedly outlawed weir,.they hoped
to challenge the Department of
Fisheries to prove the illegality of
their actions.

By doing so, Elliott, said, they
hoped to put an end to the many
restrictions and the resultant
harrassment by fisheries officials
that had made it impossible for
band members to even come close
to catching enough fish for- their
domestic needs.

As to the depletion of salmon in
recent years, he said that the two
main reasons for this was that
logging operations destroyed many
of the spawning beds and channels,
and that commercial over-fishing
had seriously cut down spawning
salmon: If a fish hatchery were
approved for the band, he said, it
would remedy this problem.

Elliott said also that he saw the

Continued on Page 12
_ See: POLICE, FISH

QUESNEL (Staff) — The Nazko
Indian Band has asked the B.C.
government for a moratorium on
development in the area, and for
respect of the native title to the
land even if the government is not
prepared to negotiate its surren-
der. 3
In a letter to Premier Dave
Barrett in mid-June, the band
wrote: ‘‘We seek time to prepare
ourselves and our case, and to
identify our own uses of the area,
and to firmly establish our people
with an economic base before our
country is deceimated by
operations which we see as only
detrimental to us and our way of
life. .

“, .We- demand that our
dependency upon the environment
be recognized,’

Signed by band chief Catherine
Patrick and administrator-and-
councillor Dennis Patrick, the
letter to Barrett warned that the
band is “prepared to agitate for
our rights and our future.”

The band wrote that they learned
about plans of the B.C. Forest
Service to sell timber in the Nazko
area and the upper Blackwater
drainage area from the B.C.

Gazette.

A TRUE WILDERNESS

In a brief addressed to Barrett,
Resources Minister Bob Williams,
Recreation and Conservation
Minister Jack Radford, and former
Minister without Portfolio Frank
Calder, a committee, concerned
with commercial, recreation,

-social, and environmental
developments in the northwest
Cariboo, described the Blackwater
drainage area thus:

It is “‘an extensive wilderness
area situated west of the Fraser
River and east of the Itcha
Mountains. It includes such
relatively untouched rivers as the
Blackwater (Westroad) itself, the
Baezeko, the Coglistiko, and the
Nazko. These rivers flow through
the untamed heartland of the
Fraser Plateau.

“The area contains ap-
proximately 3,200 square miles -of
semi-wilderness, ranging from the
towering mountains of the Itcha
Range to flat plateaus, spotted by
countless lakes and arteried with
pristine streams. and rivulets.
Game abounds within this area:
Caribou, Moose, Deer, Grizzly and
Black Bears, Wolves, and a
multitude of small game. It is one
of the prime areas of potential for
trapping, as well as an already
productive big-game hunting area.

MAJOR. ECONOMIC FACTOR

“Many. of the lakes and rivers
have hardly been seen by men. It is

true wilderness, and yet it is not-

‘unproductive. Many guide and
outfitting companies are supported
by the game. These companies,
alone, bring revenue to the
province and locality which is
considerable. But more, the area
has a history of a hundred years of
trapping, and now, with the for-
mation of the Native Trappers
Association, the harvesting of furs
_ will become a major factor in the
economics not only of the local
people, but also of the entire north-
west Cariboo.

“Within the same area there are
numerous ranches which have
blended their operations into
harmony with the environment. It
was only forty years ago that the
“Home Ranch,’’ made famous ...
by Rich Hobson ... was carved out
of the numerous meadows of the
plateau. Today, there are many of
these wilderness ranches dotted
along the productive river bot-
toms. These ranches are also an
integral part of the economy and
life of fhe Cariboo.

“Throughout the western states
the Blackwater and Nazko area is

known as “‘frontier” country. More:

Asks

enjoy this last accessible
wilderness. More people from the
lower mainland are realizing that
there is, in the centre of their
province, less than a day’s drive
from home, a prime area for
relaxing, hunting, fishing, and
enjoying a true and totally dif-
ferent life style.”

The brief stated that logging
roads and logging operations
would threaten all these.

FALLACIOUS ARGUMENTS

The committee rejected the
“fallacious arguments by forestry
officials in defence of the logging
companies’? of which the
“strongest point has been that the

‘timber is ‘overmature’.”’

The committee said that these
arguments ‘‘do not stand under the
light of logic, nor of scientific
appraisal.” “ :

The committee pointed out that
“nature demands that all things
mature, disintegrate, and form the
basis of new life. Certainly, with
the woods, this is a long term
precess, yet the thin blanket which
gives life — soil — is the long term
result of. the over-mature timber,
falling and decaying.

“Tf we remove this timber, there
is inevitable erosion, but — what is
more important — there is no
nutrient basis for regrowth over
extended long periods. The next
generation of trees will grow, and
remove more nutrient, but what of
the next after that? In this area
there is only a thin layer of humus
soil. Do we dare deplete this
unrecognized resource?” .
NATIVE PEOPLE LOSE ALL

Losses, stated the brief, are
considerable: loss of aesthetic
beauty, of spawning grounds for
salmon, of tourist potential, of
ranch development potential,
hunting and. trapping potential, of
the frontier itself; the native
people stand to lose all potential.

On the effects on native people,
the brief said: ‘Where we have a
deep interest in the area, the native
people have a multiple interest
through aboriginal title and vested
interest.

“The — entire Blackwater
Drainage area, with minimal
exceptions, is under. Indian
trapline licenses. Any logging, any

—NAZKO INDIAN BAND TO FIGHT FOR RIGHTS

C. to respect native title

and more tourists are coming to

road which affects the area will
affect the Indian people and their
trapping industry. .
“These Indian trappers have this
year formed an. association to
improve their trapping and raise
their standard of living. It is
conceivable that the local trapping
industry may. become prosperous
through the proper harvesting and
management of the traplines.

PRIME INCOME SOURCE
“The native interest also extends

to the big game animals. Not only

are the native people dependent
upon the wild game for sustenance,
but many of them are involved in
the guiding business, which is a
primary source of income for
them.

“Tn fishing also the native people
have a traditional and living right
to the use of river bottoms and of
lakes of the area for fishing, which
would be threatened by the in-
troduction of logging operations.”

Consideration should also’ be
given, the brief continued, to the
sociological and psychological
impact of logging.

The brief observed: ‘Certainly,
with their cultural and social
structures already being assailed
from without, any new impact that
is il advised may have devastating
results. There are many examples
even’ in recent times of the
irreparable damage done fo the
native community and individuals
when indiscriminate developments
occurred without due con-
sideration of and discussion with
the Indian people.”

SIMILAR TO JAMES BAY

The UBCIC community
development worker in the area,
Brendan Kennedy, likened. the
exploitation move in the Black-
water area to the James Bay
situation in Quebec.

Kennedy cited the following
likenesses: : >

1. Both — Blackwater and James
Bay — are affected by proposed

* developments.

2. Title to the land in both areas
is in dispute.

3. Ecological inter-systems of
both areas will be affected, and the
native people have been and are
dependent upon the natural
balance of these systems for their
sustenance, social and

psychological

existence, and
developing economy.

4. Short term economics in both
cases are trying to prevail over
human beings and over long range
local development.

5. Though developers maintain
that the native people could benefit
from their plans, the native
peoples’ rights and desires have
not been properly sought nor fully
appreciated.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

Kennedy said that in -the past
four. years of working with the
Carrier Bands in the Blackwater
area, he has met individuals who
have lost land traditionally. owned
by band members, but not within
the reserve, and many are asking
how to get more land for them-
selves and future generations.

Kennedy also cited the need to
protect. historic and ar-
chaeologically. productive _ sites,

and identifying and protecting |

grave sites. He said, for example,
the Quesnel golf course is “laid out
upon the graves of Carrier people’’
and that widening the Nazko road
will cover an old graveyard.

