Periodical
Nesika: The Voice of B.C. Indians -- Vol. 3 No. 3 (March 1974)
- Title
- Nesika: The Voice of B.C. Indians -- Vol. 3 No. 3 (March 1974)
- Is Part Of
- 1.06-01.02 Nesika: The Voice of BC Indians
- 1.06.-01 Newsletters and bulletins sub-series
- Date
- March 1974
- volume
- 3
- issue
- 3
- Language
- english
- Identifier
- 1.06-01.02-03.03
- pages
- 12
- Contributor
- Gerard Peters
- Art Moore
- Walter Taylor
- Laura Williams
- George Watts
- Millie Terbasket
- Juanita Underwood
- Annie Jim
- TE Dowker
- G McEvitt
- Lew Mowry
- David Chestnut
- Roberta Barker
- Frances Bonston
- Type
- periodical
- Transcription (Hover to view)
-
: - Published by :
UNION OF B.C. INDIANS CHIEFS ©
2140 W. 12th Avenue,
Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6K 2N2
Telephone 736-6751
FREE TO ALL REGISTERED B.C. NATIVE INDIANS
OTHERS: $5.00 PER YEAR
PRINTED BY HORIZON PUBLICATIONS
THE VOICE OF B.C. INDIANS
(Chinook meaning ‘‘US’’)
Vol. lll, No.3 POSTAGE PAID IN VANCOUVER—SECOND CLASS MAIL Reg. No. 3025
MARCH, 1974
Lea presents
$5,500 check
for Games
PRINCE RUPERT —
Highways Minister Graham Lea,
the local MLA, presented a che-
que for $5,500 to Roger Adolph,
director of the B.C. Native
Amateur Sports and Recreation
Federation, at the opening of the
first B.C. Native Minter Ganges,
March 22.
The gift from the ae govern-
ment swells up earlier donations
totalling $9,500.
Previous donors are: Native
Tournament Committee, Prince
Rupert, $5,000: Kinsmen Club,
prince Rupert, $2,000; Thompson
District Council, $1,000; O’Keefe
Brewery, Vancouver, $1,000; and
hockey play-off fund-raisings,
$500.
The federation started fund-
raising to raise a balance of $55,-
000, out of an estimated total
costs of $150,000, when a federa-
tion request for funds to Human
Resources . Minister Norman
Levi was rejected.
According to BCNASRF direc-
tor Adolph, Levi rejected the
request on the ground that Levi
thought the games were a ‘‘one-
shot’ deal.
Participating teams are re-
quired to pay a $50-entrance fee
and another. $50 for. a perfor-
mance bond.
-.,-8eme-.600, athletes. are. taking
part in- boxing, senior men’s
hockey, and basketball events
for senior and junior men and
. women.
The visitors bureau and the
Chamber of. Commerce of Prince
Rupert, as the city itself, are
putting great efforts to help en-
sure outstanding success for the
games.
It is hoped that the games will
grow to a. western provinces
games, and later into a national
undertaking. (See photos on
pages 2, 8.)
Ernie headed
for Milan
VANCOUVER (Staff) — Fam-
ed Dancer Ernie Philip, a
Shuswap, will leave, April 29,
for a five-day performance ih
Milan, Italy.
The Milan performance is in
cooperation with Canadian
Pacific Air Lines for that com-
pany’s promotional activities.
TERRY DENEAULT, age 16, of the Deadman
Creek Band, shows off ‘his prize-winning calf at the
56th Annual Provincial Cattle Show in Kamloops,
March 11. He fed and cared for the.calf, and his ef-
tributed)
forts won him the Reserve duutlor Cha yploclp ti-
tle and awards from Buckerfields and Famous
Players. After the show the calf was sold by auc-
tion. to. Ron Hill, of michaiond Packers,
_(Con-
If undeliverable, please return to the Union of B.C. Indian
Chiefs,
2140 W. 12th Ave., Vancouver, B.C.
Canada V6K 2N2
2nd Class Mail Reg. No. 3025”
Dancers want also to tell. their story
By GERARD. PETERS
" CHILLIWACK (Staff) — It is
difficult not to have some opinion
or not to express some emotion
when one reads about or hears of
incidents resulting in death.
Usually, the finality of death
overshadows the significance of
the incidents leading up to it.
However, the resulting dif-
ficulty to dig in for the facts may
ease up. A source here has in-
dicated a willingness of a group
of dancers to meet with this
reporter in April, so that their.
story will also be heard.
The Vancouver Sun’s Ron
Rose, meanwhile, has reported
an. incident on southern Van-
couver Island, where a man was
“grabbed”? from his home and
forced to undergo dance rites.
The man laid charges against
his abductors, it is true. But he
later dropped the charges as it
turned out a close family
member, féeling he needed help,
requested this treatment.
HEALTHY ASPECTS
Doctors’ opinions on the healthy
effects of tribal dancing: rites
have been favorable in general.
Dr. Norman Todd, who has had
a fairly long association with the
dancers, said several hundred of
the coastal Salish people have
been initiated as spiritual
‘dancers and that it has been
beneficial to many of them. Dr.
Todd was present at least on one
occasion during the course of the
initiation of Mrs. Leon.
Dr. Wolfgang Jilek, a psy-
chiatrist who has ’ undertaken
surveys on Indian health with Dr.
Todd, said that white society has
no answer to the problems of
-aleohol and drug abuse but that
Indians do in the spiritual dan-
cing.
REHABILITATION
He pointed out that the vast
majority of those inducted have
Sheed! ‘rehabilitated. ‘from: saree: ‘or
alcohol abuse.
He said that of 11 Indian
patients who had been suffering
anxiety symptoms, three were
free of symptoms after initia-
tion, seven were definitely im-
proved and one showed no
change.
He said spiritual dancing is
good as group therapy, supplies
ego support and cathartic. activi-
t
‘ “Tt takes them away from the
pubs and drug dealer. I haven’t
. hesitated to refer them to the
spiritual dancers when they have
expressed an interest in it. If we
(the non-Indian) had something
analogous to it we wouldn’t be as
helpless as we are,” said Dr.
_ dilck.
Dr. Todd said he had been
studying tribal dancing with a
team of psychiatrists and
anthropologists for the past few
years and found ‘that: this
ceremony was most beneficial to
native. Indians.
RELIEVES DESPAIR
“Spirit dancing relieves In-
dians from much of the existen-
tial despair they suffer from
their contact with the white
man,” he explained. .
He continued: “‘This. despair
leads to an excessive use of
drugs and liquor and an anti-
social life. The initiate gets his
guardian spirit while in a trance
and later communicates with
this spirit by song and dance.”
He said further that, ‘‘it
produces a great renewal of
spiritual excellence.”’
The present to-do over tribal
dancing came when a coroner’s
jury, in mid-February, found
that the death of Laura Louise
Leon could have been caused by
’ bruises she received during her
initiation into tribal dancing
rites.
The jurors, two Indians’ and -
four white. persons,. called for
better-control over spiritual dan-
cing ceremonies.
“We, the jury feel that further
tragedies of this kind could be
prevented by the establishment,
guidance and supervision of a
committee of native elders to
allow the dancers to receive the
traditioal benefits,’’ the report
states. ,
The verdict came a year after
another jury sitting in Chilliwack
found that Edwin George
GAbriel died on December 18,
1972, of excessive beatings dur-
ing initiation as a tribal dancer.
Mrs. Leon died in January 25,
“five days after beginning initia-
tion rites in Tzeachten
longhouse, The coroner's jury
found that the cause of death was
fatty embolism in’ the brain,
heart, kidneys and lungs.
G. Wilson's
death a loss
of a leader
VANCOUVER. (Staff) — ‘We
lost one of our natural leaders,”
said Robert Sterling, directoir of
the Indian Education Resources
Centre at UBC, of the death of
well known educator George
Wilson.
Sterling continued: ‘‘George
Wilson was a dynamic, laughing
person with an incredible talent
to generate enthusiasm.”
He recalled that, at their last
meeting three or four days
before Wilson’s death, ‘that
Wilson had been ‘“‘awfully quiet.”’
Sterling said that- there was
tremendous pressure on W,lson
being the only Indian in the
education department.
‘He put in loing hours and had
little rest,’’ said the IERC direc-
_ tor.
He recalled that, Wilson plann-
ed to return to university for his
M.A. degree.
“A very important point is.
even though he’d. grown up in a
very poor family, he did have
something going for him,’’ said
Sterling. ‘His father was one of
the first Indians to graduate
from high school. George had a
goal.”
(More on page 2.)
_ Nothing free
for “Injuns”
By PERLAS SABINO
In rejecting a suggestion to
host the 6th UBCIC conference
delegates at a luncheon,
members of the Cariboo
Regional District Board
“reportedly made some in-
teresting remarks.
Board director Martin
Reidemann is quoted saying ‘‘we
support their cause but it’s not
our function to supply free
luncheons.”’
Aiming to reply with a witty
threat, perhaps, Board chairman
Hayy Moffat predicted a
luncheon of ‘‘coffee and
sandwiches”’ for 250 people.
Williams Lake mayor Jim
Fraser was a little more
generous by wanting to en-
courage the regional board to
See page 2: TAXPAYERS
Band disagrees
with experts,
wants talk with government
TACHE — Disagreeing with
consultants’ report on their land
claims,
Stuart Trembleur Indian Band
will now seek discussion with the
provincial government.
A band member, Pierre John,
told a meeting of railway of-
ficials, the consultants, Omineca
MLA Doug Kelly, and the band’s
legal adviser that experts from
universities are not in a position
to advise Indians on the habits
and fears of moose and other
animals.
Chief Harry Pierre com-
mented: ‘‘We know for a fact the
railway scares moose and
beaver.”’
The band is claiming $7 million °
in compensation from B.C. |
Railway for land taken for the
Dease Lake rail extension.
the members of the
The government had a ten-
tative agreement to employ band
members to clean up about 70
miles of the extension line which
pases through the reserve, while
experts studied the claim.
The claim’ against B.C.
