Nesika: The Voice of B.C. Indians -- May 1976

Transcription (Hover to view)


published by |

| B.C. Aseoctaton of Non a —












| Execiitives Bili Wilson and
‘BIEN Point at Courtenay assembly



U.B.C.LC.
Assembly
_ Report |



pages 6, 7, 8



Status Indians heads into its 8th
General Assembly with virtually
all observers predicting the

organization to return “to federal
_ funding. The assembly is expec- —
ted to debate the funding issue -

when the delegates convene for
the second year in ‘a row -at
_U.B.C., this time at Totem Park,
from Saturday the I2th through
Monday the I4th-of June.

The assembly, originally 'sche-
duled for June I[7-20, was

re-scheduled to take advantage-of ~

the only dates at U.B.C.’s

convention faciilities. Conference ~

expenses and a shortage of funds
within the association made ‘it
necessary to take several cost- -cu-
tting measures. _

The shortage of funds. comes

from the initial- rejection of all —
government | funding at the last __

~~ assembly in what proved to be a

pre-mature . move to promote



Ss

a

tl,

EB

METER
CCAPTEUE
146564

WILSON DUFF
B.C.

B. C.
VANCOUVER,

DEPT. ANTHROPOLOGY

Room 104-1099 W. 8th,
PROF.
U.

Vancouver, B.C.

please return to:
732-6122

If undeliverable,
BCANSI







) ; unity. between the: ‘status and 1 non

Jj ‘Headed for + Funding?

The B.C- Association of Non

status Indian organizations in ‘the
province. The UBCIC had made
the same move a month. earlier

but dater refused to co-operate ‘on

the unity issue with. BCANSI.

Over the past year, the Executive ~

and Board have steadfastly
upheld ' the resolution on the
rejection of funds.

In addition to the funding is issue,

-@ regionalization proposal will

likely be debated. If accepted, the
move will decentralize authority

and establish a number of

semi-autonomous regions.
THE PAST YEAR

The period immediately follows .

the UBCIC’s rejection of funds at

their Chilliwack Assembly at the
end of April’75, was marked by a.

flurry of activity within BCANSI

that hasn’ t been matched before.

" or-since.
At that time, the: organization

_ had over 40 people on staff, and

the Executive andboard halted all

| programs so that for the month

- the Locals




immediately before the BCANSI
Assembly , all staff would become
land claims workers. The plan
was for the staff to be divided into
several 2 and 3 persons teams
which would meet with each of
to discuss the
rejections of funds and the land
claims issue. It was hoped that
with enough information. and
priof discussion, the delegates to
the June Assembly would be truly

representing the. wishes of the
. locals

when they ‘would be
expected to vote on the rejection
~of funds and land claims
“priorities. The plan was success-
ful -every local was visited that
‘month (some Locals complained
they hadn’t seen anyone from
head office for a year) and the

'. issues were widely discussed at

the local jevel before the
delegates arrived. at the Assem-
bly.

cont on page 4





Last Chance for Survival —

Our native. eo ‘are in
danger. And worse - our people
seem indifferent to the crisis. _

Many things can be relearned if

they are forgotten, such as dancing |
_and crafts. But a language that is -
allowed to die .is:gone forever. And .
all that depends on that language:

‘die with it.

It takes time and effort and work

to learn well a language we do not
know, and perhaps this is why so
_ Many people do not want to face
the crisis of losing: our. true
tongues. Everyone is in favour of
the survival of native languages -
but few learn the language to help
it survive.

This is also part of a greater
_ problem - we seem not to want to
admit how much we-have lost. We
seem to think that. being proud of
our “Indian heritage’’ and ‘‘believ-
‘ing’’ in our-ancestor’s ways is the
same as living ‘those ways. We

seem to think that if we can shout ©

“Indian and proud’’ loudly

enough, we can prove ‘we are not.

assimilated. But we forget that the
Creator gave us nations and
cultures - it was someone else who
gave us an identity as ‘‘Indians’’.

Some native people recall that.
their own languages were beaten -

out of them in the schools they
attended. Nowadays, it is fasion-

able for schools with native _

students to offer ‘‘instruction’’ in

native languages, or.to teach in a .

native language in the primary
grades. But this is tokenism of the

worst sort - how fluent do Canadian -

children become in French - which
| is close to English in every way -
_ through their school instruction?

_the school year,

Would the French langage
survive if it were regenerated only

‘in this way? Would Canadian

parents be happy if their children
had. to speak Chilicotin § or

Tsimshean constantly, excepting

for one short period a day during
where English
would be taught?

The current teaching of lan--
_ guages in this token way keeps —

native people from rebelling

: against the inhuman and destruct- ©
ive ‘‘educational system”’ designed

first and foremost for the purpose

_of making people - native and
non-native - forget how to be free. -

The weekly classes but frosting on
an English cake. They are

‘dangerous, because many people —

now believe the crisis is over and
the problem has been solved.

But learning to count and say the
names. of animals and hello and
good-bye is not learning to speak a
language. Adults who enthusiastic-

ally support the classroom lan-
guage-instruction programmes but -

who do not speak in their language
to their children are contributing to
the death of their language and
culture. |

For children who do speak their
own language, schools no longer
need to beat the language out of
them - the message that native
languages and their speakers are of
inferior value and _ importance
works just as well, and is harder to
confront. What does it say, for
instance, when children are told
they wilt speak Carrier in the first
two grades, but. when they get

_ older and bigger and in the higher
grades, then they will be taught in

English?
Many young people who are
*‘Indian and proud’’but who do not

-speak their language shrug it off.
They do not wish to face how

‘‘un-Indian’’ they have become,
and they do not wish to take time
off from pow-wows and talking
militant to struggle through the
hard task of learning another
language. And, of course, the
ever-increasing number of native
people who move to non-native
environments or who marry non

_-hative people doesn’t help the

situation. Nor does television
which deserves a whole separate
attack for its perverted values
which it teaches our children.

' Even in those few areas where
younger people are speaking their

language, the language may not be

in good health. Because their
primary language of instruction is
English, gradually English-type

gtammar and sentence structure

begins to creep in, causing old
people to complain that the young
don’t speak ‘‘properly’’. And more

and more people use English

phrases when they can’t think of an
easy way to say something in their
own language. In the meantime,
words with subtle shades of

' Meaning and the way to describe

birds. and animals are slipping
away. It takes a good vocabulary to
express complex thoughts. While
an English speaker can increase
her vocabulary and command by.
reading, or even learn words that’
have been in disuse for centuries, a
native speaker cannot do this

readily.

cont. on page 9

:

NESIKA CORNER



Readers will note that we
sub-titled the UBCIC article
‘‘A bold experiment has
ended.’’ We want to point
out that the experiment and
dream that was Chilliwack
has not failed. What the
assembly did was point out
several failures in trying to
make that experiment a
success. It was clear that
most of the chiefs failed to
discuss the Declaration of
Native Title at the band
level. More importantly, it
was clear that the chiefs
failed to get the people to
support - financially - the
land claims activities of the
Union once it had rejected
government funding.

We should realize by now
that conferences solve
nothing. Up to now, they
were meaningless exercises
which only rubber-stamped
decisions that had already
been made. Now, with no
huge bureaucracy to carry
out assembly resolutions, it
is more important than ever
that the people take up the
slack and become involved.
Communications and _ re-
search activities can be
funded and carried out by
the people and progress
will only be made if these
functions are carried out on
a year-round basis.

We can’t depend on a
few executives to solve our
problems for us. More than
that, though, it is our
responsibility to determine
a land claims position. The
wishes of the people will
only be truly reflected if the
people are the ones who do

the work. It’s that or having -

to okay a position that has
been drawn up by govern-
ment-funded lawyers and
anthropologists.

So, to the people who still
carry the dream of Chilli-
wack - of self-reliant and
united Indian Nations - our
path stands clear.

We cannot afford to let a
temporary disappointment
make us quit. Nor can we
allow our energies to be
wasted in bitterness. .

We must begin providing
communication, organiza-
tion, and leadership where
none exists.

We must begin living
again by the traditional
values of our ancestors.

We must remain strong
because the justice of our
cause is not enough. The
day will come when we will
need the strengths of our
ancestors and the combined
effort and determination of
all the people to win better
lives for our children.

$S$SS$$$SSS$HSS55555555

The people who bring
you NESIKA still want to
see it operated apart from
any of the political organi-
zations. Therefore, dona-
tions are needed now more
than ever. It will only take
50 cents for each copy of
the paper to do this.

Remember, don’t ap-
plaud - send money!

This issue was typeset
and produced with volun-
teer labour by people who
are concerned about the
land claims movement, and
you are invited to help
them: Pauline, Margaret,

‘Jean, Brian, Wayne and
Shirley. Thanks to Gerry
Marks for the photos in the
UBCIC and Haida articles.
Thanks also to New Star
Books.







LETTERS

NESIKA:

Native Indians have been
a prime field of study for
statistics. If half the energy
spent by universities, col-
leges, government bureau-
crats and private individu-
als in collecting and compil-
ing these reams of reports,
those tens of thousands of
pages, were spent.in doing

something about our situa-
tion, rather than just
talking about it, we would
be well on the way towards
some viable solutions.
Once we begin catching
up to the non-Indian
population in health, edu-
cation, affluence and social
standing, we will provide
less and less material which
the ambitious student can
use. towards his or her
degree. God forbid that we
should thus get out of our
poverty, neglect and segre-
gation to deprive such
intelligent and worthy stu-
dents of their law degrees,
their Ph. D.’s in sociology,
or M.A.’s in anthropology.
For they would rather keep

us the way we are, those

with vested interests who
can profit from our situa-
tion with degrees, who can
profit commercially in mak-
ing us believe we are
hopeless drunks, shiftless
and lazy workers.

We don’t need any more
of this crap. We know the
areas which need to be
worked on. What we need
is an expenditure of energy
on their part (all of those
who spend so much energy
compiling demographic
studies on our people) to
assist us in our own
growing endeavours to
assert our equality with the
non-Indian population le-

gally, culturally, and social-
ly. What the hell do we
need with endless reams of
numbers? Numbers can’t
clothe, feed, shelter or
educate us the way every-
one, native and non-native,
has a right to be.

Gerry Williams
Victoria



NESIKA:

As a matter of interest, I
would like to mention a
short article on Frank
Calder, page 10 of the
January/February issue.
That Mr. Calder is a
gentleman who does not
watrant my admiration is
not important. What is
more significant is my
question: What has the
Social Credit government
done about the Nishga land
claims since entering of-
fice? In view of the
sympathy the former CCF
and the present NDP have
had for the Indian cause, I
am considerably surprised
at the way the native vote.
went. Bureaucratic, busi-
ness structures are not
likely to understand or to
care about real human
issues. However, I sincere-
ly hope the Nishga people
are happy with the results.

Mickey Harrop
Vancouver

LAND CLAIMS BOOKS FOR SALE - SUPPORT THE NESIKA

Copies of the books shown
here can be purchased by
writing BCANSI (Please
add 25 cents for postage).
Profits will go to making
NESIKA independent.

NESIKA is offering for
sale a land claims informa-
tion booklet which was put
together by the local church
support group. It is an
excellent source of back-
ground information about
the land claims issue, and
sells for $2.00, which
includes postage. It is 120
pages long and although
some of the mimeographed
pages are a little faint, the
material is well worth the
eye-strain for those who
want to know more about
land claims.

Some of the material
covered tn the booklet:

A Speech by Chief Seattle

Joseph Trutch and _ the

Indian Land Policy
The Nishga Petition of 1913
Our Homes are Bleeding -

excerpts from this book on
the cut-off lands.

The White and Bob Case -
the Supreme Court decision

N.I.B. Statement on Abor-
iginal Title

The Supreme Court Nishga
Decision by Doug Saunders

Federal Policy Statement
_ on Aboriginal Claims, 1973

East Fraser Land Claims
Action Proposal

AS LONG AS THIS LAND

~ SHALL LAST

by Rene Fumoleau, OMI,
415 page paperback, $5,95

An Oblate missionary has
produced one of the most
carefully documented stor-
ies of the life of the Indian

People of the Mackenzie

Valley in the Northwest
Territories. Fr. Rene Fumo-
leau started out to prepare
a ‘‘modest paper’’ on the
significance of two Indian
treaties signed in 1899 and
1920.