The brief proposed preserving
the Blackwater Drainage area as a
“Hmited development area.” As
such, development will be ‘‘har-
monious with the needs and uses of
the local population, of least effect
to the ecological balance, both’

natural and human,’’ and
“preserve the ‘wilderness at-
mosphere’ ...”” -

Included in the brief is a

statement by D. Kenneth McRae
who, reporting on a meeting bet-
ween local citizens and the B.C.
Forest Service, said:

FORESTRY DEPT. PROTECTS
INDUSTRY, NOT FORESTS

“In gerieral we found that the
forestry officials ere protecting the
industry, and not seriously con-
cerned with the protection of the
resource with which they are
charged.

“Their argumentation was
fallacious and illogical, and often
contradictory. If this is the caliber

of the people who are protecting .

our forests, we feel that we cannot
be too strong in voicing our
opinions.”

On the question of protecting
lakes and stream banks, the

lungo

VICTORIA — The chairman of
the board of trustees has an-
nounced the following recipients of
the Mungo Martin Memorial
Award for 1973:

Thomas Joseph Jr.; Nitinaht,
artist, $300. :

John Matilpi, Turnour Island,
artist, $100.

Ardyth Cooper, Sooke, student,
$70.

Vernon Morrison, Hazelton,
Industrial Education, $70. e @

Dexter. Morgan,
BCIT, $70.

Moses H. Johnson, Gitlakdamix,
carpentry, $70.

Evelyn James, Mamailillikulla,
student, $70.

In addition Chairman Harriett
E.A. Esselmont said that Tales
from the Longhouse will be sent to
the chief of the band of each
awardee.

Royalties from the sale of the
book, written by Indian children of
B.C., go to the Mungo Martin
Memorial Award Fund.

The awards are made to people
of Indian racial background to go
on with their education, vocational
training, skills and competence in
arts, handicrafts, and other worthy
activities. Preference are given to
young people.

Candidates must be residing in
B.C. at the time of application.

art

Kitwanga, ~

in memorial awards to 7

They may apply by mail at any
time to:

The Board of Trustees

Mungo Martin Memorial Award
Fund ‘

c/o Mrs. H. Esselmont, chair-
man

3190 Rutledge St.

Victoria, B.C.

Applications are considered at
period meetings of the board,
usually held early in the year and
late in summer every year.

Funds for the memorial awards
are raised by public subscription
under the sponsorship of the B.C.
Indian Arts and Welfare Society.

The awards commemorate the
late Kwakiutl. chief, artist,
philosopher and carver, who
contributed a lot to the revival of
appreciation of Indian art and
traditions of the Northwest Coast;
his efforts won renown far beyond
the boundaries of the coast.

Defense department owe more
_ than $10,000 to Masset Band

MASSET — The Department of
National Defense owes at least
$10,000 to the Masset Indian Band,
according to Chief Bruce Brown.

.Chief Brown — who recently
tangled with the Department of
Transport over failure of the latter
to build a drawbridge following an
agreement in 1912 — said the
defense department owes his band
interest as well.

The bone of contention with
defense is a power line built
through the reserve in 1943, and
dismantled about three years ago.

The band chief said the line
prevented proper standards to be

followed in the planning of their
village. The result is a one-and-a-
half mile string of houses.

This arrangement ‘‘made it awk-
ward to install our water and sewer
systems,”’ said Chief Brown.

What action to take against the
department, however, is yet to be
decided.

The band’s dispute with the
transport department, meanwhile,
is at a standstill; Chief Brown said
he suspects that the department
won’t be making any moves.

The band had threatened to take
legal action.

forestry officials informed the
people that mature timber would
be harvested wherever it was

_found, and McRae commented,

“We are deeply concerned and
appalled that the water systems
should still be so lightly regarded.”

Yukon Indians
find gophers
very useful

WHITEHORSE, Y.T. — The
Kluane Indian Indian Band is
protesting target shooting in the
Duke Meadow area, and has asked -
the Game Branch to erect a
prohibition sign.

In a letter to the Game Branch
the Band attached a resolution
passed in order to protect hunting
rights and, particularly, to stop the
poisoining and unnecessary
shooting of gophers in the area.

THAT, we, the members of the

Kluane Indian Band, are op-

posed to the unnecessary

shooting of small rodents; such
as gophers in the Duke

Meadow area by target

shooters who make no use of

the animal, other than a means
of practice, and

THAT a sign be erected

prohibiting shooting in this

area, and

THAT this ban shall EX-

CLUDE the Indian people

themselves, as it is their food

and clothing, and

BE IT RESOLVED that the

Game Branch consult the

Kluane Indian Band before the

erection of this sign or any new

laws to insure that.our hunting
rights are not jeopardized, and

THAT. future poisoning of

gophers be prohibited.

In its letter to the Game Branch
members of the band council
wrote:

The council stated that members
of the band have hunted in the
Duke Meadow area as well as in
the airport area, but since the
airport was built mercury poison is
being used to kill small rodents.

“Neither the Department (of
Transport) nor your branch have
posted signs nor made information
public warning of the dangers
created by poisoning food animals
in this area,’’ the council said.

Medicine bundles
end up in Paris

CALGARY — A religious revival
among Indian youth has led to a
repossession movement of objects
held holy by native people.

These objects medicine
bundles — have been located
mostly in the hands of white men
and in a museum in Paris, ac-
cording to the Indian Education
Centre in Edmonton. The Centre is
documenting the whereabouts of
the bundles.

The medicine bundles, believed
to be sources of supernatural
powers, contain buffalo tongue,
beads, rattles, stones or animal
hides. -

In fear of younger people’s
abandonment of the old ways,
elder Indians turned over many of
their artifacts to museums for
safekeeping. ‘

The medicine bundles were
turned over with traditional
ceremonies, said a spokesman for
the provincial museum and ar-
chives in Edmonton.

Now leaders of the repossession
movement want these religious
objects returned.

Negotiations with museums and
private collectors, however, have
not been successful. Museums are
apparently reluctant to return the
bundles. One private collector
expressed fear that the bundles
will fall into disuse.

September, 1973

_By JUANITA UNDERWOOD

SAANICHTON — “To our many
friends and relatives, and
everyone concerned: We would
like to extend our thanks and ap-
preciation to everyone who helped
out at our recent loss. We thank
' you for your cards and flowers, and
words of comfort.”

These words are said on behalf of
the Paul and Cooper families, and
of Mr, and Mrs. John Cooper whose

Historic
indian name

WINDERMERE — The naming
of a lake to be formed behind the
Mica Dam as McNaughton Lake
has caused some concern to James
Chabot, MLA for Columbia River
district. /

Writing to Minister of Lands,
Forests and Water Resources Bob
Williams, Chabot said, ‘‘Your
renaming of this lake to Mc-
Naughton will forever destroy a
historical name in this district.’

- Kinbasket Lake, a few miles
behind the dam, said Chabot, was
named by a surveyor, Walter
Moberley, in 1866 in honor of Chief
Paul Kinbasket.

_ “It is an honored name which
should be preserved for posterity,”’
said the member of the legislature.

Chabot said that “Mr. Moberley
in his records stated that Mr. Kin-
basket was a good reliable Indian,
and that the old Chief was
delighted to have the lake named
after him.”

Chief Kinbasket had assisted
Moberley’s survey group down the
Columbia River.

The chief is also known to have
brought his people from the
Shuswap Lake area to settle in the
valley. He is honored throughout
the country near the upper reaches
of the river.

Chief Kinbasket had twin sons,
Charlie and Pierre. Pierre suc-
ceeded his father as chief of the
Shuswap Band; grandchildren of
Pierre live in the valley to this day.