Railway is for the destruction of
the band members’ traditional
way of life since the line was
built during the last five years.
The consultants, Pearse
Bowden Economic. Consultants
and Environcen has reported:
that $251,000 in hunting and trap-
ping losses could be stopped by
cleaning up the railway and sec-
tions of the rivers adjoining. .
Their report also states that a
three-to-one land exchange will
more than compensate the loss
and the reserve land taken by
BCR.
Page Two
NESIKA
Indian educator, leader dies at 33
By ART MOORE
George Wilson, director of In-
dian education for the provincial
government, passed away at
Tyee, near Prince. Rupert on
March 7, 1974. He was 33.
He was known and respected
through-B.C. for the work he had
done for Indian students in the
provincial schools. In his position
as direstor of Indian education,
he had earned a reputation as a
brilliant idea-man. He was wide-
ly respected for his frankness,
honesty, and his dedication to~
serving his people.
Probably, the greatest tribute.
to George is the number of peo-
ple who feel the personal loss at
his passing. He :challenged, per-
' Suaded, argued, inspired; he
touched the lives of many, But
all felt a personal respect and ad-
miration for him.
He was instrumental in the
development of Indian studies
courses throughout the province.
Two days before his death, he
held a conference in Victoria for
the teachers of these courses.
He was often-sent as a trouble-
shooter to parts of B.C. to deal
with problems involving Indian
student. His recommendations
often. went straight to the
minister of education and were
highly regarded by senior
department officials.
- George was. one of the hardest
workers for the B.C. Native In-
dian Teachers Association, and
he was their chairman for three
years. He led the drivé for a
native teacher training program,
to be initiated at UBC in
September, 1974. He encouraged
all people to become involved, to
participate; his concern with the
development of local control of
education was often manifested
as he worked to enable his people
to develop the skills and interests
they would be needing.
One of his major ac-
complishments was to change
his job from what he regarded as
a token position to one with real
responsibilities for educational
change. "
Where We're At Now, George -
It wasn’t for
Nothing
George. It was for
Everything
and
Everyone
And you gave it —
All.
All the “‘no’s”’ and the ‘i if’s” and the ‘“‘maybe’s”’
and the: “‘I don't cares”
That you countered with a ‘“‘yes” and a ‘‘must’’
and a ‘‘now”’ and a “‘I care a lot’.
You cared,. George,
And we cared for you.
You loved, George,
And wé loved you.
It wasn't for.
Nothing,
George. It was for
Our Kids
Our sister's Kids,
Our cousin's Kids,
Our friend’s Kids,
It was so we could all make this
Whole damn world keep going
Forward.
And you moved us all forward.
A notch for some of us
A step for some of us
A. ladder full of rungs for some of us.
You moved us forward with
Patience
Determination
Resolution.
The Falterings,
the Frustrations,
the Failures
Were part of you and part of us
We shared them.all and you helped keep
it altogether.
Your rope broke though. Somehow. -
Your rope broke and we are faced with
an Emptiness
An Emptiness that we can’t share with you.
So, this is where we're at, George,
And where do we go from here?
Right on moving forward!
And those ‘“‘no's’ and *
And “‘E don’t care’s.”
‘if’s’* and ‘‘maybe’s”*
Are still going to be met with ‘yes’’ and
““must™’ and ‘‘now" and ‘‘I care’’
“And we're all going to keep doing it, George
We're going to dig down into our guts and
come up with “Yes, by God, Yes!"
[t wasn't for
Nothing,
George, It was for
Everything
and
Everyone
And we're still going to give it —
all. ;
Anonymous
Taxpayers to pay for lunch?
From page 1
host a luncheon rather than the
town council.
No pussyfotting by passing the
ball for Quesnel alderman Lon
Godfrey who alleged: ‘“‘It's not
the business of the taxpayer to
foot their bills.’
Even more sublime in thought
was Dick Spalton, Quesnel area
director, who is reported to have
asked the Cariboo board, ‘‘Do we
even know it’s a deserving
cause?”
GEORGE WILSON
1940-1974
When he first went to Victoria,
he was not even allowed an office
in the department of education;
he was in a downtown office
building. Three years later, he
was working closely with of-
ficials of the department of
education, and was: directly
responsible for a budget of about
$750,000.
George Wilson was born in
Bella Bella in 1940. His mother
died at an early age, and he lived
with various members of his
. family until he was going to
Alert. Bay Residential School.
While at Alert Bay he topped his
class academically, and upon
graduation he received the
award for the. best all-round stu-
dent.
Part of his school success he
attributed to one of his teachers,
Bert McKay, one of the first In-
dian teachers in B.C.
After high school he had
various jobs including fishing.
During this time he met. Lillian
Paul, the girl he married. Then
he moved: to Sunnyside to work
for B.C. Packers fora few years.
In 1960, ineligible for financial
aid, George began studies at the
University of Victoria. He ob-
tained his teaching certificate in
1962, and taught. at Prince
Rupert for four years before be-
ing. promoted to vice principal.
He then served for three years as
principal of a small elementary
school in Prince George. Finally,
in 1970, he received his Bachelor
of Education degree.
During this period of teaching
and studying, his awareness of
the current problems of Indian
_ education grew steadily, as did
his. concern.
George is survived by his wife,
Lillian, and two children in
Sydney. Funeral services were
held in Prince Rupert, March 15,
and interment was at Fairview
cemetery in Prince Rupert.
Non-status
Metis to meet.
May 26 to 29
OTTAWA — A.E. “‘Tony”’
Belcourt, president of the Native
Council of Canada, has an-
nounced that the council will
hold its third annual general
assembly in Winnipeg on May 26
to 29, 1974.
Belcourt said that Premier
Pierre Trudeau, opposition
leader Robert Stanfield, NDP
leader David. Lewis, and
Manitoba Premier Ed Schreyer
have been invited to attend the
conference.
There are also plans, accor-
ding to Belcourt, to hold the first
annual fiddling and jigging con-
test, May 27.
‘“‘An award will be given to the
best. native fiddler and best
native jigger on this occasion,”’
said the head of association for
Metis and non-status Indian
organizations.
March, 1974
The way to disaster: secret,
rapid northern development
By WALTER TAYLOR
SUMMERLAND — Many
thoughtful. and well-informed
residents of British Columbia
are worried about the ‘‘rapid
pace of development in
northwestern B.C."
A news item from Prince
George in the January 3
Province announced that ‘‘A
provincial government. task
force. is being formed to in-
vestigate industry, railways and
hydroelectric dams proposed for
northwestern B.C. . . . Dennis
O'Gorman, assistant director of
the government's environment
and land use’secretariat, said the
more than 20-member task force
will hold one of its first meetings
in this area in about a month.”'
A government official explain-
ed that the task force has been
called into being ‘‘because of the
rapid ‘pace of development in
north-western B.C.”
“(See January, 1974, issue of
Nesika.)
Who set this rapid pace? When
the task force begins its work,
will the pace control the people
— or will the people control: the
pace?
Attitudes are changing
In the old days — about six
months to a couple of years ago
— development was rarely
questioned effectively. In those
days most people thought, if the
pace of development could be
rapid — so much the better!
Now, howeaver, we are finally
learning from much bitter’ ex-
perience over several decades
that rapid development, secretly
planned, without prior impact
studies, and without effective
public discussion has led
repeatedly to such gigantic dis-
asters as the Aswan dam in
Egypt, the W.A.C. Bennett Dam
in B.C., and now the multi-billion
dollar James Bay hydroelectric
project which threatens to
destroy the entire way of life for
thousands of Cree and Inuit
residents of Northern Quebec
and to impose enormous en-
vironmental damages on an
ecologically vulnerable area
twice as large as England.
All this for questionable
benefits which turn out to be
puny when compared with the
true cost in incompensable
damages to people, resources
and. the environment.
What is really happening in
northwestern B.C.? Last month
it was reported that the federal
and provincial governments
would soon announce a massive
project for northwestern British
Columbia, probably including
five or.six new hydroelectric
dams and vast exploitation of
other resources involving
several billion dollars in public
and private funds and affecting
almost 100,000 wquare miles of
B.C.
Barrett denies reports
In a Canadian Press release
December 21, however, Premier
David Barrett denied reports
that there will be five new hydro-
electric dams built in
northwestern B.C., although he
acknowledged that there may be
some hydro profects in the
future.
“We do have to expand in
many areas in terms of hydro
development,’ he was quoted as
saying. ;
Since then I received a per-
sonal letter with not-yet-
confirmed information that
engineering proposals calling for
15 to 20 dams in northwestern
B.C. have been under study for
more than a year. Is that true?
As Richard Bocking pointed
out in his extremely well
documented book, Canada’s
Water: For Sale?: ‘Lack. of
knowledge on the. part of the
’ public participation in the deci-
sion making process .. . From
coast to coast, water develop-
ment has been characterized by
a cloak and dagger atmosphere
that makes open debate for the
issues involved impossible. In
most provinces every effort is
made to keep water planning un-
der wraps until final and
irrevocable decisions have been
made; then a grand announce-
ment is made with all the ap-
propriate flourishes. The work is
underway before the public real-'
ly knows what is happening.”
Are we already too late again?
Or can we still hope for construc-
tive answers to some relevant
questions?
Questions to answer
Will the government of British
Columbia allow the new task
force time enough to complete
competent social, cultural,
ecological and ecomomic impact
studies in the northwest before
.any project commitments are
made?
Will all promising alternatives
be studied before any. are
adopted?
Will there abe public hearings
with sufficient information and
time available to consider com-
munity concerns and suggestions
before any decisions become
irrevocable?
Will the rapid pace of develop-
ment in northwestern B.C. now
be checked until extensive native
land claims in northwestern
British Columbia can be settled
through deliberate, responsible,
respectful negotiations —
without holding a hydroelectric
gun at the heads of Indian
negotiators .as the senior
governments seem to be trying
to do in Quebec?