Fumoleau spent many
hours interviewing old peo-
ple who remembered the
early treaty parties, and
became the star witness
before Mr. Justice William
Morrow in a caveat action
asking the courts to desig-
nate the 450,000 square
miles as having ‘‘prior
interest’’ for the natives.
Motrow ruled they did, and

it was the evidence of Rene
Fumoleau. which helped
convince the Judge that the
natives of the NWT had
aboriginal rights predating
the spurious treaties.

It became the basis for a
precedent-setting court de-
cision and provides a
chilling lesson in the
chicanery and’ insensitivity
of the white government of
that day which employed
any method to obtain
signatures on a document
which no native - and few
whites - could comprehend.

But this is no dry legal
treatise. It reads more like
a tale of a forgotten people
and land who have sudden-
ly become headline news.

Thoughtful, unbiased,
clear, it is a major work for
those who would care to
understand the just aspira-
tions of the natives of
northern Canada.

-from a Toronto Star review







THE HISTORY WE LIVE
WITH

by Doug Sanders and the
Victoria Indian Cultural
Centre

24 page paperback, $1.00 —

The test is based on a
talk given by Doug Sand-
ers, a lawyer Who has
worked on land claims for
B.C. Indians for a number
of years. The booklet was
put together and printed by
the Victoria Indian Cultural
Centre.

The booklet includes
several general areas of
discussion; the first trea-
ties, how British Columbia



2 NESIKA

May 76

and the federal government
handled the problem, the
‘‘cut-off’’ lands issue, inter
-tribal organization, the
Nishga claim, and the
breaking of promises.

The booklet is illustrated
with several historical
photographs.

THIS LAND IS NOT FOR
SALE

by Hugh and Karmel
McCullum

210 page paperback, $3.95

Four contemporary land
claims are discussed in
detail - the Yukon, North-
ern Manitoba, Northwest
B.C., and the Northwest
Territories.

An entire chapter is
devoted to an examination
of two recent land settle-
ments - Alaska and James
Bay - and an explanation of
why native groups across
Canada insist that the
earlier agreements not be
used as precedents for
further settlements.

The political situation
changes rapidly, making
much of the information in
the book out of date as soon
as it appears. But the
discussion of the individual
land claims, the principles
on which they are based,
the type of settlement the

trol

native people want, and
their sentiments toward the
land, are timeless.

This Land is a well-writ-
ten, no-nonsense presenta-
tion of the case for
contemporary northern
land claims. The authors’
bias. is clear their
sympathy is with the native
people. The federal govern-
ment and the multi-national
corporations are consistent-
ly presented as villains in a
polarized struggle for con-
of the’ land. Both
government and _ corpora-
tions have had plenty of
opportunity in the past -
and enormous budgets - to
present their side of the
story in an equally one-sid-
ed fashion. But such a
treatment has been lacking
for some time. After all the
oil company promotional
material, the book is a
needed change.

-from a C.A.S.N.P. Bulletin
review







INDIAN CLAIMS IN
CANADA

the Indian — Claj



ALL COPIES
SOLD OUT

Return to: BCANSI,
1099 W. 8th,
Vancouver, B.C.

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Future Looks Bright for Credit Union





The promise of a
native organization which
offers a broad range of
financial services,. and at
the same time, packs
considerable economic
power, is looking brighter
after the fourth annual
meeting of the B.C. Native

People’s Credit Union - the.

only native credit union in
Canada.

Highlights of the meet-
ing held April 25th at the
Vancouver Indian Centre,
included the adoption of the
financial statement show-
ing substantial growth in all
areas, and the elections
which saw three people
elected to the Board of
Directors.

Alvin Dixon and Cliff
Atleo were elected to three
year terms on the Board
while Steve Carpenter was
elected to a two year term.
Brian Maracle and Lou
Demerais are the other two
Board members with one
year remaining in their
terms.

At the first meeting of
the new Board, Brian
- Maracle was _ re-elected

President, Alvin Dixon was
elected Vice-President, and

Cliff Atleo elected Chair- |
man of the Credit Commit-.

tee. An extra-ordinary reso-
lution was adopted which
abolished the old Credit
Committee and replaces it
with members selected
from among the Board
members. The past Vice-

President and founder of -

the Credit Union, Campbell
McDonald, was appointed
Public Relations/Govern-
ment Liaison Officer. The
new Board also appointed
Gloria Joe of North Vancou-
ver and George Leonard of
Kamloops to fill two new
seats on the Board until.an
extra-ordinary resolution,
which was passed at the
meeting expanding the
Board of Directors to seven
members from the present
five, becomes effective in
1977, .

The audited financial stat-

ement that was adopted
showed several significant
changes from the previous
year. The following are
highlights of the report
with 1974 figures in brack-
ets () for comparison.

Assets: $422,566 ($68,998)
Loans to members: $80,382
($65,670)
Cash and_ deposits:
$364,373 ($11,445)
Membership: 411 (363)
Most of the growth in the
financial report was due to
a large B.C. government

Aboriginal Rights Cases
Go to Supreme Court

Two crucial cases test-
ing the aboriginal hunting
and fishing rights of B.C.
Indians may be going to the
Supreme Court of Canada
as early as the week of June
2ist. Native leaders are
hoping that the high court
reverses previous decisions
made in the Kruger/Manu-
el and Derricksan cases and
supports Indian hunting
and fishing rights in a
non-treaty area, since most
of British Columbia is not
covered by federal treaty.

Should the court sched-
ule be delayed, the two
historic cases won’t be
heard until October, after
the summer recess.

Initially, Jacob Kruger
and Bob Manuel (no
relation to the UBCIC
Executive or the NIB
President) were arrested in
September 1973 for killing
four deer out of season.
Their defense counsel ar-
gued that they were In-
dians, hunting for food on
traditional Okanagan hunt-
ing grounds on unoccupied
Crown land, and that they
were entitled to enjoy such
aboriginal rights, based on
the Royal Proclamation of
1763.

Their case wound
through the courts until a
decision was reached in the
B.C. Court of Appeal on
February 28, 1975. That
court ruled that The Wild-

life Act, which reads ‘‘No
person shall...’’, was broad
enough to include every-
one, including Indians, in
its terms setting out hunt-
ing restrictions, and upheld
the original conviction
against Kruger and Manu-
el.

On the same day that the
B.C. Court of Appeal ruled
on that case, it handed
down a similar verdict in
the case against Noll
Derricksan. He had origin-
ally been charged in Octo-
ber, 1970, with fishing in a
prohibited area and with
using an illegal method.

In his defense, Derrick-
san pointed out that he was
an Okanagan Indian, fish-
ing for food on traditional
Okanagan fishing grounds,
and was entitled to enjoy
that right by the Proclama-
tion of 1763.

The verdict.in his case
was the same, so both cases
were appealed to: the
Supreme Court of Canada.

White and Bob is a
famous decision made by
the Supreme Court in 1965
stating that Indians did
have aboriginal hunting
and fishing rights in B.C.,
but only in areas covered by
federal treaties. Hopefully,
the blackrobes on the
Supreme Court will see the
justice in extending that
decision to cover the rest of
the. land in B.C.



Manager Jean Rivard





deposit. The one trouble-
spot in the report was a
higher-than-average delin-
quency rate on loan. pay-
ments. The 1975 mail strike

and the Chilliwack rejection:

of funds which resulted in
the loss of many members’
jobs were some of the
reasons blamed for the
delinquency rate. It is
generally conceded that the
delinquency problem is not
a serious one, since most
delinquents are just slow in
paying. But, the Directors
and the management wish
to emphasize the import-
ance of repaying loans
promptly and regularly.
Not only are late payments
inconvenient for the credit
union, which has based its
operations on an expected
rate of repayment, but the

individual member pays
more interest if the pay-
ments are not made on
time.
The manager of the B.C.
Native People’s Credit Un-
ion is Jean (John) Rivard,
who is of Cree ancestry and
a past manager of the Bank
of Montreal. During his

report, he noted that the.

credit union has prepared a
budget for the 1976 fiscal
year which forecasts a
profit of approximately
$6,000. Rivard pointed out
that the credit union, after
the first three months of the
year, is right on target to
reaching that goal.

At the annual meeting, it
was announced that the
present savings and loan
nature of the credit union is
expanding into the mort-
gage field and loans for
business purposes. Some
loans have already been
granted for use in_ the
fishing industry and loans
are available for use in
agriculture and forestry.

Plans for the credit union
in the coming year involve a
close examination of all
costs related to the opera-
tion of a chequing service
for the members. Last
year’s plans for establish-
ing a chequing service had
been postponed when it
was learned that the costs
for implementing such a
service would be higher
than anticipated.

While the Native Peo-
ple’s Credit Union has
made substantial growth in
the last year, it is not out of
the woods yet. It is
estimated that in today’s
economy, it takes about $2
million in assets before a
credit union is fully inde-
pendent and is in a position
to offer any and all financial
services. Since it is now
only about one-quarter of
the way there, Maracle and
Rivard stress that the credit
union must have the full
backing of all the native
people in the province if it
is to live up to its potential.
Both Maracle and Rivard
are hesitant to put a figure
on the upward limit of
growth of the credit union,
but hint at a multi-million
dollar operation in a few
years’ time. They point out
that once it is that size, the
credit union will be able to
finance major development
projects - housing, indust-
rial and commercial pro-
jects being some of the
possibilities.

The office of the B.C,
Native People’s Credit Un-
ion is located in the Ford
Building along with the
Native Courtworkers Asso-
ciation and the Native
Brotherhood, at 410 - 193
East Hastings, Vancouver,
B.C. The telephone is
669-7245, and the office
hours are 10 to 4:30
Monday to Friday.

Federal Justice Department
Wins Custer Award

The federal Justice De-
partment filed its statement
of defense in the Musque-
am “‘DIA breach of trust”’
case on May 31st, and
denied any trust responsi-
bility for Indian reserve
lands. That statement was
enough of a mind-boggler
to win the Custer Had. It
Coming Award for this
issue. |

The statement said that
the government ‘“‘denies
that at any material time,
her Majesty held the
premises, any interest
therein, or any rights with
respect thereto, in trust for
the band, or any members
thereof.’’

The wording in the lease
that DIA arranged for the

162 acres of the Musqueam
reserve that was leased to
the Shaugnessy Golf and
Country Club, said that the
band surrendered the land
‘in trust to her Majesty, in
lease’. That lease was
approved by an Order-In
-Council of the Federal
Government.

It should be noted that
the word ‘‘trust’’ does not
appear in either the British
North America Act or in the
Indian Act. However, Doug
Sanders, lawyer for the
Musqueam Band, says that
‘*given the history of
reserve policy and_ the
statements of federal politi-
cians for years and years, it
is incomprehensible that
the Government would now

deny any trust responsibil-
ity for Indian reserve
land.”’

Squamish Chief Joe Ma-
thias’ reaction was typical
of that of other native
leaders: ‘‘The federal gov-
ernment is taking the
obvious position that they
have no trust responsibility
for Indians and_ Indian
reserve land. I think they
are totally wrong. Through
legislation and administrat-
ive actions, they have
assumed a trust responsi-
bility.”’

To the bureaucrats in the
Justice Department, just
remember that when the
arrows Start flying thick
and fast, that Custer had it
coming.

Charges Dropped Against Stalo 18

«Charges of trespassing
were dropped uncondition-
ally against the 18 Stalo
people who were arrested
May 3rd in the Stalo
occupation at the Coquale-
etza Complex in Sardis.
The charges were dropped
just ten days after a
combined force of RCMP
and armed forces personnel
arrested 26 Stalo people
occupying the modern nur-
ses’ residence on the
complex. Eight of the 26
arrested were juveniles and
were not charged.

The occupation was led

by Seabird Island Chief
Archie Charles.

The Stalo gave two

_teasons for what they

emphasized was a peaceful,
working occupation. The
first was to press the
traditional Stalo claim for a
return of the Coqualeetza
Complex to the control of
the Stalo people. The
second was to press de-
mands for funding of the
cultural/education pro-
grams which the Coquale-
etza Centre offers,

The decision to occupy
the building was made
April 26th by the Coquale-
etza Board, acting on a
mandate given it by the
East Fraser district two
years ago to acquire the
property “‘by any and all
means’’. The Stalo say that
the return of Coqualeetza
will be a sign of good faith
that the federal govern-
ment intends to deal fairly .
and honestly over the rest
of their general land claim.