Area council’s
land bid fails

MISSION CITY — City council
has refused the request of the Head
of the Lake Area Council to buy
land in this area because it is not
interested in land that will not
produce tax earnings for the In-
dians.

Keith Gladstone, area council
administrator, had asked council
for a meeting on the sale of about
30 acres to house about 150 persons
who are unable to find work on
their reserves — Skookumchuck,
Port Douglas, and Samahquam at
the head of Harrison Lake.

The area council hoped to ask
later that the land to be bought be
turned into a reserve, and thus
remove the burden of municipal
taxes while maintaining federal
grants to status Indians.

Indians who leave their reserves
forfeit these federal grants, ac-
cording to Gladstone.

The area council administrator
had written the city council that
“at present we are not ready for a
‘tax structured society and have to
rely heavily on funds acquired
from the Department of Indian
Affairs.”

City council, through: the ad-
ministration and planning com-
mittee, was not interested and
suggested another meeting
sometime. :

son, Scott, passed away.July 19,
1973 at age 20.

This year our girls have taken a
lively interest in being involved in
raising funds for their softball
club. Also working with the girls
are our Chief Louis Claxton and his
wife, Adeline.

To date they have had a car wash
held on a Saturday. This turned out
quite successfully.

During the softball tournament,
they opened a concession stall
organized by Ed Paul of the
Brentwood Bay Reserve. Again,
they were very successful.

A raffle for a ten-speed bike is.

on. So far the girls have sold quite a
few tickets. The draw was to have
been held during the Labor Day
weekend.

At this time the girls should be
praised and congratulated for their
efforts in keeping their club going.

NES TOK A

Our Student Summer Em-
ployment Program is going along
quite well this year under the
supervision of Tsawout Band
Manager Gus Underwood.

With the summer. employment
grant the program gives students
something to look forward to each
summer. They do not have to
worry about transportation to and
from. work as they work right here
on the reserve. And this good. ‘

Students are painting houses and
are doing a marvelous job. I feel
they are having fun doing so.
Anyway, there are no complaints.

And we can only hope that this
grant will continue in the years to
come.

* Ok

Douglas Underwood, 18 years,
was recently graduated from
Claremont Senior Secondary
School. :

Congratulations Doug!

Doug’s proud parents are George
and Gerri Underwood.

We, as parents, should give
thanks to a few band members on
this reserve for their effort and
interest in sports, and in keeping
our children occupied and busy.

Our first thanks should go to
Victor Underwood Sr. who, after
many years, of interest is still
active in the Canoe Club. The past
few years have been spent with the
Kloochman races.

Chief Louis Claxton and Norman
Underwood, councillor, for their
interest in keeping the Girl’s
Softball Club going for the past
couple of years. /

Dave ‘Gordy’? Underwood,
manager, and Norman Under-
wood, coach, for the Tsawout
Soccer Club. After a few years of
dedicated work, the soccer club
has come a long way. Thelma
Underwood, for feeding these boys
at the all-Indian tournament, and
for going on bottle drives for the
club.

Little do we realize how much
time and energy have been put into

Effective October ist, 1973,

You are eligibie for MINCOM E.

‘Page Five

these projects until you try it
yourself. The amount of money
spent on each team; the little
things that soon add up and we take

for granted.

Once again, from all of us to all
of you: Thank you! And our deep
appreciation for everything you.
have done for us and our families.

Travel grants given
to two B.C. groups

Two B.C. Indian youth groups
have received federal travel and
exchange grants. Six Indian
students and a group leader in
Bella Bella were given $1,724 for an
exchange program with a similar
group in Belleville, Ont., Aug. 30 to
Sept. 7.

A group of 18 young people and
two leaders from Squamish
received $3,200 for an exchange
between the group, and a similar
one from Caughnawaga, Que., July

.29 to Aug. 10.

If you are a resident of British Columbia, 60 years of age or over,
and your present monthly income from all sources is less than:

Single Person

Married couple both 60 years of age
or over ("Joint income)

Married couple with one member less
than 60 years of age (*Joint income)

The above income levels will also apply to those persons over 65
presently receiving Mincome.

Applicants under age 65 will be asked to complete a Needs Test
application form and to supply proof of age.

lf you think you may be eligible, mail your full name, full address
and phone number to:

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOU RCES

BOX 1330,
VICTORIA, B.C.

A staff member of the nearest local office representing the Depart-
ment of Human Resources will contact you as soon as possible.

Joint income refers to the income of both husband and wife. It includes
earnings, Unemployment Insurance, interest on bank accounts and

other assets, disability payments, superannuation, Canada Pension Plan,
or income from other social security sources.

The Government of British Columbia
Department of Human Resources.

Page Six

N ES IK A

B.C. IN

September, 1973

IAN COMMUNITIES

By G. McKEVITT

Walking through the village:
children playing everywhere;
people out talking in the sunshine;
not a sound of cars except that
ancient hulk that a teenager has
somehow revived in a shortlived
unmuffled thunder and driven,
with little success, over the tenth of
a mile of dirt that can be classified
as the village road. The old houses
at the mouth of the harbor,
decayed and tilted at an impossible
angle. The friendly nods and
helio’s.

And the boats — the jigsaw
collage of fishing boats of every
color and size that dominate the
small harbor on Ahousat’s
sheltered aspect. : ,

According to Band Manager
Edgar Charlie, most of the boats

would normally be out at this time’

of the year, if it were not for the
present high winds in the open
waters.

“Tn the surnmertime with fishing
and logging combined there are
very few men left in the village,”
said Charlie. .

DAY CARE CENTRE

In fact; in the summer, one ~

program the council has initiated
isa day care centre just to give the
ladies a chance for a rest from the
children, or to take the fifteen
minute flight into Tofino to shop.

Also to help out in the summer
are 15 students hired under an
Opportunities for Youth grant. The
program, now in its second year,
ranges from providing life-
guarding services to helping out
the elderly band members with
their shopping and house cleaning.

This program, in some ways,
carries on the duties of the winter
Local Initiatives Project also in
progress. The main purpose of this
program has been the demolishing
and removing of the many old

THREE SMALL band members play on the wharf
where some of the villages fishing boats are moored,
There are over 30 boats in the fleet which has been

vacant houses around the reserve.

The project, which the band is
presently trying to-extend to July,
has .been going since January.
Since that time they have removed
ten of the old houses creating more
room for new construction, as well
as getting rid of what the project
secretary, Phillip Louis, .termed
“eyesores”’.

SPECIAL NEEDS

Although summer has demands
of its own kind, winter and the
geography of Ahousat demand
their special needs. Ahousat is

PETER WEBSTER shows one of his carvings and
holds a book illustrating the MaQuinna Hat which
his wife, Jessie Webster, is in the process of weaving.

situated by itself on one of the
lonely string of islands south of
Tofino on the west coast of Van-
couver Island. Sometimes difficult
in the summer, in the winter, with
its frequent winds and storms,
access is cut off for days and weeks
at a time. ~

The most recent project to be
completed to meet the lonely needs
of winter is the new hardwood floor
in the gymnasium. The building
itself, a large laminated beam
structure, was completed six years
ago but the plywood floor soon
proved inadequate.

the main factor in keeping the band economically
independent. Usually at this time of year, most

Edgar Charlie: “We were a little
hesitant about putting this floor in
ourselves as none of the band
members had experience with this
type of work.” :

They decided to go ahead with
ripping up the old floor anyway,.
and after a short demonstration on
laying the maple planking by a
carpenter who happened to be on
the reserve doing some other work,
the new immaculate floor was the
result,

GOOD CARPENTERS

Much the same story was behind

the construction of the gym itself,

Both have been involved in teaching their skills at
the Day School on the reserve and will be teaching
thier native language to the students this winter.

