Periodical
UBCIC News – [volume 2], number 8 [December 1979 – January 1980]
- Title
- UBCIC News – [volume 2], number 8 [December 1979 – January 1980]
- Is Part Of
- 1.06-01.03 UBCIC News
- 1.06.-01 Newsletters and bulletins sub-series
- Date
- December 1979
- volume
- 2
- issue
- 8
- Language
- english
- Identifier
- 1.06-01.03-03.11
- pages
- 32
- Table Of Contents
-
ditorial 2
Are we so Threatening 4
President's Message 5
Sign or You Don't Exist 8
Where 0 Where is Francis Haine's Moose 9
Update 11
Fish is More than Food 12
The A-based Review 14
Of Wolves and Warriors 14
Letter from Takla Landing 16
TSA: Time is Running Out 18
Taxation 18
Fish Depletion: Who's to Blame? 19
Control 19
Everett Gauthier: 10-year old Trapper 22
A Deep and Abiding Respect 24
Resource Centre 26
School Books and the Indian Image 27
Interview: "It'll Cost More in the Long Run 28
Letters 30
UBCIC Staff List 31 - Contributor
- Beth Cuthand
- Pualine Douglas
- Roy French
- Everette Gauthier
- Val Dudoward
- Maxine Pape
- Gorge Manuel
- Millie Poplar
- Dinah Schooner
- Louise Mandell
- Lillian Basil
- Leslie Pinder
- John Warren
- Gene Joseph
- Debbie Hoggan
- Rosalee Tizya. Linda Jordan
- Type
- periodical
- Transcription (Hover to view)
-
UBCIC NEWS
NO. 1, VOLUME 8 DECEMBER/JANUARY 1979
pAb eet lehl, Be Dec. 1974 ~ Sag). 1480
THE COLLAPSE OF INDIAN HEALTH CARE
THE INDIAN ACT AND THE CONSTITUTION
LIVING OFF THE LAND
ONE DOLLAR
EDITORIAL
I have just recovered from the Russian ‘flu. This
type of ‘flu as you are all no doubt aware, is
characterized by nausea, fever, sore throat, an aching
back and a stomach that won’t hold down anything
except weak chicken soup and baby’s cookies.
While lying in bed clutching my tender tummy, I
started wishing for a tea made from a plant that
grows in muskeg areas of the Prairies and is known
to cure a bad stomach. Thinking of the tea made me
think of the land where the plant lives, which made
me think of moose, which made me hungry in my
head. While on the subject of hunger, a thought
popped out—‘‘Good health starts with good food’’.
Having been thoroughly brainwashed by the thought
in school, I felt obligated to continue thinking about
it to compensate for the fact that I couldn’t practice
it. After some serious thinking on the matter, I have
come to the sad conclusion that much of our good
Indian food is gone (the buffalo) or in danger of
becoming seriously depleted, if not extinct.
I have prepared a partial list of endangered foods:
there are many more and I would invite you to write
me if you know of any.
SALMON —by mismanagement, pollution, and
over-fishing. Due to the increased harassment by
Fisheries to put the squeeze on Indian food fishing,
more and more families are able to get less and less
fish to carry them through the winter. For the loss of
1 salmon, how much does the hamburger cost to
replace it?
BERRIES of all kinds —anywhere that bush is cut
down, as in logging, hydro and pipeline through-
ways, strip mines, etc. For example, the people of
Gold River live with a constant high level of pollution
from the Tahsis Pulp Mill. The people complain that
the smoke has covered the berries with black dust
making them unfit to eat or can. For the loss of a jar
of berries, how much does a can of fruit cost to
replace it?
HERRING ROE —by its recent commercial-
ization, Ever since the Canadian government found
out there was a lucrative market in Japan for herring
roe, this once exclusively Indian food has become a
\
hot product to market. For the loss of your Herring
Roe, what do you replace it with in your diet to get
the same nutrients? How much does it cost?
MOOSE are shy. They don’t like noise, construction
workers, big game trophy hunters and resource-ex-
ploitation projects which destroy their food and
disturb their mating. Indian hunters in the northeast
report that they have to go farther and farther to
shoot moose which is their main and favourite source
of meat. For the loss of 1 moose, how much does the
beef cost to replace it?
MOUNTAIN SHEEP, DUCKS, ELK, CARIBOO,
CANADA GEESE, SHELLFISH, CLAMS,
OOLICAN GREASE....all are becoming less and
less available.
A proper diet is the best way to insure good health.
The fact that we knew few illnesses before the
whiteman came to this country attests to the
goodness of the foods we ate. Out of over 30,000
known diseases, only 87 were known to exist at all
among the Indians of this continent. As more and
more of our foods are lost due to the greed and
increasing encroachment of industrialized man on
our land, we are forced to seek replacements at the
local store at great cost. We don’t know as much
about non-Indian foods and we don’t choose food
that would replace the vitamins and minerals lacking
from the loss of Indian foods. If we did, we probably
couldn’t afford the replacements anyway. One
example will illustrate both of these points:
Many of us are unable to get salmon from the water
ourselves, for one reason or another.
The cost of salmon at $3—4 a pound is too much,
and having been raised on fresh salmon, store bought
salmon has been out of the water too long to satisfy
the average B.C. Indian, and the special nutrients
that are only found in fish are not replaced. Any way
you lose.
Not only are we being cut-back on health care
services in our communities, we are also being
cut-back on the foods that would keep us healthy in
body, mind and spirit.
The Editor
OUR COVER: The United Nations has named 1979 as the ‘‘Year of the Child’’. During the
roming year, adults the world over will be discussing the rights of children and will be
questioning the quality of life that they provide for them. Will our children benefit from all
the hoop-la?
JBCIC NEWS 2
} The UBCIC NEWS is the official voice of the
Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs.
It is dedicated to building a strong foundation
for Indian Government by providing an awareness
of the political and social issues affecting the
| Indians of British Columbia.
Signed articles and opinions are the views of
the individuals concerned and not necessarily
those of the UBCIC.
Editor: Beth Cuthand Assistant Editor: Pauline Douglas
Written Contribution: Roy French, Everette Gauthier, Val Dudoward, Maxine Pape,
George Manuel, Millie Poplar, Dinah Schooner, Louise Mandell, Lillian Basil, Leslie
Pinder, John Warren, Gene Joseph, Debbie Hoggan, and Rosalee Tizya
Wolf Drawing by Helmut Hirnschall from ‘‘Eyes on the Wilderness’’, Hancock House
Publishers Ltd.
Typesetting: Linda Jordan
The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs
440 West Hastings Street Telephone: 684-0231
Vancouver, B.C. Telex: 04-54220
wien V6B 1L1 J
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Sign of You Don’t Exist......0....cccssescsesscsecsccececsvseseccosecssdsacccessusvescrevsvesssensseacesacass
Where O Where is Francis Haine’s Moose..............0+0+ peeaccaccssenseccasenccccccccsccuscsaanens 9
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TSA: Time is Running Out .............csscsccsceverseses Feet esd No baaad GaatAee cee ennet es baaee lees 18
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Fish Depletion: Who’s to Blame? ............scssesssseeerseredenesceeenes Ls one pedinenes\neveneniaces 19
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School Books and the Indian Image .......ccsseccsesssssecsessosvesssccoress ue toe uba us gan buewensces 27
Interview: ‘‘It’ll Cost More in the Long Run ........ i duces cuteac clas vetavUelatt covbdyetsensaseiey ts 28
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UBCIC NEWS 3
ARE WE SO THREATENING
THAT OUR HEALTH BENEFITS HAVE NOW
COME TO THIS LEVEL OF NEGOTIATION?
Last summer, Prime Minister
Trudeau said that no agreement
transferring Indian health services to
provincial jurisdiction could be made
without Indian consultation. Yet the
newly proposed ‘‘Guidelines on the
Provision of Non-Insured Medical
and Dental Benefits to Registered
Indians in B.C.’’ shows that the
federal government is trying to shrug
off its obligations to provide health
care to Indian people by placing it in
the hands of the Provinces. The B.C.
provincial government does not re-
cognize our special status, and cer-
tainly does not recognize special
obligations to Status Indians.
Indian Governments into provincial
municipalities, the transfer of Indian
Health to the Medical Services
Branch of National Health and
Welfare in 1961, and now the virtual
transfer of Medical Services to pro-
vincial health insurance plans clear-
ly shows that the federal government
is trying to rid itself of the responsi-
bilities for Indians and lands reserved
for Indians as set down in the British
North America Act.
WHITE PAPER POLICY
APPLIED TO INDIAN HEALTH
The shifting of Indian Education to
the Province, tle transfer of Social
Services, the proposed changes to the
Indian Act, the attempt to transform
UBCIC NEWS 4
TRYING TO SLIP IT THROUGH
The new proposed Guidelines have
been sent out at different times to
different bands. This was the same
approach that was used for the draft
of the Local Services Agreement in
order to diffuse any organized pro-
test. However, most Bands have now
received notice that only the ‘‘indi-
gent’’ (very poor cash-wise) will
receive free medical services in the
future. National Health and Welfare
see their role as providing for welfare
cases which is barely a human right,
let alone a_ constitutionally-guaran-
teed political one.
At first, with the new guidelines
came survey forms, to find out more
about the ‘‘indigent’’ on Reserves.
The time to research the health and
economic conditions on-reserve is
before the setting of the guidelines.
Since when does one set a policy and
then research the facts to make them
fit. This survey has since been
rejected. Professional social workers
wouldn’t cooperate. At the time of
setting out these guidelines, we were
given the usual run-around: Prov-
incial National Health and Welfare
officials said there was no provincial
input: it was an Ottawa based
proposal. Ottawa NHW _ officials
replied that any Indian input should
come through the usual provincial
channels.
(continued page 6)
PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE
The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs totally rejects the
National Health and Welfare Medical Service Guidelines
for Indian people. In 1974, the federal government
guaranteed that health services would be provided to
Indians until our health standards compared with those of
non-Indians. It appears that the federal government is not
aware of the statistics compiled by their own department. I
will share this information with you:
The overall death rate of our Indian people is 17%
higher than the average.
The death rate of our Indian children under 4 years of
is about twice the average of B.C.
Indian people are admitted to hospital almost twice as
often as non-Indians.
Our people need more days of hospital care than
non-Indians.
The violent death rate for our people is over three times
the provincial average. Violent deaths accounted for
40% of all deaths in 1975.
Hospitalization rates vary significantly from the
non-Indian rates for some types of disease. Infectious
and parasitic cases were 4 times the non-Indian rate.
Violence were 2.2 times.
Respiratory diseases were 3.6 times. Yet cancer related
diseases were only 0.3 times the rate of non-Indians.
The federal government’s proposal to cut-back on
medical services to Indian people would decrease an
already poor service. Provincial organizations are being
asked to meet the Minister to negotiate Indian health
services. The health of Indian people is not negotiable.
As our elders can tell us, we as Indian people, have been
subjected to all the force and efforts of non-Indian
institutions attempting to break us and make us like them.
The greatest of that force directed at us were the diseases
brought to our people, combined with the laws to stop us
from being nourished by our natural foods. Many of our
villages were wiped out from those early epidemics of small
pox, then T.B. and now alcoholism, suicides and the young
ages that our people die at.
With no knowlede or history of these diseases, our
forefathers were forced to accept non-Indian medical care.
We have faced all these things and lived through these bad
times and survived.
According to the history of the Department of National
Health and Welfare, the government of this land started a
medical program in 1755 for Indian and Eskimo people.
The medical program was started because of the serious
epidemics, and because we are recognized as Aboriginal
people entitled to medical services to cope with these new
diseases.
We struggle through many bad policies of non-Indian
governments that work to change us. But without a
doubt...the lowest point this government stoops to, is to
try and prevent our people from receiving proper medical
care and coverage. We all know, and have always known
that we have a right to medical services through the consti-
tution of the federal government. This is our right as
Indian people. Our forefathers who agreed to the reserve
system, who agreed to hunting and fishing and trapping
rights, who agreed to accept education European-style,
also agreed to medical services.
To allow this present non-Indian government to try to
take away the rights of our people, is to say that we never
had these rights in the first place, or that we have been
accepting their hand-outs.
This new policy of the Department of National Health
and Welfare, no matter what they call it, is genocide.
As President of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, I urge
you all to resist, with every effort you can muster, this
policy of the federal government. I will do everything in
my power to reverse this policy but that will not be enough.
It will demand your action, as families, and as
communities as well. We have to make plans immediately
for how to prevent this government from solving their own
financial embarrassment at the expense of the health of our
Indian people.
UBCIC NEWS 5
(from page 4)
WHO PAYS HOW MUCH
' Under the new guidelines, anybody
who is not on welfare, Pension or
‘‘indigent’’ has to pay B.C. Medical
Health premiums (about $10.00 per
person per month) and has to pay for
glasses, dental costs, transportation
and prescription drug costs.
+ With the guidelines comes a chart
showing who has to pay how much
for their medical services. This chart
is, of itself, a denial of basic human
tights. A single person earning more
than $265.00 per month is 100%
responsible for his/her medical and
dental costs. A family of four, with a
joint income of $630.00 has to pay
100% of their medical and dental
costs.
be Me
Who’s running the country anyway? Don’t they know it’s our year, our teeth, our
eyes, our health....
even more difficult. To try and get
someone off welfare in the city by
offering him welfare at home does
not even touch on the problem.
