Indian World - volume 3, number 5 (August, 1980)

1.06-01.04 Indian World

1.06.-01 Newsletters and bulletins sub-series

August 1980

3

5

english

1.06-01.04-02.08

44

Editorial......................................2
Sekani Days................................6
President's Message............................7
Nishgas fight to protect Fishing Grounds......8
Munro's Flying Visit to Interior Bands...........10
"Change Socio-Economic Thinking"
Demands at NIB Assembly...................11
NIB Elections...........................11
Our World...................................12
Band Resources don't have to Conflict:
Canim Lake Trappers Study..................14
Bridge River Fish-in...........................16
Fish Management:
Washington/B.C. Share Information..........16
Jay Treaty...................................17
Fisheries Mix Up Priorities.................18
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT................19-26
Aboriginal Rights Position...................20
Indian Government Manifesto...............24
Atlin Band...................................27
The Way—Sharing............................28
Taking Justice into our Own Hands..............30
Indian Health: Beating the Odds.................33
New Family and Child Service Act...............33
Up-Dates ... .................................35
Rodeo!......................................36
Resource Centre..............................38
Teaching Our Teachers........................39
Youth Gathering at Owl Rock................... 40
Help Wanted.................................41
The Heart of our Culture is our Language ........42
12th Annual General Assembly..................43