: (Photo by G. McKevitt)

boats would be out, but because of bad weather the
village men have held off fishing for awhile.

(Photo by G. McK evitt)

in which the band carpenters had
to feel their way through.

“Show an Indian how to do
something’ once and he never
forgets,” said Charlie. ,

The Band has a surplus of good
carpenters as can be seen, and
handle all the home construction
for the 400 people now living in the
village. They will also handle the
latest project.

Across the narrow dirt road from
the gym lies the foundation for the
Cultural Centre. From the First
Citizens Fund $28,000 has
beenhawarded for building
materials. The first floor of the 60
ft. by 38 ft. building will contain a
recreation area, counselling room,
office space for recreation co-
ordinator Francis Charlie, an
office for the welfare ad-
ministrator, Ernest Campbell, and
a new band office.

A TINY OFFICE

All three are presently using a
tiny office on the balcony floor of
the gymnasium. The balcony is
also the scene for the twice weekly
feature films brought in by council
for the band members en-
tertainment. °

The second floor of the new
Cultural Centre will contain a
library, an arts and crafts room!
another recreation area, a tape
library, recording room, and a
classroom. :

There has also been some
thought to including a craft shop in
the complex. This seemed a
sirange idea at first, considering
the relative difficulty of getting to
the village. Apparently, however,
quite a large number of tourists
come by during the summer, and
at present there is no central
location for selling the artwork and
crafts they come in search of,

Continued on Page 8
See: AHOUSAT HAS

September, 1973.

PROFILES OF PROGRESS

Lake

By G. McKEVITT

The main reserve of the Lake
Babine Band is not, as might. be

assumed, on Lake Babine. Not, at

least, since 1960.

Three separate bands lived on
the shores of Babine Lake, a lake
105 miles long. Fort Babine is the
most northerly reserve, sitting at
the very tip of the lake. Travelling
approximately 25 miles south by
water, you would arrive at Old
Fort, and a further 15 miles would
take you to Topley Landing.

Today, Fort Babine and Old Fort
are still only accessible by water
while Topley Landing can be
reached by travelling 31 miles west
of Burns Lake to Topley, then 20
miles in from there:

Only about six families still live
on the lake, and the mine at
Granisle, halfway between Old
Fort and Topley Landing, is a big
incentive.

BURNS LAKE DEAL
But, the search for jobs brought

THE LAKE BABINE village at Burns Lake has
almost filled its five acres to capacity. The village
was built to accommodate the larger number of

most of the families to Burns Lake.
Here, some band members stayed
on the Burns Lake Band’s Reserve,
whith is as close to being part of
the town of Burns Lake without
actually being part of it, as is
possible.

The tiny Burns Lake Band,
probably feeling a little threatened
by the migration made a deal with
the newly. amalgamated Lake
Babine Band to sell them five acres
of their land on a hill behind the
town,

Today, after 13 years, this land is
filled to saturation point with Lake
Babine’s Village. The band has
tried to negotiate for the treed land
next to the reserve. But, according
to Band Manager Margaret
Patrick, the owners wanted a high
price, even though the land would
have to be drained and filled before
houses could be built on it.

Viewed as the best place, now,
for housing is Topley Landing.
Ironically, people are not only
moving back to Topley Landing

BAND CONSTABLE FRANK MACDONALD
The only constable in the area of Lake Babine.

‘the band’s students

NE SS A

because there is room for a house
there, but because there are jobs
available at the mines and logging
camps.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Providing employment for ten of
is a DIA
summer youth employment
program. They are involved in
cleaning and painting houses, and
doing odd jobs around the village.
Another project, this one on a
year round basis, is the building of
riverboats. Boat builders, one of
which is Leno Michel, who is also
the band supervisor for con-
struction of houses, are given

‘materials to build the boats by the

band. They are then sold in Burns
Lake for a price which is shared
between the band and the craft-
sman.,

On April 1st the band took over
its own housing program which has
helped a little to. ease the em-
ployment problem. Supervised by
Lloyd Unger, a non-Indian car-
penter from Burns Lake, seven
band members are involved in
building the houses.

But, the biggest project, to date,
has been the $81,000 recreation hall
— employing 13 band members
and funded by an LIP grant, the
First Citizens’ Fund, an Indian
Affairs Capital Grant and band
funds — which now overlooks the
village. Estimated to cost $101,000
in the beginning, the $81,000
already spent has almost brought
it to its finished stage.
KITCHEN, SIX ROOMS

It houses a regulation gym-
nasium with hardwoed floor, and a
kitchen with six adjoining rooms
which, when finished, will house
sewing classes, Indian dancing,
linguistics and legends,’a rumpus
room, and a library.

Winter evening adult education
classes have been held to teach
basic reading, writing and arith-
metic, but the council would like to
get this on a daily basis.

In November 1972, a group of the
town’s people got together — the
public health nurse, Chief Tibbetts
of the Burns Lake Reserve, doc-
tors, Marg Patrick, and others —
to discuss the situation of juvenile
delinquency and drop-outs.

One solution they decided to try
to get young (under 12) Indian and
non-Indian children together for

band members who are moving back to Burns Lake
for jobs. The flow is starting to change now,

summer recreation to try and
break down the prejudices on both
sides.

ANTI-PREJUDICE PROJECT

They call it “Bridge the Gap,”
and the First Citizens Fund gave
$21,000 for the full year program,
which is headed by Steve
Hayward, a UBC student.

Pat Williams, a young Babine
Lake band member, was turned
down last year in his bid to get a
similar project going for the 12 and
over age group. But this year First
Citizens Fund came up with $2,000
for the necessary equipment such
as canoes and sleeping bags.

The over eighteen age group has
to find its. own fun, but to see that
they don’t get into any trouble is
Band Constable Frank Mac-
Donald. He certainly can’t be
accused of favoritism, having
locked his own father up overnight
for bad behaviour!

Page Seven

Constable MacDonald, who is
‘still training, said that his role was
difficult at first, but now that the
people are used to him. things are
better.

HELP FOR CONSTABLE

He puts in an eight-hour day
from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., and must
cover Topley Landing about 50
miles away, a couple of days a
week,

Two improvements Constable -
MacDonald would like to see are:
radio equipment for his band-
owned patrol car, and perhaps a
helper. or two in the form of
auxiliary policemen.

‘Sometimes,’ he says, “‘it is
very hard when you're all alone.”’

The Babine Lake Band has many
problems due to its large
population, but because of this fact
it also seems to have the human
resources to solve them.

MARGARET PATRICK

Manager for the Lake Babine Indian Band.

however, with the growth of industry near their
traditional reserves on Lake Babine.

(Photo by G. MacKevitt)

o Page Eight ©

usat

Continued from Page 6

The Band has a number. of good
craftsmen including carver Peter
Webster and his wife. Jessie, a
basket weaver. Besides doing their
own work they have been teaching
their skills at the day school. They

“will also be involved in teaching
the native language through the
coming winter.
200 STUDENTS

In all, the village has over a
hundred students enrolled in
schools on the reserve at present,
as well as another hundred at-
tending off reserve. Besides the
kindergarten and nursery, the
village boasts of a large elemen-
tary school with grades one to
seven. A band member, Richard
Atleo, is the principal here.

The reserve also has an adult
education class taught by resident
Department of Manpower teacher,
Terry Shaw. The class provides an
upgrading course to give the
students the equivalent of grade
ten. In-its short history the class
has proven popular and successful,
and many would like to see it ex-
tended to provide junior
matriculation.

Squamish language

NORTH VANCOUVER — The
Catholic secondary school here is
offering the Squamish language as
an alternative to French in grades
8 and 9.

Two graduates from the Mission
Reserve of the Squamish Indian
Band, Vanessa Paull and Nancy
Williams, teach the native tongue
at St. Thomas Aquinas.