Native land has: been taken
persistently throughout North
America for scores or. river
~"manipulation projects sirice the
Second World War. Promoters,
financial interests, multi-
national corporations and
political puppets have been so
impatient to rape the earth and
reap a profit that they regularly
push each project into irreversi-
ble construction before the peo-
ple most seriously affected by it
can learn enough to raise any.
effective objections.
Ruthless development
Impact studies can be done
later, if demanded. People can
be moved, if they are in the way.
Courts and legislators can argue
the legal and constitutional
questions long after the deed is
done. Get the bulldozers and
dynamite into action first and
then simply pay the damages
later.
Some damages, it must now be
understood, are not compen-
sable. You cannot pay for
genocide and terricide in cash no
matter where you place the
decimal point.
The Tall Grass Indian people
of the Finlay Forks reserve suf-
fered disastrous effects when
B.C. Hydro took their land for
Williston Lake created by the
W.A.C. Bennett Dam. Previously
independent, they were driven to
welfare dependence.
Similar tragedies have been
imposed on native people from
one end of Canada to the other.
You can read this importnat but
little known history in a new 20-
page brochure, Aboriginal Peo-
ple of Canada and Their Environ-
ment by the National - Indian
Brotherhood.
Talk to the people
All they are asking is that the
senior governments of Canada
“consult fully and meaningfully
with aboriginal people before
See page 11: URGE
DONATION BOOSTS FUNDS for the first B.C.
Native Winter Games now in progress in Prince
Rupert. Local MLA Graham Lea presented the
check for $5,500, a gift from the B.C. government.
photo)
Director of the B.C. Native Amateur Sports and
Recreation Federation, Roger Adolph, happily.
accepts. The games conclude March 31. (Nesika’
Pioneer day
By LAURA WILLIAMS
The Chehalis community
Center was the meeting place of
many pioneers on March 16, 1974.
Indian and non-Indian elders
brought with them many colorful
memories of .Chehalis in. the
olden days — both good and bad,
humorous. and witty,
celebrated in Chehalis.
The’ official address of
welcome was given by Chief
William A. Williams, who ex-
plained to the people his reason
for having such a gathering. Our
past has often been told to our
children buy many times
children do not pay proper atten-
tion because of the many distrac-
Tribal federation hits DIAND
for inaction on housing brief —
NANAIMO — The Southern
“Vancouver Island Tribal Federa-
. tion, in a recent statement, has
criticized the department of In-
dian affairs and northern
development for failure to meet
and discuss housing problems
with the federation.
The federation had responded
to an announcement in
November, 1973, of funds for
capital expenditure for 1974-1975
for the South Island district.
“If the entire amount were ex-
pended on housing requirements
of the district, the immediate
needs of only a handful of the
bands would be met,’ said the
federation statement.
The federation met and named
a housing committee to present a
brief on the needs of the people
of the district, and when the brief
was ready a meeting was re-
quested with the Indian affairs
minister.
A meeting with regional and
district officials was arranged
instead, but ‘‘There was no
answer that day since, Mr. Wight
claimed, a decision had to come
from Ottawa.” —
Another meeting was schedul-
ed on February 28, but was
cancelled allegedly for three
different reasons: (1) the dis-
trict supervisor wanted a
guarantee that no further
meeting would be called in the
month, (2) the regional director
said that the brief needed further
study -and may have to go to the
cabinet, (3) the assistant deputy
minister said that he had no
funds to offer and a meeting
would solve nothing.
“It is obvious with the three
different answers given by the
DIAND they had no intention of
meeting with us to discuss the
brief . . . It is ironic that the
people who were to meet. with
SVITF have the. time. and
resources to be meeting at the
Hyatt Regency Hotel in Van-
couver and the Island Hall com-
plex on Vancouver Island dis-
cussing the problems of the
native people, and not be able to
find the time to sit down with the
Indian leaders of a district-who
are wrestling with the problems
which include overcrowded con-
ditions, where as many as five
people share a bedroom and the
plumbing consists of an outhouse
in the backyard,”’ the federation
commented.
The federation had requested a
capital allocation of ‘‘well over
$3,000,000’ and instead was
allocated $772,000.
The brief states the reaction of
the bands as ‘‘utter amazement
and disbelief.”’
The brief further states that
the bands met twice and cut their
estimates ‘‘to the barest possible
figure which stands at
$2,833,574.”
The federation represents 19
bands of the South Island District
and is now headed by Tom Samp-
son as president.
In addition to asking for $2,-
833,574 for the district, the
federation’s brief .recommends
that a federation representative
should sit on meetings at
regional level when physical
development forecast figures are
discussed, and sit on meetings at
district level where funds are
allocated to cistricts.
The federation also carefully
defines physical development to
include, besides housing,
domestic water system, sanita-
tion, electrification, roads, com-
munity facilities, community
recreation, and site preparation.
tions of today and soon are
forgotten.
“Many of us from this village do
not. know how Chehalis became
known as Chehalis.. ‘‘CHELA”’
means heart. in_ our language,
was explained. by Ed. Leon, a
very respected elder from the
Band.
a Chief Williams. told. the
assernbly that the proceedings of
othe. day “was not meant to be
. elaborate but‘ with everyone ‘so
willing to help it-was made a real
memorable day for all of us.
Many beautiful hand-made In-
dian baskets and. artifacts,
priceless to the owners, formed
the background for those telling
of Chehalis in the early days.
Among some of. the guests on
_ hand for. the day were Mr. and .-
Mrs. Charlie Pretty, from
Harrison Millis, very close to the
Chehalis people. He told of his
experiences with some of the
people from the reserve when he
was very young.
Chief Dan George was a very
special guest. He told stories of
his travels and ended with.a
special porayer dedicated for all
present.
Mr. and Mrs. Lois Miranda
gave a fine rendition of dance
and song of their Aunt Sally’s
spiritualism of days past.
The elders of the reserve told
stories of the 1894 flood, named
all the sloughs in Indian, told of
the smallpox epidemic, told of
the HOOKNOSE, the emblem of
the Chehalis people; also the
Longhouse Inheritence of the In-
dian dances and how the
Backsters Mountain was the
scene of all the sports events
taken part in by early pioneers
from the area.
The people who told stories
from Chehalis were: Ed Leon,
Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Phillips, Dick
Felix, Maggie Pennier, and Alice
Point.
Lunch was served at noon;
this, comprised of all Indian
foods, was ably prepared by the ©
ladies who donated their time.
Also a special attraction was
the new race canoe being carved
by James and Ralph Leon who
are now giving final touches with
modern tools. They have been
working on. the canoe for six
weeks, we expect to launch the
canoe very shortly.
VANCOUVER — Native In-
dian land claims, the. aboriginal
right to fish, and the different
life-style of Indian fishermen
were brought to bear on
negotiators, and pushed an end to
the six-week fishermen’s strike.
The Native Brotherhood of
B.C. and the United Fishermen
, and Allied Workers Union were
negotiating jointly for higher
prices for herring and for inclu-
sion of a clearance clause in
their contract. .
Clearance would allow no
boats to fish commercially
without clearance by the union or
the brotherhood.
The clearance issue and union
president Homer Steven’s ada-
mant stand brought protests
from Indian fishermen.
Chief Clarence Alfred Jr. of
the Nimpkish Indian Band in
Alert Bay criticized the
clearance clause as in. ‘direct
violation of the free-enterprise
system and a denial of opportuni-
ty for any one person to go into
the business world and make a
living.”
Touching on aboriginal rights,
Chief Alfred said: ‘To our peo-
ple this resource is part of our
heritage and way of life. Any law
or act which would prevent any
person of native origin from pur-
suing a livelihood which has been
ours since time immemorial
would be extremely deplorable.”
Alfred said that 68 per cent of
the 1,200 people in his village are
involved in fishing. His state-
ment also criticized Steven’s
hard line on the clearance issue:
“We cannot agree with the
stand the United Fishermen and
Allied Workers. Union. is. taking
on the clearance issue. -
“What. is at stake is a public
resource and no one man’s or un-
ion’s thirst . for ..power.: should
decide who ‘can or who cannot
make a livelihood in this’ in-
dustry.” ’
Chief Cecil Reid of the Bella
Bella Indian Band said band
fishermen would lose at least
to herring fishing strike
$400,000 if they miss the peak of
the herring spawn, as
shoreworkers and fishermen of.
Bella Coola and ‘Klemtu would
lose about $200,000.
Brotherhood — president ‘John
Clifton, after the brotherhood
had informed the union of the
rejection by Indian fishermen of
the clearance clause, indicated
‘that native fishermen were
prepared to go on their own if the
strike wasn’t settled quickly.
Commenting on he allegation
that the brotherhood were to
become strike-breakers, NBBC
business agent Bud Recalma
clarified Clifton’s statement and
said that brotherhood president
probably meant having agree-
ment with some independent
companies.
“In the last 43 years, since we
were formed, we have never
broken a strike,’’ said Recalma.
The NBBC business agent
pointed out. the different life-
styles of union and native
fishermen saying ‘‘We don’t live
in suburbia like they do. The
whole economies of our villages
are based on fishing.”’
B.C. fishermen remained in
port since February 10,° over
demands for better price from
the Fisheries Association.
Under last year’s contract
seiner-caught herring was worth
$72 a ton, and gillnet herring $183
a ton. The negotiating team for
the union and the brotherhood
sought $170 and $340, respective-
ly; later lowering their demand
to $135 and $260.
The Fisheries Association, re-
jecting the clearance clause,
offered $131.50 and $250.
The. acceptance of the
association’s offer came'with'the
growing fear of losing this year’s
expected. 53;000-ton herring
fishery, on top of native Indian
fishermen’s rejection of the un-
ion’s clearance program.
Boats, following the agree-
ment, will have gone out to fish
by March 17.
Indian education, teachers
in Mission district workshop
MISSION (Staff) — A teachers
workshop was hosted by the St.
Mary’s Students REsidence for a
hundred or so:teachers from the.
Mission School District with in-
terested teachers from other dis-
tricts also in attendance.
The theme of the workshop
was ‘‘The Native Indian.”