THE CUT-OFFS ARE ALREADY
MAKING THEMSELVES FELT
While the guidelines are not sup-
posed to be in effect until June 1979,
our people are already feeling the
effects. Doctors and dentists have
heard about the new guidelines, and
some are refusing to take Indian
patients, fearing that bills may not be
paid or that payment through the
NHW bureaucracy will be unreason-
ably delayed. The last year has seen a
crisis in Indian health: suicide rates
are causing tragedies in every reserve,
alcoholism and related problems
have double the hospital-admittance
rate.
If there are individual cases of
hardship caused by these new guide-
lines, the Minister says she wants to
hear about them. Minister Begin
claims that people do not die from
lack of eye-glasses or dental care,
when talking to the Press or in
Parliament, she always forgets to
mention the other two major cut-
backs that can cause more than just
hardships: the cutting back of
transportation and prescription
drugs. The Provincial Director esti-
mates that the new guidelines will not
affect too many people: does that
mean that he thinks not too many
Indians earn wages and are thus
‘“‘indigent’’?? On the Spallumcheen
Reserve, they have estimated that
MAKING WELFARE PAY
This chart makes no allowances
for the much higher costs experienced
in northern B.C. and remote areas.
The stated poverty level in Canada is
set at $8,740.00 per year for a couple.
Salaries for the jobs that are usually
available on reserve are not much
above the minimums, and with these
new cut-backs, it becomes more
economic and safer to be on welfare
than to work. At a time when the
stated aim of the Human Resources
Department is to try and get ‘‘indi-
gent’’ Indians out of the city skid
rows and back to the reserves, it is a
contradiction to make reserve life
UBCIC NEWS 6
are on the increase: this cut-back in
medical services is the last thing we
need right now. David Elliot, an elder
in Saanich, told us at the Special
General Assembly in November and
at the Fish Forum in December, how
our people have been nearly wiped
out by waves of diseases brought by
settlers; measles, smallpox, T.B. ...
When Minister Monique Begin was
in Vancouver last year, she claimed
that Indian health was a priority and
it would continue to be a priority until
we had reached health standards
comparable to other Canadians.
Every statistic we read shows that we
are not even close. The death rate for
children under 4 years old is twice as
high for B.C. Indians and we still
+ 55% of the people will be affected
PACIFYING US BEFORE
WE FEEL THE CRUNCH
The Minister and officials of the
NHW express concern over the
suicide rate, over the rate of infant
mortality, etc. They cite statistics on
our condition and how we have to do
something about it, but at the same
time, they are cutting back on all
funding and encouraging the very
situation that increases problems we
are trying to fight. The Minister has
called a meeting of one representative
from each Province to discuss the
individual hardship cases on January
24th. The guidelines do not go into
effect until June, 1979. By discussing
:010Ud
‘s
[seq
The National Indian Brotherhood
has been fighting for a suspension of
the guidelines until all the Provinces
have been consulted and have reached
an agreement with the Department of
National Health and Welfare. Indian
leaders across the country are all
taking a very strong stand on this issue,
the most critical since the White Paper
in 1969 according to George Manuel .
In Quebec, the people are
blockading the Montreal bridge. The
Quebec Indian Association is charging
a toll and the money collected is going
| towards the Medical Services being
withdrawn by NHW.
On January 23rd, the day before the
| meeting of provincial leaders with the
Minister, the Indian Association of
Alberta is assembling 1000 Indians to
march from the legislature to the
NHW building. The Manitoba Indian
Brotherhood will do the same thing on
the day.
The St. Regis Reserve (Akwa-
sasne) demonstrated to bring their de-
plorable conditions of Indian health
to public attention. Their Chief,
Lawrence Francis was arrested and
was only released on condition that he
not speak out in public against
National Health and Welfare.
The reaction of the Federation of
Saskatchewan Indians was to inter-
cede directly with the Prime Minister
and the Minister responsible.
| UBCIC President, George Manuel
feels that in British Columbia, our
( from page 6)
the individual cases that have already
arisen just from rumours of these
changes, the Minister appears to hope
that she will pacify Indian leaders
before we really feel the crunch. We
cannot talk about specific cases until
June, and then it will be too late.
UBCIC President, George Manuel,
responded to the minister’s .
proposal by saying: ‘‘we are far more
concerned with the provision of all
medical services free of charge. We
are not prepared to reduce our
position and quibble over details’’.
He has asked the National Indian
Brotherhood to intervene to expand
the agenda to include the main issue.
Telex—
ae NATIONAL ISSUE: INDIANS ACROSS CANADA ANGERED BY
NEW HEALTH GUIDELINES POLICY
immediate battle is with the«policy
makers and is interceding directly
with the Prime Minister:
January 17, 1979,
“*T wish to make you aware of the lack
of appreciation which the 55,000
Status Indians of BC feel towards the
recent policy outlined by Madame
Begin, Minister of Health and Wel-
fare for Canada. In an earlier telex to
her, I informed her that the health of
Indian people should not be negoti-
able in this day and age. I would like
to know what kind of Government
you are running? Are we so powerful
and
threatening that our health
benefits have now come to this level
of negotiation? Or are you so callous
that the slow death of Indians is
preferable to living with them? This is
not an issue I am prepared to take
lightly. With the risk of the health of
my people in the balance, I am
demanding of your office an immed-
iate suspension of these guidelines.
We also
support all Indian organizations and
individuals opposed to this callous
disregard for the well-being of our
people. You can be assured that
pressure will continue until you, as
the leader of this Canadian Govern-
ment, are prepared to honour your
commitments to those whose rights
you guard so lightly.
To your good health, Mr. Prime
Minister
(a.c. REJECTS NEW POLICY as)
| OUTRIGHT DENIAL OF HUMAN
| January 16, 1979
George Manuel
os
By accepting an invitation just to talk
about the specifics, we would be
accepting the fact of, the new guide-
lines. The UBCIC position is that the
federal government made itself re-
sponsible for Indian Health Services
through the British North America
Act, Section 91(24). Just because the
Government is finding itself short of
dollars does not entitle it to shrug off
its constitutional obligations. The
health of the Indian people is not
negotiable. The UBCIC is demanding
an immediate suspension of the
guidelines and immediate attention
instead, on financing the training of
Indian paramedics for Indian Health
clinics.
| I am not prepared to spend my time
“i /
RIGHTS AND BETRAYAL OF
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS
At the meeting of the Regional
Advisory Committee to the National
Health and Welfare, January 15 and
16, many more Band delegates came
than were invited. They took over the
meeting and dismissed the agenda.
The department officials were asked
to leave while delegates and Band and }
Tribal Council representatives dis-
cussed the guidelines and drew up
their individual, Band and Council } .
resolutions. The guidelines were
unanimously rejected as an outright }
betrayal of federal government obli-
gations under the Constitution, an
extension of the White Paper Policy
and a denial of basic human rights.
There was an unanimous demand
for the suspension of these guidelines
until each Band has been consulted. |
Individual Bands have already
started various protests: Neskainlith
Band returned the forms as being
contrary to the provisions of the BNA
Act, Section 91 (24). When the forms
were then sent to individuals, the
response was the same.
The Nicola Valley Indian admini-
stration is organizing a formal protest
in their area. As we go to press, most
Bands and Tribal Councils are dis-
cussing the form in which they want
to protest. 7
UBCIC President George Manuel
responded directly to the Minister of
Health and Welfare, in a telex dated
‘On behalf of 55,000 Status Indians
on 186 Reserves in British Columbia,
discussing individual health cases.
You, Madame Minister are talking
about the health of our children, our
elders, our youth and parents. Surely
you cannot imagine healthy lives
would be negotiable in this day and
age.
I am the |
leader of my people and will come
when you are prepared to recognize
the well-being of the Indian people of
this country as something blankets
could not buy’’.
For the Health of Indian People
Sincerely
George Manuel President
UBCIC NEWS 7
SIGN ..
OR
YOU DON’T EXIST
“In October, 1977, under an
agreement with Medical Services, the
Mount Currie band hired a Mount
Currie person as their community
health representative. According to
the written agreement, this was done
so the Band could play ‘‘a greater
part in planning and controlling the
health problems of its people and in
the delivery of health care on the
reserve.”’
black / whiternails the Band Council.
The health of y Mount ‘Currie Elders” is ar proeras yp as Medical Services
Band deadlines to sign the NHW
contract. Unless the Band signed their
contract, they refused to pay the
salary of the Community Health
representative. The Band has had to
pay this salary out of their own funds
since April 1, 1978. Medical Services
has refused to have anything to do
with the Health Representative until
Mount Currie signs their contract.
Medical Services told her that she
In April, 1978, the National Health
and Welfare Zone Director encour-
aged the Band to write up its own
contract, which the Band did. The
department refused to sign the new
contract. Their excuse was that the
program could not be monitored
properly under the Band’s proposal.
When the UBCIC was consulted, no
good reason could be found for the
department’s refusal. The conditions
for making sure the program was
being carried out well were quite clear
and reasonable in the Mount Currie
~ contract. National Health and Wel-
' fare’s response seemed nitpicking and
inflexible, the all too familiar giving
of responsibility and taking it away at
the same time. They could not deny
that the Band knew best what was
needed on the reserve, but they
insisted still that everything be done
strictly by the Medical Service office
. rules, and they refused to negotiate.
BAND FUNDS MUST PAY FOR
COMMUNITY HEALTH REP. _—__
Medical Services kept giving the
UBCIC NEWS 8
could go to the clinic, but work i
on their terms and even though she
was continuing to work under the
guidance of the Band, she was not
allowed to go to the 3—week training
session in November, 1978 (sponsored
by Medical Services). Any promotion
and salary increases depend on com-
pleting these training sessions.
Medical Services was quoted as
saying: ‘‘As far as we are concerned,
if our contract is not signed, then to
us, you don’t exist.’’ Medical Services
also said that the Band has no
authority in their clinic. The Band
questions this: ‘‘how come that
building is on our reserve, and we
can’t have a say in how it’s run’’.
MEDICAL SERVICES CLINIC AL-
READY GIVING INADEQUATE
CARE
The health problems on the reserve
. are made even worse because of the
Medical Services nurse who runs the
clinic. The people of Hazelton had
her transferred from their area, and
now the people of Mount Currie are
just as dissatisfied with her services in.
the community. The Band reports
that a lot of people are missing their
immunization shots because they
don’t want to go to that nurse; the
nurse won’t make home visits to the
old people and she has interfered with
the Band’s relationship with their
community health representative.
The whole purpose of the program
was to give the Band control over
their health care program, and they
have frequently expressed their dissat-
isfaction to Medical Services. They
are asking— ‘‘if we are not satisfied
with the nurse, why can’t we get rid of
her?’’
Medical Services repeat that the
blame lies with the community, and
besides you can’t fire civil servants.
COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE
ENDANGERED
The crisis came when the Band had
no more funds to pay their Health
Representative in October, 1978 even
though they needed her services. In
November, the UBCIC was asked to
intervene on behalf of the Band since
the health of the people in the
community was being endangered.
The Regional Director was immedi-
ately requested to resolve this intoler-
able situation.
The contract dispute has now been
settled: Medical Services have negoti-
ated with the Band, and the commun-
ity Health Representative is working
again.
Medical Services has promised to
visit the Band at the end of January to
resolve the problems with the nurse.
This dispute has lasted 8 months.
By refusing to follow through on their
token agreement for Band control of
their own health program, Medical
Services endangered the health of the
people of Mount Currie. By refusing
to consider two Band petitions and
the dissatisfaction expressed by the
Chief and Council at the way the
reserve clinic was being run, Medical
Services even further endangered the
people’s health. People’s health is not
something you play with in a power
game. If Medical Services was really
serious about providing good medical
services according to the needs of the
people, they could have chosen other
ways to make their picky point about
office procedures rather than making
the entire health program suffer.
WHERE
O WHERE IS
"FRANCIS HAINES’ MOOSE?
On October 11, 1978, Judge Barnett dismissed charges
against Francis Haines under the Wildlife Act, with having
killed a moose during closed season. Since the ruling, the
Crown has appealed the decision and sometime this year,
the courts will hear argument on Indian people’s aboriginal
rights to hunt.
‘‘Where the [bleep] is my moose’’ demands Francis
Haines
But where is Francis Haines’ moose?
Here’s the story: (so far)
Karen Myers, Band Manager of the Stone Band
approached Mr. Holder, the Conservation Officer at
Alexis Creek after the victory in court and asked for the
return of the moose. Mr. Holder blocked the requests,
saying that he cannot return the moose because the moose
was needed for evidence at the appeal.
‘*That’s ridiculous,’’ Louise muttered. ‘‘The moose was
not even needed as evidence at the trial. Go ask the Judge
for an order to get the moose back.”’
Kare: Myers appeared before Judge Barnett ‘‘Can we
have our moose back?”’
‘‘Bring Francis here and I’ll make an order for you,”’
replied the Judge.
FIRST MOOSE CARCASS DISAPPEARS _
So Francis went to court the next court day. The Judge
was understandably upset. ‘‘I’m extremely sorry. I didn’t
realize, but I had signed the confiscation order for the
disposal of the moose. I’m just really very sorry. The order
had been sent to me by Mr. Messner, Crown Council with
an accompanying letter dated May 24, requesting that I
sign the order and forward it to the Fish and Wildlife
Branch in Alexis Creek. I mistakenly did that.’’
The moose has been ‘‘dealt with’’ by Wildlife, so we are
told. Now ‘‘dealt with’’, according to rumours, means
‘*sold or given away’’ in Toosey Band. Some people say
that the moose was ‘‘dealt with’’ prior to the making of the
- confiscation order. Speculation continues.