s Faye Edgar

Darrell Ned

Pauline Douglas

Canim Lake Trappers

Ts'zil Board

Philip Paul

Archie Pootlass

Bill Mussel

Francis Johnson

Joanne Dixon

Jerry Patrick

K'san Dancers

Bobby Manuel

Herman Thomas

Faye Blaney

Ron Dan

Bess Brown

Millie Poplar

Debbie Joe

Jeff Smith

Glen Williams

Sylvia Woods

Willard Martin

Sadie Wornstaff

Buddy Napoleon

Pee Wee Gottfriedson

Gail Stump

Val Dudoward

Mary Schendlinger

Angeline Eagle

periodical

INDIAN WORLD "THE CHOICE IS OURS" UBCIC N E W S $1.00 AUGUST, 1980 EDITORIAL So often, at political meetings and during political discussions, I have heard our people say over and over again that our society has always been a matriarchal society, a society in which the bloodline is determined by the woman; a society in which women have always had influence in terms of political decisionmaking. And yet, at these meetings and during these discussions, women are present to make coffee, arrange lunches, register delegates and handle travel arrangements. Are we not talking in one language and acting in another? Our political leaders are usually men; women play the "support roles." The laws of this country remain unequal in terms of Indian women being "punished" for marrying outside of our race, while Indian men "pass on" their bloodline to the white women they marry and the children they have. All this is in direct opposition to most of the matriarchal tribal traditions of this country. The defense of non-action taken by political leaders, phrases like "we can't separate our struggle by recognizing only the struggles of women" or "we have to stick together" or "we have to make sure of what we're doing before we change the Indian Act" have become the jaded code-words of procrastination. The truth is, until Indian women are treated as human beings, both in Indian and non-Indian, or federal-provincial government law, there is really no Indian movement. A movement is a movement of the people. "The people" includes the more than 50% female Indian population among our nations. Looking at the non-Indian society, the problems there tend to be magnified within the Indian community, and among minority populations within any majority society. So problems like unemployment, alcoholism, family problems, are intensified in our community. And the problems that women in main- stream society face are hundreds of times more stressful among Indian women: poverty, abuse by men, family breakdowns, employment problems— Indian women are being crushed by these things. We need the support of the entire Indian community. If we're really talking about a movement of the people, of all our people who want to be involved, then let's be realistic about the situation as it now stands. Surely we don't want to lose more women to the mainstream society; this has been happening because many of our women don't feel they have the recognition, or employment or political opportunities, within our own organizations. It's past time for our leaders and the people to seriously meet this challenge, to begin meeting the reality of today's Indian women, and not yesterday's illusion. We're still waiting, a little less patiently, but just as anxiously, for that true moment of political unity. We must take the responsibility to tell our leaders at the community and provincial levels to begin working for what we want; we have to give them direction. And they must be responsive to our needs, because without us, their goals would be hollow and false. Indian Government means responsibility, and a part of meeting that responsibility means ensuring that women have the roles we want and deserve in our people's political work. Both women and men still must tackle the responsibility of redefining our political and personal relationships to each other. Without good seed and good earth, the tall tree won't grow. by Val Dudoward (Communications Co-ordinator) O U R C O V E R : The Indian Government flag was raised at the Bridge River Fish In to give strength and hope in our fight to save our fishing for our children. (See page 16 for story). Do you have a picture for the cover of our "Indian World"? See inside for competition details. INDIAN WORLD I N D I A N W O R L D 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. V O L U M E 3 NUMBER 5 Table of Contents Photo: D. Hoggan Chief Sam Baptiste of Osoyoos and Xavier Eugene of Windemere take a break from the NIB Assembly last month to enjoy the Prairie space (see page 11). Contributors Editors: Faye Edgar and Darrell Ned Assistant Editor: Pauline Douglas Written contributions: Canim Lake Trappers, Ts'zil Board, Philip Paul, Archie Pootlass, Bill Mussel, Francis Johnson, Joanne Dixon and Jerry Patrick, K'san Dancers, Bobby Manuel, Herman Thomas, Faye Blaney, R o n D a n , Bess Brown, Millie Poplar, Debbie Joe, Jeff Smith, Glen Williams, Sylvia Woods, Willard Martin, Sadie Wornstaff, Buddy Napoleon, Pee Wee Gottfriedson, Gail Stump, and V a l Dudoward Photographs: U B C I C staff unless credited Typesetting: M a r y Schendlinger Editorial. 2 Sekani Days 6 President's Message 7 Nishgas fight to protect Fishing Grounds 8 Munro's Flying Visit to Interior Bands 10 "Change Socio-Economic T h i n k i n g " Demands at N I B Assembly 11 N I B Elections . . . . . . 1 1 Our W o r l d 12 Band Resources don't have to Conflict: Canim Lake Trappers Study 14 Bridge River Fish-in 16 Fish Management: Washington/B.C. Share Information 16 Jay Treaty 17 Fisheries M i x U p Priorities 18 SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT Aboriginal Rights Position Indian Government Manifesto 19-26 20 24 A t l i n Band The Way—Sharing Taking Justice into our O w n Hands Indian Health: Beating the Odds New Family and Child Service A c t Up-Dates . . . . Rodeo!... Resource Centre Teaching Our Teachers Youth Gathering at O w l Rock Help Wanted The Heart of our Culture is our Language 12th A n n u a l General Assembly 27 28 .30 33 33 35 .36 38 39 40 .41 42 43 Supplement Illustrations by Angeline Eagle INDIAN W O R L D 3 Child Apprehensions JUDGE SENDS CHILDREN BACK HOME Nearly every Indian community is having to work out its own way of coping with non-Indian welfare workers who have fixed ideas of how children should be raised and by whom. Where they don't see their own values in place, they feel most strongly that our children would be better off in white foster homes. The misunderstandings and fears between Indian families and often well-intentioned welfare workers were much in evidence in the Fort Ware area in early August. A member of the UBCIC legal task force, and her one year old son, were up there for a Treaty 8 workshop. She was asked to visit Mrs. Lillian Masselto to discuss the problems of child apprehension and on her way over to the house her son began to cry. While she was trying to make him feel better, 9 year old Ida Masselto came up to him, "Don't cry baby, welfare will get you." Families are walking around with a lot of fear. INDIAN W O R L D 4 Parents and Grandparents Win Custody of Children at least Until Trial Date The next day eight cases of child apprehension were due to be heard at court in McKenzie. This was the first day of the proceedings, where the apprehended children and their parents have to be at court to fix a date for trial or to decide if the parents want the children to be temporarily or permanently placed in the care of the welfare, without having a hearing. All the parents and grandparents were in McKenzie to seriously fight all the cases. The first case involved a woman who had said that she would give up her child for adoption, but as soon as the baby was born, she had changed her mind. Welfare apprehended the baby saying the mother didn't have the skills to be a mother. UBCIC lawyer argued that there are people in the mother's own community to teach her those skills. It was a really fierce battle. The social worker would not, for a long time, admit that there was anybody in the community who could help out! Finally it was agreed that mother and baby should return home and there would be a review in two weeks to see that the baby was all right. Isn't Dried Moose Meat Good Food? The second case involved four children who had been apprehended from the grandparents' house. The social worker said that she had found them 'dirty and hungry." The lawyer had visited the grandparents' house— and there was a lot of dried meat hanging from the rafters which the social worker had not considered. There was a lot of food. No one in the community has running water and the notion of "clean" was just a question of values. The social worker again strongly opposed it. The people felt that, if there was a problem, then it was one that could be handled by the community. The judge agreed and ordered the children to return home until the final trial date. He asked, however, that the community, through the Chief and Council, send down weekly reports on the children in the meantime. Grandparents' Rights The last case was also won. This also involved a grandmother whose three children had been taken away. Non-Indian courts don't recognize authority and rights of grandparents for their grandchildren. So although the two elder children were returned the case was put over till September till the mother could appear for the case of the baby. Differing Notions of Jurisdiction and Values The whole situation of differing social values and differing ideas about responsibilities and authority was there. In each case, however, the judge decided not so much on question of jurisdiction but on the question of the best interests of the children. A s a result of these arguments the social Worker did approach the Band to see i f they could improve their working relationship. Community Responsibility One of the major points of the day was that the judge confirmed that the community should take the responsibility for the welfare of their children. " W e thought we should be more involved with i t , " commented Chief Harry Chingee, "It's only since last winter that our public is noticing it and remarking that the chief and council should look into the matter. So the chiefs in our area are going to get together and see what we can come up with. We do have some cases that are bad, but most are not. Y o u know it's often a case of civil servants looking out more for their own jobs \ than for the welfare of our children. They haven't talked to us. We would like to see the Chief and Council involved more: we don't want to be left out of the decision-making. A n d we would like to see the U B C I C involved politically to support us." The Chiefs and Council will be meeting through "Sekani D a y s " to look at other Band laws on child protection and to draw up a statement of their position. INDIAN JUSTICE SYSTEM On July 20, 1980, the regulations regarding the Spallumcheen children became their Band's law. The document is written in both English and Shuswap. It spells out very clearly the community's authority and responsibility to make sure their children are taken care of within their own community. The Spallumcheen Band will have exclusive jurisdiction over any child custody proceeding involving any child who is a member of the Band, no matter where the child is or has been living. INDIAN W O R L D 5 SEKANI DAYS O n August 21st and 22nd the Seka¬ ni Nation had a gathering on M c L e o d Lake Reserve. People travelled a lot of miles to get to M c L e o d Lake from Fort Ware to Ingenika to Finlay Forks by boat then by car. O n the first day the Chiefs and Band members had a meeting. A s Harry Chingee said, "The gathering here is to educate my people on our rights for Land C l a i m s . " This was the second gathering in the last 3 years. It's only the beginning and they plan to have many more, to get stronger as a Nation. Nick Prince said, "Gatherings like this happen only because of you people, get together, talk and get ideas then bring it home and tell your Chief. A Chief cannot do it alone. We have to work together to survive and keep our culture alive." It was such a beautiful sunny day, on the first day of the gathering. A s the meeting got started, " S e k a n i " (their Eagle) flies over. A s Pearly Tylee says, " O h that's Sekani. He always comes and checks up on us." The ladies were busily preparing the meals, bannock, deer meat, fish, beaver meat, moose meat, bear meat, potatoes, salads, vegetables, home made bread, cinnamon buns, baked cakes, huckleberry pie and much more which were so tasty and filling. They were thanked heartily by INDIAN W O R L D 6 all the people there for all the work they did to feed us all. The D o h D a Dee C l a Friendship Centre from Prince George added good spirit with their dancers which some of the Band members have joined. Then later in the evening people played the L a ' H a l game and turned in for the night i n their tents. This year because of developers going through Sekani land, overlog¬ ging the land they are feeling very threatened as they rely so much on the land and wildlife (a good example is a Prince George Company getting charged $450,000 for overlogging the area in 1979). This year the people are finding it very hard to hunt moose, and are relying on last year's stock for meat. They are worried it will be a rough winter. The government and developers have never asked Sekani Indians to go through their land or to log over someone's trapline. The Sekani Nation has never given up their light to the land, they still own the land. The trapping and fur-trading the Sekani people did in 1824, the same amount is still done today. This proves how much the Sekani people live off the land for their livelihood. A s A n d y Solonas Senior said it is for our children and grandchildren that we must exercise our right to the land and protect it. PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Why has the Union o f B . C . Indian Chiefs lasted this long despite all the different attacks it has had from various quarters? Simply because the majority of Bands have been successful in coming together and bringing about effective change i n policy areas. W i t h the collective strength of other Bands under the U n i o n o f B . C . Indian Chiefs, many communities have stopped the negative efforts of big governments i n areas o f policy or detrimental government projects. The Union o f B . C . Indian