Assisting and supervising in-
struction is a teaching nun who
studied Squamish under 81-year-
old Louis Miranda.

Miranda has said, ‘‘It was
through the schools that we lost our
language, and through the church
that we lost our culture. ,

“They took them away from us,
and now they’re bringing them

ck.” :

According to the coordinator of
the B.C. Indian Language Project,
Randy Bouchard, among about 30
Indian languages in B.C.,
Squamish is nearly closest to being
wiped out.

Students of Miranda can read ,

and write but cannot yet speak
Squamish.

ERRATUM

The picture on the front page of
the August, 1973, issue of Nesika is
that of the tallest in the world
recently erected on Cormorant
Island. We apologize for omitting
the caption, and thus confusing it

with the pole carved in Kingston,’

Ontario. —Staff

ONE CS LRA

The main financial stay for
Ahousat has been, and continues to
be, the sea. The fishing fleet of over
30 boats provides solid em-
ployment for many of the band
members. But, with the heightened
tourist traffic due to the new
Pacific Rim National Park, the
band has been seriously con-
sidering development on one of its

“reserves closer to the park.

Its long range outlook, however,
still remains with the sea, and
hence the interest in the work
being dene by the Lummi. Indians
in Seattle, Washington. :

PLANS SEAFOOD PROJECT

The Lummis have been
forerunners in the relatively new
science of aquaculture and have
built up a multi-million dollar
complex for the controlled growing
of seafood of many varieties for
marketing. Band representatives
have been down twice to see the
operation.

“Tt’s amazing what they’ve
done,’’ .said. Band Manager
Charlie. “It’s completely run by
the Lummi Indians. We can’t do it
on sucha large scale as they’ve
done, but it seems to be a very
profitable business.”

The Lummis also run a school on
aquaculture primarily for native
Indians. The Ahousat Band plan to
enter members to get a definite
start toward developing the in-
dustry on their own.

If successful, aquaculture has

AHOUSAT HAS a large elementary day school,
with grades one to seven. Band member Richard
Atlas, above, is the principal. There are over a

the potential of providing jobs and
income for the future.

A LARGE WORKSHOP

Now, however, the Band is trying
to take a larger control of the many
facets of the existing fishing in-
dustry. An advantage toward, this
will be-the coming completion of
weighs in the harbor.

BAND MANAGER Edgar Charlie sits in his cramped office quarters

| FISHING BOAT IN SAND AT THE SITE OF THE NEW WEIGHS

The complex, including a large
workshop building, will. enable
band members to take ‘the repair
and upkeep of their fishing fleet
entirely into their own hands.

Taking things into their own
hands seems to be the driving force
in this energetic little West Coast
village.

whick will soon be alleviated. His new office will provide sufficient
space, it will be located in the new Cultural Centre.

hundred students enrolled in day schools on the

reserve at present,
attending off reserve. Ahousat also has a nursery
and kindergarten school. (Photos by G. McKevitt)

ae ae

as well as another hundred

es - . Sstionbae (978
Evictions
to go on

OTTAWA — Prime. Minister
Pierre Trudeau told the Commons
that the government will not in-
tervene on behalf of Indian women
who will be among those affected
by eviction of whites and non-
status Indians from the
Caughnawaga Band Council. °

Trudeau, Indian Affairs Minister
Jean Chretien, and. Justice
Minister Otto Lang had been
requested by the National Ad-
visory Council on the Status of
Women to stay the evictions of
Indian women who had lost status
through marriage.

The request. came when the
Caughnawaga Indian council had
passed a by-law that will evict
about 1,000 white persons and non-
status Indian women from the
reserve. /

Band Chief Ron Kirby said the
by-law was not aimed at the
women — “But it will affect sorne
of them.” :

Others will be allowed to remain,
he said.

Commenting on the advisory
council’s request for him to in-
tervene, Chretien said:

“Pm not a judge. If some people
find it objectionable, they can
appeal to the courts.”

He said it wasn’t a case of male
chauvinism: ‘‘They need the
houses on the reserve for their own
people.” .

The minister said that the Indian
Act allows band councils to evict
non-Indians from reserves, and so
he would not interfere with that
right.

The by-law, approved by
Chretien September 12, goes into
effect in 40 days unless challenged.

Development
on reserve
alarms member

CAMPBELL RIVER — The
Indian Band Council is allegedly
reviving the issue of a huge
shopping centre development that
will include some 17 acres of the
reserve after band. members
reportedly had rejected the plan.

When the development was due
for ratification by the band, a band
member, Louie Quocksister, ex-
pressed concern over giving up the
use of the reserve.

The development includes a.
Safeway store and, possibly, a
Simpson Sears store to open late
summer in 1974. Construction is
reportedly to begin April 1, next
year, and to be completed in April,
1975.

It is a three-stage development
—- beginning with an initial lease of
up to 20 acres of reserve land, and
would later nearly cover the entire
reserve.

MASSIVE. DEVELOPMENT
PLAN

The shopping centre -plan —
estimated to cost $2-1/2M for the
buildings alone — is the first stage.
The second stage calls for the
building of apartments,
townhouses, hotel, and a marina
with a new breakwater.

More expensive apartments
would be near the beaches while
less expensive buildings will be
further back on reserve land.

The third development stage
calls for recreation facilities in-
cluding a golf course and a
swimming pool. .

When the band members were
called on to vote on the proposed
lease of reserve land, Quocksister
said the lease would not result to
enough revenue for the band and
possibly lead the band to financial
difficulty for many years.

COST OF LIVING

“Considering that houses
presently sit on the- land in
question, the Band will have to
spend a great deal of money to

Continued on Page 9
See: ALTERNATIVE PLANS

CHIEF P. D.

PETERS of the Hope Indian Band and three other

members of the band visit the UBCIC office in Vancouver. The band is
planning the building of a cultural centre, and is seeking advice from

keeping books.

MUSQUEAM FORESHORE LAND CLAIM

-. move these houses,”

_ Union staff members regarding administration, securing funds, and

(Staff photo)

Riverine tribe used it for centuries

About 377 acres of foreshore
lands should be turned over to the
Musqueams, according to a brief
presented by the band chief and
council in July to Premier Dave
Barrett. -

The foreshore is described as an
area of tidal water flats covered in
parts with marsh grass. Mac-
Millan & Bloedel now use it for log
storage.

The band argues that the survey
defined in Order-in-Council 1036,
omitted the foreshore lands, and
thus when the Order went into
effect in July, 1938, setting aside
416 acres for Musqueam Reserve
#2, the foreshore came under
provincial jurisdiction.

On. grounds of immemorial
occupation and use of the fore-
shore, and of development needs to
provide employment and income
for the band, the Musqueam chief
and council are asking for title.

MUSQUEAMS WERE FREE

Findings by Dr. C. E. Borden
show that the Musqueam were in
possession for more than 3,000
years. Except in the case of con-
tact with Simon Fraser who
allegedly was turned back by what
he thought as a hostile force of
Musqueams, the records appear to
show that the Musqueam Indians
were unmolested and never sub-
dued in the traditional way on white
conquest.

A riverine people, the Wisaucam
crossed and recrossed the
foreshore land to get te the stream
of the Fraser River to hunt and
fish, _and therefore, they had
exercised usufructuary rights for
centuries.

Today, MacMillan & Bloedel
pays an annual fee for interference
with the Musqueam’s riparian
ownérship to the North Fraser
Harbor Commissioners. The fee is

divided proportionately between
the band and the commissioners.
The .band considers this “

_ Satisfactory and unjust.”