May 76

NESIKA 3

. tes,

_ -BCAN SI- cont. from page 1

THE ASSEMBLY

The major focus of the -

‘Assembly, held at U.B.C.;
was on the four resolutions
which were presented by

Neil Sterritt on behalf of the

Board of. Directors. -

The. second resolution
read that “‘BCANSI devote
its attention entirely in the
‘future towards indepen-
dence for Indian people and
the land claim’’: After

surprisingly — ‘little debate
‘(less.than I0 minutes) the
- motion passed.

The showdown of the
assembly was the third
resolution: ‘‘That provincial
BCANSI reject all gover-

-ment funding’’, and ‘‘that
the descision to reject
funding at the Local level
will be a Local descision’’.

After 87 speakers and over-

a day’s. discussion, the
assembly voted ‘129 in
favour, 51], against, with 4
abstentions,
government funding.

The elections saw Fred
House re-elected’ as Pres-.
ident over George Brown
and Alfie McDames. Doris
“Ronnenberg, who had ca-
_mpaigned against the reje-

- etion of funds, was elected
- - Vice-President, and Jamie

.Sterrit was elected’ Secre-

tary-Treasurer.
POST -U.B.C.

- Whatbegan then was a.

closing-down operation of

_the different programs wh-_
‘ich totalled more than $I

milion yearly. Most of that







down or adminstrative det-
ails still crop up.

Those BCANSI members
that were opposed. to the

nenberg and

to reject all

*'“Tems related to: the “shut -

rejection of funds were
represented: by Doris Ron-
eorge Brown
on the Executive and

Board. The .conflict ' bet-/

ween them and the rest of

_ the Board came to a- head

six weeks after the Assem-
bly when the Board voted
unanimously a motion of
non-confidence in. Ronnen-
“berg and George Brown
because of their failure to
follow the mandate given

~by the Assembly. Three

days later, they resigned
their positions at a widely-

- publicized press conference,

The Board was further

- weakened in mid-summer

by the resignation of Alfie

dle.

A joint: meeting of the
Board with the Chiefs of the
UBCIC was unsuccessful in
getting the two organizat-
tons to work together; and
spelled death for plans that
had earlier~been agreed to

for a joint UBCIC/BCANSI.

office in Victoria, —
~President- Fred - House
announced his. plans to run
as a Liberal candidate in
the ’75 provincial election,.
and in mid-November,
announced his resignation

as President of the Assoc-

tation. That meant that‘no
one in an adminstrative or
executive role was. left in.
the Varicouyer office as

BCANSI prepared to hold a

“communications | -worksh-

op.’ at the same time and -
ee as . the UBCIC’ s
sp in Kam-

ial_assembl





’ THE KAMLOOPS —
_ WORKSHOP

_ Approximately 60 repre-*
sentatives attended the

workshop and quickly split

McDames and Lonnie Hin-.





into small groups to pears
the immediate priorities
within the organization. An
over-riding concern of

all reports was the imple-

mentation of a. regionaliz-
ation plan that. had been
postponed at the
assembly and. that -would
make the head office more
Tesponsive to local needs
‘and wishes.

The workshop also voiced
wide support for an asse-
mbly to be held in January
to replace “the Executive
who had‘earlier resigned or
ceased functioning. A’ seri-
ous shortage of funds and
the. Board “of Directors’
determination | to stick to
the .rejection: of funds
resolution prevented — the
January assembly from
taking place until . June.

As a replacement for
Fred House, the delegates

present gave. a-vote of -

confidence to Board mem-
ber Bill. Lightbown. - The
Board of Directors quickly
made ‘it official, naming
him to be the spokesman-of

last

the organization and taking

on the responsibilities of_
. the Presidency.
TRIBAL BASIS.

Earlier in the year the

Board passed .a resolution
stating that BCANSI should

‘organize on a_ tribal
basis’’, and spent the next
six months spinning its

wheels trying to figure out .
how to. put the resolution

into practise.
At . the

basis for his request for
$1,000 donation to the Tahl-

_tan Nation to help fund an
organizing conference. He

January |
and Febuary Board meet-

8 srGeorge” Asp “for “the collapse of the
Tased: ‘that resclntion as the

#

threatened to resign if he ~
_. didn’t get the donation, and
_ true’ to his werd, he’

resigned at the Febuary

meeting when the rest of.

the board voted to deny the
request. ©

AN OVERVIEW

Organization and hard |

work failed to replace the

enthusiasm that ‘swept
most native communities —

after Chilliwack and a
summer of protest. The

rejection of funds meant

the loss of over 40 staff

people and several prov-

ince-wide programs. that
most Locals had been

involved: with. The. Locals -
received little direction

from the leadership since

the Executive and Board .

were deeply split themselv-

es over the rejection of
funds and future priorities. —

Less than one-quarter of

the. 78 Locals were ever
_ visited by any of the
“BCANSI Executives during
to help give —

the year
direction to local land
claims efforts. Communica-
tions with the. Locals,
always a sore point - even
with 1/2° million dollars a
year in funding, almost

- became non-existant. -

Given that atmosphere, it
is not surprising that most
of the Locals quickly
became inactive, paralyzed
by indecision and lack of
information. To their- cred-
it, though, some Locals -
Duncan,

ay, and Vancouver, have

been re-activated thanks to

strong local leadership.

The extent to which the .

Executives could be faulted

organization is arguable
since they - House, Ron-
nenberg, Sterritt, and now
Lightbown, found them-
selves in an entirely new

Comox/Courten- —

~

‘ballgame playing by <
entirely new set of rule
‘For the first time in mat
years, the elected leade
ship were not involved

‘trying to run a_ nati:
. Organization by the whi
_ man’s rules. Instead, the
‘had to determine their ow

priorities, provide altern

' tives, maintain communic

tions, involve and mobili:
the people - and some |
them were clearly not ea

_ to the challenge.

If the leaders wer
completely unprepared fc
the new responsibilitie

-.they faced, they have nc
come

out completel
blameless either. A con
mon. fault was a refusal 1
divorce themselves fro
involvement in their hom

. communities. so as to bette

serve all the people in th
province. Involvement i
their home communitic
and with matters nc
related to the land claim
issue has stolen preciou
time which is needed t
strengthen the people an

‘the. organization.

There is no question tha
the resignation of six of th
Executives and Board seri
ously weakened the organi
zation at the top level.

The association, whic
raised about $5, 000 durin,
the last assembly, was t
havé been fueled by dona
tions from the people an
the Locals, but it didn’
work out that way. Ver
little money has bee
received since then, ani

the organization has ‘survi

ved by living off the sales o
assets it managed t
accumulate: over the pas
five years while on cor
_ funding.

__WHO’LL BE THE NEXT BCANSI PRESIDENT?

“No ‘one ‘has yet announc-
ed their intention to run for
_ the Presidency of BCANSI,

although. there are several _
candidates |

‘could be’’
lurking in the shadows.
Seventeen people were

questioned in a poll taken
two weeks before the,
-BCANSI Assembly, slated |
for the. 12th to the 14th of |

June. The results of the poll
-show no ‘declared candida-

* FF

-time, and nine flat ‘‘no’s

The ‘could be’’ candida-
.tes and their statements
when asked if they were
running for the Presidency

‘or an Executive position are

as follows:*

- George Brown - ‘‘I don’t
know at this time. 1 want to
consolidate what I have
here and move. on to
_ something more exciting in
the future. If that means
taking on the Presidency...
well, Vve -tried twice
already - maybe the third
time lucky. If the opportun-
ity came then I would throw
my hat into the ring just to
. keep ‘the other candidates
honest:”’

Joe Dumont - “I have no

statement at this time. It

: could be a possibility but I
' won't commit myself now

4 NESIKA

eight ‘‘could be’’
candidates biding «their .
“know yet.’
-until.



. to a definite. answer? --.
Lennie | ‘Hindle =
comment.” .
aim: Lanig an. ~ :
“time, T have no. ‘intentions.of
~“rpurining.’”
' Rene Poitras °

66 No
“ ‘At ‘this
“ny Gbends

on whether” ‘the™ assembly
‘wants’ me or-'not. I’m”

‘léaving it entirely in- the

hands of the: people. Tf the

people want me, I'll run; if

not, I won't, regardless of
the direction they.take.”’

Art: Smitheram
“Ts won’t ‘know

nominations, it depends on
how I feel. It depends on
who else runs and if the
provincial group goes back

to funding. If they do, then

no; but if they fund regional -
or. local groups, then’ I
may.’

Jamie Sterritt - ‘‘I doa t

__ know. Tecan’ t really say yes_

or no.’
Ron Sterritt - ‘‘I don’t know
if I am or not. I hadn’t

really thought about it: No, |

I don’t think so.”’ ~

All of the above-seem to
be sitting on the sidelines
waiting for a strong candi-

date to appear on the

horizon; what they would
do then is anybody’s guess,
but in the meantime,

they’re available. Some,’

May 76

‘I .don’t
1/2 hour” Betore <

. “like Joe Dumont and’ Art
- Smitheram. have made
Cerise Ss: indispensible in |

‘recent-months and appear
to be obvious candidates.

: “ offite, a are: ‘Gloria. George,
“Ron ‘George, Marge’ -Cant-
“ryn,.. fer.

ee Smith and. Therese Miller, |

Neil - ‘Sterritt,

- Some, like. Lonnie Hindle ae ek

-and - possibly, .
.'Brown, will probably make
_ their presence. felt. during
' the assembly discussions.

And some, like Jim Lanigan |

and Ron. Sterritt, séem less
likely to run ty the
“wothers. :

The statements of s some

of the. people that. were”

previously thought to be in
‘the running but have

definitely said “‘no’’, are as.

follows:

Bill Lightbown -
There’s nothing -that ean
happen I can think of that
-would make me run.”’
Alfie -McDames - ‘‘The
answer to that is no. I
would be open once again
to take a Director’s job, but
not the Presidency.’’.

Doris Ronnenberg - ‘‘No.
I've gone away from Indian.
politics. I hadn’t considered

George

oe ‘not snide are = thee no.
“candidates ‘for

President,

’ but the race for Vice-Presi-

**No. -

it, no. I’m not even. sure

that Pil -be at the assem-
- bly.”’

Others questioned and.

‘replying that they definitely
are not candidates - for

~ "dent and Secretary-Trea-—
“Surer is just as wide open.
- In..the world of BCANSI-

politics, that is not.unusual
since the level, spirit, and

_ manner. in. which BCANSI

people practise their poli-

tics and hold their elections /

“is markedly different fror

other Indian. organization

in the province. The differ
ences in the style oa

electioneering between th

UBCIC and BCANSI do nc
all stem from the structurz
differences in the tw
organizations, either.

For those people wh
enjoy watching fast an

fancy political footwork an:

maneuvering, the BCANS

-assembly should provide a:

interestin g
deed.

spectaclé in



Status Indians.



Leonard Peltier
Named to Board _

Leonard Peltier, now in
Oakalla Prison and await-
ing the. results. of his
extradition hearing. ta: the
U.S., was recently named

to be a Board of Director of

the B.C. Association of Non
During a
conference telephone call to

discuss ‘last-minute prepa- :
tations for their. upcoming

assembly, the Directors
appointed Peltier to fill a
vacancy. on the Board.

The move was made i
an effort to support Pel
tier’s ‘bid for politica
asylum in Canada, rathe
than be extradited to- th
United States. BCANS
leaders apparently agre:
with his charge that it wil
be impossible for him ti
receive a fair trial and tha
he faces certain death if hi
is returned.

Now if the Canadiai
government will only le

‘him out of Oakalla to atten:

a-Board meeting...

- Peltier’s Life in Basford’s Hands





Peltier on way from Courthouse to Oakalla



Justice Minister Ron
Basford literally holds the
power of life and death over
Leonard Peitier. Merely by
signing a piece of paper,
Basford can send Peltier
back to the United States
and certain death. That
death would come from
either the FBI and police
who have sworn to “‘get
even’’ for the deaths of two
FBI agents at the Pine
Ridge reservation a year
ago, or from a certain death
in.an American prison since
it is impossible for an
Indian, particularly an
A.I.M. leader, to get a fair
trial in South Dakota.