Chiefs has done this without raising loud banners o f self praise but i n many instances has proceeded very quietly, providing the necessary technical assistance and helping a community on to victory with a particular struggle. This approach has been so effective that the word in Ottawa among high ranking ministers o f the Federal government is that the U n i o n o f B . C . Indian Chiefs has to be destroyed at all costs. The Regional Director of Indian Affairs, M r . Fred Walchli has been using Indian Affairs money and programs to counter any approaches put forward by the member Bands of the U n i o n . The Regional Director has successfully organized all the opposers to the Union into a Regional Forum to strengthen the opposition to the U n i o n . The Federal Fisheries under the directorship o f Wally Johnson has denied the U n i o n any research funding for Indian fishing despite the many charges and apparent problems in the Indian fishing throughout the Province. Philip Paul, Portfolio Head for Education, presents Larry Pierre with a blanket at the Special Assembly on Education at Penticton between June 16-21, 1980. with the collective strength that has brought us through in the past. The strength of our ancestors will be passed to the next generation. Yours in Brotherhood, Vice President for South-Western Region This is just a few examples of how the government is curtailing the effectiveness of the U n i o n . The Federal government is cowardly using our own people against us but I have full confidence that the majority will see through the Federal government strategy and respond Philip Paul INDIAN W O R L D 7 " W e can say right now the A m a x mining company has offered us a share in their mine and our share is going to be death. It's going to mean death to our people because our food chain will have been contaminated. We even say now that our entire fishery, the commercial fishery, of this whole northwest is being threatened." (James Gosnell, President, Nishga Tribal Council) NISHGAS FIGHT TO PROTECT FISHING GROUNDS Company Plans on Unsurrendered Land spending money on tailing ponds for the waste. By next summer, A m a x plans to have 450 employees there. Construction work has already begun and already a $40,000 satellite receiving station has been installed for all movie T . V . channels from San Francisco. According to a Financial Post article on A m a x , sports hunters at the construction site " w h o have just enjoyed a heavy run of spring salmon, can hardly wait for the new road to open up what promises to be exceptional moose hunting." The Nishga Tribal Council has spent July and August visiting other Indian organizations, environmental groups and talking to the media, organizing support for their fight against the reopening of the molybdenum mine in Alice A r m . The area that would be affected is part of the Nishga land claim. The Kitsault mine and townsite is an area where some Nishga Chiefs have traditionally had hunting and fishing camps. The access road, running 22 miles from the Stewart-Terrace highway, runs right through the unsurrendered land. Yet not once have the Nishga people been consulted, let alone offered participation in the A m a x Company's plans. When they did mention that this land is unsurrendered Indian land, the company cried unfair, and accused the Tribal Council of using the mining plans as leverage in their land claims negotiations. The company claims this is a Federal/Provincial problem and does not see their plans for the mine as having any relevance to the situation. Amax Acts as if the Nishga Didn't Exist The mine operated between 1968 and 1972. Since it was discovered that molybdenum is useful i n strengthening steel, the price has gone up to $10.00 a pound. A m a x of Canada L t d . bought the mine and plans to put it back into operation in 1981/82. The Kitsault mine is on Alice A r m , about 130 miles north of Prince R u pert. The company plans to spend millions on developing the town and building the road; but it won't be INDIAN WORLD 8 License to pollute based on wrong information especially against those of the Federal Fisheries A c t , the Metal Mining L i quid Effluent regulations. Yet, Amax has received an exemption by an Order-in-Council from the former Liberal government. Under the Federal Fisheries regulations 25 parts per million of suspended matter in the water is the maximum. The exemption puts no maximum, though provincial regulations do put on a 400,000 parts per million restriction! The Order-in-Council permits discharge of a hundred million tons of mill process effluent into Alice A r m where, according to the study prepared for the Company, it would settle on the bottom of the inlet and in time be covered up by river silting. According to the same study, the waste products (containing arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium and radium 226) are not detrimental to marine life. A n d according to this study, there is no native food fishery at Alice Arm. N o independent study was asked for, nor further information required from Federal Fisheries. N o socioeconomic or environmental impact study was required. The Nishga people were not asked to give their evidence. The company has never considered training or employing Nishga people: it has never considered any possible benefits to them, or profit sharing with them. A m a x has acted all along as i f the Nishga people were not there at all. Once they found out about it, only 4-5 months ago, Nishga Tribal Council was able to document inaccuracies and inadequacies in this study that show it to be worthless as evidence on which to base a pollution exemption. Special Exemption to Pollute Currents Will Spread Tailings What is most alarming, however, is the company's plan to dump mine tailings right into the inlet. This is against all pollution regulations and A U B C oceanographer pointed out evidence of heavier, saltier water flowing into the inlet mixing up the water and sediments. The Utah Mines • L t d . had made a claim that their tailings would also settle permanently into one basin: they've been proved wrong. Mine Wastes Have Wiped Out Marine Life in Quatsino Sound The Indian people of Quatsino Sound and Hallbourg Inlet and all the areas affected by Utah mines waste say their marine resources have been virtually wiped out by the tailings. The study for testing how poisonous is the discharge into Alice A r m is deficient, claims the Tribal Council: trout are kept in the effluent for 96 hours and if not more than50%of the fish die, the effluent passes the lethality (fatality) test. However, there has been no study of long term effects, and scientists say that the poison can stay in an organism for a couple of years and accumulate up to lethal levels. The effect of accumulation of toxic substances over a period of 50100 years is just not known. Track Record of Pollution Amax's track record in pollution fines and in not obeying pollution regulations gives the Tribal Council further cause for alarm. They documented a record of nine instances where the company was fined heavily or taken to court for contamination of water resources, damage to the land and/or polluting the air. Finally, the Nishgas are challenging the study's statement that local Indians do not fish in the area. H a d anyone asked the Nishga fisheries department of even Federal Fisheries they would have found that 2,000 Nishga get a portion of their diet from Alice A r m and that for at least 212 Kincolith people, it is a very significant portion. There is no mention of the clams or cockles fishery: yet in one month last summer, over three tons of cockles and three tons of clams were taken by Kincolith people from Alice A r m . The study talks of five Dungeness crabs being taken in 40 days of fishing: yet five Kincolith boats took 92 Dungeness crabs within a week, with one or two pots each, while digging for clams. Demand for Immediate Moratorium The Nishga Tribal Council is calling for an immediate moratorium on Amax's proposed marine disposal system. If tailing ponds are unsafe in the rainy and unstable mountains, they say then another way must be PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST THEME: INDIAN GOVERNMENT 1st Prize—35 m m camera 2nd Prize—Cassette tape recorder 3rd P r i z e — A M / F M R a d i o 5 Honourable Mentions—$20.00 each RULES: 1. The contest is open to all B.C. Indians, 2. The minimum size o f photograph submitted should measure 8 x 10. 3. A l l photographs submitted to the contest must be taken by the person entering the contest. 4. Photographs submitted to the contest shall not be mounted. 5. The contest is closed to a l l U B C I C staff plus photo¬ graphers o f magazines and newspapers whether they are employees or freelancing, 6. The deadline for entries into the photography cont¬ test is October 1st, 1980. For more information please contact Reg Percival UNION OF BRITISH C O L U M B I A INDIAN CHIEFS found. " W e are astonished," stated the Tribal Council in a telex to Fisheries Minister Romeo LeBlanc, "that your government could subject our people to such risk, without the slightest consultation with us. It has become evident that the information upon which you and your Cabinet based your decision was incomplete and misleading... We will not sit back and watch while we are made into guinea pigs in an environmental experiment undertaken with such reckless disregard for our health and our way of l i f e . " This has become more than an Indian issue, says the Tribal Council. This multi-national company is about to completely smother and contaminate the sea life of one of B . C . ' s most beautiful fjords. Many environmental groups have come out in support of the Nishgas' struggle. They are demanding that the Federal Government immediately revoke the Alice A r m Order-in-Council and demanding a full and public inquiry into the impact of the Amax proposal. The Nishga Tribal Council is asking for support in the form of written letters to the Minister of Fisheries to back their demands. I.C.G. An Indianowned general development consulting group (Indian Consulting Group) Ltd. • • • • • Economic feasibility studies Preparation of funding proposals Project planning/implementation Socio-economic impact analysis Negotiations with government/industry Band organization and training 225-744 West Hastings Street Vancouver V 6 C 1A5 (604) 682-7615 INDIAN W O R L D 9 MUNRO'S FLYING VISIT WITH INTERIOR BANDS Report from Lynn Jorgensson, Nicola Indian Leaders of the Central Interior Tribal Council were supposed to meet in Kamloops with John M u n r o , M i n i ster of Indian Affairs on the evening of July 31st. That meeting was cancelled but a few well-placed phone calls revealed that most of the top level Regional office staff also happened to be in Kamloops that evening. They had not been invited However, the tightly scheduled next day went well and Interior leaders felt that a good deal was accomplished. Because the people had felt their requirements would be understood better i f the Minister was actually at their Bands to see conditions for himself, the tour was made by helicopter. Erosion at North Thompson The first stop was to inspect river bank erosion at the North Thompson reserve. 100 acres have been eroded since 1878. The Province refuses to help since this is on Indian land. Special A r d a is doing a feasibility study but federal funding would be required. The next stop was Lillooet. (p.17) Lytton School When the Minister met with Chief Nathan Spinks of Lytton, it was to discuss the leasing of former Indian residential school, St. Georges, to a non-Indian. The people feel the lease was badly handled by the D I A and that the lessee is abusing his privileges. John Munro promised to help terminate the lease and turn the school land to reserve lands. Sharon Spinks spoke o f the problems their children are experiencing in the Provincial school system: the Band wants their M T A dollars returned to the Indians. " W e contribute money to the school via the M T A , we should be able to do something," responded the Minister. INDIAN W O R L D 10 Upper Nicola Concerns on Constitutional Representation A t the Shulus kindergarten, Chief George Saddleman of the Upper Nicola Band and chairman of the local Area Council, spoke of his concern that the Minister alone would not be able to adequately represent Indian people at constitutional talks. It was certain that the B . C . government would not even try. He called for Indian representation there. Finally a pair of beautiful buckskin gloves made by Shulee Kilroy was presented to the Minister. NVIA: Trial Operation Outside DIA A t the Nicola Valley Indian administration, Chief Gordon Antoine of the Coldwater Band spoke for an agreement for long-term Indian government that would lessen a lot of red tape. He suggested a trial budget for local Bands there to operate outside of the department. The minister gave his support for the idea. The Significance of Spotted Lake A t this stage, Chief Wayne Christian accompanied the Minister on an unscheduled ride over Spotted Lake. Minister was trying to understand the spiritual value of the lake and it strengthened his interest in buying back the lake as a "commonage reserve." Back in Kamloops, D o n Moses presented the C I T C " R e d B o o k " for Band Delivery of Services; and Gerald Etienne of the South Central Area Council presented the Hat Creek Statement of Risk. John Munroe guaranteed support. Core Funding Herman Phillips of Boston Bar called for an annual increase of 10% core funding to keep up with inflation. A s well, when it comes to per capita funding, B . C . and Ontario are definitely down at the bottom. While John Munro pledged to put things up to a more equal footing, he warned that it would take 3 or 4 years. Return of Cut Off Lands Agreed To But Not Forthcoming Chief Morris Kruger of Penticton Band brought up the question of cutoff lands. For his Band this involved 11,000 acres. The Band had accepted the provincial government's offer of last year but it seems that each government was waiting for the other to act and nothing was happening. Similkameen Erosion Chiefs Barnie Allison of Lower Similkameen and Slim Allison of Upper Similkameen spoke of their river erosion problem. Special A r d a had already contributed 75% of the necessary funding to resolve the problem and needs a federal contribution of 25%. This was guaranteed. Alaska Highway Pipeline It was the problems connected to the Alaska Highway Pipeline that concerned Chief Sophie Pierre, chairperson of the Kootenay Indian Area Council. They had presented two submissions to Ottawa and had heard nothing. The Kootenay people felt that they are going to feel the brunt of the construction problems and they at least want meaningful employment on the project. The Minister promised to follow up Membership: A Band Decision Under section 4 of the Indian Act, the Chief can call a moratorium on section 12 by a simple B C R , which then leaves the decision in Band hands. Housing Funds a Priority Housing had been his priority since his appointment, claimed the Minister. He is kind of proud that he had been the only minister to get any extra funds out of Treasury Board: there is now 94 million dollars available for housing. That was an extra 20 million for housing plus 8.1 million dollars that were included at the last minute for labour costs. 