The proceedings got underway
with the famed St. Mary’s Drum
& Bugle band giving a perfor-
mance. :
George Wilson, director of the
Indian education branch, depart-
ment of education, gave a
presentation outlining the trend
of Indian education in the
province and stressing the im-
portance of Indian input.into the
curriculum.
“The Nativity Scene” with In-
dian’ songs and choreography
was presented by the students’
Native Drama Club.
Mary Charles, a long-ago stu-
dent at St. Mary’s, was on hand
to entertain, as was Paul Stanley
who appeared in the recent
movie ‘‘I Heard The Owl Call My
Name.”’
Bob Sterling, executive direc-
tor of the Indian Education
Resources Centre at UBC, gave
a presentation on the position
paper of the National Indian
Brotherhood, ‘‘Indian Control of
Indian Education.”
Also on hand was Bill Mussell,
former executive director of the
Union of B.C. Chiefs, who made
a presentation involving the land
claims issue, the Indian Act, and
legal rights.
Joe Aleck has indicated that
feedback from this jworkshop
has. been tremendous and that
the teachers had learned more
than they had anticipated.
One teacher wrote, ‘‘The com-
ments that have been filtering
back have been overwhelming,
and I honestly feel that many
‘teachers left the workshop with
very different feelings than when
they came.”
Probably the biggest boon
from the workshop was the
bridging of a communications
gap.
““Now we’ve opened up a
channel of communication
between ourselves, let’s keep it
open. Let's try to have the ideas
constantly flowing back and
forth so that the quality of the
learning experience we are able
to let our native children enjoy
are always getting better,” said
one participant.
—GERARD PETERS
Cooks Ferry Band
VANCOUVER — Darkhawk
Development Corporation,
founded by members of the .
Cooks Ferry Band at Spences
Bridge, will be involved in the
development of the billion-dollar
Athabasca tar sands project in
Alberta.
Darkhawk has an agreement
with Sun Oil Company, USA, to.
purchase all the gas from one of
the northern Alberta field to:
power the tar sands project.
NESIKA. PUBLICATION FUND.”
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Due to lack of space, partly
because we're trying to conserve
printing funds and keep
publishing, we were unable to
run this column in the last issue.
The response from the people .
has continued to be encouraging,
as readers will note from the _
following contributions. We say
to. these beautiful people —
Supercalifragilisticexpialidoci-
ous! — Editor.
Sheshaht Band Council
Box 1218
North Port Alberni, B.C.
March 18, 1974 ,
In appreciation of the fine
paper that you are publishing,
our band would like to make a
contribution of $50.00.
Our members find the paper
interesting and enjoyable, and
“have seen fit to contribute these
funds from thjeir library budget.
I remain,
In Brotherhood
.GEORGE WATTS
Kitsegukla Band Council
30 Cascade Ave., R.R. 1
South Hazelton, B.C.
March 1, 1974
Dear Editor:
Many thanks . to Chief jin
Stelkia and the Osoyoos Band for
their telegram supporting our
dispute with the department of
highways.
It gives us great pleasure to
know that there are others con-
cerned .about justice to Indian
people.
Yours truly,
KITSEGUKLA. BAND
Lower similkameen Indian Band
Box 100
Keremeos: B.C.
March 5, 1974 :
T’am enclosing $3. 00 to cover
“our subscription for a year.
Tam starting a library for our
‘band office and we would like the
Nesika to be part of it.
Yours truly,
MILLIE TERBASKET
Here is my cheque for our sub-
scriptions to Nesika. It’s well
worth the money; it’s a dandy
paper.
Just one suggestion — could
you occasionally talk about the
off-reserve people, please.
Send subscriptions to:
Ms. P. J. Floyd,
1920 Bugs Road,
R.R.
Sooke, B C.
V05 1NO
Mrs. T. FE. Dowker
Ymir Rd. Group. Box
Nelson, B.C.
P. J. FLOYD
P.O. Box 105
Saanichton, B.C.
February 6, 1974 ‘
Please find enclosed a_per-
sonal: cheque in the amount of
five dollars-($5.00) to cover one
year’s subscription to Nesika.
I have enjoyed your monthly
newspaper so much and have
published articles in your
newspaper. I look forward to
receiving my copy every month.
I have mised out on the last
three issues (Nov./73, Dec./73,
and Jan./74). I was wondering if
(at all possible) you would be so
kind, aS to mail me these issues
that I did not receive.
Your kindness would be great-
ly appreciated. Thank you.
Sincerely,
JUANITA UNDERWOOD
Port Douglas
Jarison Hot Springs
February 11, 1974
I would like to contribute to
your famous paper. I am enclos-
ing $3.00 to cover one year’s sub-
scription for my daughter, name
and address below.
Mrs, M. A. Schneider
RR. 5 ; .
Prince George, B.C.
Thanks, =
MRS. ANNIE JIM
Princess Royal School
260 Irwin St. :
Nanaimo, B.C.
VOR 4x5
I am teaching in a school
where one-third to one-half of the
children are Indian children. One
of my students brought in a copy
of Nesika. [ would be. most
grateful if you would allow me to
have a subscription to, place in ©
my classroom.
I enclose a cheque for $3.00:
Yours truly,
SINU’ LLSTN FRIENDSHIP
SOCIETY 3
P.O. Box 578
48 Forbes Street.
Penticton, B.C.-
V2A 6K9
SUSAN JAMES
202 - 1385 W. 12th Ave.
Vancouver 9, B.C.
MRS. MARGARET WHITE,
66 W. 23rd ave.,
VANCOUVER, B.C.
V5Y 2G7
C. J. MARCELLEY
Box 258
Elmer City, Wash. 99124
U.S.A,
| NESIKA PUBLICATION FUND
1 Nesika, Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs
*140 W. 12th Ave., Vancouver 9, B.C. V6K 2N2
[1 am pleased to contribute to your publication fund.
I enclose $3.00 to cover my subscription for a year.
l —— Money Order —— Personal Cheque
(Please don’t send cash in the mail.)
Name & Address:
| Name of Indian Band/reserve/tribe
Nesika ;
Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs
2140 W. 12th Avenue
NVancouver, B:C. V6J LEL
Signature
Name (Printed)
Old Address
CHANGE OF ADDRESS FORM
PLEASE CHANGE MY ADDRESS TO:
(City or Town( ( yarn er Country Postal Code).
Coquales
ers JUDITH ‘SCHMIDT |
SARDIS — The department of
Indian affairs. is- now seeking
authority to enter. into a lease
agreement with the Coqualeetza
‘Indian Education Training C en-
tre Society, a statement from the
centre has announced recently.
‘This latest development on the
Coqualeetza Project complex
came after a trip to Ottawa by
three members. of the society’s
board: Bill Mussell Jr., Wayne
Bobb, and “Mary Lou Andrew.
The board members met with
officials from DIA and the
Crown Assets ‘Disposal.
The lease - agreement “.would
enable the’ society to.sub-lease
the property with an option to
purchase it: within four years.
Under the agreement the society
will pay an annual-rent.
‘. The centre will make space
- available also to meetings and
seminars at cost to the users.
“That is one: way we will be
_able to pay some of the operating
eetza to mee lease agreement
and maintenance costs,"
Mussell,
said
The society is also interested
in renting space to the junior
college planned in the area, and
the college organizers are being
approached. regarding the
suitability of the centre for
classes and administrative’ pur-
poses.
Within the next month a few .
key staff will be hired for the
centre to develop actual.
programs and courses. between
April and September, 1974, and
start the courses in the fall.
Meanwhile,. the society. plans
to use the space available for
their staff and various ater
courses.
“This is an ltaportant project
in terms of our. own
dévelopment,’’ commented Mrs.
Andrew. “‘We want the oppor-
‘tunity to de something for
ourselves and for our fellow
native citizens and we hope. that
people in the valley area will do
their best to assist us in this ¢ ex-
citing educational project.”’
The former Indian. residential
school and hospital was .turned
over to B.C. Indian people. after
the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs
made representations ‘to DIA, and
the department of national
health and welfare to convert. it
into a multi-centre owned,.and
operated by Indian people. :...,
In May, 1973, both:departments
agreed to turn over the facilities
-to the Union.
The Chiefs Council, however,
on second thought decided’ that
the complex should-be a district
undertaking. ee
~ When the Fraser district. coun-
cil appeared willing to take over
the project, the Union agreed to
‘turn Coqualeetza over..
. The district, in turn, formed
the Coqualeetza Indian Educa-
tion Training Centre Society. .
Contact:
R.C.M. POLICE
STAFFING OFFICER
“E” DIVISION HEADQUARTERS
1061 FORT STREET
VICTORIA, B.C. V8V 3K7
Have you considered
joining the R.C.M.P.?
* Possess a Canadian motor vehicle
* If you'rea Canadian citizen .
* Wish to earn $7,800 a year
* Have completed grade 11
* At least. 58" tall -
~ * Physically fit
~~ Exeniplary character -
Operator's licence
(Higher starting salary
for university graduates)
By G. McKEVITT
The Necoslie Band villagé lies
directly adjacent to the little
town of Fort St. James and, in
fact, constitutes its largest sub-
urb. As you drive into this town,
40 miles north of Vanderhoof, the
main road moves through the
middle. of the reserve. The first
thing you notice, after the big
Catholic church and the old two-
room school beside it that now
houses the«band office, is the.
large part of the area devoted to
sports... .. .- be rena
~ In front of the school stands
the new outdoor skating rink, its
planked walls still bright and
clean with the new wood, later to
be paved and used as a lacrosse
and tennis court as well.
Next to that is row on row of
horseshoe pitches that stops only
when the swings, badminton net
and play area of the younger set
begins.
Farther down the road to town
stands the well kept soccer field
which is beside the fully
equipped softball field, packed
with kids everytime we went by
it.
Recreation emphasized
It was no surprise then when
Band Manager John Seymour
told us that the band’s main
priority was recreation: ‘We
consider recreational develop-
ment to be 50 per cent of com-
munity development and if
someone knows what the other
half is I would like to know.”
This emphasis on recreation
has resulted in its rewards both
. Socially and competitively. The
rate of juvenile delinquency has
dropped appreciatively in recent
times.