JUDGE ORDERS ANOTHER MOOSE FOR FRANCIS
“SUPA y 10104
Meanwhile, Judge Barnett met with Mr. Holder, and
confronted him, ‘‘Why didn’t you tell Karen about the
order and why had you relied upon the pending appeal as
an excuse for not returning the moose carcass?’’ Mr.
Holder replied ‘‘I did not know what I should say under
the circumstances.’’
‘The truth would be appropriate.’’ snapped the Judge.
Enter Mr. Hewatt, the N.C.O. of the Alexis Creek
R.C.M.P. Detachment. ‘‘Mr. Holder said that arrange-
ments could easily enough be made to provide Mr. Haines
with another moose carcass and he wanted to know if you
thought that would resolve the situation.’’
“I’m certain that this would be entirely satisfactory,’’
the Judge concluded.
The matter is settled, so we thought Happiness at the Stone
Band—Francis and his large family should get a moose for
Christmas.
But wait—the phone rings at the Union office early one
morning in December. It’s Karen on the line. The moose
still has not been returned and Constable Holder is giving
the Band the runaround.
FISH AND WILDLIFE OFFICERS TELL BAND: SEE
OUR LAWYER FIRST
‘Ill give him a call and check into it,’’ says Louise.
‘‘Constable Holder, this is Louise Mandell, lawyer with
the UBCIC. What’s the story with Francis’ moose?’’
‘You will have to see my boss. I’m not doing anything
about the moose.”’
‘‘Did you or did you not promise Judge Barnett that you
would return the moose,”’
‘*] don’t deny the promise and I don’t take the position
that I will not fulfill the promise. But you have to talk to
my boss, Mr. Hazeldine, who is in charge at the Fish and
Wildlife Branch in Williams Lake.”’
‘‘Hello Mr. Hazeldine, this is Louise Mandell, lawyer
with the UBCIC. I have been referred to you by Constable
Holder concerning Francis Haines’ moose...”’
UBCIC NEWS 9
**Mrs. Mandell, I’m not going to talk to you about this
matter, see my lawyer, Bob Hunter, Regional Crown
‘Counsel in Kamloops.”
_ “Hello, Mr. Hunter. This is Louise Mandell, lawyer
with the UBCIC. I have been referred to you by Mr.
‘Hazeldine who was referred to me by Constable Holder
concerning Francis Haines’ moose...’’
“*Look, I think everything the Constable did was legal.
There is a confiscation order in place. Mr. Holder’s
promise to the Judge was unauthorized. What I’m going to
say to you is, go back and get the Judge to set aside the
confiscation order or write me a letter and I’ll take up the
matter of the return of the moose ‘“‘internall y’’.
The Band says, go back to Court!
On December 20th, we all trucked back to Alexis Creek.
' Between the Judge and Louise, the record was crammed
full of all the facts and frustrations to date. The Judge
said, ‘‘I can’t order the return of a moose that doesn’t
exist.’” He asked Mr. Grant, the Prosecutor, to contact
Mr. Hazeldine, explain the situation to him, and request
his attendance in court that afternoon if he was not
prepared to have a moose carcass made available for Mr.
Haines.
Mr. Grant returned to advise the court that Mr.
Hazeldine had refused to reconsider or attend court.
JUDGE OUTRAGED AT BEHAVIOUR AND
ATTITUDE OF LOCAL OFFICIALS
Judge Barnett wrote a letter to Richard Vogel, Ministry
of the Attorney General.
**At this point, in my opinion, there is no honest legal
issue involved at all. There are other serious issues.
1. Mr. Hunter apparently told Ms. Mandell that the
Confiscation Order is valid. I do not believe that Mr.
Hunter is unaware that I signed the Order months
before Mr. Haines’ trial was completed and without
conducting any hearing upon the matter. I made an
error. To say that the Order is valid is silly.
Mr. Holder told untruths to Mr. Haines’ son and to
Mrs. Myers when they made inquiries concerning the
moose carcass. That, in my opinion, is a ‘‘serious
issue’.
3. Mr. Holder told me that he would arrange to have the
situation corrected in a practical manner by making a
moose carcass available to Mr. Haines. Now it seems
that both Mr. Hazeldine and Mr. Hunter say that Mr.
Holder had no authority to make any such promise.
This is unreasonable. Local conservation officers
routinely dispose of confiscated fish and game by
giving it to needy persons. In fact, Mr. Haines’
moose carcass was given to another needy person and
it has been suggested to me that this was done even
before I signed the Confiscation Order. Mr. Haines
has to provide for a household of ten persons. He is
presently not well and is unable to work. I do not
believe that Mr. Hazeldine or Mr. Hunter have given
consideration at all to Mr. Haines’ real needs.
Mr. Vogel, I am embarrassed and outraged by this
incident. If I could correct my own error by giving Mr.
Haines a moose carcass, I would do that, but I cannot. It
is, however, within the ability and the authority of the
UBCIC NEWS 10
Province of British Columbia to correct the errors of
myself and its civil servants by giving Mr. Haines the
moose carcass he is entitled to, wants, and needs. I ask that
you discuss this matter with senior personnel in the Fish
and Wildlife Branch with a view to correcting the situation,
and that you treat the matter as urgent.
_ If you tell me that the Province of British Columbia will
Photo: K. Meyers
not provide relief for Mr. Haines, then I shall. I shall
deliver a beef carcass to him. That, of course, is not what
he wants. Many native persons still have no great liking for
beef.
There is another level to this whole matter—one that
should cause real concern within the Ministry of the
Attorney General. For the past few years—ever since the
Quilt incident—the R.C.M.P. at Alexis Creek have worked
very hard to build credibility and trust with the native
people at the Stone Reserve and elsewhere in the Chilcotin.
They have achieved a significant measure of success. The
present attitude of the Fish and Wildlife Branch towards
Mr. Haines and the apparent desire of the Fish and
Wildlife Branch to engage in a major confrontation with
the Indian people threatens to destroy the accomplish-
ments of the R.C.M.P. and we shall all—white and native
alike—suffer for that. If you think I overstate the matter, I
invite you to telephone Sargeant Michael Hewatt, the
N.C.P. i/c of the Alexis Creek R.C.M.P. Detachment.’’
Francis Haines’ son has been following his dad’s case
making sure his ‘‘Abowiginal Wights’’ to hunt are safe.
Since the writing of Judge Barnett’s letter, Bob Hunter
has taken the position that if Francis fills out an
application at the local Fish and Wildlife office that he is in
need of sustenance, he will either get a moose, if one is
made available, or he will be given a permit to hunt
another. Or maybe one will fall dead on his doorstep. _
What now?
One of the lessons of this story is, even if we win
aboriginal rights to hunt in the courts, as we did with
Francis Haines’ case, we are little better practically if the
Provincial Fish and Wildlife offices still make and enforce
policies against Indian people. In this case, the Provincial
Government is prepared, through its agents, to defy a
Judge and ignore that law, and knowingly support its
officers who lied to the public in order to deny a man with
a large family, a moose which he rightfully should have.
We must win our aboriginal rights in practice, as well as in
the courts and that must be our next step in our fight for
aboriginal rights to hunt.
UP-DATE
KWICKSUTAINEUK: BAND MAKES B.C. FOREST
' PRODUCTS PAY
APOLOGY: We should first apologize for stating that the
Kwicksutaineuk Band is on Guilford Island: it should be
Wakeman’s Sound.
VICTORY: The Band has won an agreement in principle
from the logging company that payment for use of the
logging road across the reserve should be made on a cunit
percentage basis. Details have now to be negotiated. At the
same meeting, the company representatives stated, in front
of witnesses, that they would back the Band’s application
to the provincial government for the return of the land fill.
The company also agreed to pay for the use of the road
retroactively, from the time they started using it, ten years
ago.
MISSION SCHOOLS
Parents, band delegates and UBCIC Education Portfolio
staff met at the St. Mary’s student residence on December
18th. The purpose was to continue discussing the capital
funding supposedly owing by the Bands to the School
District #75, an arrangement between the School District
and the Department of Indian Affairs.
Chief Bill Wiliams reminded the people present that East
Fraser District was looking for direction from the Bands in
solving this problem; he asked that the people take note of
all the different possibilities and report to their Education |
Committees, and Chiefs and Councils. Their recommen-
dations should then be sent to the East Fraser District
Council.
LILLIAN BROWN
Last April, Lillian Brown of Skidegate, sued B.C.
Hydro for charging her Social Services Tax on the
purchase of electricity or gas on her reserve. She sued the
company on behalf of herself and all other Indians living
on reserves who pay the tax. Judgement was given against
Lillian in April last year, and the date set to make her
Appeal was November 17th.
On that day, her case was set for the Court of Appeal on
May 24th, 1979. Last April, the UBCIC urged Indians
living on reserve to withhold this tax portion of their bills.
to support Lillian’s case. B.C. Hydro branch offices were
notified by Hydro’s head office, not to disconnect people
until the court case was settled.
In November, 1978, the UBCIC published ‘‘A Guide to
the Taxation of Indians in British Columbia’’. This is.
available from the UBCIC Resource Centre. Copies of this
book have been forwarded to all Band offices.
ST. MARY’S BAND RAILWAY BLOCK ADE
Last May, the St. Mary’s Band members put up a blockade
across the c.p. railroad passing through their reserve in
order to dramatize their land damages claim against the
CPR and the DIA. Back in 1969, the CPR negotiated with
the DIA to put a branch line through the reserve. There
was no proper consultation with the Band, and the railway
construction went ahead. The St. Mary’s river had to be
diverted in the process. Protective dykes had to be built to
stop the land erosion that resulted, but they dykes didn’t
hold. Neither the CPR nor the DIA would do anything to
stop the erosion or to make compensation for the loss of
land. Each blamed the other.
As a result of the blockade, real negotiations were begun
immediately. Chief Sophie Pierre reports that negotiations
for a guarantee that the Band will be compensated for loss
of land by erosion, in perpetuity (forever), are going well
and are finally nearly completed. The CPR has taken the
Bands interests seriously, but the legal process has been |
complicated and slow.
FISHING CASES
Last July, Chief Robert Peters of the Hope Band was
charged with the illegal possession of 115 salmon because
he did not cut off the dorsal fins. As he had already cut off
the whole heads, Chief Peters stated that he didn’t feel he
needed to do more to mark his fish. The UBCIC is
challenging the legality of cutting the nose and dorsal fine
to mark food fish. The case was heard on January 4, 1979
and then adjourned until July 31, 1979.
When requested to return the fish to Chief Peters,
Federal Fisheries officers refused. They gave no reasons.
UBCIC President, George Manuel, stated: ‘‘The Fishery
Department is blatantly wasting the salmon. By the July 31
trial date, the salmon will be spoiled. The Fishery
Department’s responsibility is supposed to be’ Conser-
vation as its number one priority. They blame the Indians
for wasting salmon. Here they are themselves wasting
salmon.”’
The UBCIC lawyers are handling about 24 fishing
cases at the moment. They will be developing defenses
asserting the people’s right to food fish in the Bella
Bella, Williams Lake and Lillooet area.
WE-WANT-A-NEW-NAME-CONTEST
UBCIC NEWS is difficult to say fast: it is impossible to
say it twice in one sentence without stuttering and
stopping. We need a name that speaks for the whole
Province for the first people of this land — and smooth
on the tongue.
PRIZE: One-year subscription to the news magazine and
a dinner in Vancouver with our Communications Staff.
UBCIC NEWS 11
‘‘Many times we talk about
fishing rights, or any other
rights and we get into white
terms, or academic terms,
legal terms and I don’t think
that any of our fishing rights
are going to be settled on that
basis. I think once we begin
our argument on the basis of
white terminologies, we’ve al-
ready lost the case. Because I
think if you listen to what the
elders are saying, our associ-
ation with salmon and other
fish goes back many years.
And as you listen to them
speak about the old days and
about the fish, I think you
begin to realize there is more
than just food in fish, there is
the fishing itself, there is a
spiritual association with the
fish, I think to me that’s what
we are fighting for.’’
Photo: S.Basil
FISH IS MORE
THAN FOOD |
Elders Dominate the 1978 Fish Forum on
Phillip Paul, December 14, __ Fishing Rights and Responsibilities. i
Our Fishing rights must be reaffirmed and protected by
Indians of B.C. That was the message that Elders from all
parts of the province gave to us with deep feeling and
strong conviction at the Fish Forum held in Vancouver,
December 14 and 15. Although attendance at the Fish
Forum was small (about 70 people), the people who were
there, were very concerned, and dedicated to protecting
our fish and reaffirming our rights.
The idea for a Fish Forum was conceived in 1977
during our fight against a West Coast oil port. ‘‘Wouldn’t
it be great’’ we thought ‘‘if we could bring together Indian
fishing people from all over the province to talk about
fishing freely and informally, like the real ‘Indian councils’
of the past’’.
Because of the size of this year’s Fish Forum, we were
able to throw away the agenda, Robert’s Rules of Order,
and get down to the guts of our struggle for our Fishing
Rights. Phillip Paul defined our struggle very well at the
Fish Forum. He said:
**I think that fish has a very important part to play in our
life, for our future generations. It is our legal right and it
was given to us by the Creator. No scientist can explain
how salmon comes back every 3 or 4 years; the salmon
come back to the river to spawn and to start a new cycle.
You know there isn’t a man alive yet that has been able to
explain how that takes place. So there is something more at
work than just chance, and there is something more at
stake than just dollars, and it is very important to the
survival of our people and I think these are the things that
we have to begin to understand in relation to fish, in
relation to land, in relation to the struggle of the Indian
people.