Now then, just who is
Leonard Peltier, why is he
here, why does the U.S.
want him back, why all the
security arrangements,
why all the publicity, and
lastly, what does it all have
to do with me? The answers
to these questions provide a
crucial challenge to the
Canadian government to
see if it will honour the

concept of social justice for

native people both here in

Canada and for our bro-

thers and sisters in the U.S.
WHOIS

LEONARD PELTIER?

Leonard Peltier, first of
all, is a Chippewa/Sioux
Indian, a carpenter and
mechanic by trade, a
‘Marine Corps veteran, a
former community worker
in a half-way house, a
leader in the American
Indian Movement, and
before his arrest in Febru-
ary, had never been convic-
ted of a crime or even been
in jail. After two FBI agents
were killed in a shoot-out
last June, Peltier found
himself Number 1 on the
FBI’s “10 Most Wanted’’
list..

Peltier was arrested on
February 6th of this year at
Small Boy’s camp in
western Alberta, although
the warrant for his arrest
was sworn out in Vancouver
a month before. The U.S.
asked that Peltier be
returned to South Dakota to
stand trial for the deaths of



the two FBI agents as well
as for two other killings.
PELTIER & AIM

The leaders of the
American Indian Move-
ment stress that AIM is a
religious movement that is
striving for the cultural and

‘spiritual revival of Indian

people. Their struggle to
build the movement stret-
ches back to 1968, to the
streets and Indian slums of
Minneapolis.
Hand-in-hand with their
efforts.toward a spiritual
revival, goes a deliberate
campaign to protect Indian
rights and Indian land. As

their campaign has escalat-

ed, so too has the opposi-
tion, harassment, and vio-
lence aimed at the move-
ment and its leaders by the
government, FBI and CIA.

Security? or Paranoia?



The news media, for the
most part, have deliberate-
ly ignored and/or misled
the public about AIM and
its struggle. The media
often concentrated on isola-
ted instances and individu-
als, playing up the negative
aspects in an effort to
discredit the movement.

Among the highly publi-

-cized events AIM leaders

were involved in the take-
-over of Alcatraz in 1969
-71, the occupation of the
B.1.A. building in Wash-
ington, D.C. in 1972, and
the Trail of Broken Trea-
ties. The most famous and

least understood event was
the occupation of Wounded

- Knee, South Dakota. For 71

days in early 1973, the U.S.
government was at war
with a few hundred Indian
people armed, for their own
defense, with rifles and
shotguns. They were up
against armored personnel
carriers, jets, and automat-
ic weapons of the U.S.
military.

Following the seige of
Wounded Knee, the U.S.
government set out to
persecute and jail as many
AIM leaders as possible.
While not successful in
convicting many of the
leaders (because of the
‘dirty tricks’’ of the gov-
ernment and its lawyers),
they have had several -
Dennis Banks, Russel
Means - tied up in court for
the past two years.

The violence on the Pine
Ridge reservation has con-
tinued with dozens of AIM
followers being killed and
murdered without the FBI
or police making any real
efforts to investigate. (Wit-
ness the FBI performance
in the murder of Anna Mae
Aquash at Pine Ridge
recently.)

The outgrowth of the
continuing struggle of AIM
to escape from government
persecution led to the
shoot-out at Pine Ridge and
the hysteria that followed in
false press reports of
‘‘executions’’ and. -‘‘bullet
-riddled bodies’’.

THE HEARING

Peltier’s extradition-
hearing lasted 18 days and
ended on May 28th with
Justice Schultz postponing
his decision in the case.
The. hearing was three
times as long as the
government scheduled for
what they thought to be

routine procedure.

But the lawyers (Don
Rosenbloom and Stuart
Rush), the witnesses and
their testimony showed that
the hearing was not rou-
tine, but an extraordinary
proceeding that will cearly
define Canada’s position on
the efforts of Indian people
to preserve and protect the

ways of our ancestors.

A variety of witnesses
were called - legal experts,
AIM leaders, - traditional
people from Pine Ridge - to
prove Peltier’s charge that
he faces certain death if he
is returned to the U.S.
Through their testimony,
the lawyers were trying to
prove that the charges
against Peltier were of a
political nature as a result
of a continuing _ political
struggle between AIM and
the U.S. government. If
Basford sees the truth in
this argument (and it is
Basford who makes the
final decision), then the
way is clear for Canada to
offer political asylum to
Peltier - much as it did for
American draft dodgers in
the 60’s. It is hoped that
Peltier’s fate will not be like
the last Indian leader
seeking political asylum.

That was 100 years ago
when Chief Sitting Bull
escaped from the U.S. after
the Indian victory at Little
Big Horn. Harassed and
eventually starved out,
Sitting Bull returned to the
U.S., and was jailed and
finally murdered by. BIA
police. :
THE PELTIER
COMMITTEE
A support group of 75 -
100 people, known as the
Peltier Committee, has
been working constantly
since his arrest. The



ebeceneet

committee has been raising
funds from labour. union
donations and newspaper
sales to build public sup-
port to pressure Basford to
allow Peltier to stay in
Canada. Not surprisingly,
the committee has been
continually spied on, and
harassed by the Vancouver
police, the FB] and the
RCMP.

The committee .assem-
bles every time Peltier
makes a court appearance
to drum and sing support as
he is led, handcuffed and in
leg-irons, into and out of
the courthouse.

SECURITY

‘‘Security’’ is the excuse

given for the small army of —

police, sheriffs, RCMP and
FBI agents which — sur-
round Peltier. He _ is
escorted everywhere by
cops carrying shotguns and
carloads of cops on the trips
between the courthouse
and Oakalla Prison.

‘‘Security’’ is the excuse



Foc La An eR RN ral



‘*Routine traffic check’? on committee members by
detectives with drawn guns






~

for Peltier to be staying in
solitary confinement on
Death Row at Oakalla.

Judges’ homes are being
guarded and spectators to
the hearing are frisked
from head to toe like a
scene from Kojak.

Why all the security? Is
the government afraid that
AIM or the Peltier Commit-
tee is going to bomb the
courthouse, kidnap a judge,
or try to spring Peltier
loose? Those may be some
of the fears, but the real
reason is paranoia, pure




Ri

and simple, fear based on
white society’s ignorance
and inhuman treatment of
Indian people.

WHO, ME?

Now then, what does all
this have to do with me ?
Well. labour unions and
Indian organizations, like
BCANSI and UBCIC, have
already declared their sup-
port for Peltier. Now it’s up
to individuals - lots of them
- to voice their support.

The government, and
Basford in particular, have
to learn that many people -
native and non-native - are
concerned about the sfrug-
gle of Indian people in the
U.S. and Canada to revive
and strengthen their cul-
ture.

So - phone or write your
M.P. and Justice Minister
Ron Basford at: House of
Commons, Ottawa, and ask
that Leonard Peltier be
granted political asylum to
stay in Canada.



May 76

NESIKA 5



The eighth annual gen-
eral assembly of the Union
of B.C. Indian Chiefs
brought an end to the bold
experiment and dream that
was Chilliwack. The as-
sembly, held May 15-18 in
Courtenay, never reached a
quorum but voted to return
to federal funding to
support its land claims
' activities.

Other highlights includ-
ed the re-election of Philip
Paul to the Executive, and
the passage of an amended
version of the Declaration
of Native Title that was
accepted in principle by the
Kamloops Assmbly. The
changes in the constitution
which would have changed
the Union into a ‘‘people’s
organization’’, were put off
til next year atter several
hours of debating the ‘‘non-
status question’’.

The first in a series of
disappointments came after
it was realized on the first
morning of the assembly
that it wold not attract the
mass turn-out that many
were expecting. Estimates
of up to 1,500 people had
been made by Union
organizers, and so a huge
ice arena was rented to hold
the assembly. The 118
chiefs and the approxi-
mately 200 observers who
did show up were dwarfed
and obviously uncomfor-
- table in the huge surround-
ings.

The Union’s constitution
requires that 128 of the 192
chiefs (2/3), must be
present for any business to
be done. There had barely
een a quorum in Kam-
ops last November, and
is time, the chiefs fell 10
hort. Likewise, the num-
r of observers dropped
arom 400 to 200, even
ghough it had been promot-
d as a “‘people’s assem-










Union Executives offered
‘a number of reasons for the
dack of a quorum.Retiring
Executive Bill Wilson laid
the blame squarely on the
- lack of honorariums for the
delegates. He said the
province is filled with
‘““honorarium Indians’’ who
don’t care about their
children’s future.

Executive Steven Point
thought that the proposed
constitutional changes ‘sc-
ared off’’ the chiefs. He
spoke to many. chiefs who
thought that the changes
had already taken place and
that anyone could vote at
the assembly, so they said,
“why bother?’' It was
Point’s opinion that the lack
of money didn’t prevent the
chiefs from attending, and

summarized their attitude
as not being ‘“‘ready to
accept change’’.

Bob Manuel, the third
Executive, said there were
many reasons for the lack of
a quorum. The first pro-
blem he mentioned was the
possibility of a strike on the

Ferry system and the fact

that many people were
afraid of being stranded on
Vancouver Island. He also
said the way the extra-ordi-
nary resolutions were pre-
sented kept people away.
Manuel also pointed out
that money was a factor in
the lack of a quorum.

. NOSHOWS

A month before the
assembly, Chief Cecil Reid
informed the Union that the
Bella Bella Band, the
second largest in the
province, was withdrawing
from the UBCIC. He later
explained in an interview
that the band’s decision
was not in reaction to
anything the Union has
done, but the decision

‘would allow the band’s

leadership to- concentrate
on complex problems rela-
ted to the band’s rapid
growth in the area of
economic development. He
said that since the band
could not ‘‘determine wh-
ere the Union was going’’,
they decided not to place a
high priority on involve-
ment in the UBCIC.

A rumour that the Bella
Bella Band will be conduc-
ting their own land claims
negotiations is untrue, ac-
cording to Chief Reid. He
also hinted that the band
might be returning at some
future point to the Union
once it got its affairs under
control.

The Nishgas weren’t at
Courtenay and haven't
been involved in the Union
since helping to organize it
in Kamloops in 1969. There
were deep divisions within
the Union at that time since
the Nishgas had announced
support ‘‘in principle’ for
Chretien’s White Paper
and had decided to take
their land claim to. court
and get a legal decision
rather than seek a political
or negotiated settlement as
the Union had decided.
Those divisions were never
healed and the Nishgas
haven't participated in any
Union conferences since.

THE FIRST TWO DAYS

Little was accomplished
on Saturday and Sunday in
what must have been the
dullest and most boring two
days of any Indian meeting
in a long time. While

everyone was waiting for a
quorum and the show-down
over the constitutional cha-



West Coast Chiefs Bert Mack and Adam Shewish

nges, the chiefs present
passed the time by listen-
ing to executive reports and

passing various resolutions,

Bob Joseph was elected
Chairman of the assembly
and the executives began
their reports.

Steve Point concentrated
on his meetings with
different bands and the
discussions that took place
about the East Fraser
Declaration of Native Title.

Bob Manuel’s report
dealt primarily with the
National Indian Brother-
hood and their efforts in the

area of aboriginal rights
and land claims.

In his report, Bill Wilson
stated that he would not be
seeking another term as an
Executive. A year of
frustration over the inabil-
ity to implement the prom-
ise’ of change that was
Chilliwack came rushing
out of Wilson in a some-
times bitter and emotional
30 minute farewell. His
message on land claims
was a familiar one - survival
- survival of Indian people

100 years from now as an |

identifiable ethnic group
with its own ‘language,
cultural and beliefs.

Wilson, a law. school
graduate, worked, as the
other Executives did, for
the past year at a salary of
$500 per month. His
message to the Union was
that he hoped that future
Executives would receive a
decent wage, and probably,
a little less abuse and a
little more support.