Seymour credited the in-
creased sports program with giv-
ing the young people something
to take an interest in and stay
home for.
Competitively, the pride and
‘joy of the band has been its
hockey team, the Chiefs. The
team. has taken first place for
two years in the British Colum-
bia All-Native Hockey. Earlier in
1973, the Chiefs were invited to
the Prince Rupert All-Native
Basketball Tournament where
they put on a fine-show in exhibi-
tion games against a RCMP all-
star team. :
Lots of hockey
In preparing for their games
the Chiefs have utilized the
town's ice arena, to which the
Necoslies contributed $25,000 for
its initial construction.
This. facility, however, is so
popular that it is increasingly
difficult to get ice-time.
“It’s got to the point- now,”
Seymour said, ‘‘when you can’t
~-get a practice in until eleven
o'clock at night. A lot of these
guys have to be up at seven to go
to work.”
Consequently, the band is try-
ing to become totally indepen-
dant in its facilities. The new ice
rink in front-of the school is an
important addition in this
respect. Built from money raised
from raffles, and other func-
tions, it should be finished by the
end: of the summer in its first
stage. :
Total program
The second stage, that is to
cover it, they hope to include in
an overall recreational program.
Spread over five years, or even
10 if necessary, they hope to
create a total program and
facilities including a recreation
hall. °
This, among other things, will
be the job of Edward Prince who
has recently taken on the job of
recreational coordinator. He will
also be responsible for the
summer swimming classes in-
structed by band member Joan
Lilly. - :
Another summer project,
which might be dealing with part
of that other half John Seymour
THE PRIDE AND JOY of the Necoslie Band, the Fort St.. James
‘posterity: ~
and emphatic on
en
FWO TINY BAND MEMBERS play at the
Necoslie’s playground. In the background is proof
of the Band’s belief in recreation. There is
something for all ages. Behind the swings are a
is looking for, is an Opportunities
for Youth venture. Six students
from the band are occupying
themselves with learning and
recording aspects of their
culture. Much of their time is
spent with the elders from whom
they are learning some of the
dances that are being lost.
They also plan. to tape record
‘many: of the old stories as well as
make a photographic record of
the reserve and. its. people for
Firewood for elderly
The band is also applying for a
LIP grant to employ members to
provide firewood for the winter.
According to Seymour, firewood
can be expensive commodity, es-
pecially for the elderly who have
to rely on others to supply it.
The jobs provided by the
program are welcome, too, -
although the employment situa-
‘tion for the Necoslies is quite
good. The area has several saw-
mills and an active logging in-
dustry that provides many jobs
as well as the traditional winter
trapping. A more recent boom in
employment has come too, with
the construction of the new B.C.
Railway line in the area.
Some members, mainly
2
Chiefs. As the B.C. All Native Hockey Tournament champions during
the last two years, the Chiefs are now expected to win the first native
winter .games hockey championship. Coach and general manager
photos)
women, employ themselves in
craft work. They produce some
fine examples of bead and
leather work which they sell
through the band owned craft
store managed by Martha
Prince. The store, although
primarily concerned with the
Necoslies, also stocks works
from native Indians. throughout
the area.
The band faces a housing shor-
tagé that is ‘typical of most in-
B.C. Their present need is for 14
but last year they allotted only
five. They have taken over their
own construction program which.
has given them more control
over the housing quality, but
there is far too little money to
even begin to cope with present
and future needs. The houses
they do have in their village of
365 people are on water “and
sewer lines hooked into the Fort
St. James system.
DIA too slow
Besides the housing, Seymour’
said, the band hopes to take over,
eventually, all the services now
handled by the department of In-
dian affairs.
“The results are too slow with
the department handling
things,”’ he said.
B.C. INDIAN COMMUNITIES:
recreation
horseshoe pitches, and the ice rink.
March, 1974
volleyball net and, just visible in the photo, above,
(Nesika
JOHN SEYMOUR
Necoslie Band Manager
The emphasis however
remains and probably: will re-
main on recreation. This at-
titude. according to Band
Manager Seymour has provided
the greatest improvement in
community spirit and life.
The community that plays
together, ‘stays together: the
Necoslie Band will be standing
by a policy that has shown
results,
John Seymour says the club is slightly weaker this year, but it still
looks: good. The team will face Vernon, Hazelton, and Williams Lake.
(Necoslie photo)
March, 1974
PROFILES OF PROGRESS
Women lea
“TWO PROBLEMS THAT CONFRONT the Nootka
Band and frustrate their plans for a marina sit side
by side. A Lions.Club wharf already exists which is
, of questionable status, and the harbor landfill put
NESIKA
foreshore rights. The pulp mill, relates Band
Manager.Vera Jack, used to awaken her with fright
with the deafening roar of the mill’s steam release
that goes off regularly day and night. (Nesika..
photo) ©
in by the leasing pulp mill confuses the Band’s
By G. McKEVITT
» The. great. .smoke belching
pulp..mill across the road from
the Nootka reserve is one of the
things the Nootka..people have
had to get used to since their
move from their old reserve at
Friendly Cove, Nootka Island, on
the West coast of Vancouver
Island. :
The Tahsis Co. of Gold River,
in 1964 originally leased part of
the then vacant reserve. Ever
since then the people have been
moving from their 206 acre
island reserve to Gold River in
search of jobs either logging or
at the pulp mill as promised in
the lease. ‘
Today the main reserve has
moved to the site of the mill with
only about 30 of the 165 people
remaining at Friendly Cove.
For one and a half years (until
1972). a logging outfit at the
Nootka Island reserve provided
employment for the men who
~ still lived there. But now there is
no employment on the island and
the fishing fleet which prospered
about 20 years ago has long since
vanished.
“The people who are still at
Friendly Cove are finding it-very
hard. but are determined ‘to
stay,” ‘said Chief Mary Johnson.
Stipulated jobs ‘
But the move to the Gold-River
reserve has not solved employ- .
ment problems. totally. Written
into the mill lease contract was a
stipulation that the men from the
reserve get first consideration
for work at the mill. They began
with nine men, but now only two
are ‘still finding employment
there. ; :
Consequently. most of the men
-work for Ranier Logging Co. at
camps many miles away, when it
should only be a matter of walk-
ing across the road for a job.
Other problems. too, have
arisen with the move. With the
easier access to the outside
world has come the break down
of the community life, according
to Chief Johnson.
‘People used to work together
but they don’t anymore; perhaps
it’s because things are too easy
now. Before we used .to work
twice as hard for everything.”
HUMAN RESOURCES
ACCESS CATALOGUE WORKER
Wanted by the Penticton Indian Band, a person with knowledge
of a native Indian language, good organizing skills, and
knowledgeable about developments taking place presently on
reserves.
DUTIES: The worker, cooperating with a lawyer, would work up basic
guidelines as to what legal control native communities can have over
outside experts whom they hire .to work in their communities.
(Ownership of data
~~ cultural, linguistic, ete. — would be: clearly
delineated. Band council control of such would be clearly delineated. A
brief guide to drawing up short-term contracts would be prepared.)
The worker, through extensive travel, correspondence, and interviews,
would collect a list of various persons who not only have expertise in
areas relevant to-present developments on reserves, but also have the
kinds of personalities and cultural attitudes that would enable them to
work cooperatively with native.people.
SALARY:. $600 monthly, plus expenses.
APPLICATIONS: Resumes and references should be sent to:
Don Jenkins Education Counsellor
&
PENTICTON INDIAN BAND
R.R. No. 2, Green Mountain Rd.
Penticton, B.C. V2A-6J7
MARY JOHNSON
Soft-spoken Nootka chief
She went on to say: ‘‘People
don't visit around anymore
either: we very seldom get
together as a commuity or even
just with our neighbours.”
Women leaders —
Also with the move to Gold
River has come: the emergence
of women as. band leaders, in-
cluding the band manager, chief,
and. one of the three councillers.
Chief Johnson explained:
“With the men.away at logging
“camps, they have no time left for
other things: The men who work
at the mill have three different
shifts. Very often they have to
‘sleep during the day.”
In some ways, she said: the
idea has not been accepted yet by
part of the community.
However, the atmosphere has
shown sign of improvement in
the past while. and she hopes
that it will continue.
The council will have its hands
_ full in the next while with several
issues to contend with. Of high
priority. are a number of
questions surronding the mill
lease. The Nootkas have plans
for.a marina at. the mouth of
Jeast::
: Legal questions
Gold river, nearby, but before
they can begin they must contend
with a boat ramp and wharf
already existing there. Built by
the Gold River Lions club. ‘its
status is questionable, to say the
‘Noone, however, seems: to
know: how the mill lease, the
reserve, and it fit together. The
band has hired a lawyer. to sort
the. matter.out.
Also, in relation to the marina,
the lawyer is looking into-the
matter of foreshore rights. When
the mill was built much of the
shore was filled in by the com-
pany.
The band must find out now
Just what rights remain in its
control of the foreshore. Or, for
that matter, if any foreshore
remains at all to work with,
The band also plans to
renegotiate for more money for
the 2l-acre lease and for tighter
control over sub-leasing. The
mill. in one instance, has already
sub-leased a. portion of the tand
to an oil company withut any
notification to the Nootkas.
Tourism growing
Although the marina project is
at a standstill for the present, the
band is moving ahead with its
plans for campgrounds. Several
students will be hired for the
summer to clear ground both at
Gold River and Friendly Cove to
provide facilities for the growing
tourist traffic. .
INSTRUCTOR
To help plan the groundwork and
teach a course in Oral Ojibway.
Appointment effective 1 July,
_ 1974. Salary commensurate with
qualifications and experience.
Apply in writing with resume to:
Professor Walter Currie,
Chairman,
Department of Native Studies,
Trent University,
Peterborough,
Canada.