4,046 million extra dollars were allotted to B . C . Because the money had been gotten on an emergency basis, it was immediately available and should be used by October-November. That evening leaders expressed satisfaction with the visit and at the preparation that had gone into it. NIB ELECTIONS NIB DEMANDS CHANGES IN SOCIOECONOMIC THINKING Much of the discussion at the N . I . B . Assembly centred on socio-economic development. Leaders from across Canada found the Department of Indian Affairs more of a liability and obstruction rather than any help in this field. Certainly in B . C . there is no evidence that economic development activities with Indian Bands is on the increase. A s a matter of fact, there is reason to believe that such activity is on a serious decline nationally. The lack of development provincially is, perhaps, partly due to the fact that a great many Indian Bands are not strategically located. For instance, an aspiring Band with strong agriculture skills cannot initiate related projects because their land is on a rock pile or swamp. DIA Has No Clear Philosophy on Indian Economic Development The more serious obstacle to Indian economic development is the Department of Indian Affairs' attitude towards the matter. It must be obvious to the Canadian people in general, that the Department has chosen to adopt a very unrealistic approach to the whole process. Funds Swallowed Up By DIA Bureaucracy Time and time again, the Department has insistently stated that there are just no funds available for this purpose. Yet, simple research has shown that there are adequate funds made available which could realize some very profitable projects i f done in earnest and systematically. Instead, the greater part of such funds have been absorbed by the Department's bureaucratic jungle. Trying to Change DIA Thinking The Union, under its mandate, has sought to force the Department to change its thinking in the matter, and bring about the much needed improvements, and will continue to do so. There is ongoing development of workable strategies which might enhance activities in the area of economic development. NIB Calls for Indian Planning and Implementation It is encouraging to see that the National Indian Brotherhood has taken the initiative to approach the department in Ottawa and demand that there is an immediate change in the situation, a change that is largely originated, developed and implemented by the Indian people of Canada. It is only in this way that our interests can best be serviced. by Sylvia Woods M y first trip to an N . I . B . General Assembly in Calgary was quite an experience, both exciting and frustrating. Every morning they had Sunrise Ceremonies by the Elders. The Conference opened with the signing in of the Chiefs which was very interesting and made me feel good. They entered with the Drummer at the head of the line, then the Elders and then a Chief from each Organization across Canada. They walked to the middle of the room, finished their singing and then an Elder opened the meeting with a prayer. Eugene Steinhauer, new President of the Indian Association of Alberta, welcomed everyone to the Twelfth Annual General Assembly of the National Indian Brotherhood. Chairman Bill Shead called for nominations for the new President of the N I B and an Election Committee was selected. Bobby Manuel accepted nomination in a speech on our Aboriginal Rights position and Treaty Rights. Del Riley accepted his nomination and talked about the issues that we are New NIB President Del Riley facing now. worked for the Union of Ontario Indians for ten years. Clive Linklater announced he was withdrawing his candidacy for N . I . B . President On Tuesday evening they had an outdoor barbecue at Sarcee Reserve, which is a very beautiful place surrounded by rolling hills. The Chief gave a short talk before everyone left the Reserve and told them that they are welcome back whether at meetings in Alberta or just passing through. The elections took place next day. Bobby Manuel lost by two frustrating votes. Someone from the N . I . B . Office had told the Y u k o n Delegation that they did not have voting capacity and that they only had observer status so they left. There was supposed to be a re-election because of this but the few delegates that were there voted to leave it as it was. Del Riley is the new President of National Indian Brotherhood. His Vice-President is Sykes Powderface of Alberta, who has served Indian people in community development since 1961. Wednesday evening there was an outdoor barbecue and pow-wow at Morley Reserve. There were speeches given by the newly-elected President and Vice-President. There was some discussion on the Constitution and Del Riley made a statement that N . I . B . would set up an office in London, England to keep ongoing talks with the British Parliament. INDIAN W O R L D 11 OUR WORLD STONEY C R E E K ELDERS SOCIETY PRESENTS 2nd A N N U A L INTERTRIBAL INDIAN DAYS The Stoney Creek held its 3rd annual Vanderhoof August attended by about day. Elders gathering meeting outside 15-16-17. It was 500 people per Traditional structures were in place and i n use—including skin stretchers, fishwracks, teepees and bark baskets. P O L E RAISING Reference to the Elders was shown in cultural displays, native dancers and speeches. A L a ' H a l tournament was played throughout the meeting. Prince George and Stoney Creek dancers i n full native dress took part i n Grand Entry, as well as dancers from Skidegate, Queen Charlotte Islands. Twenty-three o f the Haida Dancers under the instruction of Mabel Wilson and Verna Gladstone, highlighted the festival with their dances. The group has been together for 2 years and has full support of its Band through community effort. The people of Skidegate paid for all their dancers and company to participate at Stoney Creek. The Elders Festival was honoured to have Chief Dan George attend. H e gave splendid advice, as well as a prayer for the safekeeping of our Elders and for the future o f our children. The Elders are hoping to have more traditional dress and participation from our children next year, to nurture and strengthen our traditional life style. INDIAN W O R L D 12 The wolf stands among his other animal friends in their village by the sea. Walter Harris carved the newest pole. With the people of 'Ksan he dedicated the pole to inspire future generations and show respect to the grandfathers who shared their knowledge and recorded history through legends and carving totem poles. by Joanne Dickson and Jerry Patrick NITEP G R A D U A T E by Francis Johnson K'SAN DANCERS In Edmonton, when they perform their celebration, "The Breath of Our Grandfathers," the 'Ksan Dancers of Hazelton, B . C . will be guests of the Alberta Diamond Jubilee Committee. They perform for five nights beginning Monday, August 18,1980. The 'Ksan group has been the guests of U N E S C O on several occasions and performed to standing ovations during the Cultural Olympics in Montreal in 1976. 'Ksan uses a condensed version of an 1880 " P o t l a t c h " as a window through which the audience may glimpse the stature of the culture their ancestors enjoyed. In the photos you see the bear Nax Nok, the Beaver and the Bear Warrior. I was among the 3000 grads who graduated this year from U . B . C . Nine of us graduated from the Nitep program. The families, relatives, and friends o f the grads gathered and socialized till the ceremony began. M y family friends, and relatives also celebrated my happiness with me. Attending the Nitep gathering were Nitep board members, members o f the Nitep staff, members from the faculty of U . B . C , and others. Thelma Cook and Lonnie Hindle gave a speech to begin the ceremony. Robert Sterling then presented each of the grads with a gold pin as well as congratulating them. After that there was more well wishing, more talking and more picture taking. After there was more picture taking when we donned our gowns. From there we went to the Student U n i o n Building to get our degree before we went into the War Memorial G y m . Despite the amount o f students milling around I finally found my place. We then marched to the gym and were seated. It was an honour to be able to walk up i n line, have my name called out by the Dean and kneel in front o f the large audience before the Chancellor to be tapped on the head with his cap. When I stood I felt like shouting to the Native people, " I did it, so can y o u ! " SETON M A R A T H O N On an August Sunday morning the runners sat around a fire for the sharing of a peace pipe and blessing. Each runner was given a piece of burnt wood (ash) from the Great Spirit. The run was 21 miles, which took three hours along a rugged and fierce road. The ladies started at Roaring Creek which is about halfway through to Seton Portage. The winner was Hack Terry from Seton Portage. Second was Jimmy Peters from D ' A r c y . " W o n n i e " came first among the five ladies that ran. After breakfast, more people arrived Teepees were erected and the sound of drums and singing could be heard from far-off. INDIAN W O R L D 13 Canim Lake Trappers study Johnny Stump, aged 86, skinning and stretching beaver at Alexis Lake in the Chilcotin, Central Interior. Trapping has been a way of life to Johnny, a Chilcotin Indian Elder, and he has very strong ties to the land. Story prepared by a few Trappers of the Canim Lake Band and the Band Manager. The Canim Lake Village Reserve is located about 30 km north east of 100 Mile House, in the southern Cariboo Trapping was carried out by many of the Band members years ago but the amount of trapping by Band members has gone down a lot in recent years. Interest is reviving now and some people have shown a desire to return to trapping, while others who are younger want to learn more about this traditional practice. There are at least 20 men on the Reserve who want to trap every year. About 12 of them took a course on trapping last winter and were awarded certificates recognizing their knowledge. Photos: Courtesy Stanley Stump The Band trappers have decided to hold at least one meeting a month to work on problems and goals. Meetings were held on the Reserve on June 24, July 29 and August 14. Representatives of Band trappers attended the Trappers Forum sponsored by U B C I C and held at Williams Lake June 25 and 26. BAND RESOURCES DON'T HAVE TO CONFLICT Recently the Band got copies of maps from the Fish and Wildlife Branch which show the locations of local Indian traplines. These locations are being checked for accuracy by the Band trappers and are being marked on another more detailed integrated resources map which INDIAN W O R L D 14 was prepared by a group of Band members during a 2-week wildlife research field trip in July. ment Program. Some of the activities carried out by the Band members in company with a wildlife specialist on Integrated Resource Management Program the field study included; • the procedures to evaluate wildlife resources and habitat • evaluation of important habitat areas of moose, mule deer; how This research, which has really just begun, is part of the Band's longterm Integrated Resource Manage- much they were using shrubs, etc. • looked at why certain ranges were favored more than others • how to use Brunton compass, read maps and aerial photos • looked at possible fish spawning areas, probable fish supply in certain lakes, and how this relates to potential tourist market • discussed the use of one resource with another, e.g. type and location of logging and how it might affect lakes, streams, etc. Some of the Problems that the Band trappers noted at recent meetings included: • logging too close to lakes and creeks, affecting spawning beds • trappers take backseat to new houses and private developments starting in the bush. Trappers have to go Carrying on a tradition and a life they wouldn't trade for anything are the sons around new development sites. of Johnny Stump. On the left is the elder son Lawrence, holding antlers he • Conflict of private property ownfound for the picture and his wife Katie enjoying fresh perked coffee. On the ers and trappers, e.g. where creek right Johnny's second eldest son enjoys the antics of his older brother with goes through both areas; threats Judy. Photos: Courtesy Stanley Stump made on notes or i n person to trappers; traps taken away by private property owners. • Middlemen selling furs. We should return to system of trapping quantity you have tag for. N o poaching to be tolerated. • People leaving carcass to waste— shooting animals for pleasure. • Insufficient funds available to assist trappers The Band trappers plan to look Beaver stretched and drying near into these and other issues during the Line cabin at A lexis Lake. coming year. Some activities planned so far are: • sharing information and knowledge about trapping with each other • make decisions on ways to solve present problems, aprticularly careless logging practices • build cabins at certain trapline locations • hold a Trappers Workshop in September with neighboring Bands • keep informed about the progress of the development of a B . C . Indian Trappers Association as decided at the Trappers Forum in Mark Boyce and Jim Frank of Canim Lake at