Since 1969, Wilson had

served the Union in a

number of capacities, as

. Executive Director, Chiefs’
Council Member, and Ex-~

ecutive, and he concluded
with a statement that could
serve as his own testimon-
ial: ‘‘I like very few people
here, and probably even
fewer people here like
me.’’ That came from a
man who held deeply-root-
ed beliefs and who didn’t
hesitate to speak them, no
matter how unpopular they
or he might be.
He will be missed.

A resolution was present-
ed by the Sechelt-Musque-
am-Squamish Band Alli-
ance asking for support for

the Alliance’s position that

‘Chief Joe Mathias should
be appointed as B.C.’s
representative on the Na-
tional Indian Brotherhood’s
Socio-economic Develop-
ment Committee.’’ The
resolution passed with little
discussion and was made
necessary, according to the
Alliance, by the concentra-
tion on land claims at
Chilliwack, and the result-
ant lack of B.C. representa-
tion on the process of
amending the Indian Act in
the area of economic
development.

Another resolution, pro-
posed by Osoyoos Chief
Jim Stelkia, was passed
supporting Leonard Pel-
tier’s bid for political
asylum in Canada. The
resolution noted that if
Peltier is extradited, ‘‘he
will face certain death
without a just trial’’, and
that he has been welcomed
to stay on the Osoyoos
Reserve.

On May 9th, the Council

of the Haida Nation declar-

ed a moratorium on all



“A bold experi



Chief Bill Roberts

U.B.C.1.C. Cd














Bob Manuel Phi

Chief Charlie Thompson

RTENAY 1976 |

ent has ended”



- of Indians,





Steve Point



sales of Crown land on the
Queen Charlotte Islands
until the Haida land claim
is settled. The Union
assembly voted to support
the Haida position in a

letter to the provincial
government.
THE FIRESIDE TALKS

The first bright spot in an
otherwise frustrating two
days was a meeting called
for Sunday night in the
Comox Jonghouse. Close to
300 people turned out in the
first open and soul-search-
ing discussions since the
assembly opened. For the
first time, people could be
heard speaking their own
language, telling their
thoughts on what had to be
done to settle the land
claims issue. The brilliant
oratory of several elders
out-shone the burning ce-
dar logs. a

Archie Frank from the
West Coast spoke first in

the Nootka language and

then in English. His mes-
sage was that ‘‘we caught
whales with only a little
mussel sheii on a small

harpoon. My father was

determined to catch and kill
a whale - and he did it. But
he prepared himself nine
months to do it. You’ve got
_. to prepare yourself (to
settle the land claims
issue ). We must teach our
children responsibility to
self, family, and communi-
ty. My father taught me by
throwing me in the river,
even on the coldest morn-
ings.”’

‘‘We have got to look to
our Maker for guidance.
That's what we should do
before speaking. I did it
just now before speaking so
the Creator could put the
proper thoughts in my
head.”’

Jim Stelkia of Osoyoos
followed up those thoughts
and asked those present to
look for guidance, to look to
‘‘our god in the rocks and
trees and rivers and earth
around us and not in the
sky. The white man’s god is

in the sky and ours is in the ~

earth around us.’ He said
that we shouldn’t pray to a
god in the sky and ‘‘he’s
probably a white man
besides.’’ Stelkia empha-
sized that the involvement
not just the
chiefs, is needed to settle
the land claims issue.

Jacob Kruger of Pentict-
on is well known for making
notable quotes, and he
stunned the people with
these comments: ‘‘The
trouble is that there are not
enough Indians at this
conference. In fact, there
are very few Indians at this
meeting. I’m not talking
about the colour of the skin,
or the blood - I’m talking
about your hearts and
minds. You have been
brainwashed by the white
man's culture and beliefs.
You aren't Indian any-
more.”’

‘‘Indians have been
drugged with a faith that
has been placed in their
minds by the white people.
We must return to the old
ways and traditions.”

Despite the strength of
comments which were aim-
ed directly at the listeners,
the people enthusiastically

applauded Kruger. It was
the wishes of most of the
people there that the
meeting convene the next
day in the longhouse or any
place but the arena for the
rest of the assembly, but
their wishes were not to be
fulfilled.

THE TURNING POINT

On Monday morning it
was decided that the
assembly split into the
respective districts to dis-
cuss whether and on what
terms the districts would be
prepared to remain involv-
ed in a province-wide
organization.

A significant note to the
discussions that followed
was the obvious determina-
tion of the Salish people to
stick together. While the
other districts met by
themselves, the East Fra-
ser, West Fraser, and
South Island Districts met
as one group - the Salish
Nation - to discuss their
involvement with the Un-
ion. Another note was the
fact that close to 80% of the
54 Salish. bands were
present - probably the
highest percentage attend-
ance of any of the districts.
Also, in the reports that
followed, they pointedly
referred to themselves as
the Salish Nation, and not
as such and such a district.
With only the odd excep-
tion, the other districts
caucused and reported as a
district and not as an Indian
Nation.

The spokesmen and their
reports are as _ follows:
Delbert Guerin, Salish Na-
tion - ‘‘We should continue
under the present system
until the next assembly...
We must have an election
..As for the quorum, the
bands present make a
quorum.”’

Wes Williams, Lytton-Lillo-

-oet - ‘We should retain the

Union structure as _ it
is...the district would like
to see the Union continue.”’
Patrick Charleyboy, Willi-
ams Lake - ‘‘The Union
should return to funding...
There should be an Execu-

tive and 15 land claims |

fieldworkers.”’
Morris Kruger, Kootenay
-Okanagan - ‘‘We must

restructure the Union on a
tribal basis.’’

Bert Mack, West Coast -
‘‘One man should be hired
to co-ordinate a centrally
located assembly.’’

Forrest Walkem, Thomp-
son-Nicola - ‘‘We must go



EST FRASER E

Salish Chiefs Delbert Guerin and John L. George

for funding at the district
level...At least the chiefs
are recognized in the
UBCIC, but the restructur-
ing proposal would bring
people ignorant of reserve

en into the Union... -

e need the Union as it
is...Send the Fraser East
Declaration to the govern-
ment as a_ basis of
discussion.”’

Ivan Tallio, Bella Coola -
‘There is only one band
from the district here but
we support an organization
such as this one...Leave the
Union as it is for now until
greater consultation with
the people tells the leaders
what they want.’’

Bill Lightbown, North
Coast - ‘‘The representa-
tives of the Haida people
will be bringing a report
back to the bands to see
whether they will continue
to support the Union.’’
Ed John, Carrier Nation -
‘Speaking for the Lakes
and the Babine districts...
Continue with the structure
of the Union as it is, but at
the same time, try to
restructure it on a tribal
basis...The Union is based
on the way the white people
organized it...We are doing
serious injustice to our
heritage if we continue to
operate the Union as it is.”’
Billy Cox, Kwakewlth -
“The Union is divided...
We pledge our total sup-
port to the present Execu-
tive...Only with our total
support can they be effect-
Ive,”

There were no reports or
district meetings of the
Terrace or ‘Fort St. John
districts.

The consensus of the
reports obviously showed
strong support for the
concept of a province-wide
organization and that the
Union should continue as it
presently exists without
implementing the proposed
changes. The need to hold
elections for the Executive
was also expressed. Two
major events occurred next
in the space of less than
half an hour.

BACK TO FUNDING

A resolution moved by
Wes Modeste and Delbert
Guerin proposed that the
Union return to federal
funding. Although loosely
-worded, the message was
clear. It read in part :

‘“Whereas there are
bands not present due to
lack of funds, Be it resolved

cont. on next page



e

UBCIC - cont.

that every district represen-
tative submit a budget to
the government of Canada
for the purpose of Archival
and local history research
from which a preparation of
a proposal of B.C. land
claims and aboriginal rights
will be made,

‘‘And further that the
preparation and guidelines
of such a budget be
prepared by a committee
elected by the chiefs of
each band.

‘‘And further that the
district representative or
alternate take these bud-
gets to a Chiefs’ Council
meeting within thirty days
from this date,

‘‘And further that the
Chiefs’ Council prepare a
budget for the executive
and staff.’’

While the discussions on
the rejection of funds lasted

ee



several days in Chilliwack,
the discussion on this
resolution lasted less than
ten minutes. The vote
showed about one-third in»
favour, 3 people against,
and about two-thirds didn’t
vote.
ELECTIONS HELD

The elections were held
in record time after four
men were nominated for
election to the Executive
Committee: Ed John, Steve
Point, Bob Manuel, and
Philip Paul. Ed John, who
apparently had wide popu-
lar support. refused the
nomination. Philip Paul's
acceptance of the nomina-
tion was greeted by a storm
of applause from the floor.
Bob Manuel and Steve
Point accepted the nomina-
tion with Point noting that
he was only doing so

election, all



hoped, then,





because he had been asked ©

to run for re-election by
almost all the Salish dele-
gates.

Since there were now
only three candidates for
three were
elected by acclamation.

Manuel and Point were
elected to the Executive in
Kamloops while Philip Paul
had been an Executive for a
number of years until he
resigned last fall because of
a lack of support from the
bands.

DECLARATION |
AMENDED

When the assembly re-
convened later that day
after having split into
workshop groups, Squa-
mish Chief Joe Mathias
presented an amended
version of the East Fraser
Declaration of Native Title
that was accepted in

UBCIC Executives Manuel, Paul, Wilson, Point

principle by the Kamloops

“Assembly in 1975. Going |

through the amended ver-
sion paragraph by para-
graph, the assembly adopt-
ed the Declaration of Native
Title.

Chief Mathtas character-
ized the one change as a
simple clarification of the
section dealing with the
return of Crown lands.

A show of hands during
the assembly showed that
very few bands actually

‘discussed the East Fraser

Declaration at the band
level between the two
assemblies. It is to be
that this
Declaration gets the inter-
est, discussion and support
at the band level it needs to
make it effective.

PROPOSED CHANGES

_ DISCUSSED

The last item of the
meeting was a debate on
the proposed constitutional
changes to restructure the
Union into a_people’s
organization. It was the
showdown that everyone
was expecting.

The issue came to the
floor shortly after BCANSI
Spokesman Bill Lightbown
arrived for Tuesday's ses-

Native Title.

:

sion, the last day of the
assembly. Insisting that the
proposed changes be dis-
cussed and voted on,
Lightbown began what
turned out to be nearly a
four hour debate. ,

The debate raged back
and forth with Lightbown
and: Musqueam Chief Del-
bert Guerin playing promi-
nent roles. Joining with

Lightbown in speaking
strongly in favour of the
proposed changes were two
representatives from the
West Coast district -
Charlie Thompson and Jer-
ry Jack. .

Only a few spoke strong
ly against the changes -
Spences Bridge Chief For-
rest Walkem and Musque-
am representative Andrew
Charles.

Most of those who spoke
on the issue took a position
in the middle of the two
extremes, with several peo-
ple mentioning that they
support it in principle but
want to wait until the next
assembly to implement
them. Several speakers
noted the lack of a quorum
and a need to first organize
around the Declaration of

ed on

‘membership from

Unfortunately, the sound
system echoed through the
arena, making it all but
impossible for the obser-
vers to listen to and
understand the debate.
What was clear, however,
was the fact the debate
initiated by the BCANSI
spokesman instantly centr-
the non-status
question. But, the proposed
constitutional changes were
not about allowing non-sta-
tus people to become
members of the Union. The
changes were about some-
thing more important -
allowing the people to
become members of the
Union. The non-status
issue was a red herring
which only distracted the
delegates’ attention away
from the real issue -
allowing the people, all the
people, to have a voice in
determining a basic land
claims negotiating position.
That’s what the changes
were about; to change the
192
chiefs to a potential mem-
bership of 100,000 people -
all the native people of B.C.
Indian ancestry.

Many people who had
come to the ‘assembly
expecting some kind of
unity on the status/non-sta-
tus question - ‘‘we’re all in
this thing together’’ - were
not doubt amazed at the
statements of at least one
chief who was ‘‘suspi-
cious’’ about what the
non-status people were
‘trying to pull’’ by seeking
the adoption of the propos-
ed changes. The extent to
which other chiefs silently
shared his views, though, is
unknown, . =

The debate and the
assembly finally ended
when Squamish Chief Joe
Mathias persuaded Bill
Lightbown to table the
constitutional changes until



next year.
FUTURE PLANS

The immediate plans for
the Union at this time
consist of keeping things
pretty much the way they
are until the funding
submissions are completed
for presentation to govern-
ment. The Union's office,
presently located at the
Coqualeetza complex in
Sardis (Box 173, Sardis,
phone 858-7181), will re-
main there for the time
being.