We were put here for a purpose as Indian people on the
continent we now call North America. We have a job to do
and somehow we began to fail at our job, and I think that’s
UBCIC NEWS 12
what the elders have come here to tell us, that we’ve got to
get back on track and begin to understand the true nature
of our struggle.’’
For the whole afternoon of the first day, we were
privileged to hear eight Elders speak about fish, our rights
and our responsibilities, and the knowledge that had been
given to them by their Elders.
Special thanks go to Cecil Patrick of Stone Creek,
Louise Gabriel of the Okanagan, John L. George of
Burrard, Francesca Antoine of Necoslie, Gabe Bartleman
of Saanich, Les Schackelly of Merrit, Larry Pierre of
Penticton Band and Thomas Gregory of the Okanagan for
their strong contributions to the Fish Forum.
We regret that because of space and money restraints,
we cannot provide you with the Elders’ entire presentat-
ions. Instead we have carefully chosen excerpts which
illustrate their main concerns and advice to the younger
generations.
Francesca Antoine:
‘‘Our ancestors and the ancestors before them never had
trouble about fish spoiling in the waters or game
diminishing. Ever since the white man came, they made
laws and regulations for the white people, also including
the Indians who never knew whiteman’s laws or
regulations and it is confusing to the Indians. We were left
wondering what to do about it. If we spoke against it, there
was the jail waiting for us. As a people of nature, we
inherited the instinct of not wasting, and not over-fishing
or hunting. In the interior where I come from, as far back
as I can remember, to keep the salmon coming back to the
usual place of fishing, we threw back into the river, the fish
cutting and guts. In doing that we helped nature to fulfill
our needs of what she could give us in the future.’’
Thomas Gregory
We are the people that think we are Indians. My
understanding of this gathering is that you are here
together trying to find a way to be able to answer to the
Fisheries, the Government. I’ve known that even before
the white man came, the Indians used fish as food. They
belonged to them.
When the Indian was put on this earth, who gave them
the fish for their food? Now the white man tells us that we
have to have a permit, we have to have a piece of paper
- before we can catch fish, and the white man was the last
person to get in this country. Now he is the one that is
making the laws for us.
They have taken our food and we are afraid of the white
man. Why are we afraid?
Cecelia Patrick
“If the government could just make themselves
understand the true meaning of aboriginal rights. To me,
aboriginal rights means to be absolutely free to kill for
food game and fish at all times during the year and where
ever, in lakes, streams and rivers. The fish or game don’t
belong to the law.
Dave Elliott
“I remember when I was a boy, the whiteman had
already built his canneries, and was canning salmon for
great profits...they would bring in salmon in the
summertime to the canneries...they’d by 4 feet on the
cannery floor, salmon to the depth of 4 feet in the hot
weather. It would stink and they’d push them over to the
end of the dock, back into the water, and bring a new
bunch again. That’s how they treated our salmon.
I remember the same boat on the south end of Salmon
Island which is a territory that belongs to my people. We
lost it, itis now in the State of Washington. We live only 6
miles from the border. I remember the same boat taking
40,000 sockeyes in one set. That’s hard to believe, 40,000
salmon in one set. That’s what happened to our salmon.
That’s why we don’t have salmon, and these are the same
people that say we can’t fish to eat, these same people,
that’s what they did with our fish. I can remember when
salmon was common fertilizer; common fertilizer for the
farmers and the settlers. They took our salmon and they
threw it around in the fields for fertilizer. That’s how they
conserved our fish. Our fish, that we respect and care for,
for so many thousands of years.’’
Larry Pierre
“‘We speak of the salmon that are being squeezed for
their eggs to be planted in some strange river. Do we
understand, do we honestly believe that we can take the
salmon egg and transfer it from one place, one area, to
another? Maybe the whiteman can do that, he may be able
to get away with it, but not an Indian. An Indian person
would face the consequence. He’d probably end up a
cripple for disrespect, for such things as salmon. Do we
really understand? How about taking your pregnant
woman and squeezing the kids out 3 or 4 months before
their time. Taking the child out and making it live
somewhere else. The same way with the salmon, they are
people too.
Gabe Bartleman
“I was coached by an old man, his name was Chief
Tetos, he said ‘“‘dont ever be afraid of those people’
(referring to Fisheries) and there was another elder father,
Tommy Paul, he said ‘‘don’t ever be afraid of them, he
said those fish belong to you and that’s how you live.”’
. After the Elders finished speaking, Phillip Paul summed
up the Elders’ message:
**You know when you take away something from a
person that they should and could best do for themselves, I
think you rob them of something extremely important, and
I think if you take fishing away from Indian people, I think
you rob them of the essence of their culture, and I think
that’s what white society has been doing since it came
here, has been continuously eroding our culture, eroding
our people, until we have what you see today, the kind of
problems that we are trying to fight. To me, that’s what
fishing is all about, and what our struggle in fishing is all
about and our struggle of land, and I think that’s what the
elders are trying to return us to.
I feel very good that the elders came and told us many
things, and I think that once we decide what fishing really
means to us as individual people of a new generation, I
think then we can decide how we want to control it. I think
that’s when you come to understand the true meaning of
Indian Government. You know it’s like what Larry Pierre
was saying, if they gave us the fish tomorrow, what would
we do with it? If they gave us all the land back, tomorrow,
what would we do with it? Would we administer it the in
the inadequate ways in which are communities are
administered now? I don’t think they would hardly be
adequate. I think we have to build new things, and I think
we have to allow our elders to expand our minds again.
The way our minds used to be, very creative minds, very
challenging minds, and minds that are willing to cooperate
‘with nature rather than to try to control it.
I think the choice the elders are laying down for us here
and many other meetings is very clear. We are not going to
be able to keep our fish without a fight. \Ve are going to
have to fight for our fish, that’s very obvious from the
things that are happening, and I don’t think it’s so much
just to win the fish, it’s to keep the fish alive, or there will
be no fish for anybody. I think that’s what our elders are
saying to us today.
— “It is a very tough fight.’’
UBCIC NEWS 13
EVERYTHING YOU EVER
NEEDED TO. KNOW ABOUT
THE ABASE REVIEW..
There has been a great deal of
sound and fury in British Columbia
over the last 2 months concerning a
project which our beloved depart-
ment refers to as the Zero A-Base
Review. So what is this latest new
idea? And how will if affect you in
your reserve communities?
You are no doubt aware of the
reductions in funding levels affecting
many band councils. The Department
of Indian Affairs budget has been
increased by only a small amount this
year. This increase has not been
enough to cover even the basic needs
at the band level. More and more of
the budget is going to cover depart-
ment administration costs and the
rapidly increasing payments to the
province under agreement such as the
Master Tuition Agreement.
Faced with this problem, the
Minister of Indian Affairs decided
that there would need to be a review
of all the programs which are funded
by the Indian Affairs budget. The
review would look at how much is
being spent in each program area and
how useful these programs are. Once
all this information is available, then
department offices will make de-
cisions about changing the way funds —
are used. Theoretically, money will be
taken away from areas of low priority
and put into programs which are
more important. Since the depart-
ment is not likely to get much new
money, the Minister wants to make
better use of the dollars which are
available. The British Columbia
Region will be the first one to go
through this exercise which has been
named the Zero A—Base Review.
UBCIC POSITION
The U.B.C.I.C. supports the basic
idea of using funds more effectively. '
All bands are aware of many exam-
ples where funds are wasted because
of stupid rules and regulations. We all
can identify programs which do. not
provide much benefits to the com-
munities. Clearly some changes are
needed.
_ UBCIC NEWS 14
Back in November, the Department .
organized a 2 day seminar to explain
how the project would operate.
Department officers were brought in
from all over the province. Several
provincial organizations and District/
AND Tribal Councils also sent ob-
servers. Even the Deputy Minister
himself showed up the first day.
After listening to the presentation,
Chief Gordon Antoine stood up and
said he totally. disagreed with the
approach the department intended to
follow. He gave three reasons:
There was no provision for
band government input. It was
to be a-D.I.A. project with
civil servants making all the
priority decisions and Indians
only observing the process.
The extent of the review was
limited. Only band admini-
stered funding was to be
considered while D.I.A. ad-
ministered costs and the pay-
ments under M.T.A. and child
care agreements were not to be
given consideration.
The time frame was unreason-
ably short. é
He then walked out of the meeting
with a group who felt the same about
the project.
At the end of the second day, the
Indian representatives who were still
in attendance stood up in turn and
made the same points again to the
department staff. The Regional Dir-
- ector agreed to discuss changes to the
review with the Minister.
INDIAN OBJECTIONS SECURE
SOME CHANGES
Finally it was decided to make
substantial changes to the way the
review would be carried out. A small
pilot project will now be carried out
in the North West District. The 15
bands which make up the North
Coast District Council and the
BUT WERE TOO
BORED TO ASK
Terrace: District Council will be
involved in determining their indi-
vidual funding priorities. The Re-
gional Director has assured the bands
that they will be able to set their prior-
ities and that the department will
accept their decisions.
The individual bands will be con-
tacted by a D.I.A.:team during the
month of February. All the priorities
will be worked out by the middle of
March. The pilot project will then be
evaluated and changes made. The in-
tention is that the final approach will
then be carried out in all districts.
PILOT PROJECT TO BE CARE
FULLY MONITORED
At this stage, we do not know how
things will work out. We are repre-
sented in the review group which will
monitor the work during this pilot
project stage. We will evaluate how
effective this will be in terms of per-
mitting bands to use funding to meet
their needs. We will observe whether
the department will consider all the
budgets including their own admini-
stration expenditures as well as the
funds which pass through the bands
administration. Only 40% of the
regional budget passes through band
accounts. Unless the procedure exam-
ines the other 60% then the work will
be useless. |
Therefore, both the sincerity and
the competency of the department is
on the line during this pilot project
stage. We will be carefully monitoring
the work and as well keep you advised
through future articles.
If you want to discuss this review in
more detail, please call the UBCIC
office and we will answer any
questions you may have.
OF WOLVE
Ever since man first began to
wonder about wolves—to make dogs.
of their descendants, to admire them
as hunters—he has made a regular
business of killing them. At first
glance the reasons are simple enough,
and justifiable. Wolves are predators.
Based on this belief alone the Fish
and Wildlife branch spends thous-
ands of dollars every year on a
predator control program. For 1979,
the intention of the Fish and Wildlife
branch was a wolf-poisoning scheme.
In October of last year (1978), the
public was informed through an
article in the Vancouver Sun news-
paper that the Provincial Government
planned to spend $500,000 to wipe
out wolves on the Bonaparte Plateau
near Kamloops, B.C. The method
they proposed to use was poison
1080.Tablets of this poison would
probably be placed in strips of meat
which would get placed in the
designated area. This poison which is
supposed to be colorless, odorless and
tasteless kills animals such as the
mink, fox, beaver, bear, wolverine,
weasel, whiskey jack, eagle, etc....as
well as members of the dog family.
According to a recent report, an
animal that consumes 1080 does not
die fast.
‘*An animal that consumes 1080...
dies over a period of hours. It travels
a long distance before it dies, period-
ically going into spasms and writhing
and twisting on the ground. It’s
unlikely you could tell how many
wolves you killed with 1080 because
they don’t die close to the bait.’’
Dr. lan McTaggart-Cowan
University of British Columbia
Such a plan, especially when it is
done for no particular reason and
without fact, has a serious impact on
Indian people. Not only does it mean
an impact on our trapping resource
but the killing of. the wolf does
something to our spirit especially
when we stop to compare our way of
living with the wolves’ way. To help
illustrate this, I would like to quote
out of Barry Loper’s book, ‘‘Of
Wolves and Men’’.
S AND WARRIORS
“Wolves and Cree Indians in
Alberta maneuvered buffalo onto
lake ice, where the big animals lost
their footing and were more easily
killed. Puebloe Indians and wolves in
Arizona ran deer to exhaustion,
though it might have taken the
Pueblos a day to do it. Wolf and
Shoshoni Indian lay flat on the prairie
grass of Wyoming and slowly waved--
the one its tail, the other a strip of
hide—to attract curious but elusive
antelope close enough to kill.’’
**Wolves ate grass, possibly as a
scour against intestinal parasites;
Indians ate wild plants for medicinal
reasons. Both held and used hunting
territories. Both were strongly famil-
ial and social in organization. Both
wolf and Indian had a sign lan-
guage.”’
“The tribes, like the wolf pack,
even broke up at certain times of the
year, and joined together later to hunt
more efficiently.’’
**The Indian did not think of the
wolf as a warrior in the same sense as
he thought of himself as a warrior,
but he respected the wolf’s stamina
and stoicism and he encouraged these
qualities in himself and others. The
wolf therefore, was incorporated into
the ceremonies and symbology of
war.’’
‘“‘We [the Indian] respect the
wolf’s prowess as a hunter, especially
his ability to always secure game, his
stamina, the way he moved smoothly
and silently across the landscape.”’
The Provincial Government, under
the newly appointed Minister of
Environment, Honourable Raif Mair,
announced on December 27, 1978
that the plan to poison the wolves in
the Kamloops area was dropped. In
the future, we must be on our guard
for other predator control programs.
It is not only the wolf we must
protect, it is our link with the Animal
World, our sense of belonging, our tie
to the land, our survival.
UBCIC NEWS 15
Ns
Photo: Roy French
LETTER
To: UBCIC Editor and Staff
Here’s writing to all of you in your
office at your headquarters: please
consider my suggestions written in the
message to my people. My hope is
that this news will make other Bands
know that someone like me _ is
thinking deeply about better cooper-
ation amongst themselves towards the
Band Council, Band Manager and
Chief of the reserve, that we may just
get together and become a strong
Independent Nation.