the Trappers' Forum. Williams Lake. INDIAN W O R L D 15 "SAVING WHAT WE'RE FIGHTING FOR" Fish Management B.C./Washington Indians Sharing Information On July 30 the fishing portfolio and Indian delegates from the Northwest met in Donar Ellawa Port Angeles, Washington. In attendance were food fishing delegates from each district in B . C . that could attend. Indians do not recognize the C a n a d a / U . S . border because when it was first set up it divided nations, tribes and even families of Indian people across Canada and the United States. That is just a very small sample o f a problem that Indians must cope with for the moment. It is the goal of U B C I C and tribes of the Northwest to resolve problems like this one. This is not the first meeting but in fact is a continuation of a March 7th, 1980 meeting at the U B C I C boardroom. Our most gracious host Jerry Charles chaired the meeting and also made sure Indians were met at the airport and ferry docks. In this meeting the delegates expressed their views on various subjects and possible solutions: supertankers, pollution of our rivers and how to manage and conserve the fishery resource. Discussion included how to resolve problems of developing a hatchery both economically and physically. Jerry Charles gave a tour of their very successful hatchery and explained its potential. The next meeting was scheduled to be in Vancouver in October, 1980. The people of the Sklallum Band barbecued a delicious salmon dinner, working hours before the meeting began. I N D I A N W O R L D 16 THE BRIDGE RIVER FISH IN For three days in August the people of Bridge River invited Indian people to share in celebrating an important anniversary for them. It was two years ago that the courts confirmed what Indians know: our exclusive right to fish. Bradley Bob was there: his was the test case to prove that right. So too were many of the other fishermen who had fished that day in 1978 in their strong belief in that right. Federal fisheries had cut down on Indian fishing to two days a week and the people were demonstrating that they had no right to do that. They felt Fisheries was regulating Indians rather than conserving salmon. The Celebrations Have a Serious Air For the most part, however, the gathering was quiet, as people dropped in for a meal of fresh deer meat and barbequed salmon and went right back to their fishing stations. O n Saturday and Sunday afternoons, the Lillooet area chiefs and representatives from neighbouring areas met under a large tent to discuss the main topic in everyone's mind and the reason also why the celebration had a serious air. This year the salmon stocks are lower than ever, and in the interests of conservation people have had to cut down on their food fishing. No Victory if no Salmon Left A s Chief Saul Terry explained to the large crowd who came on Saturday night, " N o w we have to make sure we have something to fight for. We have won the right to fish, but if there are no salmon left to fish for, it is not much of a victory." The people had been very worried over the lower stocks going up the Fraser in July, and hardly anyone had been fishing at all during that month. Chief Nathan Spinks of Lytton had just returned from a visit to the StuartTrembleur Band with a disturbing report that only seven thousand salmon had reached the spawning grounds there. A n d he also brought back news that touched directly on the reason for the salmon depletion: the people of Stuart-Trembleur were worried over logging company plans to put truck crossings across five of the main spawning channels. The areas around the lakes where the salmon go to spawn is also very good for logging: and there is the conflict. Five pulp mills empty pollutants just into the Thompson, which flows into the Fraser. The other major reason for salmon depletion, of course, is the pollution and poisonous wastes that are emptied into the Fraser. Respected Elder and salmon expert E d Thevarge of D ' A r c y was also camping down by Bridge river and he too talked to and encouraged the people who have come to listen to and dance with the Lillooet singers and drummers. After that there was an honour song dedicated to the salmon. The Indian government flag was raised on Sunday, visible from most of the fishing stations and giving the people strength and hope for what is going to be a long battle. Jay Treaty Indian Provincial Conservation Management Commission Being Formed Chief Saul Terry reported to the people how local chiefs had met with the D I A Minister very briefly to express these concerns and he had been promised a return visit. Federal Fisheries have not been able to protect the salmon from industry. The International Pacific Salmon C o m mission is more of a political organization to regulate conservation but has also failed so far to exert the necessary pressures to pull industries into line. Most o f their efforts have been on deciding on equal Canadian/ U . S . A . catch limitations. Attempts to have direct Indian representation on this commission have failed so far. In fact, since the Indian people of Washington state and B . C . have been meeting about fish management. People have felt that the commission has tried to turn us against each other. Like the Bradley Bob decision for the Lillooet people, the Boldt decision has only been a partial victory for the Indian people of Washington state. The pressure is on again now and things are going to get worse, warned Saul Terry. In spite of court victories that forced fish and wildlife officers to stop arresting Indian people on fishing and hunting charges, news has just been received of three Lytton people arrested for hunting on reserve lands. Kincolith fishermen angered at charge of "alien" in Alaska waters The border that separates Canada from the United States has created many problems for Indian people. Tribes have been divided between the two countries, our former easy movement and trade has become inhibited by formal border crossings. A treaty signed between the Canadian and United States governments almost 200 years ago, called the Jay Treaty, in theory guarantees Indian people "the right to freely cross the border and to work i n the United States without regard to i m migration laws." This treaty has become a legal joke, because neither the United States nor the Canadian government truly recognizes it. Yet the ink has dried in the law-books, and the words of the Treaty remain, like so many others, an ignored reality. A new development concerning the Jay Treaty has recently occurred —the three members, o f the House of Mountain Band o f the Nishga tribe hope to use the treaty to clear themselves of charges of illegally fishing in U . S . waters i n Alaska, The three men are Fred Lincoln, William Lincoln and George Nelson, o f Kincolith. I n addition to claiming the Jay Treaty as a defense, the men are using an 1888 agreement signed by Chief Alfred Mountain and Charles Thomas, the captain of a steamer doing work for the government of the United States. The agreement says that after Chief Mountain moved his Band to the American side of Portland Canal, the chief "will not be disturbed in his position by any United States authorities." Fred Lincoln, one of the three fishermen arrested in July, is the great-great-grandson of Chief Mountain. As proof of their claim of dual, or double, citizenship, two of the three men are receiving compensation through the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act; all three hold social security cards for the United States. Tommy Dennis is a spokesman for the House of Mountain Band and the Nishga Tribe. He says the fishermen believe the United States waters belonged to them in the beginning. (Mr.) Dennis says the men were charged as "aliens" illegally fishing in American waters, and that his people find this term demeaning. The three men say they drifted into United States waters in rough weather while they were sleeping. They have pleaded not guilty to the charges. INDIAN WORLD 17 FEDERAL FISHERIES MIX UP PRIORITIES Harassment instead of Conservation On August 13, 1980 one of our Elders, Willie Hans, crossed to the north side of the Bella Coola River to tend his fruit and vegetable garden. U p o n his return he was approached and questioned by a young, rather abrasive federal fisheries officer regarding his use of a power boat to cross the river. Willie explained quickly how the old foot bridge was washed out by a flood and that the power boat was the safest means o f crossing the river, especially with women and children. Not expecting any reply, the officer handed Willie a summons to appear before court on October 1, 1980. The following day Willie, still infuriated by the previous day's events, requested assistance from the Band office. Charged Under a Law that Doesn't Exist Yet Upon investigation by the Chief we discovered some very interesting things. It turns out the regulation he was charged with, wasn't even proclaimed law yet. It is only a proposed regulation, which may be proclaimed law under the Canada Shipping A c t by Ottawa in another three or four months. When this was brought to the attention of the fisheries officer, the charge was quickly dropped. We could see Willie's thoughts. D o they really think that I am responsible for the destruction of the salmon resource? Doesn't the fisheries departINDIAN W O R L D 18 ment o f the federal government have more important things to do than to harass me? Maybe I should tell them a few things that we told MacKenzie about the salmon resource when he first came to Bella C o o l a . " fish around rivers and the mouths of very sensitive inlets. Multi-national companies are using ruthless harvesting practices. Facing the Real Culprits During the past month we have seen the federal and provincial governments dispute over who has jurisdiction over the amount of water that A l c a n should be allowing to flow into the Nechako river system. It is unlikely that anything will get done at least for this year. This multi-national company has the power to tie up those orders from government for years i n the courts, at the expense of the salmon. They should know salmon are sensitive, like us, to pollution from mills and industrial sewers. Mining effluents being dumped into rivers and streams choke them, and lessen the chance of the spawn to survive. Logging industry has contributed to the depletion o f our salmon stocks. Logging too close to the streams causes siltation, affects the oxygen in the water, and disrupts the spawning beds. Dragging logs right through the rivers must be obviously harmful to our salmon. $ Too Many Bosts Commercial fishing should be controlled better. There are far too many boats. W h y should teachers, lawyers, doctors, businessmen be allowed to fish commercially? I heard that trollers are disregarding the small fish that they claim are unsuitable for the market. What chance do they have to survive after having a hook put into their mouth? Highly electronic technology has made it difficult for salmon and herring to camouflage themselves from the fishing fleet. The seiners have better gear and are allowed to Salmon Suffer While Governments Fight Over Jurisdiction Willie Hans will continue to cross the Bella Coola River to tend his garden. Indian people will continue to fish on the river. They only wish that the government and the public would do something about the real culprits in the management of the fishing resource. It's A Question of Good Management Willie Hans is not responsible for the depletion o f the salmon stocks. The federal and provincial governments must address the problem at its source. They must stop using Indians as scapegoats for their own mismanagement. The government must tighten up and review their own management policies. The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs entered its Eleventh Annual Assembly on October 15,1979, in the spirit of optimism and energy. This marked the year the collective Spirit of the Indian people of British Columbia was revived and strengthened. Aboriginal Rights Position WHEREAS the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs was established to oppose the White Paper Termination Policy, and; WHEREAS this opposition was to be in the form of the development of an Aboriginal Rights Position and Land Claims Position for the Indian Governments of British Columbia, and; WHEREAS an Aboriginal Rights Position Paper has been developed and endorsed in principle in two (2) previous Annual Assemblies, and; WHEREAS it has been introduced at this 11th Annual Assembly of Chiefs for third and final endorsement; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Aboriginal Rights Position Paper as presented by the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs' Indian Government Portfolio be given final endorsement by this Assembly of Chiefs, and; SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT ABORIGINAL RIGHTS POSITION AND INDIAN GOVERNMENT MANIFESTO BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that it form the basis for our position in all discussions relating to Land Claims, Aboriginal Rights, the British North America Act and the Indian Act, and; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Indian Governments continue the process of implementing the Five (5) Articles and the Twenty-Four (24) Jurisdictional Areas, and; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs' Indian Government Portfolio explore and define specific areas which can be implemented through our Indian Governments and that the Portfolio continue toward strengthening our Indian Governments throughout the province. INDIAN W O R L D 19 Traditionally, as abori g i n a l people, we had supreme and absolute power over our territories, our resources and our lives. We had the right to govern, to make laws and enforce laws, to decide citizenship, to wage war, to make peace and to manage our lands, resources and istitutions. We had our own political, legal, social and economic systems. The power to govern rests with the people and, like our aboriginal rights, it comes from within the people and cannot be taken away. Our Aboriginal Rights Position Paper represents the foundation upon which we, the Indian people o f British Columbia, will negotiate a better relationship within Canada. Since 1969, the U n i o n o f British Columbia Indian Chiefs has been involved in extensive research and consultation with Indian people throughout the province in relation to the totality of Aboriginal Rights. We have found through this work that our people have no desire, under any circumstances, to see our Aboriginal Rights extinguished. Our people have always said that our Aboriginal Rights cannot be bought, sold, traded or extinguished by any government. Our responsibilities and our right to be who we are can never be relinquished. The Indian Chiefs of British Columbia in legislative assembly, do hereby proclaim as our Aboriginal Rights Position that: 1. We are the original people of this land and have the absolute right to self-determination through our own unique form of Indian Governments (Band Councils). 