One immediate victim of
the new Union seems to be
the church support project

_ which has been torpedoed by

Executive Philip Paul. The
project was funded by the
churches and run by Mike
Lewis. Its involvement with
the Union was that the
Union gave it its “‘OK’’ tc
organize local church/na-
tive discussion groups
around the land claims
issue. The project was
successful in organizing
several such groups in the
province and also gets
credit for the wide public
participation at the Berge1
Hearings. The reason, ac-
cording to Lewis, was thai
Paul said the projec
‘‘didn't have enough sup.
port”’.

The Union executive:
scheduled a Chiefs’ Counci
meeting for June 5th anc
6th in Vancouver. Bot
Manuel says that some o
the districts, but not all
will be bringing thei
budgets to the meeting, bu
that the real purpose of the
meeting is to take advantage
of the Habitat conference
and attempt to builc
support and make contact:
with the delegates fron
foreign countries.





8 NESIKA oe













Last Chance - cont, from page 1 oe



Asa result, some of the.

languages which are still
spoken become less and
less able to- carry the
thoughts and hearts of a
people who once awed the
_ Europeans with their ora-
tory.
~ We must remember that
-assimilation comes in many
disguises. Formerly, it was
crude and brutal, Today it
has a merry, attractive way
- but it is assimilation just
the same..

One of the ways in which
we become assimilated is to .
cause us to believe .we are.

a race, not a group of many
nations. Most of the current

“Indian studies’’ programs —

‘teach that ‘‘Indians’’ are a
race of people, rather than

teaching that native people

belong: to. many nations,
-each with a language,
religion, and way of life.

This instruction encour- -

-ages “‘Indians’’ to. think
that they can only speak
English, belong to a Christ-
_ ian church, work for Mac-
- millan-Bloedel, live in Van-

couver, and still be ‘‘In-
dian’’. a
This ‘‘Indian race’’ is a

~ totally artificial invention.
It- has fringe - benefits - for
those who sell beaded
watchbands and- ‘Indian
Power’’ buttons for a
living, for teachers and

_ preachers and the like.
. ~Butit spells death for our .
nations, our languages, our.

ways of life.

“‘modern na-
tions’’.- have claimed the
right to.define the term
‘“‘nation’’ and the people it
will include. They. define it

in sucha way that it applies -

to themselves, and exclud-

es tribal nations - the

nations placed here by the
Creator.

Canada won't even call |

‘its people ““tribes’’, let
alone nations - it prefers to
talk of ‘‘bands’’ o
leects”’

-But. native nations do not
have to accept or even
acknowledge definitions of

‘nations’’ invented for the
purpose of excluding them.

Native nations have ‘a
sovereignty given by the
Creator. When people have
‘one spirit, one. common
‘instruction at the centre of
their being, they do not
need a central bureaucracy
to bind them together.

Maybe the Canadian
government is
something we should listen
to when it scornfully says
that the only thing binding

a certain people together is -

- a common language. That
points out the vital role of
‘language in making a
nation one.
gives the people of a nation
a shared world. and makes
them of one seeing and one
_ .feeling and one shared
; relationship with all beings
about them - it is this which
has made the people of a
nation one spirit, binding
together free individuals as
one. °
When we were placed on

this land, we were given.

certain instructions to fol-

‘native people will
diverted into. thinking. of

. ualized and - Jost .
The:colenial. states.<the- eS

_ so-called

r- “‘dia-—

saying ©

A ‘language

culture,

low. If we ‘no longer follow
those instructions, we no

longer belong to-the land. |

Thus, when we lose our
way of life,
meaning at all.
‘And if our
difference from ‘‘white
people’’ is not race, but
way of life,

comes a crutch. Certainly
some people have become
so weakened and crippled

- and hurt that a crutch is

needed.

Being ‘‘anti-white’’ is

just what the colonialists
- want,

because it ‘makes
assimilation of native peo-
ple. so easy. They hope
be

themselves as a ‘‘race’’ and
hating another ‘‘race’’
while

“‘race’’ has no.

bitterness |
against | white. people be-

in the meantime

primary of

We can no longer assume

. that because. ‘‘Indians”’ are
the “‘good guys”’
will win in the end. We

, that we

‘*Tn-
are different from
white people’’. What hap-.
pened to the white nations

cannot assume. that
dians’’

of Europe can happen to
- the native peoples of North

America. Look around us

and say it is not happening. |

-When the Purification

-comes to. cleanse our

Mother of this disease, do
not “assume that ‘‘believ-
ing’
will mean a thing: -
Actually, the so-called
“‘Indian: way’’ -

human beings,

those human beings who

have “‘lost’’ them.

’ in our ancestors’ ways |

those .
things that “‘Indians’’ have ~
-in common - belong in one
form or another to: all
even to:



Another reason many
people seem to think it is
possible to feel” ‘‘Indian’’
without knowing their lan-
guages or ways is that most
persons do not even have

- much idea of what it really
' feels like to be part of a true -

nation, a true. community,
all of whose people are one
in Creation’s ways. If we
see ourselves as ‘‘Indian’’
as our friends, or if our
values are ‘“‘Indian’’ com-
pared with those of the
dominant society, we tend
to think we have
made. -
The experience of the
ancient spirit-knowledge of
ur nations is unfamiliar to
most young people. Young
people think that if they
attend a ceremony and
receive even a slight touch
-of this great Power, that

they have regained the.

fullspirituality of their an-

cestors. But sometime, wé-

will have to admit that

BEING “INDIAN”
JUST AIN’T |

native. people become just
as consumeristic, material-

istic, - destructive, endian.

tive people are coming

more and more to ‘share

_ European values and ways,
even. though they hate ‘the |

‘‘white man’

-.. It is not good ienoush io

define ourselves as ‘‘In-
dian’’ simply by being
‘“‘anti-white’’. A pers

need a.language or religion
or way of life to define his
identity. He just. has to
complain that the white
people stole all that. Such a

person doesn’t need - to.

wonder what. ‘‘Indian’”’

really means when he. is
encouraged » to. believe — it

means ‘“‘victims of: white

people’.

We become *giediras, of

our own racism. a

Native nations of North |
America are not united. by

race or colour as European
teachers. would have us
believe. Native nations are
united by their spiritual
understandings, their rela-
tionship with the Creation
shared by all natural
beings. It is through our
ways and spirituality, as

expressed: by our lan-
- guages that we are united.

Until we understand . this,

we will continue to lose our |
cultures - and apply for .

grants. to save them. .
With every part of our
our original in-

struction, that dies, -we

move farther back from the.

true peace and freedom of
Creation. As we become
assimilated, we move deep-
er into the chaotic, violent,

fascistic mess that traps the

once free and natural
peoples of this land.



e person:
who does do this doesn’t

: how to. live _the SoD:



unique ways given to our
“own nations. As we lose our
languages and lose all that
* makes. each nation just
what it is, we cannot live

the disease of ‘

“Indian culture’’

ENOUGH

‘There is no such dine as.
. Each of
us human beings is shown

the ‘‘Indian way’’. Only
one alternative.is open to us
- we start living as part. of
‘civilized’’
man spreading. over Crea-.

tion.

To put it more. . simply,
“‘pan-Indianism”’ is. racism.
It is eventual suicide. 7

Our racism is killing our

ft

languages and our nations.

Many young ‘people. have

come to believe that losing

their. language hardly mat-
ters because even though

they can’t speak: their | 2

language and. know little of

. their own antion’s. stories,
history, or ceremonies,
. they have’been encouraged.
to feel -
may be a sense of “‘Indian- |

‘Indian’. There
ness’’ in a community most
of whose members don’t
know their languages or the
culture of their own nation,
but this sense usually
depends on those. indivi-
duals still alive who do
speak their language, and
the few people who do

follow the old ways, even if.

these individuals are some-
times ridiculed: Even those
who have lost their lang-
uages are thus strengthen-

ed by those whop have
retained it - but when the |

last. generation’ of. native
speakers has passed, and
then the last generation to
have had contact with
native speakers has passed,

.see what may be left of a

nation.

eas Mtindian’ Jabel.



there.is more to walking in
our ancestars’ paths_ of
spirit power than having
our lives revolve around an
itis im-
material if we are ashamed
of being, ‘‘Indian’’ or shout

to the rooftops about how |

proud we are of being
“Indian”? .- being ‘Indian’?
just ain’t enough.

Some of us may be able

to. practise our spiritual _

‘values to-an extent without

_ knowing our true language.

But it is dangerous to
convince ourselves that we
-have.thus truly regained

our ancestors’ religion. We
‘should not be satisfied that —

‘we have this for ourselves. -
our spiritual .beliefs. will

mean si if our ea

it all

dren and grandchildren will
not have this. Without our
language, our beliefs will
only become a ‘“‘religion’’,
a separate category of life,
when the culture is no
longer in oneness:

Maybe instead of always
being proud to be ‘‘Indian’’ ©
we should instead learn to
be grateful, to be humble,
to be praying to be worthy
of it - meaning; worthy to ~
be human beings and
worthy to belong to this .

. Creation. We should pray

to bne worthy. of the
responsibility we have. as
Native people, the | last
human- beings who may
remember how to be

‘human in this Creation. We

should pray for stregth so
that we, the last hope, will
not destroy ourselves and
all life.

For those whose lan-
guages have died, their

_ nations are already shells, a

memory to identify with.
Their members can only do
as non-native people. do,
grope to regain something
of freedom, of spiritual
centre and the natural way -
and who have to start again
from scratch. .

But for those of us who —
still have the smallest
chance of keeping our
languages alive, a measure
of one’s dedication to the
-survival. of one’s nation
can be how hard one is
willing to work to ensure
that one’s children learn
their languages well en-

ough to speak it in their

homes to teach their own

_ children.

. If the language is kept
that strong, the spiritual
ways can once again grow |
strong - but not the other
way around. As our spirit-
ual ways become strong,

' we will again be guided and

taught and led in how to
conduct our lives as part of
_Creation..

For many of us,
‘generation represents . the
last chance for survival -
our survival. :

- Adapted from an article .
written by Gayle High Pine
for tee NOTES.

~—





ty Wea are indt like you.

“NOT LIKE YOu _

who destroy living. things
~ sacrifice human flesh

" We are not like you

-and devour the Earth for want |

_ whose voice is without singing
‘whose spirit tempts the Gods-
and whose path is divided

For ‘‘He who breaks the law-

shall be broken’’
We are not like you

our dreams we understand _
our strong medicine shall overcome

your weaknesses

_ and our superior way of life
is going to dominate your system

We as a people

live inside the circle
understand the pipe
and the meaning of sacred things

We as a people

follow the pattern of Creation

--- We are not like you!

Lelan Shaffer



' May 76

‘NESIKA ar

this” -

fi 3

Andy Paull.



PART V
NATIVE BROTHERHOOD
In 1942, Indian fishermen
who made their living off
reserves were required to
pay Canadian income tax
and with new-found vigour

they objected strenuously.

Meeting were held along
the coast and Andrew Paull

became active in the fight

againt the income tax. With
the influence he had gained
years before among. the
Kwakewlth, he was able to
lead the Pacifte Coast
Native Fishermen’s Associ-
ation (PCNFA) into the
Native Brotherhood of Brit-
ish Columbia (NBBC). This
amalgamation took place at
the NBBC convention of
1942. Paull dominated the
meeting through the use of
rapid and adept parliamen-
tary maneuvers, requesting
approriate motions and
gavelling them through.
Concerning the immed-
iate career of Paull,

at this convention.
He was created Business
Agent, and the PCNFA
entered the NBBC under
his influence. Both of these
-events increased the scope
of his activities. The role of
Business Agent was a new
one and Paull was in a
position to pioneer. The job
was not clearly outlined by
the convention, so acting on
his own, Paull opened an
office in Vancouver with
dues paid by members of
local NBBC branches which
he had organized. He
established close contacts
with labour organizations
and advised the NBBC to
court labour organizations
for additional strength.
Between 1942 and 1945,
the NBBC evolved as a
spokesman for all Indian
fishermen in B.C. The
membership grew and the
group took on the character
of a union organized on
ethnic lines and resembled
other
The first contract the NBBC
signed was in June 1943. In

his capacity as Business .