K9J 7B8
Ontario,
Page Seven
ders emerge among Nootkas
The students: will -also be
employed in: tearing down some
of the old houses left at Friendly
Cove. ;
It is somewhat ironic: that they
should have this: task. Although
» Friendly: Cove’has’ a surplus of
derelict. buildings, the. five
familys that live there are badly
in need of housing. The council is
in a certain quandry in’ this
respect. They: had originally put
an order through that all new
housing should be on the new
reserve to meet the need of the
many people moving over.
Recently. however, they had to
rescind this order and allot two
new homes at Friendly Cove.
The real home
Meanwhile, the majority of the
Nootka Band carry.on through
the pains of adjusting to their
relatively new way of life at Gold
River. Chief Johnson sees,
primarily, that the first priority
of the council is to cultivate a
stronger community life in the
new village.
However most of the people
still feel their real home is back
at. the old village. Said Band
Manager Vera. Jack: ‘“‘Many of
the band plan on going back there
when they retire.”
RECEIVING
HOME WORKERS
Staff wanted with the following
qualifications:
1, Must be able to cook for
children: of all ages. There will
be 16 children at the most.-
. Must be a good organizer.
. Must have a great deal of love
for children. :
4. Must be able to undergo train-
ing. with established children’s
centers.
Accommodations will be provided
at the receiving home: For more
details and applications, contact:
Mrs, Clara Auger
Tsulquate Welfare Aide
Box 985
PORT HARDY, B.C.. VON 2PO
wn
Page Eight
> TWO YOUNGSTERS TAKE joy posing with was attended by Roger Adolph as guest ‘speaker.
. trophies. at sports banquet to celebrate the great
(Nesika photo)
: athletic tradition of Indian people. The occasion
Great athletes make good leaders, say Adolph
Mission Staff — Roger Adolph,
‘director of the B.C. Native
3 ‘Sports Federation, was guest
| speaker at a sports banquet held
:at the St. Mary’s Students
* Residence earlier this month.
| Speaking to about two hundred
and thirty students, Adolph com-
“pared the old residential school
isystem to the new.
He said that the Indian people
“ had always been noted for their
athletic ability, and, if they had
the ‘resources existing today, -
‘get. the most out of life.
many of the former student-
athletes at St. Mary’s might even
now be professional.
Adolph said that it was up to
the. students to continue his
athletic tradition, and, upon their
return to the reserve, to provide
leadership in the sports and
recreation area.
He stressed the importance of
physical conditioning, not - only
for the confirmed athlete but.
also for the people who wished to
“You
NESIKA
ase
take care of your body and it’ll
take care of you,” he said.
Following Adolph’s: speech
trophies were presented by
residence administrator. Joe
Aleck. Trophies were awarded
for accumulated points-in floor
hockey, volley ball, soccer,
basketball, a pool tournament,
and other activities.
Of the four ‘‘houses,”’ Gold,
Red, Green, and Blue, Green
House was awarded the trophy
for most points, + Gerard
Peters ~:~ ;
New housing
: OTTAWA — The announce-
“ment of a new rural and native
‘housing program by the govern-
sment has been met with
: favorable comments by native
“people and members of the op-
- position.
- In announcing the program to
“Parliament, Minister Ron
: : Basford said that “‘this policy
/and its programs will serve all
people in isolated and. rural
‘Canada according to need or ac-
- cording to income and without
regard to race or ancestry.”
The program aims to build or
acquire up to 50,000 housing units
within five years.
Basford told members of the
‘Commons, however, the new
-policy ‘‘could not be successful if
-it did not also meet the par-
ticular needs of native people
who, in many areas, require new
housing on a priority basis.”’
plan well received, but...
Tony Belcourt,
Native Council of Canada,
described the announcement as a
“major change’ in social policy,
and said that it is geared to meet
the worse housing needs of the
country.
Frank Howard (NDP-Skeena),
noting the appointment of
Lawrence Gladue. to.the housing
committee of CMHC, called the
minister of urban. affairs’. an-
nouncement a ‘“‘welcome move.”’
The member for Skeena,
however, warned Basford of a
“sadder end than anticipated by
-the minister’’ if the new housing
program will proceed without
tackling the problems of interest
rates and land costs.
“If it turns out later that the
people who rent these homes or
seek to buy them find that their
economic position in life is insuf-
ficient for them to be able to pay
Kids — and parents — welcome
‘at Mission-Abbotsford centre
By LEW MOWRY
Executive Director
.Mission-Abbotsford Status &
Non-Status Indian Friendship
Centre Society
Greetings! The first thing that
I would like to tell you is that we
"have moved to a fine new loca-
tion, and would like to ask you all
;to drop in and visit with us if you
sare ever this way. Yes, it is a
‘hard spot to miss! :
If you look directly up from the
‘Post Office on the Main Street of'
Mission, you will see a bright
yellow house at 7368 Scott Lane
_beckoning to you.
: The executive director is on
‘hand to exchange a friendly word
‘or two. Then, there is Honorine
~:Wright, programmes coor-
.dinator, who is always willing to
gab and exchange ideas with you.
Tony Gardner, youth worker;
‘Pam Dawson, secretary-
-bookkeeper; Karen Paisley,
‘public relations; Isaac Wilson,
handyman; Priscilla Williams,
Leona Armstrong, Ella Gerard,
are the rest of the staff who are
‘on hand for a chat.
We welcome you anytime!
February has. been a busy
month for all in the Centre —
with housing, counselling, and
varius other activities. Honorine
has been a busy lady, also, with
the initiation of a Youth Group, a
pillow- and quilt-making
_ program, organization of softball
teams for the young people, and
with anything else she can do to
help people.
We have some very active
young people and are hoping to
have more activities for them in
the future. At the moment the
Youth Group has a Rap Session
on Wednesday evenings. from
7:30 p.m., and on Sundays from
1-5.
Tony has been in the schools
and in the court rooms generally
helping out as many of our youth
as he ean. Pam, of course, is
kept quite busy with her work.
February also has been a
money month for us, as our core
fund for the last quarter of ’72-’73
was received and a future
application was made. This
brings to mind the fact that our
membership dues of $1.00 per
year will be expiring at the end
of March. So, let’s think of
renewing them pretty soon.
Everything at the centre is go-
ing well, but we sadly lack adult '
participation. So, come on, kids,
bring your parents along.
Well, that’s it from -the big
house from the hill. Drop in and
see us soon.
president,.
the interest rates or the land
costs, then a few years from now
they will be in no better relative
position. than they are now,”’
Howard cautioned.
Gillés. Caouette. (SC-
Charlevoix), noting the
minister’s mentioning: new con-
structions plandands for the
Program, said:
“T sincerely hope ‘that “the”
minister will properly revise the
standards that were used,by.the —
Central Mortgage and Housing’
Corporation these last few years,
especially in the Quebec region.
According to the standards of the
CMHC, ‘buildings were found
with: two inches of ice in war-
drobes. Therefore, it is nearly
time that these standards be
better formulated and especially
that CMHC. inspectors do some
positive work.”
Expressing his hope that the
program just announced would
“get off the ground and not just
be a matter of words,” Eldon
Williams (PC- Calgary North).
commented:
“T say, and I think all
honorable members will agree
with me, that the conditions un-
der which native people havé
been forced to live, either by the
Indian Act or by governments in
the past, stand as a monument to
our inhumanity, of our inhuman
attitude toward these people.
“On many occasions. we have
read in the newspapers about the
poor housing to which these peo-
ple have beerr subjected over the
years. They are forced to burn
energy other than natural gas or
oil. Many times there have been
fires and families have been
destroyed along with their
houses. These people have been
forced to live under such con-
ditions for a number of years.
Therefore, I wish the minister
success in this program.”’
. Basford also announced that
housing projects under the new
program, whenever possible,
will also provide employment op-
portunities, .job training, and
local economic development.
“All federal programs which
can have an effect on the health,
welfare, and social and economic
well-being of the people concern-
ed will be integrated with the
housing activity,’’ said the
minister.
- March, 1974
OOP! JUNIOR NOVICE EVENT is boxing championships at Winter
Games has two little champs ‘angling. Referee looks on without a
qualm. (Nesika photo)
New softball league is formed
“VANCOUVER — Games of the
newly formed softball league for
men and women from lower
mainland BCANSI locals and In-
dian Bands will hopefully start in
April, according to the president
‘of BCANSI Skid Road Local No.
157.
Ken Giles said that the league
set up won’t allow membership
in the league for those under 16
years of age.
Each team participating must
have a $25-bond for the event;
the money is. forfeited if -the
team does not show. up for a
game.
Each team will also pay $5.00
for registration.
A group insurance arrange-
‘ment is being looked after so that
each team, for a fee of $5.00, will
be covered in case of. an acci-
dent.
PLANNING YOUR FAMILY
Ending a pregnancy by abortion
By GEORGE POVEY, M.D...
Abortion means termination of
...an_early pregnancy.
The only safe way that abor- _
tion can be performed is by sur-
gery, in a hospital. or clinic.
There are no medications, no
pills or injections, that can ter-
minate pregnancy, although
research is being done on several
. methods.
It is very important that abor-
tion be done as early as possible.
The procedure is relatively safe
when done soon after the first’
missed menstrual perid. As time _
passes and as the uterus in-
creases in size it becomes
progressively more hazardous.
When medical people speak of
the ‘‘weeks’’ or ‘‘months’’ that
pregnancy has progressed, they
‘are counting from the last
menstrual period (which usually
can be accurately dated) rather
than from the time that concep-
tion actually occurred. (which is
difficult to determine). thus the
statement that someone is ‘12
weeks pregnant’? means that 12
weeks have passed since her last
period.
Pregnancy testing
A simple test can be done on
the urine to determine whether. a
woman is pregnant. It is not
reliable until about 2 weeks after
a menstrual period has been mis-
sed.
It is of the greatest importance
that a woman who suspects that
she may be pregnant has her
urine tested as soon as her period '
is 2 weeks overdue if she is con-
sidering abortion. This makes it
possible for the procedure to be-
done earlier in the pregnancy
when it is safer.
Curettage
In the first 12 weeks of
pregnancy, abortion may be done
by curettage, in the operating
room of a hospital or clinic.