20 ACRES EACH FAMILY

The brief also notes that, besides
the omission in the survey defined
O/C 1036, if the 70 families were
given their due of 20 acres each in
the assignment of reserves, the
band should have had 1,200 acres.
Cail writes, in Disposal of Crown
Lands, that survey crews
discovered that the 70 families
needed 1,197 additional acres to
their reserve, which then was only
314 acres — of which 114 were
useless. On July 31, 1874, Powell
applied for the additional acreage
in a letter to the Chief Com-
missioner of Lands and Works. -

Again, on August 15, 1874, the
then Superintendent of Indian
Affairs wrote the Provincial
Secretary:

“Pursuant “to the
arrangement of granting 20
acres of larid to every head of
an Indian family in British
Columbia, I have the honour of
applying to the Honourable
Chief Commissioner of Lands
and Works for land to make up
deficiency in the present
Reserves of Musqueam and
Tsowassen.”’

IN TRUST FOR BAND
The band states.in its brief that
the Musqueams are entitled to
expect the province to hold the
foreshore lands in trust for the
band on the following grounds:
(A) Section 109 of the Terms
of Union of 1871, states that
Indians are subject to any trust
existing in respect of the
British North America Act.

un- —

The brief notes that this has
been taken to mean treaties
and guarantees of the Royal
Proclamation of 1763.

(B) Paragraph 13 of the
Terms of Union states that the
liberal policies toward Indians
practiced by B.C. shall be
continued by the Dominion
government.

The brief states that both
governments erred in restricting
the band in upland and foreshore,

and not recognizing traditional
holdings of the. Musqueams.

The Musqueam brief suggests
that ‘‘An application by way of
Petition of Right to the Exchequer
Court of Canada should be con-
sidered to establish the traditional
boundaries of the Musqueam....’”

The brief was signed by Band
Chief Delbert Guerin and by Band
Councillors Joseph Becker, Ernest
Campbell, Andrew § Charles,
Lawrence Point and Robert Point.

Indian organizations working
now on changes to Indian Act

Continued from Page I *
same fears, that non-Indian
husbands will have access tothe
reserve, and that this may lead to
the practice among. non-Indian
men to marry Indian women only
to get the benefits of Indian status.

The president of the Vancouver
Status of Women, Alice James, has
assailed the high court’s judgment
saying that the decision shows a
lack in the judiciary in wanting to
improve women’s status..
PARLIAMENT’S DUTY

“T think that in light of this
decision, the only moral thing for
Parliament to do is immediately
amend the Indian Act after con-
sultation with Indian men and
women,” said Ms. James.

The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs,
on the other hand, has stated that
present. inequities may be
corrected without court action.

Chief Forrest Walkem of the
Union executive committee said
that the Canadian Supreme Court

- decision has given Indian people
- time to think over the issues, and

expected changes in the Indian Act
will remove existing anomalies.
Under the leadership of the

More ask for UBCIC rainbow system

VANCOUVER (Staff) — Due to
increasing demand for field ser-
vices regarding the Rainbow
Accounting System (RAS),
developed under the UBCIC, an
application for operational funds
has been submitted to the First
Citizens Funds.

“Our activities have.reached the
point now. where the work load is
far too great for one person
working out of Vancouver to
handle,” said the one person, Ray.
Derrickson, handling the RAS
program.

The request for funds was ap-
proved by the Chiefs Council, after
Derrickson had reported that the
$41.35 being charged to bands for a
complete set of RAS is only the cost
price of the journal binders which
will help print a second edition of
the manual and special journals.

The manual itself — A Guide to

Indian Band Accounting — is sent:

free; and so far about 50 bands
have asked for their copy.

Indian Affairs has indicated it
wishes to buy about 12 manuals for
use in district offices.

The general manager, Louie
Halfe, of the Alberta Indian
Development Systems, Ltd. has
suggested a- meeting with
Derrickson on the possibility of
introducing RAS to Alberta Indian
Bands.

Camosun College in Victoria has
made an order for a copy of the
RAS manual..

Among B.C. bands there are 40
bands and two or three area
councils using the RAS.

Earl Smith, who originated and
developed the system, first under .a
service contract with DIA and
later under UBCIC, is working with
Indian reserves regarding RAS in

the west coast district.

Also, the 19 field workers of the
UBCIC Community-Family-Life-
Education program have each: a
copy to enable them to work -with
the bands in their areas on the
accounting system.

If the First Citizens Fund ad-
visory committee approves the
request for operational funds to
carry out the growing expansion of
RAS, four field accountants and a
secretary for the program will be
hired.

Derrickson recalled that when
Smith began the study of a system
for band level use, DIA had set up a
fund of $4,900. When DIA got out of
the contract, the Union took over
the study and development of the
system. That and printing costs
have totalled to date to more than
$12,000.

Indians of Alberta Association, led
by Harold Cardinal, Indian
organizations across Canada are
drawing up proposed changes to
the Act.

YUKON NATIVE WOMEN '

In the Yukon the decision has
affected native women as much.
The vice-president of the Yukon
Association of Non-Status Indians
said:

“My own feeling is that I’m
really disappointed. Most women
expected the decision to be won.”

Further, Margaret Joe said she

‘believed a lot of status Indians

opposed the women’s petition
because they thought a multitude
of people would go rushing into the
reserves.

A status Indian. woman,
however, reported commented:
“Most of the chiefs, especially
those in the south, are married to
white women, so this decision suits
them.”

Chief Elijah Smith of the Yukon |

Native Brotherhood said the

brotherhood endorsed the decision -

on the basis that the Bill of Rights
should not interfere with the Indian
Act.

ON FISHING RIGHTS

An officer of the federal fisheries
branch in B.C., meanwhile,
welcomed the high court judgment
as it affects fishing rights.

The officer, John Tuyttens of
Prince George, said that - the
decision would aid stopping im-
proper use of fishing permits by
non-Indians, but that this depends
on what directives Ottawa will give
the fisheries branch in view of the
decision. The fisheries officer was
referring particularly to non-
Indian women who had divorced
Indian husbands or were left as
widows, who have been allowed to
retain Indian status.

Because of high food prices;

Tuyttens said, many of these .

women sought fishing permits
allowed status, Indians during
spawning runs so they can fish for
food, they used their permits to

stock their freezers even though -

many: of them no longer live on
reserves.

Alternative plans
more profitable
‘for band members

Continued from Page 8
Quocksister
noted.

He said the Band would have to
get a loan to pay off the occupants;
the repayment of this loan is ‘‘far
greater than what the Band would
receive in the first five years of the
lease.

Quocksister questioned why
council didn’t consider other
alternatives, and proposed three
that would benefit the band ‘‘more
greatly.”

MORE PROFITABLE PLANS

1. A prepaid lease of $5M for 60
years. This amount will become
band capital funds, which, at
present interest rates, will earn
$35,000 annually.

. Ten percent of the gross income
from the land involved would be
the lease rental paid annually to
the band. Based on a possible
$2.5M gross income the
shopping centre is expected to
far exceed this mark annually —
the band would receive a
minimum. of $250,000 every
year. :

3. The band undertake the shop-
ping centre development. The
band could form a corporation
to get a loan based on letters of
intent to lease from established
firms.

Quocksister pointed out that the
third alternative “would provide
greater revenues’’ than the first
and second.

- NEEDS OF THE FUTURE

our future generation,”’
Quocksister wrote to band
members.

He also noted what the band
must consider in relation to the
proposed lease of reserve lands for
the massive development: the
amount receivable from the lease
on an annual basis; the amount
needed to pay off those
occupying the land to be leased;
the amount needed to pay off the
loan needed to pay off occupants;

Continued on Page 11
See: GREAT RETURNS

Kwawkewlth
District Council

PLACEMENT
OFFICER

SALARY UP TO $14,000

Duties:
persons wishing to enter different
fields of employment and training

Provides counselling for

programs. W wit

Councils and individuals to
effectively ze, Canada
Manpower. {ndian "Aitairs and

other agencies that provide oppor-
tunities for employment and train-
ing. Develops contacts with in-
dustry in the northern Vancouver
Island area, and provides informa-
tion on its requirements

The successful candidate will be
placed in the area of greatest need.
Qualifications: Experience in coun-
selling, administration, or industry.
Ability to communicate effectively
with Indian people, A training com-
ponent is included in this position.