If you figure that what I’ve written
will help you move the nation closer
together, it would be my delight to see
this on your newspaper very soon.
The UBCIC NEWS shows a lot to the
people, more so each month. I am
sending photographs about some of
the times. We know a lot about our
way of life, like our elders and
ancestors.
UBCIC NEWS 16
MY OPINION ON OUR WAY OF
LIFE ON OUR RESERVE AND
YOURS
Let me take your time to kindly
introduce myself to the Indian people
of British Columbia and at the same
time, a special message to the people
on the Takla Lake Reservation. My
name is Roy French and I’m a
Councillor on this reserve for the last
two years. I’m thirty years of age,
married for three years and now have
two children. The oldest one will be
three on February 19th and the
youngest will be one year old on
February 19th. I’m sitting in my
home which is given to me and my
family from the Band, which I’m very
thankful for at this time. It is the job
of the Band councillors to obtain
homes for married people on re-
serves. Therefore, a member of the
Band Council cannot brag about the
\
FROM TAKLA LANDING
things they fought to get on reserves.
We need some of the elder people
to take part in the teaching of the
younger people about the different
things. We should know about what
was happening a way before my time
and keep the old teepee fire burning
in our mind. All of us should become
one with our traditions and beliefs
and move together, instead of fight-
ing each other for stupid things, and
make this place a happy place to live
and prove to everyone we won’t let
them down, even the slightest bit.
I have a lot to say about our way of
life on our reserves. I’m not thinking
of myself when I say these things. I’m
hoping to help out the people on our
reserve and even try to give support to
the Bands that are also having the
same problems we’re facing. Too
many times I’ve come across indivi-
duals on the reserve and off, com-
plaining about how weak our Band
Councils are. Maybe after this, things
will be different: especially if the old
people have the chance or courage to
speak out to the Band Council and
things like that. I’m sure a lot of
people have a lot to say, but probably
are afraid. I really believe it is the
people’s business how each Band
Council operates the Band affairs in
the Band office.
Sincerely always,
Takla Landing Band Councillor,
Roy French
ysueiy AoYy :010Ud
" youary Koy :010Ud
ut
UBCIC NEWS 17
TSA DEADLINES
Bands in some areas of the prov-
ince have very little time left in which
to affect the decisions being made by
theB.C. Forest Service concerning
Timber Supply Areas (T.S.A.).
All of the forest land in B.C. is
being divided into new geographical
areas called T.S.A.’s. The Forest
Service is now calculating the allow-
able annual cut (a.a.c.) in these areas.
Then based on the a.a.c. of each
T.S.A., the Forest Service will pre-
pare logging plans which will deter-
mine how the forest industry will
operate in these areas for many years
to come.
It is extremely important that
bands who want to create opportun-
regional manager of the Forest Ser-
vice in your area. You must keep
informed about the work being done.
You must make your timber needs
known. Unless you do so, you will
find that there is no place in the new
T.S.A. Plands for you.
The Forest Service has a list of
T.S.A. priorities for completing these |
plans.
The most important thing you can
do at this time is phone up your
regional manager and ask him for the
target dates in your T.S.A. Then,
arrange a meeting with him to discuss
your forestry plans.
Call the U.B.C.I.C. office if you
need assistance.
ities in the industry contact the And get moving!
TARGET DATES
Priority T.S.A. T.S.A. REPORT COMPLETION OF
TO REGIONAL MANAGER’ T.S.A. PLAN
1 Fort Nelson 20 January 1 March*
2 Prince George 31 January 1 March*
3 Vancouver 15 March 1 June*
4 Ocean Falls 15 March 1 June*
5 Queen Carlottes 28 February* 1 June*
6 Kootenay Lake 31 March 1 July
Okanagan-Shuswap 30 April 1 August
8 Quesnel 31 May 1 September
9 Golden 30 June 1 October
10 Merritt 31 July 1 November
*These dates are estimates since the published Forest
Service timetable is already behind schedule.
LATE FLASH .... ARE YOU LOSING YOUR RESERVE?
Is your reserve being steadily eroded away every year?
Are you getting a lot of bureaucratic doubletalk from
governments about your problem?
Several bands need flood control work on their land. Yet
the various government departments responsible are
refusing to take definite action. All they will do is
commission studies and reviews of studies.
If you are facing this problem, please send a short uotice
to Irvine Harry at UBCIC office outlining:
1. The extent of your erosic:: problems;
2. The problems you have had in getting any action;
3. Your ideas on the kind of action needed to get any
results.
UBCIC NEWS 18
TAXATION
A recent Federal Court of Canada
court decision has held that Indian
people working for Indian organ-
izations, such as the National Indian
Brotherhood and the Union of B.C.
Indian Chiefs, must pay income tax
on their salaries, if the organizations
are not located on Reservations. The
case involves the meaning of two
sections in the Indian Act. Normally,
the property of an Indian situated on
a reserve is not taxable. Also,
property purchased by the govern-
ment with money set aside for
Indians, and property given to
Indians under an agreement with the
government is not taxable, no matter
where the property is located. It was
on this basis that the case was argued.
The case is being appealed to a
higher court. In the meantime, the
taxing officers have agreed to await
the outcome of the appeal before
moving to collect the taxes. It seems
unfair that employees of Indian
organizations who do their work for
Indian people, many of whom live on
reserves, and who spend much time
actually working on reserves, are
taxed. This decision results from a
very narrow reading of the rights of
Indian people, supposedly guaranteed
in the Indian Act.
The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs
has become involved in this very
important case. The case will pro-
bably have to go to the highest court
in the land, and hopefully a decision
fair to Indian people will be achieved.
FISH DEPLETION:
WHO'S TO BLAME?
Indian people are not to blame for
the depletion of salmon — sports
fishermen are not to blame for the
depletion. The commercial fishing
industry, industrial pollutants and the
governments are to blame for the
depletion of B.C. salmon stocks.
That was the feeling shared by most
of the 250 Indians and sports fisher-
men after attending a B.C. Wildlife
Federation Meeting on January 19th
to listen to Hugh Anderson, Parlia-
mentary Secretary to Hugh Faulkner,
Minister of Indian Affairs and North-
ern Development. Mr. Anderson
talked about Squamish Bylaw #10,
which was signed by the Minister of
Indian Affairs in November of 1977,
giving the Squamish Band authority
to manage fisheries on waterways
connected with their reserve. This
bylaw became public knowledge when
the B. C. Wildife Federation told
Federal Fisheries Minister Romeo
LeBlanc about it in May of 1978. Mr.
LeBlanc said Squamish Bylaw #10
was news to him, and the B.C.
Wildlife Federation was furious that
management powers had been given
to the Squamish Indians. Mr. Ander-
son was not well-received by the
Wildlife Federation members and
supporters when he said: ‘‘I am sure
you would all agree that, since the
passing of the Squamish bylaw, there
is no evidence whatsoever, to indicate
that the Band is acting in anything but
a responsible manner with regard to
fishing on the reserve. Moreoever,
there is no evidence to suggest that
they will do otherwise in the future.’’
TENSION MOUNTS
The mood through Mr. Anderson’s
speech was tense, and continued
through th: period set aside for him
to answer written questions from the
audience. The meeting seemed doom-
ed to follow the familiar theme of ‘‘It
is not my fault the salmon stocks are
being wiped out; it’s your fault,’’ as
the B.C. Wildlife members became
increasingly angry with Mr. Ander-
son’s stated support of the Indian
right to fish. Most of the Indian
people remained quiet but tense.
TENSION EASED BY UBCIC
PRESIDENT
Then UBCIC President, George
Manuel spoke, and pointed out that a
liaison committee has been set up
between the Union of B.C. Indian
Chiefs and the B.C. Wildlife Feder-
ation in an effort to work together on
common grounds—the preservation
and conservation of fish and game in
British Columbia.
‘* ,.1 think we’ve made the overture
on the Indian’s side, to try to work
with you, and try to come to some
kind of understandable or cooper-
ative conclusion. And I don’t expect
it to be done overnight, but I, I want
to say that we, we’re ready and
willing to work with you if your’re
ready and willing to work with us,’’
Mr. Manuel told the Wildlife Feder-
ation members. He received the first
round of applause at the meeting,
from both Federation members and
Indians.
FOCUSING ON THE REAL
VILLAINS
The meeting shifted focus at that
point, with less emphasis placed on
the differences between the Feder-
ation and the Indians, and much
more emphasis directed at the real
depleters of the salmon stocks: the
commercial fishing industry, indus-
trial polluters and the governments.
From 1974 to 1976, the federal
government estimates that of the total
number of fish caught in B.C. during
that 2—year period, 22 million fish —
were caught by commercial fisher-
men. Sports fishermen caught 1
million fish, and the Indian food
fishing accounted for 500,000 fish —
2.5% of the total amount. The
commercial fishing industry caught
93.6% of the total amount of fish
caught from 1974 to 1976.
Industrial pollution kills an un-
determined number of fish; the
federal government monitors pollution
UBCIC Aboriginal Rights
Position Paper, Article V
Our Indian Governments are to
have exclusive jurisdiction to
make laws in relation to matters
coming within classes of subjects,
hereafter referred to, without
limiting the scope of the possible
subjects to be under Indian
control. Some of the areas to be
under the jurisdiction and author-
ity of our Indian Governments
[Band Councils] include:
Section 10. All fish resources con-
tained within the waterways and
bodies of water that are
established as being associated
with our Indian Reserve Lands.
levels and ensures that they are kept
within government—regulated stan-
dards. Many individuals and organi-
zations concerned about the natural
environment feel that the regulations
are not strict enough and the monitor-
ing is inadequate.
Indians attending the meeting
wanted to make sure that they were
not used as an absent scapegoat. The
Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, the
Musqueam Band, the Squamish Band
and the United Native Nations show-
up to listen to Hugh Anderson.
Another meeting is planned between
the B.C. Wildlife Federation, the
Indians and Hugh Anderson.
“First of all, the 8.C. Wildlife
Federation is not anti-Indian. We
are not opposed to the Indian food
fishery. We are, however,
opposed to its abuse.’’
Bill Otway,
Executive Director, B.C. Wildlife
Federation, addressing a
Federation meeting January 19,
1979,
UBCIC NEWS 19
CONTROL
AN INDIAN GOVERNMENT PERSPECTIVE
. eos » ie
» ee ae
P Prd ae a ee
The control and authority of Indian leadership at every level wo
uld be eroded
ey :
a
by Federal plans unless we strongly assert Indian Government.
There are two bodies of law of
special interest and importance to
Indian people across the country: The
British North America Act and the
Indian Act. Both may soon go
through major changes recommended
by the federal government.
Robert Manuel heads the UBCIC
Indian Government Portfolio, and
has done thorough research into the
BNA Act and the Indian Act, and
their role in the UBCIC philosophy of
Indian Government.
This month and next month he
brings us up-to-date on both pieces of
legislation and the work done by the
UBCIC in this area.
THE B.N.A. ACT SPELLS OUT
FEDERAL RESPONSIBILITY
The British North America Act is
the constitution of Canada, but was
not brought into force by Canada; its
UBCIC NEWS 20
origin comes from England under the
British Parliament. The BNA Act
was passed in 1867, and changed
Canada’s status from a British colony
to that of a semi-independent coun-
try.
Sections 91 and 92 of the BNA Act
spell out the jurisdictions (areas of
authority) of the federal and provin-
cial governments. Section 91 outlines
the federal government’s 29 areas of
jurisdiction, and Section 92 outlines
the 16 jurisdictional areas of the
. provincial governments. Neither level
apurT ‘> 104d —BuIPTIng uoNeNsTuUpy pueg aTez9pr4s
of government can make laws which
interfere with the jurisdiction of the
other.
The most important section of the
BNA Act to Indian people is Section
91 (24), which states that only the
federal government can make laws
regarding “‘Indians and lands reserv-
ed for Indians’’, Seven words. These
seven words are very broad and can
be interpreted in many different
ways. After the BNA Act became
Canada’s constitution, the federal
government had to try to figure out
what those seven words meant and
how to administer laws dealing with
‘Indians and lands reserved for
Indians’’. And so in the 1800’s, a
committee of Canada’s parliament
began to write what is today known as
the INDIAN ACT. This piece of
legislation created a new federal
government portfolio:Indian Affairs.
From this came the Ministry of
Indian Affairs, the Department of
Indian Affairs, and an entire new
bureaucracy. Through the Indian
Act, the federal government began to
spell out land terms, membership,
local government, education and all
the other areas contained in today’s
Indian Act.
U.B.C.1.C, RESEARCH
These two pieces of legislation—the
BNA Act (placing Indians under
federal government jurisdiction) and
the Indian Act (defining how the
federal government will carry out its
responsibility as outlined in Section
91:24 of the BNA Act)—may soon
undergo major changes. Trudeau is
anxious to repatriate the British
North America Act and if he is
successful, the federal government
will be able to make changes to
Canada’s constitution. This is now
impossible to do without the approval
of British Parliament. As well, the
federal government has begun a pro-
cess to make major changes to the
Indian Act.
These two events, if and when they
come to pass, could have a very
significant effect on Indian people
across Canada. The UBCIC Indian
Government portfolio has researched
the BNA Act and the Indian Act, and
has come up with three general areas
which do not meet the needs of Indian
people in B.C.
e Land Base: lands are not big
enough to provide an econo-
nomic foundation strong
enough for the Indian popu-
lation, and Indian band
councils do not have the nec-
essary power and authority
to change the situation.
forestry,
oil, gas,
Resource Base:
mineral, water,
wildlife, and all other re-
sources are almost entirely
controlled by the federal and
provincial governments.