2. Our Aboriginal Rights to self-determination, through our own unique forms of Indian Governments are to be [confirmed, strengthened and expanded, through the British North America Act. INDIAN W O R L D 20 3. Our Indian Reserve Lands are to be expanded to a size that is large enough to provide for the essential needs of all our people. 4. Enough lands, waters, forestry, minerals, oils, gas, wildlife, fish and financial resources are to be made available to our Indian Governments on a continuing basis and in sufficient quantities to ensure socio-economic self-determination for the peace, order and just government of Indian people. 5. Our Indian Governments or Legislatures are to have exclusive jurisdiction to make laws in relation to the following matters (without limiting the scope of the possible subjects to be under the jurisdiction and authority of our Indian Governments); INDIAN WORLD 21 Section 1: Constitutions The development of a constitution and the amendment, from time to time, of the constitutions of our Indian Governments. Section 2: Citizenship Regulations as to who shall be a citizen or a member of our Bands. Section 3: Land Management The management of all Indian reserve lands, including all other lands or resource areas under Indian Government jurisdiction. Section 4: Water Management A l l waterways and bodies o f water associated with our reserve lands, including any form of water rights and foreshore rights under Indian Government jurisdiction. The Mowachaht people held Band Hearings on a Band law to regulate pollution over their lands. A pulp mill leasing land from the Band has been forced to follow Band pollution controls. Section 5: Air A l l air space above all our reserve lands, waters and resource areas. Section 6: Forests A l l our forests on reserve lands, including all other Indian forest resource reserves. Section 7: Mineral Resources A l l mineral resources under and within boundaries of all those lands, waters and resource areas established under Indian Government jurisdiction. Alkali Band hunters confirmed their rights to hunt in a court victory in March, 1980. This was followed by a full Band meeting to discuss Band laws to ensure their hunting rights in traditional lands. Section 8: Oil and Gas A l l oil and gas resources within the boundaries of our reserve lands and within any additional lands or waters that, from time to time, may be negotiated and agreed to by the federal, provincial and Indian Governments as being under the jurisdiction of Indian Governments. Section 9: Migratory Birds The conservation management of all migratory birds that pass through our lands, including migratory bird sanctuary reserves that will be established under the jurisdiction of Indian Government. INDIAN W O R L D 22 During the Alaska Highway Pipeline hearings, the people of the northeast made it clear that their oil and mineral rights have never been surrendered with their knowledge or consent. Section 10: Wildlife A l l our wildlife resources in reserve lands and all other wildlife resource areas under the jurisdiction of Indian Governments. Section 11: Fish A l l our fish resources i n the waters defined as Indian Fisheries. Section 12: Conservation The conservation o f all our lands, waters and resources. Section 13: Environment Bands all over B. C. are making Band laws on the proper management and conservation of our fishing resources. The productive management of our environment. Section 14: Economy The establishment and management of the economy through the development, implementation and enforcement of regulations, on such matters as trade, commerce, and the formation of companies within the framework o f Indian Government objectives. Section 15: Education A l l areas o f Indian education as defined by the authority and jurisdiction of Indian Governments. Section 16: Social Order The maintenance o f social order. The Kwakiutl people of Cape Mudge have regained sacred potlatch artifacts that were confiscated earlier this century when pot latches were outlawed. Section 17: Health The proper health, welfare and care of our people. Section 18: Marriage The solemnization and dissolution of marriage within the institutions of traditional Indian religions. Section 19: Culture and Religion The safeguarding of all Indian sacred places. The protection of our right to practice our religions, cultures and languages. Section 20: Communications Communications Our Way: Bands, Tribal Councils and Indian provincial organizations have our own news and information system. The development of communication systems. INDIAN W O R L D 23 Section 21: Taxation All revenues coming in within the jurisdiction of Indian Governments. Section 22: Justice Justice, including the constitution, maintenance and organization of Indian Government courts. Section 23: Penal System The imposition of penalties for breaking any laws of the Indian Governments. Section 24: Local and Private Matters All matters of local or private nature on our lands, including other lands, waters and resource areas that will, from time to time, be established within Indian Government jurisdictional boundaries. The people of Spallumcheen have made a Band law that gives them full responsibility for the welfare, protection and custody of the children in their Band. In declaring our Aboriginal Rights Position, we are reaffirming our right to be here and, are re-affirming the responsibilities given to all nations of Indians on this continent. These rights and responsibilities held us together as nations of people for thousands of years and we celebrate our survival and the beauty of our land. The relationship which exists between Indian nations and the Governments of Canada has never been clearly understood. We have always taken for granted that Indian institutions and European institutions would coexist in Canada. Many of the European colonial leaders INDIAN WORLD 24 held a similar conviction. They asked our leaders to make alliances and agreements. They did not question the authority of our leaders to speak on behalf of our people, just as our leaders did not question the authority of the colonial leaders. But other colonial figures refused to recognize Indian governments. They called for the destruction not only of Indian governments and Indian cultures, but of Indian people themselves. These two opposite views have continued to co-exist in Canada and in British Columbia. The Basic Principles 1. The Constitutional Structure Two principles are basic to the position of the Indian people of British Columbia. The first is the principle of self-determination of peoples. This is a principle of International Law: Section 91(24) of the British North America A c t of 1867 gave the Parliament of Canada legislative jurisdiction over "Indians and Lands reserved for the Indians." The Indian Act, which was passed under the authority of Section 91(24), is treated by Canadian law as the source o f authority for Indian Band councils. Indian governments existed for thousands of years before Europeans came to Canada. We can never accept the notion that the authority of our governments is a grant from those who came from elsewhere. The proper way to establish Indian relations to the rest of Canada is not by the Indian A c t but by a basic political agreement, or contract. The agreement will be recognized as part of the constitution of Canada. A s an agreement it cannot be changed without the consent of both sides. A s part of the Constitution both sides will be compelled, by law, to respect its terms. "All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development." Canada has signed its support of this principle. To work, it must exist with a second principle: the equality of peoples. For self-determination to have meaning, there must be a basic respect between political communities. The British North America A c t of 1867 sets Indian nations apart, recognizing their uniqueness within Canada. Canadian governments have undercut that fact by deliberately making these constitutional guarantees as weak as possible. Indian governments are treated as municipal governments. Our communities are unique because they come under federal jurisdiction, yet they have not been given full recognition as a distinct order of government within Canada. This can change. Canada can fulfill the promise of the British North America A c t and take a leading role internationally in applying the principles of self-determination and equality of indigenous people. The agreement will describe the place of Indian governments within Canadian federalism. It will define Indian rights to renewable resources—rights to hunt, fish, trap and gather—on lands outside the limits of Indian governments. It will also deal with the Jay Treaty Rights, resource sharing, taxation, the superiority of Indian Government laws over provincial legislation and Indian representation in the institutions o f the central government. Our right of self-determination is a right which we have not surrendered and will not surrender. The Canadian government will have to accept that Indian people are a people who will not disappear. 2. The Powers of Indian Governments The Position of the Indians of British Columbia To the Indian people of British Columbia, the questions of the constitution, the Indian A c t and Land Claims are simply different parts of Aboriginal Rights; They can be resolved by full recognition of Indian Government. That recognition requires changes to the way things are now. Band Governments will be strengthened and will be the basic units of Indian Government. Indian people will directly elect our representatives to the new governmental body. The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs has defined the powers it feels are appropriate for Indian governments. These are set out in twenty-four points. The powers of Indian governments will basically be similar to those of INDIAN W O R L D 25 the provinces. In addition certain powers that are presently federal, such as powers in relation to fisheries, marriage and divorce, must be restored to Indian governstatementonAboriginal Title in 1973. ments for theClaims areas under the jurisdiction of those governments. Indian governments will have the authority to draft Bills of Rightswhichwill apply within their jurisdiction in the same waythatcertain provinces have their own Bill Rights. 3. Representation to the Institutions of the Central Government The agreement will define the structure and the powers of Indian government and its relationship to other governments in Canada. Indian government will be parallel to a provincial government. The federal government will have jurisdiction over matters outside the jurisdiction of Indian governments (and outside the jurisdiction of provincial governments). Relations between Indian governments and provincial governments will be handled by mutual agreement (as relations between provinces are now handled). Citizens within the jurisdiction of either an Indian government or a provincial government will elect members to the federal parliament and be represented in other institutions of the central government which have a regional structure. base for Indian communities. Land and resource issues have never been resolved in British Columbia, a fact acknowledged by the federal government in their b. Equalization Payments Secondly, Indian governments, like provincial governments, must qualify for equalization payments. We agree that there should be equal standards of public services in all parts of the country. The payments are unconditional. The provinces are free to choose their own priorities. This is the kind of block, predictable funding that Band governments have sought for their people. It is funding based on need, not short-term politics. For example, i n the fiscal year 1979-80, Prince Edward Island received approximately seventy-six million dollars in equalization payments. It has a population of just over one hundred thousand people. For the Atlantic provinces, equalization payments have represented about 25% of their governmental revenues. c. Delivery of Services Thirdly, Indian governments must be responsible for the delivery of programs and services to Indian people funded by the federal government. There is now a large, costly, inefficient bureaucracy to deliver services and channel monies for Indian people. The Indian Affairs bureaucracy competes with Indian governments for authority and, inevitably, maintains the colonial federal constituencies which group together Indian government areas in various regions o f Canada. There willbe "Indianseats" but in exactly the same way that d. Direct Transfer Payments there are "British Columbia seats" in Parliament. This Fourthly, Indian Governments must receive transfer willnotbea system o f special representation. It will be payments directly whether they are equalization, revenue the direct result of the recognition of Indian governmentsmonies. sharing program These payments w i l | be regular items i n the budget of the federal government and will be paid directly to Indian governments. They will be handled in the same manner as transfers to provincial and territorial governments. The reporting and accounting will be defined by agreements to be negotiated between Financial Arrangements Indian governments and the federal government, and not Stable and workable financial arrangements are of by the Department o f Indian Affairs or any other fundamental importance. Historically, Europeans have confiscated