LOCAL
GOVERNMENT
ADVISOR

SALARY UP TO $14,000

Duties: Assists Band councils, man-
agers, and staff in accounting, local
government procedures, and Band
initiated local government programs
and activitie:
Qualifications: Experience in
accounting, Band administration,
social work or community develop-
ment. Knowledge of the Indian Act
and veoulatlons, ane ability to work
with indian peo
Applications and information:
District Manager
Kwawkewith District Council

'°o Box 9
Campbelt River, B.C

POETRY

Feeling

ellow

This dear girl so far away

used to smile at me and say,
“Our. dear Lord who's up above
shares with you His perfect love.”

Then I'd tell her, “Yes, I know,
for the Bible tells me so.”
Then I’d hold ther tenderly,
feeling glad that we are free.

God be with you all my friends,
may He pass you all His trends.
I will pray to Him each day, ~
asking Him to look your way.

But I know with pure delight,
there’s no need for fear or fright.
“Cause God is with us here to stay,
to keep and guide us as we pray.
By REGGIE SAMPARE

Proudly

Indian people

| Gaze

united and ready to face

whatever may confront them,
armed with the knowledge

that they’re not alone.

Many others share their oppression.
Their anger, frustration and sorrow
I sit gazing at a distance

watching them as they become aware.
Seems forever that I’ve struggled
to be what I am today.

Gone is the shame and a self-hate
Gone is the bitterness

and the self-pity

Gone are the days of struggling alone

Today I stand

and gaze at my people with pride
I think back and wonder

How it is to be alone.

My eyes cloud with tears,

Crying over a love

That has been so long denied.

My people
My people,

Never again will we be as we were

Never again will we walk in shame

Never. again will we stand alone.
WAH-ZIN-AK

“VERNON INDIAN DAYS
Suicide race caps events

The third annua! Vernon Indian
Days was. held at the Westside
Road of Okanagan Lake at Six Mile
Creek on September 1-3.
Progressive Conservative can-
didate Howard Johnston helped
present trophies.

Graden Alexis and Wally Parker
were presented with gifts from the
committee for the great effort and
work they put into Indian Days.
Announcer Raymond Williams
from the Totemettes Club was
awarded with a trophy.

The winners of the events are as
follows:

LADIES SOFTBALL TOUR-
NAMENT

- Ist prize, $200, Westbank; 2nd
prize, $150, Nanaimo; 3rd_ prize,
$100, Merritt. All winning teams
received ribbons.

Championship Trophy —
Westbank; Championship
Keepers, 1972-73 — Westbank; Best
Catcher — Barb Coble of West-
bank; Best Pitcher — Joan Wyse of
Nanaimo; Best Fielder —
Charlotte Joe of Westbank; Most
Valuable Player — Barb Coble of

_ Westbank; Most Sportsmanlike
Team — North Vancouver Team;
Most Sportsmanlike Player —
Mary Jean Coutlee of. Merritt;

Great returns
for great needs

Continued from Page 9

the balance owing every year.

Quocksister also asked: ‘In later
years will we be moving these
same people to new locations for
the same purpose? Already houses
have been moved from the spit to
their present location. What
guarantee is there that present
houses will not be moved for the
third time to accommodate other
leases?”

Most Runs Batted-In — Joyce
Manuel of Chase; Best Coach of the
Tournament — Clarrence Clough
of Westbank; Hard Luck Losers —
North Vancouver Team; Popular
Player — Debbie Chilheeta of
Merritt. Ribbons were presented to
the first, second, and third place
winners. :

LEAGUE
NAMENT

ist prize, $200, Westbank; 2nd
prize, $100, Kamloops. Ribbons
went to first and second place
winners.

Championship Trophy —
Westbank; Two Most Valuable
Players were Harold Clough of the
Vernon Colts who won the Alfred
Bone! Trophy, and Jean Joe who
won the Louie Marchand Trophy;
Most Popular Player — Henry
Wilson.

HORSE-SHOE GAMES
Partners Mervin Louis and Don
MacDonald won the trophy.

STICK GAME TROPHY
Presented to Rose Williams and
Vic Antoine.

BICYCLE TROPHIES

Presented to David Wilson in the
Speed Race and Raymond Bon-
neau in regular Bicycle Race.

SUICIDE RACE

Second year to win ist place was
Altin Louis, he won the Cham-
pionship Trophy, also the Cham-
pionship Keeper ’73 Trophy, plus
$385 award money.

Second place was Richard Louis
winning the Hard Luck Loser
Trophy and $231. He also was a
second year winner.

Perry Joe Williams placed third
and won $154.

The Jackpot Suicide Race of $100
was open to all riders. First place
was Richard Louis. Sherry
Morrison won consolation prize of

BASEBALL TOUR-

_ $40.

isiali

TALES FROM
LONGHOUSE is a

THE
‘fascinating
collection of native Indian lore,
collected by the Indian children of
Vancouver Island.

The tales are authentic Indian
legend, representing the history of
the many tribes in their. many
beliefs. The tales were told to and
recorded by the children, and then
put together into book form by the
Folklore Committee of the B.C.
Indian Arts Society.

The stories came under such
headings as Origins, Power,
Nature, Crafts, Customs, Animals,

and Legends, each section dealing.

with tales on those subjects which
have been handed down over the
years. It is hoped that the book will

help preserve some of the legends

and much of the folklore of the
Indians, which was in danger of
disappearing in the passing of
older generations. ‘

The children who collected the

‘Reprint: Book Reviews

ian ch

stories come from a variety of
indian bands, some from southerly
areas, such as Brentwood, Vic-
toria, Kuper Island, Nanaime, and
Duncan and others from more
northerly points such as Alberni,
Tofino, and Kyuquot.

Many of the steries deal with
‘ancient customs and legends, such
as the following tale recounted by
Verna Wpe of the Nanaimo Band:

“At the time of this story all the
Indians had their own beliefs. At
this time there were no fish coming
up the Nanaimo River except rock
cod. So the mink, beaver, and
muskrat settled down around a
council fire. The animals tried to
figure out a way to bring the
salmon up the Nanaimo River.

“They decided to go visit the
Salmon people up in the North.
They made plans with the wood-
pecker and kingfisher to help
capture the baby sockeye salmon.

“When they got there the

Page Eleven

kingfisher and woodpecker started
to distract the Salmon peopie from
their work, and they gathered
around them. As the Salmon people
talked with the beaver, the mink
and the muskrat stole the baby
sockeye.

‘““After they discovered the
babies missing, the Salmon people
gave chase up the Nanaimo River.
Mink and muskrat moved the
babies from place to place and
‘made markings wherever they
moved the babies. They made
markings at Malaspina Point,
dack’s Point, and Petreglyph
Park.

“And from that time on, every
year the Salmon people came up
the Nanaimo River, looking for the
baby salmon.”

The tone of the book reflects the
strong pride the young story-tellers
have in their heritage. Many of the

Continued on Page 12
See: FOR KIDS

_ INDIAN ARTS AND CRAFTS AT P.N.E.