_ There are rare exceptions,
such as the Squamish Band
Bylaw #10 which gives the
band the governing author-
ity to manage fish resources
over waterways which have
been associated with its re-
Serve.
@ Governing Authority:Indian
Governments (band coun-
cils) do not have the neces-
sary authority or power; the
Department of Indian Af-
fairs has been wrongly given
this authority and power
through Section 91(24) of
British North America Act.
INDIAN GOVERNMENT IS OUR
FRAMEWORK
Once the Indian Government Port-
folio determined these basic ingredi-
ents essential for true Indian self-
determination, Portfolio Head,
Robert Manuel explains:
We then began to try and find out if
there was a legal vehicle in which the
land base, resource base, and govern-
ing authority could be expanded
within the framework of Canadian
society.
We found this vehicle through the
British North America Act, and this
vehicle is Section 91(24), Indians and
lands reserved for the Indians’’.
The problem is that the federal
government, in attempting to define
those seven words, came up with what
is now known as the Indian Act.
From this came the Ministry of
Indian Affairs, the Department of
Indian Affairs, and the large bureau-
cracy that we now have to deal with.
We must remember that at no time
were we part of the interpretive
process of this Act in any real sense.
We did, though, play an advisory role
which was a token role for the most
part.
Upon examining the origins of the
Indian Act, it became clear that the
federal government interpreted their
constitutional responsibility in Sec-
tion 91(24) in a very narrow way and
to their advantage. The work that we
need to do now is to begin defining
those seven words ourselves, to meet
our needs and ultimately provide us
with those ingredients essential for
true self-determination to take place.
This can be done legally and within
the framework of the Canadian
constitution. We all should under-
stand that separation is not necessary,
as in the case of Quebec.
A major point to remember, aside
from securing a land and resource
base, is that it is absolutely necessary
that we have the legal authority to
establish our own laws in precise and
definite areas of jurisdiction.
This legal authority will ultimately
enable us to establish our own needs,
goals and priorities in a realistic
manner, and will lead to a resolution
of the many complex problems we are
experiencing in this day and age. The
only framework in which to accom-
plish all of this is Indian Government.
It is only through a government
institution that we can carry out the
all-encompassing work ahead.
We should understand that at this
point, there is nothing preventing us
from establishing our own laws and
constitutions within our bands. It
would, in fact, be wise for each band
to immediately begin this process.
EFFECT ON THE GENERAL
PUBLIC
The effect on the Canadian public
of our complete Indian Government
plan would be a positive one. It would
be in the best interests of everyone
—Indians, the general public, the
provincial and federal governments—
for Indians to develop and institute
an Indian Government.
The burden on the taxpayer would
be eased by the institution of Indian
Government. The cost of maintaining
staff, buildings and the general
operation of the Department of
Indian Affairs would be decreased by
an enormous amount. This would
happen through better management
by Indian Government. Indian Gov-
ernments would be responsible for
providing efficient services to our
citizens. The pressure would contin-
ually be maintained to ensure that
Indian Governments work to contin-
ue providing good services. Currently
the bureaucrats are not required to
meet the needs of the people they’re
paid to service.
INDIAN GOVERNMENT PUTS US
IN CONTROL
Indian Government would also put
Indian people in command of the
integration process. This includes
education, training, employment——
all the aspects of our day-to-day lives.
The kind of co-existence we have in
mind with non-Indians is integration
and not assimilation. The financial
resources for an Indian Government
would be obtained through resource/
revenue sharing with the federal and
provincial governments. This system
is currently operated between the
federal and provincial governments.
The implementation of Indian
Government will obviously create
some problems, but these problems
can be termed ‘‘good problems’’ in
comparison with what we have now.
At least, under Indian Government,
we will be in control of our own lives
and future. This is the work that we,
in the Indian Government Portfolio
at the UBCIC are doing. And so are
all of our staff members.
Indian Government includes every
area of our lives as Indian people, and
every move and decision that the
UBCIC makes is done within our
concept and philosophy of Indian
Government.
NEXT MONTH:
ROBERT MANUEL
EXPLAINS WHAT
MUNICIPALITY STATUS
WOULD DO TO OUR RESERVES,
AND THE UBCIC POSITION ON
PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE
INDIAN ACT.
UBCIC NEWS 21
EVERETTE GAUTHIER
Everette Gauthier is a 10 year old
from West Moberly Lake Reserve in
the northeast. Everette has strong
feelings about the land and the
Indians’ place in it, being an experi-
enced and skillful trapper. He doesn’t
care for the ‘‘whiteman’s school’’ and
fondly remembers events that hap-
pened ‘‘when I was small’’. Here is
Everette Gauthier’s story in his own
words:
My name is [ verette Gauthier. I
was born in Dawson Creek. I started
going to mountains when I was three,
UBCIC NEWS 22
and I liked it and still do. When I
went to the mountains I trapped
marten, weasel, and every sort of
things. Every time I always set snares
and catch rabbits. Even when I was
small I used to catch rabbits. I used
to snare them and every time I go out
hunting I always take a dog, and |
take a pellet gun. I always bring my
little brother with me, and I always
went everywhere with my ad.I went
to the Yukon Territory and Watson
Lake, and I went with my Dad to go
hunt sheep and I go up with those
Yankees. Those Yankees didn’t catch
that much, but I caught lots and every
rayne :010ug
winter I catch fur, like marten, fisher,
squirrels, weasel, coyote and wolf. In
the mountains, I ride horses, go
fishing, and in the mountains I go
with my Dad to catch horses every-
time. They always bring some horses
back and they bring a lot, I don’t
know how much, but they bring
enough, and I go with them and I
gallop real fast. Early in the morning,
deer, elk and moose come out to the
pasture and lick the salt, and every
time we go hunting sheep or goat with
the Yankees, we go across a big lake
and the horses just about fall in. And
one time when the deer was licking his
salt, I ran up behind him and chased
him around and tried to catch him,
but he was too fast for me. One time,
pmNeDH :0104g
TEN YEAR-OLD TRAPPER
two porcupine came beside our cabin
eating the grass, and we were watch-
ing them inside the cabin, and the
other day, a big porcupine, a real big
porcupine, came walking by. I went
to look for him, but I couldn’t find
him. Everytime I go look in the
swamp, I always see moose, deer, and
elk. I always see horses come real
fast.
Last year, the whiteman took our
fur. There was not too many wildlife.
The whiteman came along and went
and took all of it. There was too
much whitemen hunting around.
They came to get our moose and deer.
*
There is a lot of moose now because
the white man do not go out to our
reserve anymore because it is winter.
They go someplace else to hunt. They
always go everywhere just to look for
some moose.
~My Dad made me a bow and arrow.
It was just a wooden arrow and some
string. And my Dad had some old
sharp arrows in the cabin. I used them
to go hunting with.
I liked it better before because there
-was lots of wildlife and now the
Photo: Gauthier
whiteman come and take all our
wildlife. I don’t like that because last
year I got money and I was happy and
I bought everything. Last year, I got a
hundred dollars for my fur. When I
got money, I bought Christmas stuff
for my mom and_ everyone--my
grandma, my auntie, my sisters and
my cousins. It is fun when you go
Christmas shopping. This year I don’t
get too much because the whiteman
came and buggered up our wildlife.
And | just hope they go away and
don’t come back to our reserve and
leave this good. Go home and don’t
come back.
I don’t want to go to school for I
don’t like the whiteman’s school. The
teacher is too mean for us. Everytime
we go to school, they holler at us and
they talk to us and I fight every time.
When I grow up, I’m going to be a
bullrider and go to Indian rodeos and
all over the (United) States like my
brother. My brother’s name is Jimmy
Gauthier.
I’m going to be like him, going all
over the country, riding.
UBCIC NEWS 23
A DEEP AND ABIDING
Up to now, the people in the North
East have literally been ignored by
anthropologists, archeologists, his-
torians, native organizations . and
politicians until recently. Today the
area is rapidly becoming the focus of
interest for many groups. Changes
for the people began with the fur
trade:
1798 —the first trading post estab-
lished in Fort St. John
—first T.B. cases were noted
—Metis settled around the
North East
—the gold rush. Thousands of
people invaded the land with
total disregard for Indian
life and traplines. The gold
rush forced the people into a
Treaty.
—Treaty 8 was signed—you
have to remember that
about this time, that B.C.
had just joined the domin-
ion of Canada and became a
province, but did not recog-
nize Indians as people so
they had no rights. The
Indians in the Northeast felt
threatened even then, and
really believed that a Treaty
would protect them and
their land.
1907—1930 —settlers and home-
steaders. The first settlers
1820
1890
1897
1899
were very poor and destitute
In the face of racism ‘and pressure niyo resource exploitation, the sdablia of the
Northeast have kept strong and traditional ties with the land.
UBCIC NEWS 24
and had to be cared for and
fed by Indians in order to
survive. None of this is men-
tioned in pioneers’ chron-
icles. The elders of the tribes
remember, perhaps with a
little bitterness, but mostly
sadness and the irony of to-
day’s situation where they
are now poor, and the white
man rich.
—trap-line registration for
whites. No one explained to
the Indians what was hap-
pening: why they could no
longer trap the area they’ve
been trapping all their lives,
why they were being shot at,
and why they couldn’t get
police protection.
1926
1942—1943—Alaska Highway was
built, simply because some
person in the pentagon felt it
some great strategic impor-
tance for the U.S.A. to be
connected to Alaska in case
of invasion. This highway
been the greatest impact of
all because now it gave
people an easier access to
area which had been quite
isolated. .
1948—1949—government sells land
(Reserve No. 172) to D.V.A.
(veterans) and in return gave
two smaller reserves with no
RESPECT
UIDISUI2 AA A
By Dinah Schooner
mineral rights. Oil was soon
discovered on the land that
was sold.
1952 —John Hart Highway—now
connects Prince George to
Ft. St. John. ‘
1957 — Westcoast Transmission be-
gins construction of first
small pipelines in the North-
east.
1958 —P. G. Rail built.
1967 —Bennett Dam construction—
now hydro proposes to put
more dams in the area and
flood more land. All I can
say and feel is DAM! B.C.
Hydro.
—first pulpmill.
—Canada and the U.S. an-
nounce plans to build. the
$10 billion dollar Alaska
Highway Pipeline, the
largest construction project
in the history of mankind.
1977 — National Energy Board
hearing in Ft. St. John looks
at Westcoast Transmission’s
proposal to build two branch
pipelines in the area. Indian
people are defeated in their
attempt to delay the hearing
until they are prepared.
The pipeline went
through.
—government is sued for
breech of trust and fraud by
Blueberry and Doig Re-
serves for the sale of land in
1948—1949. Still pending.
—UBCIC applied for a grant
to do an Impact Study for
propsed Alaska Highway
Gas Pipeline and this time
were able to have the hear-
ings delayed until May.
1968
1977
1978
1978
RESOURCE EXPLOITATION HAS
NO RESPECT FOR THE LAND
The forest industry also opened up
the country to sport hunters because
the logging roads created easier
access. There are stories of hunters
(whose numbers increase every year)
who go to the Northeast and just
shoot at anything. Carcasses of many
animals have been found and there
are reports that horses were shot
because some fool mistook it for a
moose. There is also evidence that
some hunters only take a_ small
portion of their kill and leave the rest
to waste. And now they have the
audacity to point a finger at Indians
in fear that we will deplete the game.
I can go on and on with all the
other major industrial developments.
Anyone who is familiar with oil and
gas exploration knows what a seismic
Ine will do. There’s no. rhyme or
reason in the direction it will take,
they just take a straight line and
bulldoze it for a mile or so. There are
millions of seismic lines all over that
country. I am amazed that there are
any trees left because the lines have
torn up the land.
BAND MEMBERS ARE MAPPING
INTERVIEWS ON HUNTING,
TRAPPING, CAMPS, BERRY
PICKING AND FISHING
The Land and Occupancy Study is
well under way. The Pipeline route
was recently made public and it
follows the Alaska Highway some-
what and it definitely goes very close
to two reserves, that of Prophet River
and Doig River and to the Southeast,
the one directly hit is the Grasmere
Reserve. The Bands particpating in
the study are as follows: Doig River,
Blueberry River, Halfway River, W.
Moberly, E. Moberly, Prophet River,
Ft. Nelson (Muncho Lake, Fontas,
Kahntah) and soon hope to include
Lower Post. Each band then selected
a person who would do the mapping
and interviews of people who have
hunted, fished, trapped, camped, etc.
thus providing a complete map—bio-
graphy. There was a workshop held in
the Ft. St. John Friendship Centre to
train people how to do the mapping
and interviews on September 26—28,
1978. It was attended by Bernie
Metecheah, Halfway Band; Robert
Dominic, Doig; Eddie Appsassin,
Blueberry; Amy Gauthier, E. Mober-
ly.
Other people that are involved in
the study are Arlene Laboucane, field
Coorindator who is doing an out-
standing job which has kept her very
busy and more mapper—interviewers
are Jimmy Gauthier, E. Moberly;
Jack Askoty (Petersen’s Crossing)
Doig; Ruby Dokkie, W. Moberly;
Mary Murray, Prophet River; and
Ken Burke, F. Nelson.