Either general anaesthesia
(given through a vein in the arm)
or local. anaesthesia (given
' through the vagina) may be us-
ed.
The cervix is dilated and the
pregnancy is removed with a
scraping instrument called a_
curette.
Suction curettage or vacuum
_ aspiration
Most hospitals now -use,. this
method, ‘which is more’ ‘rapid
than ordinary curettage, It is
done in the same way, except
that the pregnancy is aspirated
through a tube by means of” a
vacuum pump.
Saline instillation
When pregnancy has progress-
ed beyond 12 weeks, curettage
cannot be done because the fetus
is too large. Saline instillation is
then preferable.
A needle is passed through the
abdominal wall into the uterine
cavity. Some of the fluid sur-
rounding the fetus is removed
through the needle and in its
place a sterile saline solution is
injected.
The needle is then removed
and the woman is able to be up
and about. One or two days later
she begins to have uterine con-
tractions and the pregnancy is
expelled through the vagina.
Hysterotomy
In some cases saline instilla-
tion fails, and an operation called
hysterotomy must be performed.
The abdomen and the uterus are
opened surgically, and- the
pregnancy is removed. If the
woman decides to have children
later on, they probably will be
delivered by caesarean section,
as hysterotomy leaves a weaken-
ed area that might not withstand
the stress of labour.
Key points concerning abortion
1. Early abortion is far safer
than late abortion. See your
family planning adviser for
testing if a menstrual period is
late.
2. No pill or injection will
produce abortion. Don’t waste
time and money on home
remedies or quack cures.
3. Illegal abortions endanger
your health and your life. They
may also make it difficult for
you to get pregnant later on. Con-
sult your family planning adviser
for information concerning abor-
tion in accredited hospitals and
clinics.
The Days of Augusta, Jean E.
Speare, J.J. Douglas Ltd., Van-
couver, 1973, 80 pp. illustrated,
$6.95.
By GERARD PETERS
Most books edited by non-
Indian polished authors lose the
believability one might find in
listening to actual accounts of
life as described by one who has —
lived them. The editor applies a
literary sheen .that outglows the
basic, honest quality of the story. .
There is the problem of
translating Indain languages to
readable English, when the
story-teller is old enough to have
survived the English language.
For the less fortunate, who have
acquired some small use of the
English language, their accounts
are stifled by their discomfort
with the new language.
The story of Mary Augusta
Tappage, born at Soda Creek in
the Cariboo country of B.C. in
1888, is a unique exception. It is
an unfettered account of the life
lived by Augusta, undampened
by the editing of Jean Speare and
The Days of Augusta
much enhanced by the simple,
uncluttered photographs by
Robert Keziere. ©
Augusta's story mught be
termed a mini-history of the In-
dian in B.C. after the arrival of
the white man. As the preface
reads, ‘‘It was a time of hopeful,
yet painful, pioneering for those
who adopted the Cariboo as their
home; perhaps, even more for
the native people, who faced
bewildering changes because of
the intruders.”
Augusta’s grandmother told
her of the smallpox epidemic,
“about 1860, that smallpox time
. They died like flies, yes.”’
She-makes, perhaps unwitting-
ly, the impact of religion and
education apparent: ‘The sisters
came from France, you know,
and they brought Christmas with
them.”’
She tells of having to ask what
the Indians were saying after -
getting out of Mission school. “‘I
almost forgot my own language.
It’ s Shuswap, my language." She
reveals the irony: ‘‘And now we
kkk
Seasons of the Eskimo
Seasons of the Eskimo — a
vanishing way of life,
photography and text by Fred
Bruemmer, McClelland &
Stewart, 160 pages, (10° x 12’),
hardcover, $17.95 (non-fiction).
Large, photograph-laden
volumes tend to have more
visual appeal than literary value.
This one is rich in both. It is, in -
fact, the best book about the
Canadian Arctic and its people
that I have seen to date.
_ Bruemmer’s photographs are
a sort of pictorial poetry that
ranges from passionate objec-
tivity to childlike tenderness.
The viewer is left with a feeling
of having been an eyewitness to
the time and place where they
were taken. His essays, a blend
of intelligent and thorough
historical research and _first-
hand contemporary knowledge of
Inuit life, are as absorbing as
they are illuminating. His prose
is, as one of his editors aptly
describes it, ‘‘admirably suited
to his subject — something like a
whiff of clean, clear Arctic air.”
Bruemmer was born in Riga,
Latvia, 41 years ago. He came to
Canada. in 1950 and has since
become a successful freelance
writer, and photographer. both
“here and in Europe. For the past.
six years, he has spent his time
equally divided between his Mon-
treal home and the Arctic where
he shares the life of the nomadic
Camp Eskimos. After reading
the book, one can understand
why.
. ‘— Canadian Scene.
Letter to Lenny ,
By DAVID CHESNUT
Where did you go, Lenny Two-
Rivers?
The pain:in your brain.
Devil lightening
Devil lightening
Your every thought.
The truck left River Bend
Old Lazereth the dog
Guarding your every move
_From a. position on the seat
beside you.
You never drank, Lenny
Yet they tell me you were drunk
Then they stopped your truck.
The cancer intimidated your
reflexes
And you remained unbalanced
Staggering for a foot hold.
They hit you until death came
To your troubled existence.
Lenny
A sadness has come to your peo-
ple .
They who understood the beauty
and dignity
Of your very soul
Serenity
ByROBERTA BARKER
Though the sun shines bright and
clear
And the soft, caressing breeze
wafts by,
Life has ceased to exist for a few
braves .
Where the white man struck you
down
In your time of desperation
A cold reminder
That you were a victim
Of a dream.
Lenny, Oh Lenny Two-Rivers
I stand in sorrew at your grave
- The sun is setting. once more in
shame
Leaving you once again alone.
When the eagle flies tomorrow -
Your soul will be borne
On wings of peace
‘Crying out to a troubled land
That Lenny Two-Rivers saw
truth
In a gust of wind
‘A moment of silence
Where Manitou accepted your
freedom to walk in solitude
Among the ghosts of a heritage
That died with a whisper and a
sigh
From the lips of a lost tribal
warrior
Within the darkness
Of an eternal-memory.
in Death
Who fought for a just. cause.
They bring us sorrow in their
passing.
But with it, something more
precious...
The Strength to go on and regain
Our rightful land and life.
Ol Is
_ they: are almost lost.
ecause
Well,
they’re going to be hard to get
back because the new
generations are not that in-
terested.”
She reveals the harshness of
that life without. a note of
bitterness. Of her two daughters
who died at birth she says simp-
ly, ‘‘No doctor,-no help. If your
child was sick, it had to die.’’ She
tells of her three-dollar doctor’s
book from Eaton’s: “‘I learned it
by heart. At night in my kitchen
by candlelight . . . No doctors,
nobody; so I learned that book
and I helped them.”’
She speaks knowingly of mak-
ing nets and baskets from
nature’s supply, the Saskatoon
wood, spruce roots, the cherry
bark design.
Augusta’s is a story of the in-
evitable encroachment of
civilization, and how one person
has weathered it.
In one interesting passage titl-
ed ‘‘Mend a Basket’’ she says,
“This basket had a buckskin han-
dle. While Sammy was picking
raspberries, it broke. When he -
brought it home, he put a wire
handle on it. He said, ‘That won’t
break now, Granny,’ I said, ‘No,
that will be good.’ ”’
Her..attitude toward marriage
reflects her own instance: ‘‘You
were married and your husband
kept you until he died. And you —
you. stayed with him until he
died. And that was that. But it’s
different now. There’s divorces
and parting and go this way and
go that way — always
changing.”
“The Days of Augusta’ were
days of change, indeed. From
horse stage to concrete
highways, from canoe. to air-
craft.
Inevitably, Augusta speaks. of
civilization, ‘I don’t know about
this getting civilized... . it’s not
~. $0 good now, :not so good.’’.
Her book is not a literary
masterpiece; it’s a moving ac-
count of life as she lived it, told
honestly and simply. Within its
meager pages are a wealth of
knowledge.
riginated
from: those of Indian people —
The extent of the contribution
of the Indians of this continent to
the world food supply is one of
the best kept secrets of history.
Most of the European contacts
with Indians include descriptions
of their crops. Samuel de
Champlain, landing by the Saco
River of Maine in 1605 reported:
“We saw their Indian corn
which they raised in gardens.
Planting two or three kernels. in
one place, they then heap about it
a quantity of earth with shells of
signoc ...
tant they plant as much more,
and this in succession. With this
corn they put in each hill three or
four kidney beans, which are of
different colors. When they grow
up, they interlace with the corn,
which reaches to a height of
from five to six feet, and they
keep the ground free from
weeds. We saw there many
squashes and pumpkin, and
.. Then three feet dis- —
tobacco, which they likewise
cultivate.”
Corn, or maize, was grown by
the Indians from Canada to Peru.
It. was a remarkable achieve-
ment -because it has been so
thoroughly domesticated and im-
proved by aboriginal culture that
its wild ancestor cannot be deter-
mined with certainty. It cannot
sow itself and would perish from
the earth without human care.
ALL KINDS OF CORN ;
From the Indians, the pioneers
learned all the uses of corn, and
from the beginning it outranked
all European grains as the
favourite crop. The Indians grew
every kind: Alint, dent, flour,
sweet, and popcorn. From corn
they made hominy, succotash
(with beans) corn bread, and
corn meal mush. They knew of
hybridization and planted
See page 12: INDIAN
White men were the teachers
of Indian people in scalping
Somewhere the myth has
grown that it was the Indian who
introduced the custom of scalp-
ing to history. That is not true.
Scalping is not a New’ World
practise.
In fact, it’s so old that
Herodotus mentions the practise
in his reports. He states that the
Seynthians took the scalps of
their fallen foes. This doesn’t
mean that the entire white or
civilized world practised it. All it
proves is: scalping did not
originate with the Indians.
Scalping was introduced to the
Indian in the latter part. of the
17th century by the invading
whites,
America. It was only after the
settling of America that. the In-
dian began to practise the
custom.