ROSE YELTON takes her turn tending both set up
by the Northwest Indian Cultural Society. She is a
member of the Squamish Indian Band, North

booth

Vancouver. Below, Amos Dawson of Alert Bay, a
silver carver, labors carefully over a piece, NICS

sold $3,500 worth of goods this year,
according to project coordinator Hattie Fergusson.
The society plans a bigger show in 1974.

kaa

(Photos by C. Wilson)

Page Twelve - -

Continued from Page 2
demonstration camp as

the
nucleus and beginning of a band
operated fishing co-op; this could
be organized and run to provide’
salmon for all the people of the
band: Aa

PEOPLE GOING HUNGRY ~

“There are people going hungry’

on this reserve right now because
they can’t get salmon, and they
can’t afford the expense of other
sources of protein in the store.”

After the first day of the camp a
barricade was put at the entrance
road, and the public was blocked
out for the remainder of the week.
Dumbfounded local fisheries of-
ficials who attended the first day
were told that if they did not bother
the demonstrators, they would not
bother them. :

Elliott explained that the only
man they would talk to was
fisheries minister, Jack Davis, and
if Davis could not make it, well,
maybe, Trudeau would do.

Projected number for the
demonstration constantly declined
as it got underway with a
maximum of 3,000 first predicted
in a circular put out by the
organizers to 300 estimated by
Elliott on the first day. The actual
number of stalwarts turned out to
be about 75 for the week with a
larger number on the Labour Day
weekend.

THE NICEST WEIR

Band members of all ages,
however, were constantly coming
and going, bringing  en-
couragement and donations of all
food and money to support the
camp. Others came from all over
to advise and help build the all
important weir. .

Instrumental in this respect was
band member Alfred Modeste.
From the memory of one he saw
when he was seven or eight, he
successfully provided the design
and construction advice that
directed the many enthusiastic
workers to build what 29-year old
Elliott called: “... the nicest
looking weir I’ve seen around here
in 40 years.”

Paul Williams, a young native
Indian law student from back east,
happenéd to be vacationing in
Vancouver when he heard about
the demonstration. He came over
to see if he could lend a hand.

For kids
and adults

Continued from Page 11

tales deal with mythological beings
who date back to the very begin-
nings of Indian history. - They
reveal the West Coast Indian’s
earliest ideas of-himself in relation
to’ his physical and spiritual
worlds. :

The foreward of the book asks
readers to note the purpose. of its
writing: “The book was written by
children, but itis not intended to be
read only by children. It is a form
of verbal archaeology. It is hoped
that future students will find here
bits of information that will help to
build a more complete picture of
Indian life on this coast.

“It must be kept in mind that the
Indian had no written language.
These stories were never intended
to be read. They were told by
trained narrators and actors
around a leaping fire in the centre
of the Longhouse. The Indian has
an enquiring mind. He had to have
a reason for everything, no matter
how imaginative that reason might
‘seem to be to more sophisticated
minds.”

TALES FROMTHE
LONGHOUSE, Grays Publishing
Company, Sidney, 112 pp, hard-
cover, $4.95

A couple of days later, after

. hours of painstaking search

through Department of Fisheries
files in Nanaimo, he had come up
with the first definitive history of

. the many fishing agreements ‘in the

Cowichan band’s past.

- 70-YEAR-OLD HISTORIAN

Unknown to Williams or the
demonstration organizers, Elliott’s
uncle, Joe Elliott, a man in his
seventies and for many years
recognized as the Cowichan band’s
unofficial historian had prepared a
historical statement that he was
releasing to the press.

It also dealt with the
agreements, and upon comparison
it turned out that the two histories

‘coincided almost exactly.

“ety

GORDON ELLIOT

i # sa

REPORTERS QUESTION Gordon Elliot. Main
‘coricern appeared to be the alarm sent out by the
Cowichan Band Council that violence may erupt.
One report pictured demonstration as a “racist

The gist of the accounts is that
the first real agreements made
with the government regarding
weirs was in 1914..A meeting was
called then because of complaints

by the non-Indian community that.

the weirs were depleting the
salmon.

At that meeting the Cowichan
Indians agreed to limit themselves
to- four weirs, three on the
Cowichan .River and one on the
Koksilah.

WEIR SPECIFICATIONS

This agreement also laid down
specifications for the weirs which
included, among others, that the
stakes be not less than two-and-a-
half inches apart, and that at least
one-third of the river be left open.

eo
JOE ELLIOT

suggested that

the weir.

rally.” An editorial in the Victoria Daily Times

tor

The demonstration weir has. been

‘ built to the exact rules set out a

that time.

This agreement, apparently,
stood more or less until the thirties,
although Joe Elliott remembers at
least one instance in 1923, when the
police and fish wardens stormed
the reserve to tear down the weirs.

“Shots were fired. One old man
had a rifle and he warned that if
one Indian fails he would fire back.
I pleaded with him to lay his gun
down. He finally did and went
home,”’ said he.

During the thirties, according to
the histeries, the fisheries

department started a deliberate

program of coercion te convince
the people to give up the weirs for
nets, even offering free nets as an
enticement. The Indians refused,

ALFRED MODESTE

it was a “tragicomedy” that

demonstrators had “to send for elderley men’ to
build their weir. Photo, below, is another view of

- September, 1973.

however, and, at one point, the
department even cut off the net
permits for a entife year because
of what was termed ‘the
unreasonable attitude of the In-.
dians.”’

INDIAN FISHING PHASED OUT

Finally, in 1936, the department
simply refused to renew the per-
mits on the weirs, and only allowed
nets and spears. In years to come
they were apparently eventually
outlawed officially. That is where
it has stood to present, according to
the accounts, although Gordon
Elliott suggested that the same
type of phasing out is now hap-
pening with net fishing as permits
are becoming increasingly difficult
to get.

- By the final day of the demon-
stration, Sept. 6, the weir was
finished and waiting for the salmon
run to begin. The demonstration
organizers announced a salmon
barbecue, and the press was in-
vited back to study and prod the

_ new weir and eat illegal fish.

It was a grey wet day, the first
rain of the week, but spirits were
good in spite of a telegram from
Minister of Fisheries Davis.
refusing to negotiate with
“lawbreakers.”’ They had had the
same reaction when they met in
Duncan the day before with W. R.
Hourston, the fisheries branch
regional director.

Elliott explained that, although
the demonstration camp was being
ended, the weir was staying and
was going to be used. throughout
the fishing run to provide salmon
for all the people of the Cowichan
Band. There was even some talk of
building two more, one up and one
down river of the existing one.

DEMONSTRATORS ARE
HOPEFUL

Elliott showed little disap-
pointment in the refusal of the’
fisheries officials to negotiate. He
shared the optimism that per-
meated the camp,

Earlier in the week he expressed
the same optimism for the results
of the protest.

“TI think we have been successful
in at least two ways. First, I think.
we are eventually going to see a lot
of changes in the fishing
regulations because of this:
demonstration. But, just as im-
portantly, I think that band
members are finding out that they
can do something to change things.

“There was so much apathy
before, but, now they are finding
out that they have some power and
that’s going to change a lot of
things,”’ said Elliott. 1

Ciaccia says DIA
role is changing

Newly appointed assistant
deputy minister for Indiaii Affairs,
John Ciaccia, said that the
department is changing its role. It
encourages Indians to seek their
own cultural identity, objectives,
and obligations, but will remain a
source of advice and resources.

A chief and council should be the
same as any local government,
Ciaccia stressed.

“We believe the band council
must direct its own. affairs and
such councils must negotiate terms
of agreement with surrounding
municipalities and school boards,”
he said. “Members of municipal
councils will be directed to deal -
with local Indian bands and not the
federal department of Indian af-
fairs.”

REC-CULTURAL GRANT

MERRITT — The Nicola Valley
Indian Administration has. been
awarded $7,500 from the First
Citizens Fund, to pay the salary of
a recreational-cultural director for
this area.

The grant was announced by
Minister of Public Works William
Hartley, who is also the MLA for
Yale-Lillocet,

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