Indian resources with little or no compen- government department. This will establish maximum flexibility and will dramatically reduce the administrative sation, leaving aninadequatelandandresourcebase for costs involved. the Indiancommunities.Thefederalgovernmentuses funding as a way to control Indian communities. This locks Indian communities into a permanent welfare system which does not lead to any positive solutions. The controversy over the Local Government Guidelines of Recognition of Indian Governments within 1975 happened again in 1980 with the Local Services Constitution and willRights continue unless basic changes are We do not want aAgreements settlement of Aboriginal made in the financial arrangements which affect our which in any way reflect a policy of termination or a final communities. It is only when the structures of dependence cash settlement such as in the James Bay and Alaska type and welfare are removed that equality and self-determinof agreements. We want the recognition of Indian ation can be achieved. Governments on a continuing basis within Canadian a. Land base Firstly,theremust beanincreasedland and resource INDIAN WORLD26 federalism. Indian self-determination will free both Indian people and non-Indian people from structures of colonialism and dependence. ATLIN BAND WANTS IN TO B.C. The Indian people of Northern B. C. are administered partly by B. C. and partly by the Yukon. Much of the mismanagement and misinformation that this has caused has gone unchecked in the past. Now, however, the Atlin Band is going through their affairs and straightening out the confusion, point by point. Andy Williams, Band Manager, talked to us about Atlin. The name A t l i n comes from the Tlinget word meaning a big body o f water. M y people, the Tlingets, are originally from the Taku River around the Juneau area. Throughout the year my ancestors used to migrate from the coast all the way up here and some even further to Teslin and to Whitehorse to trade. They had a trail they followed each year through the Taku river valley. M y people are known as the Taku river Tlingets: traditionally and still today, the Taku river is hunted and fished by my people. A Living From Commercial River Fishing We fish the river commercially for salmon. There are non-Indian fishermen there too but hopefully we'll see more and more o f my people down there. A t the moment we have six permits, 2 fishermen to a permit. Just last week we cleared the final one. I can't use my permit this year because o f Band business. The Vancouver office, with U B C I C Fishing Portfolio intervention, agreed my license could be transferred a few months ago but the local official didn't know anything about it. Finally, last week, the okay came down the line for my commercial license to be transferred over to Henry Taku Jacks Jr. So this was clarified and it is to the Band's satisfaction that we announce this now. Food Fishing Rights Confirmed -But Not on Paper Our Band members have found it very difficult to get food fish permits in the past. Even though this was also Chief Sylvester Jack coming into Atlin from his fishing grounds. Band business has concentrated on getting the matters of hunting and fishing sorted out to Band members' satisfaction. sorted out in Vancouver a few months ago, the attitude of the local conservation officer was not cooperative. A t a meeting last week, to which he was invited, together with a number o f U B C I C staff, this matter was finally cleared up. It is our understanding now that food fishing permits will be given to any Band member. There would be no more static, he promised, and it would be for 7 days a week in A t l i n Lake. We also food fish along the Taku river for five days when there is no commercial selling to the fish packers. We want a formal agreement now, something written on paper, i n case they come back and say—no, you can't do that after all. Prejudice Confronted A t the same meeting, we cleared up the matter of hunting permits. The Band members felt the local conservation officer had been prejudiced when it came to handing out permits. He was more free with hunting permits to people on welfare in town than to people on-reserve on U I C , which is less. When one o f the boys would go down for a permit, they'd damn near have to get on their knees to get it. We are almost totally dependent on game during the slow winter months. H i s boss was there at the meeting and now we have an agreement that any Band member who wishes to kill a moose in winter will have to come before the Band council. The council will look into his case and i f he needs one they will give a letter recommending that the conservation officer grant the Band member a license. We're satisfied with this, up to a point. W e ' l l just have to see how it works and i f it doesn't, we'll have to pursue it from a different angle. (continued on page 32) INDIAN W O R L D 27 We talk about our people More as problems Than as resources. Why? Do we do better When we speak of our land? Good acreage Many of us have, How do our members benefit? In our Aboriginal Rights Position Paper We read about the need To meet essential needs Of our people. We also read that We have Every reason And right To Bear our responsibilities In this land. It is the land That binds us As a people. It can be said To give us An identity. From the outside, This appears to be so. Tis different From the inside Is it not? The world Of a newborn child Is the world created By his family. That which happens And does not happen Within the four walls Of the home Can strongly influence The way This new Tribal member Will grow Physically, Emotionally And Mentally. INDIAN WORLD 28 With nourishing food, Warm and clean shelter, Parental love and attention, Mental stimulation From the singing, the talking And many things the eye Can see The hand can touch The nose can smell The ear can hear The child will grow. His needs are well met. His potential is being developed. He knows He is a valued resource. THE WAY— The infant's need For physical, emotional A n d mental nourishment Is really no different From the basic human needs O f his sister, his brother, His aunt, his uncle, His M o m or his D a d or Grandma or Grandpa for that matter. Each person wants recognition T o feel important, Wanted. Each person needs to know H e is a valued resource. Is it not the person Who has the feeling He is needed W h o tries to help Himself and others? Is it not this person Who continues to try T o get ahead, To work the land, When he or she knows Someone Genuinely cares A n d is counting on him to provide? This is the person W h o has the capability To help others grow, T o provide Leadership By showing others H o w to be independent and resourceful. He can best help us Be a self-determining people. He is a good example O f a responsible Tribal Member. SHARING Let's do our best To count our strengths, Recognize and develop them, for our future Can best be built By pooling our strengths To ensure that We each W i l l have the right to choose A n d to determine our future. by Bill Mussell Skwah Band His family helped him T o develop a strong identity. Confidence, desire, ability to work hard A n d to take responsibilities For himself, his family and his community A r e Rooted to his earliest relationships. He knows he is a valued resource, Can treat others So that they too know They are important. He knows how to give A n d to take. Sharing is his way. INDIAN W O R L D 29 TAKING JUSTICE INTO OUR OWN HANDS by Chief Robert Manuel The power that we've possessed internally through our Elders, our leaders, and our councils has been gradually eroded. The powers now rest in many different hands and external institutions: much of our political power has been assumed by the federal and provincial governments. Many of our people believe that these governments have that political power, and function according to that belief. A n d because they have the money, those institutions re-inforce that belief. There are so many doctors, nurses, hospitals and scientific studies, that responsibility for our health lies outside our community. Education is the same way: with all their teachers and universities and colleges, that's been taken away from the people. Our own people even look towards those things as an answer in those areas. Then we look at justice: the judges, the courts, the police are in control o f law enforcement. The parliament is in control of the law-making forces. Our Personal Constitutions Internally, everyone has a constitution, they have their own laws to operate by. But our personal constitutions, at the moment, are obviously not good constitutions. They are not effective in terms of improving our lives now. U n doubtedly there are individuals who have strong and solid constitutions that they function by, but by and large, most have allowed external controls to influence our own personal laws and principles. A lot of people realize that with their heads, but they haven't disciplined themselves enough that they're going to abide by that constitution they make for themselves. There are certain things that external forces can INDIAN W O R L D 30 do, like a community as a whole can apply certain kinds of pressure. Like in our community, we will not hire anyone who is not using the job to build a strong foundation for their family, we choose people that care for their family, act responsibly to their children. Sometimes creating employment allows parents to have babysitters and go out partying, that's a negative effect and we limit that ability. W e put a lot of social pressure on people. Freeing Ourselves of External Forces It takes a lot of discipline to go through the process of acting out the changes we want. The crunch came for us last summer, when one of our own community members was wronged by the police. Our young men didn't have the power to stand up to what was right, because they were in control of the local police. If they didn't rock the boat, they could be assured o f being dealt with less harshly: a kind of " Y o u scratch my back and I ' l l scratch yours" attitude. We have to get out of that kind of control, so that we can challenge wrong doing, otherwise we'll always be under them, and they are always going to control us mentally, and physically. So we don't go and drive when we're drunk, don't go and fight foolishly and so on. Now we have pretty well eliminated people from going to court, and the local police don't have that kind of power over us any more beyond what is their job. In our community, what we had to do was eliminate all external institutions, put them outside. We created a vacuum in our community so that people didn't have anyone to run to for solutions. Some people tried running to the Union or running to the department of Indian Affairs or other places to try and re-attach themselves to some dependency, but there was a political might to turn these things around so that everybody consulted with the Chief and Council. A n d our concerns began to be dealt with internally. It was a long process. It began with the rejection of funds in 1975. A l l we did was carry through the fact, just keeping the external forces out. Every Community Has Its Laws There are laws in every community but on Indian reserves, by and large the laws haven't been fitting. One of the laws was that it was all right to leave my children and wife at home and go to the bar and make excuses why I should be there. There was a law that it was all right to drink on the job, smoke dope on the job. Now in my community we're saying that those laws are no longer any good and we're changing the laws. We want a comfortable life, food and shelter. We're going to change some of the laws because the laws we have are negative ones, they're not leading us to that. Like in our Band we have just made a law in terms of our equipment. Where a person abuses equipment that is owned by the Band, that person is given 30 hours community work. That means volunteer work, no pay. The second time we get 60 hours and the third, 90 hours. Now, that's a law made by our people. The law before was that it was all right to cheat on the machines and the equipment. So we made a better law. If we're going to have progress we've got to have good laws. Making Our Laws Better O f course there are problems. We've been pushed very hard and a lot of families have learned to protect each other, making excuses for each other for acting irresponsibly. However, i f Indian Government is to come into being, then a community law has to be above the individual. There has to be relegation of authority to the community and everybody has to apply themselves according to the laws established by the community. We have to rely on our own people, we have to have faith in ourselves; we have to have faith in ourselves as individuals, have faith too i n other people in the community that can help us. We've got to have faith so strong that they are going to stand it. It's hard to get people to believe that they can do something. Y o u always have forces in the community that see the advantages in having external forces in control of our lives and that advantage is that you don't have to act responsibly. I think the problem in most of our communities is that the external laws are not made by us, so they are not understood very precisely and there is no commitment to them. But when the Band makes the law and enforces that law, it becomes a personal responsibility. Like when we started talking about problems with machines and equipment in our Band, we talked about penalties of 30 hours community work and more. This got adopted. Throughout the discussions developing in that policy, one guy sat there, he said he had nothing to say. Finally when it came to the vote he yelled, "Holy smokes, you don't know what you're doing to yourselves." Because what the people were doing was taking a responsibility. They were deciding not to allow damages to certain kinds of equipment that we have and i f there are damages, then these are the penalties that are going to be laid out. When we talk about Indian Government and Aboriginal Rights, it's talking about internalizing that responsibility and acting accordingly. INDIAN W O R L D 31 (from page 27) Trap Lines Violated Band members are getting worried