Agent, Paull’s work includ-
ed negotiating contracts
with canneries, establish-
ing prices for fish, and
related matters.

The NBBC had a large
Protestant membership and
most of the leadership was
Protestant. Paull, a Roman
Catholic, was in fact, a
leader among southern and
interior Indians, who were
also Roman Catholic.

INTRODUCTION
With this issue of NESIKA, we conclude the second
part of a two-part investigation into the life and times of

two
important things happened

fishermens unions. |

All the information and conclusions contained in the
article have been condensed from an unpublished 400
page doctoral thesis written by E. Palmer Patterson in
1962, and is printed with permission of the author.

We hope to accomplish four objectives with. this
article so we can give our readers:

1] a brief look into the history of the Indian
organizations of the times and their efforts to achieve a
recognition of aboriginal title.

2] some knowledge of Andy Paull’s involvement and
participation in the land claims movement. »

3] an understanding of Andy Paull, of who he was
and why he acted in the manner he did.

4} and lastly, perhaps a deeper understanding of
what is happening today, and possibly, a greater
understanding and compassion for those involved in the
Liane claims movement today.

man for the NBBC, but did
not have executive power.
It was this question - the
extent and nature of his job
- that caused Paull to run
into difficulties. The exact
nature of these disagree-
ments is not clear, but it

can be safely assumed that:

he acted as though he were
the executive of the NBBC.
At the convention of 1943,
Paull was called to task for
acting without the authori-
zation of the convention.
This probably grew out of
his opening an office in
Vancouver.

Paull’s association with
the NBBC was coming to an
end. The difficulties over
money came to a head in
February 1944, when it was




From left - Frank Calder, Guy Williams, Indian Commissioner Arneil, and Andrew Paull



_/

Paull acted as a spokes-

The Life and



‘anyone else on the smallest

technicality.”’ He certainly
voiced what most Indians
felt.
PART VI
NORTH AMERICAN

INDIAN BROTHERHOOD
With the creation of the
North American Indian
Brotherhood (NAIB) Paull
was launched into a new
and national phase of his
work. His experience in
Indian affairs had grown
considerably between 1920
and 1943 and he saw
himself as a figure of
national prominence spea-
king for most of Canada’s
Indians.

The immediate occasion
for the founding was a trip
to Ottawa by Paull and Dan
Assu in June 1943. In his
capacity as Business Agent

for the NBBC, Paull had.

gone to Ottawa with Assu,
also with the NBBC since
his organization had joined
it, to attend a conference on
the subject of fish prices.
After the conference, Paull

and Assu were invited to a

meeting in Montreal where
Indians from various east-
ern reserves were present.

The organization then
founded, was called the
Brotherhood of Canadian
Indians and was composed

entirely of non-treaty Ind-

*

Committee of the

name, in September 1945.

One of the biggest
problems facing the NAIB
was the matter of finances.
The conventions were usu-
ally held in places where
there would be no fee.

Much of Paull’s corres-—

pondence concerned the
raising of money for trips to
make protests in Ottawa.
Money was sometimes rai-
sed by ‘‘passing the hat’’ at
times when some _ issue
caused excitement among
Indians or aroused their
concern. Paull at times
allowed the registration of
whites as auxiliary mem-
bers of the NAIB in order to
raise money. Aside from
his work as an ’’Indian
lawyer’’, Paull gave most of
his time to the NAIB. It was
not a very prosperous life,
and there were many lean
times.

The NAIB was not a
group for which Paull
spoke - it was the means
which made it possible for
him to be heard. In effect,
Paull used the NAIB as a
kind of megaphone, and
through his title as Presi-
dent, his statements were
given strength.

The era 1946-51, was the
second high point of Paull’s
career. In 1946, Mackenzie

King’s Liberal government

created the ‘‘Special Joint
Senate

AO tes
ss ae



announced he had been
suspended as Business
Agent. An informant des-
cribed the circumstances as
‘‘not very pleasant’’.

This was Paull’s last year

with the NBBC. He was a
speaker at the convention
of 1944, and in his speech,
lashed out at the govern-
ment for inadequate serv-
ices provided to Indians.
He warned against the
possible use of the franch-
ise to endanger Indian
tights. He also warned
against white duplicity and
was quoted as saying, ‘‘the
white people are not afraid
to take advantage of you or



10 NESIKA

May 76

ians. The primary function
of the organization was to
agitate for the amendment

. of the Indian Act: In view of

his experience in dealing
with officialdom, his air of
confidence and command,
and his prestige as Busi-
ness Agent of the NBBC, it
is not surprising that Paull
was chosen President. This
position provided the base
for Paull’s claims to a
national role in Indian
affairs.

The tithe of the new
organization was changed
in June 1944, at a meeting
of some two hundred
Indians in Ottawa. Paull
was elected President of
the organziation at the next
convention under its new

and House of Commons to

examine and consider the
Indian Act with the inten-
tion of revising it.’’

In June the Committee
changed a previously de-
termined rule and allowed
Paull to come and present a
statement to them. The
NBBC was concerned that
they might be left out or
their importance oversha-
dowed. Paull appeared
before the Committee on
the morning of June 27th.
Kelly arrived at the meet-
ing as Paull was speaking;
he had been sent by the
NBBC to testify on its
behalf, should the occasion
arise. He seems to have
attended in a_ watchdog
capacity, to keep an eye on

Paull. On this occasion and
others, Paull displayed
respect and good will
toward Kelly. The two men
had been out of touch with
one another since Paull’s
break with the NBBC in
1943. Kelly told the writer
(Patterson) that though he
and Paull espoused differ-
ent views, they had rema-
ined on friendly terms.

At this time Paull pre-
sented a 13 point statement
from the NAIB. A compar-
ison of this statement with
that of the claims made in
1926 by the Allied Tribes
shows several differences
and a few similarities.
Whereas in 1926 the major
question was the aboriginal
land title, there was in 1946
no single over-riding issue.
However, the question of
enfranchisement was im-
portant. The 1946. state-
ment shows greater con-
cern for the problems of the
administration of Indian
affairs. In the 1926 claims,
perhaps due in part to the

influence of their counsel,

they seem not yet to have
seen the comprehensive-
ness and the ramifications
of white domination. Some
older issues were still
present, such as hunting
and fishing rights. These
were bound to be contin-
uing issues as the white
population’s wants grew
and its laws further restric-
ted Indian freedom. Pauil
called for a Royal Commis-
sion, with Indians sitting on
it, to look into Indian
affairs. He declared that
the Committee first had to
decide whether Indians
were to be regarded as
British subjects, or as
wards of the government,
in order to deal successfully
with its duties.

Afther 19 years Paull had
again appeared before a
Parliamentary Committee,
effecting this time, not just
B.C. Indians, but all
Canadian Indians.

In early 1947, Paull put
out feelers for a merger
w 2 the NBBC in anticipa-
tion of that year’s Parlia-
mentary investigations. An
enlarged organization and
the publicity involved may
have inspired his proposal.
Apparently the growing
differences in aims bet-
ween the two groups did
not seem unbridgable to
Paull. He had asserted that
religion should not divide
Indians. He seems to have
ignored the fact chat the
Protestant-oriented NBBC
was opposed to parochial or
denominational schools in
most cases, and was
advocating the provincial
vote. Also in anticipation of
the 1947 Hearings, Paull
led his NAIB to Victoria. A
delegation of twenty In-
dians including ‘‘many
chiefs’’, appeared before
the Provincial Cabinet in
February of that year, with
Paull acting as spokesman
and asking for better
conditions for Indians.

When Paull spoke ‘‘for’’
the organization, he ex-
pressed his own opinions as
if they wefe the will of the
group. Other officers did
the same thing, and little
was made of it; it did not

Times of Andy Paull — cnwim



* constitute dissension in the

ranks, for in a real sense,
there were no ranks.

In addition to resubmit-
ting his 1946 statement,
- Paull also submitted to the
1947 Committee, a state-
ment on the Indian situa-
_ tion in B.C. It outlined the
history of the land contro-
versy and restated the
claims and evidence pre-
sented in 1926-27.

Paull had been elected
President of the NAIB for a
five year term. However,
disagreement on Indian ac-
ceptance of the federal vote
-Paull was suspicious that
the vote would mean loss of
Indians status and privilege
- caused the NAIB conven-
tion to remove him from his
presidency and ‘‘kick him
upstairs’’ by installing him
as Honorary President,
without executive power.

‘Frank Assu was named ~

President in Paull’s place.

Paull had long opposed
the Indian vote, and not
without reason. As the law
stood, federal . enfranch-
isement would bring the

same disabilities. In early:

' 1945 he had broached the
subject of special repre-
sentation in Parliament for
Indians on the basis of two
M.P.’s for each province,
calling attention to Maori
representation in New Zea-
land’s Parliament. At this

time Guy Williams. of the ©

NBBC aiso asked that the

‘‘Maori system’”’ be applied.

to Canada. .

In 1947, when the NBBC.

and the white friends of the
Indians were advocating
the provincial vote for
Indians, Paull continued to

oppose it. At the time he.

brought down upon himself
the censure of the NBBC.

The Native Voice carried an ~

article by Guy Williams,
expressing amazement and
agitation over Paull’s posi-
‘tion. :

By 1949, however, Paull
had accepted the idea of the
provincial vote. He had
always feared any action
which might endanger In-
dian privileges, and had
consistently fought against
the franchise for this
reason; furthermore, .
thought any action by the
provincial government as
deserving of suspicion. He
probably ‘gave up his
previous opposition in or-
der to better fight under the
new conditions. . 3

When the NAIB conven-
tion met in mid-June 1950,

. it returned Paull to- the

presidency by acclamation.
He was given the power. to
take whatever action he
thought necessary in deal-

ing with the new Indian |

~ bill. When the long-awaited
bill did appear, it was
objected to immediately.
The uproar over Bill 267
had the desired effect. The
government decided to
drop it and start again to
. draft a more satisfying one.
Paull did not hesitate - to
claim this as a victory, not
_only for Indians, but
especially for the NAIB.
Paull’s part in the delib-
- erations leading up to the
Indian Act of 1951 was the
second high point of his
career, after that of 1927. In

he |

the last decade of his life,
he became a frequent
visitor to. Ottawa and
Victoria.

The organization which
he had been instrumental
in founding, and which he
had led for many years - the
North American Indian

Brotherhood - seemed to ©

die with Paull. Despite
Assu’s temporary rise in

1948, the charge that the.

NAJIB was “‘all head and no
tail’. is strengthened by
this fact. For most of its
life, the organization ‘was’
Paull. It had given greater
force to his voice.





Seated, from -



Department of Labour, was
an Indian, Reg Kelly, the
son of the Rev. Peter Kelly.

One informant who knew
Paull in the last years of his
life and saw him in
connection with the Indian
Advisory Committee, ob-
served that the land ques-
tion was his chief interest
with the committee. He was
almost blind and held his
papers close to his face
when he read. He was too
outspoken and- was not
backed by the Indians, the
informant believed, and
added that this may have

accounted for his failure to |



land - made a continuin

and rankling issue to whic

a young Indian man might
direct his energies. This
Paull and some others did.
It brought to Paull the
reward of public recogni-
tion, occasional govern-
ment employment (in. land-
title surveys), and a chance
to singularize himself while

aiding his own people.

Undoubtedly in some
cases he aroused the
jealousy of others. His
willingness to speak in the
name of all Indians was
sometimes offensive. Some
of his detractors saw him

ix Nations Longhouse Chief, Andrew Paull, Bill Scow, Rev. Peter Kelly.

Chiefs had come to B.C. to.persuade Indians here to give up Christianity.

PARTVH
THE LAST YEARS
In 1955, a reward from
the Holy See was granted to
Paull for his ‘‘exemplary
Catholicity and his frequent

assistance to the Oblate.

Fathers.’’ the Papal Award

was the Bene Merenti

medal. In 1959, Paull won
the Oblate Trophy of Merit,
an award granted by the

Oblate Fathers of Canada

for the most . outstanding
Indian of 1958-59.