I am also happy to announce that
the Southeast is doing a_ study,
coordinated by Wilfred Jacobs.
photo: M. Weinstein
a
y ee ee St
Blueberry Band chose Robert Dominique to interview their hunters and trappers
to map out their territory
MAPS SHOW TRADITIONAL
TIES WITH THE LAND
During a brief visit (fieldwork), I
was impressed, of course by the
beauty of the Peace River district, but
mostly impressed by the people as I
came to know them. Their remark-
able sense of humour in the face of
prejudice and racism, considering the
amount of pressure and stress they’ve
had to deal with in the name of
progress and developments that they
have still maintained strong and
traditional ties with the land. This
became evident after looking over
their maps. They are very proud and
have every right to be, of their
hunting and tracking skills and they
are also very competitive in rodeos.
Everyone, the old and very young,
has a deep abiding respect for their
cultural ties with the land and for one
another. I came to appreciate them
more when I saw children going to
snare rabbits and I realized that I
probably wouldn’t survive because I
lacked the knowledge and skills which
come naturally to them.
I have now just been putting the
maps together. Take hunting for
instance, and one can see immediately
the extent to which the land is used by
one band. Only a person who is
familiar with the land can mark out
the territory accurately. The infor-
mation from the maps is_ very
interesting because it is the first study
of its kind in British Columbia.
UBCIC NEWS 25
RESOURCE CENTRE |
McKENNA—McBRIDE COMMISSION TRANSCRIPTS
The McKenna—McBride Commission is a major
obstacle in the Indian people’s struggle for our land. As a
result of the infamous commission, land was unjustly ‘‘cut
off’? from existing reserves despite evidence from the
Indian people for bigger reserves and the return of their
lands. For many years, the only major documents
researched on the Commission were the four volumes of
the ‘‘Report on the Royal Commission on Indian Affairs
for the Province of British Columbia’’. However, these
reports give only one point of view: the Commissioners.
Evidence given by the Chiefs and Indian people of British
Columbia at the McKenna-McBride hearings were
available only at the federal and provincial archives. As a
result, the documents were difficult to get for research
purposes.
In 1974—75, the Land Claims Research Centre in
Victoria took steps to make these valuable documents
available to the Indian people. They received a grant and
began to transcribe the McKenna—McBride hearings from
a microfilm of the original documents. When funds were
rejected in 1975, only fourteen volumes out of eighteen
volumes had been transcribed and distributed to all area
councils.
Francois Timoykin, Penticton band, told the commiss-
ion, ‘‘We have no land to seil.”’
:0}04d
SoAryorW ST1GNd
TRANSCRIPTS COMPLETED
In 1978, work was resumed when Keith Ralston, a
history professor at UBC, was granted funding to continue
the transcriptions. Errors were corrected in the fourteen
volumes already done. Now the four remaining volumes
have been trarscribed, a bibliography prepared of
materials pertaining to the McKenna—McBride Commis-
sion and a list of newspaper articles (1913—1916) on the
UBCiIC WEWS 26
Commission. Vancouver and Victoria newspapers were not
searched as they had already been indexed and appear in
the Provincial Library’s Newspaper Index. At the end of
the project, Ralston’s students prepared a book about the
project, the bibliography, the newspaper search list, and
» four of their research papers.
THE PEOPLE’ EVIDENCE
The eighteen transcript volumes contain evidence
given by the Chiefs of each band and Indian Agents of
each Agency. The following two quotes are examples of
the material which can be found in these volumes.
Royal Commission Meeting with the Spallumcheen Band
(Enderby, B.C.] October 2,1913:
Chairman —How many acres are cleared on the Salmon
River Reserve and under cultivation?
Sam Pierre —I will ask you a question first. What do you
intend to do with the land that is already
under cultivation. If you will tell me your
purpose, I will explain it all.
—We are not here to be examined by the
Indians, and if we cannot find out-what we
want here, we will find it out elsewhere. Do
you know that we could place you in prison
for not answering our question?...
Chairman
Royal Commission meeting with the Kitsumkalum Band,
September 1915:
Charles Nelson —the Kitsumkalums are just like any other
tribes—they have been bleeding day and
night just on account of the way we have
treated and handled. Why can’t we
handle our land ourselves while men on
the other side of the world are handling
our land for us. Another thing, the
government employs people to go about:
the reserves and pay them high salaries—
constables and Indian Agents—all the
money that they are paid with comes out
of our land money and they get fat on it,
but we who own the land, get slim and so
slim sometimes, that we cannot work
while these people they get ‘‘swelled
up’’.
Generally these volumes are accurate. However,
volumes covering the Babine Agency, New Westminster
Agency and Bella Coola Agency contain errors, and they
should not be quoted without ‘cross-checking the
microfilms. e
Copies of the eighteen volumes have been deposited with
the University of B.C., Simon Fraser University, National
Library of Canada, and the B.C. Provincial Archives and
the UBCIC Resource Centre. Due to the high cost of
printing, we regret that we have to charge 10 cents per page
in each volume.
Babine Agency 17.30
Bella Coola Agency 21.20
Cowichan Agency, (3 vols) 55.60} SCHOOL BOOKS
Kamloops Agency 24.50
Kootenay Agency 14.00
Kwawkewlth Agency 25.80 AND THE IND IAN IMAGE
Lytton Agency, (2 volumes) = 52.60 hf
Nass Agency 29.30 There has been a growing outcry lum in order to correct the historical
New Westminster Agency 58.40 | from Indians throughout North Am- image of the Indian, emphasize the
Okanagan Agency 24.20 | erica that our children are subjected importance of Indian contributions
Stikine Agency 5.80 | to textbooks showing Indians in (historically and currently), and iden-
Queen Charlotte Agency 10.10 | consistently unfavourable ways, at tify the Indian as a full and viable
Stuart Lake Agency 34.30 | best often condescending and at member of Canadian society.
West Coast Agency 23.40 | worst, ignoring the contribution of Many of the Indians who attended
Williams Lake Agency 30.40 | Indians to the general society as we the meeting last December felt that
Each band report contains approxi-
mately 5-25 pages. To help bands
researching their band history, the
Resource Centre will be pleased to
provide one copy of the transcript on
their band only.
OTHER DOCUMENTS
ON THE COMMISSION
Other papers pertaining to the
Royal Commission held by the Re-
source Centre include the Schedule
attached to the Dominion Order-in-
Council No. 1265 [July,1924],com-
monly referred to as the Ditchburn-
Clark Report (80 pages). This report
contains amendments to the Report
of the Royal Commission on Indian
Affairs for the Province of British
Columbia, commonly called the Mc-
Kenna-McBride Report, an assess-
ment of the Commission’s work was
appointed to be done by Ditchburn-
Clark. The Ditchburn-Clark Report
contains the amendments to the
McKenna-McBride report which were
approved by the governments. The
Ditchburn-Clark report has not been
completely researched or even cover-
ed in the published books on land
claims.
The Confidential Report of the
Royal Commission on Indian Affairs
for the Province of British Columbia,
1916. Victoria: Acme Press, 1916, 22
pages; contains reports and sugges-
tions of the Commission on timber,
fishing, water, hunting, trapping
rights, as well as administration, edu-
cation and liquor laws.
Materials related to the 1913—1916
Royal Commission on Indian Affairs
for the Province of British Columbia
(approx. 242 p) contains a DIA
memorandum of 1909, progress re-
ports, interim reports and general
know it today.
There may be some good news in
this area. The provincial Department
of Education has begun a process
which will see changes made to the
Social Studies curriculum at the
secondary (high school) level. Last
December, a meeting was held at the
Ministry of Education offices in
‘Richmond. A dozen Indian people
met to look at the possibility of the
public being given the opportunity to
help revise (change) the Social Studies
Program from Grades 7 to 11.
However, the Indian involvement was
| due to the alertness of a DIA
employee who spotted a newspaper
| ad announcing the revision plans.
| Indian people were not notified by the
Indian Education branch or the
Ministry of Education.
There are three stages to the.
revision process which will be comp-
leted in the fall of 1980. The overall
goals of the Social Studies curriculum
at the secondary school level are being
revised in January. By June, it will be
decided how these changes will be
instituted at each grade level, from
Grades 7 to 11. Finally, all of the
materials (textbooks, manuals, etc.)
will be revised by the fall of 1980.
The Indians will attempt to make
changes to the Social Studies curricu-
the curriculum should be developed
by local people for local students.
This type of curriculum is called
supplementary and is not inclded in
the revision process. However, the
Ministry of Education encourages
changes to the local supplementary
curriculum.
The curiculum currently being re-
vised is called the core curriculum
which pupils throughout the province
are required to study. So far, two
reaction panels have looked at the
new draft Social Studies curriculum
and recommended changes: one in
Prince George and one in Richmond.
The January 17th meeting of the
reaction panel (made up of special
interest groups, such as the Indian
people; professors; teachers; and
students) in Richmond, was attended
by three Indian people who partici-
pated in the panel, and made several
changes. This Indian group will meet
again on either February Sth or 6th to
discuss the next stage in the revision
process: instituting he changes in each
grade level, from 7 to 11. Millie
Poplar, from the Education Portfolio
of the UBCIC has been actively
involved in this revision process since
last December, and says that Indian
people have been well represented and
received at the reaction panel meet-
ings.
reports of the McKenna—McBride
Commission, The latter reports are
also contained in the McKenna—
McBridge Report.
Land History—Materials pertain-
ing to the Royal Commission on
Indian Affairs [102 p] contains acts
and agreements on land claims and
the McKenna—McBride Commission
Royal Commission of Indian Af-
fairs for B.C.: Reductions and Cut
offs of Reserves by Agency (14 p)
contains excerpts from the McKenna
McBride Report. This is a list of
reserves which have cut-off lands.
However, this paper and the Mc
Kenna—McBride Report should be
cross-checked with the Ditchburn—
Report for any amendments.
These documents are all available
at the Resource Centre. Again, unfor-
tunately due to the high printing
costs, we have to charge 10 cents per
page.
Resource Centre
UBCIC NEWS 27
Gene Joseph
Every month, the UBCIC News
takes a theme and looks at it from
different perspectives through differ-
ent writers. We become informed
about the subject through many
sources: community people, politic-
ians, professionals, books, reports,
but mostly talking around, asking
questions until we get a sense of what
to zero in on and what to leave alone
until it matures. I think this month’s
theme: Health Services for Indians,
has been left alone for so long that it’s
gone to rot. It’s like teeth that have
been ignored, once you go to the
dentist, there’s so much decay, you
don’t know where to start.
My dilemma was to choose one
person to interview from the many,
many chiefs, councillors, band mem-
bers, nurses, doctors and community
health representatives in this province
who are concerned and vocal about
the cut-backs in medical services to
our people. I at last decided to speak
with a community health representa-
tive in a relatively accessible reserve
on the central coast.
INTERVIEW:
The woman I talked with for this
article (‘‘just call me a community
health rep’’), as well as the people we
talked with about the Mount Currie
health story (see page 8) asked that we
protect their identities. Could it be
fear of reprisals from the Medical
Services Branch?
I wanted to know what a commun-
ity health representative does and
how the cut-backs have affected the
community ...
WHAT KINDS OF THINGS DO
YOU DO IN YOUR JOB?
Well, we’re working in a health
centre and we see that everyone has a
B.C. Medical Plan number to go and
see a doctor. And we follow up any
problems at the hospital when they’re
discharged or if there’s someone you
know with any problems, we follow
them up when they go home and any
diabetics and chronic cases. Oh,
there’s so much.
We have baby clinic days. Thats
immunization for the little ones. We
help the nurse ith that: round up the
mothers, remind them. We work
closely with the doctors and we have
basic training on first aid so if there is
UBCIC NEWS 28
‘Every community has been hard hit by the cut-backs to Medical Services. One
woman in Bella Coola has already had to pay $360 in transportation costs alone
to fly out to Vancouver to get her badly broken ankle fixed.
any need, we try and be there to help.
Home nursing: we have the basic
training on that so go and see people
who phone in that they’re not well.
We decide whether they should go
and see the doctor, and if so, we make
arrangements to get them to the
hospital. If they need to go to
Vancouver, we make their arrange-
ments then too for their transport-
ation. We take water samples and if
there’s something wrong, we look
into it and talk to the Band Council-
lor and they check it out and change
the pipes. Sometimes it’s rust from
the pipes. And then with TB ex-pat-
ients, we do a follow-up on them;
collect sputums, and get their X-rays.
IT SEEMS LIKE YOU DO A LOT
OF PREVENTATIVE HEALTH
CARE
It’s not treatment you know, and
we have very little in the way of
medicine here, maybe just for head
lice for the kids in school and stuff
for scabies or impetigo or something
like that. Everything else is mostly
teaching and trying to show people
how to help themselves. Also we try
and see that the kids do get their teeth
“IT’LL COST
done. We check on the schools and if
they need some work done, we talk
with the dentist: but they’ve cut that
back too. It’s really a shame. It’s only
once a year now. I| really am upset
about the children - their six-month
check-ups should still be, otherwise
every parent is going to be suffering
with the expense of pulling teeth out,
new dentures, things like that in a few
years if they don’t keep up.
SO THE CUT-BACK REALLY
AFFECTS YOUR WORK
Oh it does, very much so. It
really has upset us. Take for example,
my daughter works in the Band
Office. She’s a grown-up lady now
and she broke her ankle in three
places just be slipping on the ice.
They couldn’t do it her so she was
shipped to Vancouver to put a plate in
there and two pins and screws. And
she had to take care of my fare to
escort her as well as her own.