During the 18th and 19th cen-
turies, the early settlers were
willing and did pay bounty for
any Indian killed providing ac-
tual proof of the deed could be
furnished. The entire head was
sufficient proof.
Rhythm of the Rain
By LeLAN SHAFFER
Hear the rhythm of the rain;
Hear the rhythm of the
rain,;Falling through dancing
clouds;
Hear the rhythm of the arain.
Speak, O’Silent Sky,
White
In Beauty falling free,
Tears of raindrops gather,
A drifting Melody.
Hear the.rhythm of the rain;
Hear the rhythm of the rain,
Falling through dancing clouds;
Hear the rhythm of the rain.
Eyes
By FRANCES BONTSON ‘
Here I am.
a voice
whining in the wilderness;
Don't dry me
Red Power...
‘You silent ones —
Black-Eyes —
. contempt, or ‘
shyness? ...
do you
listen?
If I smile
when we meet...
will you give
me
my smile back?
Do you blame
White-Eyes
for the scorn,
for your lost past?
They.
did it.
I .
am ashamed.
Can we
Meet
on common ground
Festivals.
where we can
laugh
and talk,
Or
just
be silent together
An Invitation
Association of Native Americans
Nid-Hudson Region, Ltd.
P.O. Box 1100 39 N. Chestnut St.
" New Paltz, N.Y. 12561 U.S.A.
Gentlemen:
As part of our traditional In-
dian program, we celebrate four
annual Indian Festivals:
Green Shoots — March 22
Mid-Summer — June 21
Harvest — Sept. 20
Renewal — Dec. 20
We welcome .Native
Americans who could visit us at
our headquarters and these
Cordially,
Irene Rosenkranse
Office Manager.
who came to settle
Governor Keift of New
Netherland is credited with
originating the idea of taking the
scalp instead of the entire head.
This made for easier handling;
besides, scalps didn’t rot and
waste away.
_ In America the Indian was kill-
ed for land ownership, but in
Canada he was killed over com-
petition in the fur trade.
The French offered the Mic- _
mac a bounty on the Beothuk of
Newfoundland. By 1827, the en-
tire tribe had-been exterminated.
The Indian seeing his
neighbors, friends and family
killed for “‘bounty money’’ learn-
ed to hate and retaliated by tak-
ing the scalps of the whiteman.
No human being, white or Indian,
likes to see his people killed for a
small piece of the scalp, much
less for a few dollars. Is it any
wonder why the Indian began to’
practise the custom? — Ex-
cerpted from an article by Gar-
vin Larocque in the Indian News,
January, 1974.
Urge use of northern
people’s expertise
From page 2
permitting or undertaking
alteration of our environment.”’
I hope the government. of
British Columbia will consult
earnestly with native people in
northwestern B.C. not only to
protect aboriginal rights at long
last, but also to employ the. ex-
pertise of northern people in
making wise decisions for future
as well as present generations of
B.C. residents, both Indian and
non-Indian.
I hope the government will not
bind the hands of task force
members with a preconceived
“rapid pace of development in
northwestern. B.C.’‘leaving
them, as apparently happened in
Manitoba and Quebec, for ex-
amples, with little more respon-
sibility than to rubber stamp a
highly questionable fait ac-
compli.
Lorne W. Nahanee Sr., 65
NORTH VANCOUVER —
L,ORNE W. Nahanee Sr. died of
a stroke at St. Paul's Hospital,
Vancouver, in March 2, at the
age of 65 years.
A member of the Squamish
Band Council, Nahanee looked
after housing and education until
he retired in 1965.
He is survived by his wife,
Eva, and nine children, and 12
grandchildren.
Page Twelve
“Indian people robbed of just
acclaim for food products
From page 11
different varieties of corn far
enough apart to prevent un-
desired mixtures. Indians in-
vented the corn crib and used
scarecrows (sometimes live
ones) to protect their fields and
gardens. Their practice of plan-
ting beans with corn was
restorative to the soil.
For all its importance, corn is
but one of more than forty
-leading food or economic plants
domesticated and cultivated by
the Indians. Since none of these
products, except gourds and cot-
ton, were known to the Old World
before discovery of the New
World, most authorities hold that
the ancient migrants brought no
seeds with them, and that they
received nothing by way of con-
tact with other continents.
North American Indians
cultivated ‘sunflowers for the
seeds, and the ‘Jerusalem ar-
tichoke (which, despite its name;
is an American plant of the
sunflower family) was grown for:
its tubers. Many uncultivated
wild plants were used as food by
Indians and pioneers. Wild rice,
for example, was, and still is, an
‘important food among Indians of
the Great Lakes region. The
Ojibwa, north and west of Lake
Superior, gathered it in large
quantities.
The early explorer David
Thonpson, gives a good descrip-
tion of this harvesting. ‘‘The wild
rice,”’ he says, ‘‘is fully ripe in
the early part of September. The
natives lay thin birch rind all
over the bottom of the canoe, and
with a hand on each side, seizes
the stalks and knocks the ears of
rice against the inside of the
canoe into which the rice falls. A
canoe may hold ten to twelve
bushels. He smokes his pipe,
sings a song, and returns to
collect another canoe load. The
rice, when dried, is pounded in a
mortar made of a piece of hollow
- oak with a pestle of the same un-
til the husk ‘comes off.”
COMMERCIAL WILD RICE
In recent decades, wild rice
has been successfully marketed
commercially.
The Indians were the first to
manufacture sugar and syrup
from the sap of the maple tree
and these became important
food to the pioneers. The ex-
plorer Alexander Henry reported
from Lake Superior in the 1700's:
“We ate nothing but our sugar
during the whole period. Each
man consumed a pound a day,
desired no other food, and was
visibly nourished by it.”’
The tribes of British Columbia
ate several species of’sea weed.
The camas root, a plant closely
related to the hyacinth, was
steamed and made into a
sweetish bread. So widely used
was the Jerusalem artichoke
that it was called ‘Indian
potato”. The common jack-in-
the-pulput was once the ‘Indian
turnip”’.
Many nuts and seeds were
processed and eaten by Indians
— hickory, butternut and acorn.
The latter, for example, has
their bitterness leached out with
hot water and the nuts ground
into flour for hread. They were
sometimes roasted or boiled, or
ground into mush.
NATIVE FRUITS
North America is not richly en-
dowed with important native
fruits but the Indians used all
that there weré — more than
three: hundred kinds. The in-
digenous wild grape, which gave
rise to the name Vinland, was
used by North. American Indians
and later developed by
Europeans. into the Concord
grape.
The native wild strawberry, a
delicacy. among the Iroquois, is
the ancestor of our cultivated
‘strawberry.
The Indians used wild
raspberries, blackberries,
blueberries, gooseberries, ser-
vice berries thimbleberries, as
well as wild cherries, plums and
persimmons. The latter were not
only eaten fresh (after- frost
made them sweet) but were
made into a bread.
In the plains, wild berries were
mixed with dried buffalo meat —
and fat to make a food called
pemmican which was carried on
long journeys. Among the most
important of the wild berries of
the Indian in today’s commercial
market is the cranberry. More
than a million barrels are sold
annually.
“IRISH” POTATOES
The Indians have been robbed
of just acclaim for their ac-
complishments by the silence of
history books, by misleading
names such as ‘‘Irish’’ potatoes
and ‘‘Turkish” tobacco, and by
the fact that so many of their
products have become so impor-
tant in the economy of other
lands that -their origin is
forgotten.
The potato, the most important ©
vegetable in the world, was first
cultivated in its many varieties
by Indians of the Andean region,
from which it spread to Europe,
Asia, Africa, and rather late and
indirectly to North America:
hence the name ‘‘Irish_”’
potatoes.
Cacao, from which we obtain
chocolate, was grown by the
Aztecs. for a beverage. Manoic,
or cassava, the roots. of which
yield tapioca, was first utilized
by the Indians of Brazil.
‘“‘Hawaiian’’ pineapples
originated in Central America.
Tobacco was smoked by In-
dians ar early as 600 A.D. and
cultivated widely in North and
South America.
FIRST CULTIVATED BEANS
Lima and kidney beans, as. well.
as string, navy, snap, and scarlet
runner beans — all important
varieties — were first cultivated
in the Americas.
Among other well-known.
products cultivated by pre-
Columbian Indians in tropical
regions are chili peppers,
avocados, tomatoes (which
became an important food after
1800) arrowroot, cashews,
guavas. papayas, quinoa, and
star apples.
Chicle, the main constituent of
the modern chewing gum, bears
a Mayan name for the tree sap
which the Indians chewed for its
flavour.
Probably of tropical origin, but
growing far to the north before
contact with Europeans, are the
squashes and pumpkins.
INDIAN BEVERAGES
Recognition is due to the In-
dians for such beverages as
caffeine-rich guarana and mate
in South America, as well as sar-
saparilla, and Mexican vanilla
used as a flavouring in many
drinks.
In North America, sassafras
tea, cassine or yaupon, Labrador
tea, New Jersey tea (substituted
for Asian tea during the
American Revolution), and
Oswego tea are amorg Indian
drinks which have enjoyed pop-
ularity among whites.
As you travel through the coun-
tryside and see those piles of
squash, pumpkins, colourful ears
of corn and other treasures,
remember who gave them to us.
—CANADIAN SCENE
NES 1
is Se
LOUELLA PRINC.
K_A
E ISN’T SO SURE she wants her
picture taken. She helps Martha Prince, who
March, 1974
manages Necoslie Band’s craft store. Items were
still being arrange at the time. (Nesika photo)
THE VANCOUVER FRIENDSHIP CENTRE is.
shown -above after a fire early in January
. Ex-
ecutive director Marge Cantryn told Nesika that
there was about $37,000-worth of damage, including
the centre’s television set. The main staff is back in
business as usual, she said, but the counsellors are
temporarily operating from 144 Hastings St. The
building, meanwhile, has been steam-cleaned.
(Nesika photo)
Part of Nesika: The Voice of B.C. Indians -- Vol. 3 No. 3 (March 1974)