‘The Thunderbird and
The Totem Speaks were
two more of Paull’s activi-

ties during the last decade .

of his life. The former
ublication seems to have
ad a longer existence,
although it was not issued

on a regular schedule. Not

only did it deal with
problems and accomplish-
ments of, and _ general
matters concerning Canad-
ian Indians, but it also

carried articles on abori-..

gines in New Zealand and
Indians in the United
States. ——

One of the more impor-
tant developments regard-
ing Indians in B.C. in the

last decade of Paull’s life

was the creation of a special
committee to advise the
government on Indian mat-
ters, the Indian Advisory
Committee. For a_ brief
period, the Secretary of the

~ body, a civil servant of the

be appointed to.the com-
mittee. Further, in his old
age,

- tered.

Andrew Paull died at St.
Paul’s Hospital in Vancou-
ver on July 28, 1959. His
funeral was held the
following Saturday, August
Ist, at St. Paul’s Church on
the Mission Reserve in

- North Vancouver. Archbis-

hop Martin Johnson con-
ducted a requiem mass and

over one thousand persons,

some from across Canada,
attended or stood outside.
PART VIII
AN OVERVIEW |

It is within the context of:

the minority: leader that
Paull’s career must be
understood. The circum-
stances in B.C. - the land
title issue.- enabled several
Indian leaders to emerge.
Paull was one of those
leaders and was the only
Indian figure in Canada to
seriously attempt to act on
a nation-wide basis.

Had it not been for the
land question, Paull might
have remained merely a
leading figure on his own
reserve, or perhaps have

-abandoned his Indian sta-

tus for a law career among

_ the whites. Other Indians

took these courses. But the
peculiar circumstances in
B.C. - the réfusal of the

government here to ack- .

nowledge Indian title to the

he became embit- -

only as self-seeker and an_.
_ opportunist. Although he

had no mandate, his
outlook tended to. corres-

' pond with that of many

Indians. He shared their
aspirations and voiced their
complaints. His willingness
to claim that he spoke for

all Indians perhaps stem- .

med in part from his

realization of his corres-

pondence.
The Indian administra-
tion has since its inception

been committed to the idea

of assimilation. Its devotion
to this aim has: never been
doubted. For Andrew Paull
assimilation was not. a

desired goal, but a threat.

It was in this atmosphere
that he lived his life. His
position differed from that
of others in that though he
was _a vocal leader, he
opposed a headlong move-

‘ment into absorption. In

this respect he reflected the
attitude of many Canadian
Indians. —

In speaking for Indians,
his expression was essent-
ially negative, not positive.
He was willing to give up
what whites think desir-
able, such as the vote, in
order to retain things which
the white society would find

restrictive. Such apparently .

minor privileges as hunting
fishing, and trapping rights

’ were more than a question

of economics, however;
they were important factors
in Indian identity and Paull
felt this acutely.

Paull thought of himself
as being dedicated to
Indian affairs. It-can be
assumed that his decision
against accepting the fran-
chise was based upon his
sense of his own Indianness
and his desire to maintain
his identity. Conservatism
and hesitance to change
probably also had a part in

is decision. In any case, he
chose to remain an Indian
and work for his people









The Longhouse |

within the limitations he
shared with them.

He. was engaged in a
‘rearguard action, a retreat
from the world he had
known as a young man.
That had been a world in
which the Indians lived in

protected isolation. He

oped to protect his fellow
Indians by his knowledge of
the white man’s ways. To a

_ considerable degree, Paull

played this role, but. the
world around him changed.
In his later years, the
Indians still needed spoke-
smen, aid, and guidance.
But now, they found these
in labour union affiliation,
in representation in Vic-
toria, and in assimilation-
ists such as the Rev. Peter
Kelly. On the- reserves,
growing control of their
own affairs created an
Indian leadership which
could and often did ignore
the kind of help that Paull

. Offered.

At the time of Paull’s
death, the parish priest at
St. Paul’s Church, Father
Hennessey, wrote, ‘‘His
last will and testament to
his people was simply all -
that he had said and done
and stood for and fought for
all his life. Yes, this good
old Indian gentleman cer-
tainly put more into this
pon an he ever took out
of it.



May 76

NESIKA 11

A demonstration of about
100 Haida people stopped
the proposed lease and sale
of crown lands on the

Queen Charlotte Islands,
but the demonstration cou-
Id result in the breaking up
of the Council of the Haida
Nation.



Ihave found my voice
and I say: NO SALES
A meeting of the Graham
Island Advisory Planning
Committee was scheduled
to review a number of
applications for the sale or
lease of Crown land on the
islands, on May 20th.
Approximately 100. Haida
demonstrators attended the
meeting in Masset and
asked that a moratorium,
declared by the Council of
the Haida Nation on May

14th seeking a halt to the
sale or lease of Crown land,
be honoured by the Com-
mittee.

The Queen Charlotte
Islands Observer reported
that Haida Nation Presi-
dent Godfrey Kelly attend-
ed the meeting and told the
Committee that ‘‘neither
the Haida Nation nor the
Skidegate Band were invol-
ved in the demonstration ”’
although he noted that “‘
many participants ’’ were
Haida people from Masset.

The Observer continued and
reported Kelly as saying

the ‘‘whole affatr was
instigated by ‘outsiders’,”’
although no one was
named.

Godfrey Kelly later com-
mented that he had atten-
ded only ‘‘toprevent the
protest from getting out of
hand’’. He said he had‘‘no
information regarding the
contents of the article’
when asked about the**out-
siders’’ who organized the
demonstration.

The demonstration prob-
ably stems from the May
I4th moratorium statement
which warned the govern-
ment that ‘‘we will be
forced to use other meth-
ods” if the moratorium
wasn't honoured, until the
Haida jand claim is settled.

When Indian Affairs
Minster Allan Williams
denied their request, God-
frey Kelly warned about the
young people becoming

ENROLMENT
Yukon Land Claims



This letter is to inform you that the Council of Yukon
Indians is accepting applications for the Yukon Indian

Land Claims Settlement..

This organization is formed of Registered and
Non-Registered Indians and is presently negotiating
with the Federal Government towards a Land Claims
Settlement for the Yukon Indian people.

As we are trying to establish the number of persons
who may qualify for the Yukon land claims, a list of
persons with Yukon native background ts being
compiled by authorized enrolment officers of the CYT.
This enrolment is an on-going process. The signing of
this application does not hold you to any commitment,
except that it signifies that you want to be enrolled with

the CYI.

Your application will be screened by a Credentials

Committee

comprised of five eligible members

residing presently in each of the twelve communities in

the Yukon Territory.

Please keep in mind to qualify, a person must:
a] be enrolled with the Council of Yukon Indians.
b] be able to trace his or her ancestry to an Indian
person who ts 25 per cent or more Indian AND who has
lived in the Yukon Territory prior to January 1, 1941.

APPLICATION - mail to:
Counctl of Yukon

Indians,

22 Nisutlin Drive,

Whitehorse, Y.T. YIA 385 room 118B

NAME



ADDRESS





If you are concerned whether or not your aplication
is processed through our office, or if you have any other
questions related to the enrolment for the Yukon Indian
Land Claims, feel free to call or write to the Council of
Yukon Indians, Enrolment Office, 22 Nisutlin Drive,
Whitehorse, Yukon, or phone 667-4491.



Godfrey Kelly speaking, Lavina Lightbown at right



impatient and the possib-
ility of the Haidas going
to other nearby tribes to
gain support.

After Williams refused to
co-operate, a demonstrat-
ion was promptly planned
for the May 20th meeting.
Two delegates from the
Vancouver branch of the
Council of the Haida
Nation, Lavina Laightbown
and Gerry Marks, seemed
to be the ones who were
instrumental in organizing
the demonstration.

The peaceful demonstra-

tion was successful because
the Planning Committee
voted to respect the Haida
moratorium and_ stopped
reviewing applications for

the sale of Crown land:

Repercussions quickly
followed, however, that
threaten the fragile unity of
the Council of the Haida
Nation. The Skidegate Ba-
nd, in a letter to Kelly on
May 26th, warned him that
they were prepared to
‘‘withdraw its membership
and support from the
Council of the Haida

Nation’’ unless the Vanco-
uver’‘delegate or delega-
tes’’ were suspended from
the Council. The letter said
the Vancouver people had
‘‘done serious damage to
the relationship we have
with our non-Indian neigh-

. bours’’ and ‘‘they are also

causing a serious and
unnecessary break between
Skidegate and Masset.”’

Although no one has yet
been publicly named, God-
frey Kelly sent a telegram
on June ‘1st to at least one
Vancouver delegate-Lavina
Lightbown-and asked her to
‘“‘refrain’’ from attending
the next meeting of the
Council, which will be held
June 6th, to discuss the
matter. Kelly mentioned a
“tremendous adverse rea-
ction’’ to the demonstration
which was‘‘allegedly orga-
nized by yourself’.

Lightbown is the Presid-
ent of the Vancouver
branch and a Board of
Director on the Council.
Kelly's telegram stated the
June 6th meeting will be‘‘in
private’’ and said the action
‘“does not in any way
prejudice the continued
membership of the Haida
and descendants in your
area.

Lavina Lightbown refus-
ed comment until after the
meeting, which she plans to
attend, and Godfrey Kelly
could not be reached for
further comment at press
time.



Yukon
Story
Untrue

Newspaper and _televi-
sion reports that the federal
cabinet has approved an
agreement in principle with
the negotiators for the
Council] of Yukon Indians
are ‘‘wholly untrue’’ accor-
ding to the CYI.

Reports beginning witha
story in The Toronto Globe
and Mail had said that
Yukon Indians would re-
ceive $80 million and
18,000 acres of land. The
CYI says, however, that the
$80 million offer was only
the original offer made by
the federal government two
years ago. Since then,
Executive Director Paul

_ Birkle points out that the

negotiators for the two
sides have not even met
since January.

Only recently has an
agreed-on list of items to be
negotiated been worked
out. Birkle says that there
are about eight to ten items
on that list.

Originally a ‘‘target
date’’ of March 31st of this
year had been set for an
agreement in principle to
be signed.

There is no target date
for an agreement in princ-
iple to be reached, and the
CYI have asked for an
extension of the talks
while it goes through some
structural changes.



Cut-Off
Talks to
Begin Soon

A meeting between Allan
Williams and Judd Buchan-
an in Victoria on April 30th
seems to have cleared the
way for three party negotia-
tions of the cut-off lands
dispute to begin ‘‘on or
before the middle of June’’,
according to Philip Joe,
chairman of the 22 band
Cut-Off Lands Committee.

Prior to the April 30th
meeting, Philip Joe had
written to provincial Indian
Affairs Minister Allan Wil-
liams to ask what the
province was going to do to
resolve the dispute. The
meeting between Williams
and Buchanan followed
shortly thereafter in Victor-
ia.

At a separate function in
North Vancouver later that
day, Philip Joe approached
Judd Buchanan to learn the
results of his meeting with
Williams. Joe related that
Buchanan and Williams
‘had come to an agree-
ment’’ and that he (Bucha-
nan) ‘‘hoped that his
representative and the pro-
vince would sit down with
the Indians on or before the
middle of June to discuss
the cut-off lands.’’

At press time, a date for
the meeting had not been
set.

To be
Honoured

The Squamish Indian
Band will hold a special
celebration to honour four
B.C. Indian leaders on
Sunday, June 19th, at the
Squamish Band Office at 8

.m.

These being honoured
are Dan George, Louis
Miranda, Mathias Joe, and
Guy Williams. All interest-
ed people are invited to
attend.





Correction

In the March/April issue
of NESIKA, we carried an
article entitled ‘‘Paraguay
Leader Jailed, Tortured’’.
The article detailed how
Professor Miguel Chase
-Sardi had been jailed and
tortured in Paraguay for his

work with the Marandu
project.
We have since been

informed that the picture
we carried with that article
is NOT of Prof. Chase-Sar-
di. Further, we learned that
Prof. Chase-Sardi is a white
anthropologist and was not
the leader of the Paraguay-
an delegation to the World
Council of Indigenous Peo-
ples’ conference held in
Port Alberni last fall as had
been reported in ours and
other newspapers.