OH MY GOODNESS
Because she’s working. That’s
$360, just for fare alone. And then I
had to wait for her in Vancouver and
I brought her home. It cost me money
to stay in a hotel and to eat,
transportation there and back. So you
can see, here we’re really in a spot. In
Vancouver, if you got hurt you can
run down the road, or maybe by car
to the hospital. You’ve got it there.
But big chunks for any services for us
here in the Central Coast goes to
transportation, and I think this is why
they are cutting back so much,
because of the cost. We’re the ones
who have to suffer and pay our way
down while the service could have
been done here. ‘If there was a big
hospital in the Central Coast, I think
we would be a lot better off.
' THE CUTBACKS HAVE REALLY
GOT YOU PEOPLE IN A BIND
Oh yea. There’s just no way that
you can get around it. If my girl
hadn’t been able to save a few dollars
in the past, what would have happen-
ed to her?
Another thing they’ve cut out is our
CHR meetings. We never had one for
a long time and this is one of the
things that was mentioned to our
'-the doctors and nurses,
COMMUNITY IS INVOLVED IN
HEALTH CARE?
We have a Community Concern
group here - you know, different
people that work out of the Band
Office and the RCMP and some of
we get
together every Friday afternoon and
try to work out some of the problems
_ that come up in our area: mental
problems and social problems, alco-
hol and drugs. We discuss these and
try to plan how help, in what way, no
matter what our titles are here,
alcohol seems to affect all of us in our
work. You know the families, the
children in school, the homes, the
conditions, alcohol affects everybody
and this is the reason why we have a
Concerned Committee that meets
every Friday.
We also have a lot of older people
that we make calls to at their homes
to see if there’s anything we can do
for them.
SO HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT
what are going to do for them that
would pay for all they have done for
you in the past The Band Council-
lors have built a sort of duplex here
where the old people stay.
There are some younger people
who are renting a couple of those
little rooms too, so it doesn’t make
the older people feel they’re put
somewhere where they are forgotten.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A
COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE
WORKER?
I’m going to ten years.
THAT’S A LONG TIME
Yes (laugh) it is. You know there
are times you feel you want to get out
of it, give it up. But I’ve always
enjoyed trying to do something for
people and I speak the language.
That’s one of the advantages too
because some of the people don’t
speak English and I do a lot of
interpreting.
When we didn’t have a nurse for a
MORE IN THE LONG RUN’
leaders because it gets to a point
where you begin to feel alone and
wonder how others (community
reps) are making out. We have a
monthly paper that goes around to
each one of us every month, but
getting together is a different thing
again when you can sit and talk.
DO YOU WORK WITH INDIAN
HEALERS, INDIAN MEDICINE
PEOPLE?
We have a group here that have
been studying Indian medicine and we
have a pharmacist at the hosptial
who’s doing the study and working
along with a group of Indian people
and has written a lot of the stuff the
old people have told us about
medicines. A lot of it has been tried
out and he is going to be writing a
book on it, and that’s about as close
as I’ve really working with anyone
along that line except that we still do
use quite a bit of Indian medicine
around this place. I think a lot of it is
good and a lot of the ideas are
common sense.
CAN YOU GIVE ME SOME EXAM-
PLES OF WAYS THAT YOUR
OLD PEOPLE THAT ARE SENT
IN TO VANCOUVER FOR
HEALTH CARE FOR IN THEIR
LATER YEARS?
I’m not in favour of that and I
don’t think any of our people here on
reserve is in/favour of it. From way
back as far as I can remember, our
people take care of the old people,
_ they don’t send them away. After all,
this place’’
while and I took care of everything
and that was for a couple of months.
We managed somehow.
IT SOUNDS EXCITING
Yeah, there’s never a boring time
because you don’t go through the
same thing every day, it’s always
different. People don’t always agree
with what you’re doing, but all you
can do is do your best.
‘The old people have told us about medicines and we still use quite a bit around
UBCIC NEWS 29
HELP WANTED rreatent centre |
[Advertising Rates available on Request]
Director (Administrator)
Duties:
the Board of the Society.
dential treatment program
program within the
consultation with other staff members
going staff development.
Qualifications:
1. Experience in
position with demonstrated abilities.
or health service setting.
treatment process.
of native Indian culture.
1. To perform duties as outlined by
the objectives of the Society. To plan
for and follow policies developed by
2. Responsible for the day to day
administrative details within the resi-
.3. Responsible for developing the
facility in
4. Responsible for training and staff
development. Trains and designs on-
administrative
2. Supervisory experience in a social
3. Knowledge of alcoholism and the
4. Knowledge of a native tongue and
Program Supervisor
Duties:
1. Responsible for organizing,
evaluating and implementing the
treatment program.
2. Incharge of the hiring, supervision
and evaluation of the treatment staff.
3. Responsible for the training and
development of staff.
Qualifications:
1. Extensive knowledge of alcoholism
and treatment.
2. Demonstrated ability of
implementing and evaluating
treatment program.
3. Proven ability in supervising and
co-ordinating staff activities. —
4. Knowledge in __ training
development of staff.
5. Knowledge of Native
language and culture.
and
Indian
Counsellors (3)
Duties:
STAFF In Vernon, B.C.
1. Responsible for the on-going
treatment of the residents
2. Responsible for helping to
maintain the structured program
within the facility.
Qualifications:
1. Extensive knowledge of alcohol
and drugs, especially in the area of
physical and psychological effects.
2. Ability to work in a group setting
and utilize the group experience.
Knowledge of Native Indian tongue
and culture.
Written resumes to be submitted to:
Secretary,
INTERIOR NATIVE ALCOHOL
ABUSE SOCIETY
344 Seymour St.
Kamloops, B.C,
V2C 2G4
Salaries: To commensurate’ with
experience
Closing date: February 16, 1979
LETTERS TO THE
Dear Editor:
Iam on the Mungo Martin Awards
board, composed of both men and
women, Indian and non-Indian. Need
and purpose govern the awards. I am
asking you for some publicity.
Continuing for six weeks commen-
cing on January 15th, 1979 in the
upstairs foyer of the McPherson
Theatre, Victoria, B.C., there will be
an art display by native Indian
students of this province.
Sponsored by the Indian Arts
Society, this exhibit is restricted to
entrants who have previously won a
Mungo Martin Award to aid them in
furthering their talents.
Interest has been keen with plenty
of quality submissions promised for
this event. It is understood that the
bulk of the work submitted will be for
sale. The public is encouraged to
attend this exhibit, to view, and
hopefully to buy the prints, paintings,
basketry and beadwork on display.
Mrs. Mary Carr Travis
Victoria, B.C.
UBCIC NEWS 30
Dear Editor:
Thank you very much for the good
newspaper. I would appreciate very
much if you could send a complimen-
tary copy of UBCIC news to iwgia
(International Working Group for In-
digenous Affairs). IWGIA is a non-
political and non-religious organi-
zation concerned with the oppression
of ethnic groups in various countries,
and has given great support to the
WCIP. They would be very pleased to
receive your newsletter regularly—
would you please put them on your
mailing list.
IWGIA
Frederiksholms Kanal 4A
DK-1220 Copenhagen K
Denmark
My personal regards to you, may this
year carry lots of good news.
For Indigenous Rights
Marie Smallface Marule
Executive Secretary
World Council of Indigenous Peoples
EDITOR |
I am writing to ask if you would
please put my office on the mailing
list for your very informative news-
letter. I would like all the back issues
too, so that we would have a complete
set.
Camosun College has frequent con-
tack with the Indian people of
southern Vancouver Island and we
feel that the UBCIC NEWS would be
of great help in keeping up on the
latest events in British Columbia. We
are also interested in receiving other
printed materials put out by your
organization. One I wold be pleased
to receive is titled ‘‘A guide to the
Taxation of Indians in B.C.”’ that the
UBCIC put out in November of 1978.
If you could assist me with these
requests I would be most grateful.
Mike Ryan,
Instructional Developement
Camosun College
On December 15, 1979, the Union of B.C. Indian workshops, printing and copying, professional fees, staff
Chiefs went on a policy of fiscal restraints to the end of hirings and meetings have been cut-back. This is not to
March, 1979. Spending in all areas of the organization say that our work will stop, or that if you have issues that
have been reduced in order to have a balanced budget at need to be dealt with that the staff will not help. We are
the end of March. All travel, long-distance calling, only be.ng responsible for the proper management of the
funding given to us or that we have raised on behalf of
our member bands. Although our staff was cut through
lay-offs, the work is still continuing. Many who were laid
off have still continued to volunteer their help. They
deserve a lot of credit for their dedication to the Indian
people of this province.
Mary Lou Andrew
Gordon Antoine
Alice Baker
Lillian Basil
Steven Basil
Penny Billy
Violet Birdstone
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Beth Cuthand
Ronald Dan
Dear Editor: Ernie Dawson
Pauline Douglas
We would greatly appreciate your Val Dudoward
assistance in acquiring some very vital Marie Gargon
information for our Educational Amy Gauthier
Activities Program. Our program has Phyllis George
been under way for a little over three Raymond Good
months. The following information Cliff Hanuse
would be at the present time extreme- Irvine Harry
ly helpful in expanding our present Julie Hebert (Newman)
curriculum: Debbie Hoggan
Aboriginal Rights Linda Jordan
Indian Education, Economics and Gene Joseph
Political history Barbara Kuhne
UBCIC Direction paper on Indian Arlene LaBoucane
Fishing Louise Mandell
Record Group #10 George Manuel
School Files 1879-1958 Robert Manuel
Headquarter files 1837-1970 Keltie McCall
Land claims Frances O’Soup
Land sales Maxine Pape
Natural resources Phillip Paul
Indian claims Mary Percival
War service pensions Reginald Percival
Amendments to the Indian Act Norma Pierre
Up-to-date copy of the Indian Leslie Pinder
Act Mildred Poplar
Crafts of the Okanagan Jim Quaw
Art of the Okanagan Richard Salter
Legends of the Okanagan | Dinah Schooner
ARDA Programs; application Marie Sinclair
forms Regina Terry
Saul Terry
Thank you very much for your Rosalee Tizya
assistance. Hope to hear from you at Caroline Vandeven
your earliest convenience. John Warren
Marty Weinstein
Respectfully yours, Ernie Willie
Mario D. George, Osoyoos Indian Sylvia Woods
Band Field Education
UBCIC STAFF LIST
Specific Research & Legal Coordinator
WIAP Corp. Ltd. Co-ordinator.
Executive Secretary to the President
Fishing Portfolio Coordinator
Hat Creek Committee Communications
Receptionist
Energy & Resources Administrative Assistant
Communications Coordinator
Finance Bookkeeper
Custodian/Watchman
Communications, Assistant Editor
Communications Press Specialist
Finance Clerk/Typist
Energy & Resources Fieldworker
Administration Filing Clerk/Travel
Administrative Assistant
Forestry Researcher
Special ARDA Fieldworker
Social Development Asst. Coordinator
Energy & Resources Asst. Coordinator
Administration Systems Analyst
Resource Centre Librarian Assistant
Energy & Resources Writer/Researcher
Pipeline Impact Study Field Coordinator
Specific Research & Legal - Lawyer and Researcher
President
Indian Government Portfolio Head
Resource Centre Librarian
Secretary
Education Coordinator
Education Portfolio Head
Administration Printer/Mail Clerk
Resource Centre Assistant
Education Secretary
Specific Research & Legal - Lawyer and Researcher
Special Assistant to President
Western Indian Agricultural Corp Fieldworker
Energy & Resources Coordinator
Pipeline Impact Study Map Worker
Finance Senior Bookkeeper
Socio-economic Development Secretary
Socio-Economic Development Portfolio Head
Administrator
Energy & Resources Secretary
Socio-Economic Development Coordinator
Pipeline Impact Study Research Coordinator
Public Affairs
Administration Secretary
UBCIC NEWS 31
THE ONLY CHOICE FOR A LAND
CLAIMS SETTLEMENT? THE FUTURE FOR
YOUR CHILDREN DEPENDS ON THE CHOICE
YOU MAKE TODAY...
SUBSCRIBE TO THE UBCIC NEWS, the fastest-
growing Indian news magazine in Canada. Dedicated to
building a strong foundation for a better choice:
INDIAN GOVERNMENT.
Keep informed. Know the issues. The right decision
today means our childrens survival tomorrow.
Subscription Prices:
$8.00/year for individuals
$12.00/year for institutions
Send your cheque or money order to:
UBCIC NEWS
440 W. Hastings
Vancouver, B.C.
VOB ILI
| THE UBCIC NEWS WANTS TO
KNOW ABOUT YOU AND YOUR
COMMUNITY. DO YOU HAVE A
STORY TO TELL? A JOKE, A
POEM, PICTURES TO SHARE?
THE UBCIC NEWS IS ALWAYS | |
OPEN TO YOUR SUGGESTIONS,
OPINIONS, NEWS AND PHOTOS.
THIS MONTH
ROY FRENCH,A Band Councillor,
from Takla Landing has written
about his views and hopes for his |
community. He also sent some of his
Photos to show us the Takla Landing
way of life.
Everette Gauthier,a /0 year old |
trapper, sent us a tape recording in
which he talked about the joys of
| living on the land and the problems of
trapping and hunting around the East
Moberly Lake Reserve. He sent us
many photographs to illustrate his
story.
FROM THE UBCIC NEWS .....
THANKS! To Roy French and
Everette Gauthier for their contri-
butions. They will be receiving a free
subscription of the UBCIC NEWS as
a token of our appreciation.
UBCIC NEWS is published monthly by the Unionof British Columbia Indian Chiefs. |
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Part of UBCIC News – [volume 2], number 8 [December 1979 – January 1980]