about the number o f private buyers taking up land where there are existing Indian traplines. Here too we have a beef with the local conservation officer, Brian Petra. I lodged a complaint about trespass on a trapline but it wasn't acted on for at least a month. B y that time o f course the snow had melted, all the trails were destroyed, and the person who was trespassing had pulled his traps, sold his furs and left town. What amazes me is that we are told that this is a democratic government: by, for, and with the people. A s soon as us Indians want to do something, hunt or fish or whatever, there is an official reading out o f a book, "that's against the l a w . " A s far as the law pertaining to natives are concerned, we feel we should have greater participation i n making those regulations in our area. W e have been pretty well asleep for a few years and we're just at the stage of getting back on our feet. But that's the direction we'd like to go i n . writes prescriptions which are filled in a pharmacy in Whitehorse, 100 miles away. We have to pay half the prescriptions. This also applies to glasses. We have an ambulance service that's run on a voluntary basis. The other day a friend of mine was in a car accident and we had to wait one and a half hours before the ambulance came to take him to Whitehorse, another 2 hours drive. People are not happy with the dentist that serves us and we are also expected to pay half the cost o f the dental bills. D I A restricts us to this one dentist unless we are prepared to pay the full cost to see another one. Switching ADministration to B.C. Priority is Improving Health Services A t the moment, we're coping with day-to-day affairs. For example, our health services are very poor. We Andy collects water samples The sewer system drains right into the slough which is situated alongside the land set aside for Indians. A s the lake waters rise and fall so this drains into the lake and this is where the town gets their drinking water. It's hard to believe! We complained about it and now the U B C I C Health Portfolio is going to get water samples analyzed. But we do know no more wildlife exists in the slew now as it used to i n the past. have an elderly registered nurse. She cannot handle the load o f about 500 people in the summer and 350 people in the winter. There is no resident doctor i n the town. A visiting doctor comes in once every 6 weeks and he INDIAN W O R L D 32 facts in the Juneau museum. Some have since disappeared from there, maybe to Seattle. These things disappeared from our " o l d village," like 25 or so muzzle-loader rifles, button blankets, bear traps and wooden, trunks. Anything like that belongs to the clan. N o one can sell it without getting permission from the whole clan. The Band feels very strongly that we should get our artifacts back. They belong to our people and we want them. Evelyn Jack and Susan Carlick, are the cultural education teachers here. Their funds should be paid directly to the Band. But instead they are administered and controlled by the school. Besides we are not getting enough money to administer our cultural education. It comes through the Council of Y u k o n Indians. They divide it up amongst their 19 Bands and the Northern B . C . Bands of A t l i n and Lower Post. Our funds are then sent through the Fort St. John school district. We get a very small share and we feel ripped off. Diversions of Cultural Education Funds Leave Very Little for Band Our culture means a great deal to our people. Jack Williams has reported seeing a number of our arti- Right now we're in the midst of trying to switch our administration from the Y u k o n to B . C . We want to be administered out o f Terrace. C o m pared to Bands in southern B . C . , we feel about 75 years behind the time in terms of the service they receive. The way it goes now, C Y I are going for complete control of all monies issued to the Y u k o n Territories for the Indians. We feel that A t l i n , being in B . C . , will be left holding the bottom end of the stick. We feel we are in a limbo up here. Our people are wanting to go ahead now. In the future, the A t l i n Indian Band will be initiating land claims and as a part of our land claims we will be pressing for more participation i n government rulings. We are going to stress management o f wildlife in the environment. That is our way of life and we're not going to be giving it up. The major setback that Indian people are confronted with is the fact that the government is preoccupied with whining about what isn't their responsibility, rather than dealing with issues that require attention. Health services for Indian people has suffered this fate. The federal government's policy of dividing its responsibility for Indian people among different ministries and levels of government has been the primary problem. Indian Control of Indian Health BEATING For example, the desperate housing conditions on reserves, which directly affect the health o f Indians, must be addressed through different ministries. The fact that spiritual, emotional, and mental health are overlooked also contributes to the steady decline i n the status of Indian THE ODDS THE NEW FAMILY AND CHILD SERVICE ACT BILL 45 A New Family and Child Service Act was introduced into the Legislature on August 1, 1980. The new Act will not be law, however, until it is first debated i n the Legislature and then given a final reading. If and when the A c t becomes law, what will the main effects be on Indian people and our children? Chiefs of Bands to be Given Notice of Hearings The only specific mention o f Indian people is a provision which requires that notice o f hearings must be given to the Chief of the Indian Band in which the apprehended child is registered, that is, i f the Superintendent knows the child is registered with a Band. So i f a hearing is held to determine whether a child will be taken away or returned to his parents (is " i n need of protection"), the Chief will be notified. There are two problems with this provision. First, notice to the Chief only has to be given " i f the Superintendent knows the child to be registered as an Indian under the Indian A c t . " So i f there is nothing in the file about a child being registered with a Band, the Chief o f the Band probably would not be notified. Secondly, it is possible that arrangements can be made without holding a hearing, i n which case too the Chief does not have to be notified. If parents consent to giving up custody o f their children before a hearing, no hearing will be held. A l s o , the new A c t seems to encourage arrangements being made between the Superintendent and the parents, without the necessity o f holding a hearing. Therefore, i n practice, notice will only be given to Bands where parents object to the apprehension of their children, and where the Superintendent knows that a child is registered with a Band. Other Major Changes Which Will Affect Indian People There are new sections in the A c t which give the Ministry of H u m a n Resources employees a lot more power to decide when a child should be taken away and to make it easier for them to enter homes. The result of these new sections is that apprehension o f our children will be easier. First, i f the social worker is refused entry by the parents, he or she can now phone the judge for a warrant to get entry to the home. Under the old A c t , warrants had to be secured in Court. Secondly, the new definition of the conditions under which children can be taken is worded i n a very general way; for example "abused or neglected so that well-being is endangered" or "deprived o f necessary care through absence or disability o f his parent." By using such general words, the social worker will be given more discretion to decide what he or she thinks is a situation which requires apprehension. In the old legislation there were 19 descriptions of situations when a child could be apprehended; i n the new legislation there are only 5. If the new A c t becomes law, it is extremely likely that more Indian children will be apprehended. INDIAN W O R L D 33 health. The only possible means of reviving Indian health is through Indian control. This means raising the position of health on the priority list of Band councils. Indian Health a National Priority In October 1977, the National Indian Brotherhood passed a resolution to form a technical subcommittee on Indian health. Accordingly, the N a tional Commission Inquiry (NCI), consisting of representatives from the Provincial and Territorial Organizations, was formed to investigate and report on the historical, social, and political factors involved in the continuing decline in Indian health. One of the steps the N C I took was to develop "A Resource Paper for the Development of an Indian Health Council." Band decides upon. The possible roles could be to act as an agent for Medical Services Branch, a technical resource for the Band Council, a liaison between Band Council and M e d i cal Services, or an independent structure, parallelling the Indian political structure and act as a mediator between Medical Services and Band council and its representative organizations. The success of the health councils would hinge upon the condition that it originate at the Band level, then proceed at their own pace. The notion of a regional or national health council could come at a later point when Bands are prepared for it. Starting With Short Term Plans When a health council is getting started, its most likely function would cipating in negotiations with Medical Services. Involvement in the policy development process would assist health councils i n being able to identify the most effective programs for their community. Their experience would put them in a position to strive to influence the allocation of resources by participating in budgetary negotiations. Final Control of Band Health Matters A t this point, the health council would be nearing its goal of implementing Indian Government. They would be capable of planning detailed health services and other long-term goals. They would have the competence to implement their plans. Reforming "Symptom-Treating Approach" The purpose of the N C I Resource Papers is to present Indian people with an alternative, forcing our attention on our ever-declining health conditions by means, of forming a health council. A resolution was passed at the Twelfth Annual General Assembly of the National Indian Brotherhood accepting N C I Resource Papers as the national Indian health policy; but this does not mean that we are restricted to implementing this. We can use it for information purposes and use what suits our needs. A council of this kind would give us a meaningful input i n the direction of our health status. This would involve reforming the government's "symptom-treating'' approach, and redefining health as it applies to Indian people. Basically the N C I Resource Paper presents Indians with the means of implementing Indian Government in another crucial aspect of our lives. What a Health Council Could Do The possible functions o f a health council vary according to the structure, the role it plays, and the degree of advancement. Its structure would be determined by the role that the INDIAN W O R L D 34 be to deal with short-term plans or merely reacting to existing problems. With time and experience it would begin advising Band Councils on community concerns and health problems. When the council feels that Band members are ready it can introduce them to health matters by means of educational programs, meetings, and workshops. A t this stage the health council would then be in a position to assess community health needs and priorities. Long Term Policies to Fit Each Band This skill and background would allow health councils to begin developing policies and attempting to influence the health policies by parti- Ultimately the Band would have total administrative, management and control of Indian health. Surviving the Odds The improvement of the health status of Indian people is crucial to our survival. Lack of action could mean the increase of infant mortality rates, greater losses of young lives through alcohol and drug abuse, and higher rates of mortality from accidents, poisoning, violence, and infectious diseases. N o society, including the Indian race, could survive these odds. If the future scenario is to include the Indian race, now is the time to combat the health problem which is crippling the very existence o f Indian people. UP-DATE ADDITIONAL HOUSING CAPITAL DOLLARS FOR BANDS IN B.C. Total Housing funding for B . C . has now been raised to $9,933,000 for this year. The capital subsidy o f $12,000.00 will increase up to a maximum of $22,125.00 but it depends whether the reserve is in urban, rural or remote areas. Bands who have already received the $12,000.00 capital subsidy per unit for 1980/81 will receive additional capital subsidy for those units. Bands i n urban areas could receive an additional $6,000.00 capital per unit. Bands in rural areas could receive ah additional $8,750.00 capital per unit. Bands in remote areas could receive an additional $10,125.00 capital per unit. D I A has worked out the cost differences per region as per their construction manual issued in A p r i l , 1980. This manual determines the cost of construction, cost of building supplies, etc. If the Bands' new houses are already adequately financed the additional funds may be allocated to major repairs, additional new units or prepurchase of materials for new construction in 1981/82. The number o f planned houses for 1980/81 is 490 i n B.C. There will be no transportation subsidy for 1980/81. Bands in urban areas will be allocated an additional $900,000.00. Bands in rural areas will be allocated an additional $1,750,000.00. Bands in remote areas will be allocated an additional $1,427,625.00. Bands in B . C . will receive an additional $4,046,000.00. For further information, contact Housing Portfolio, UBCIC. SPOTTED L A K E Because of delays in negotiations over the re-purchase of Spotted Lake by the Department of Indian Affairs, the Minister o f Municipal Affairs warned the Okanagan Tribal Council that he could no longer delay the Osoyoos bylaw that would rezone the lake area for commercial purposes. However, the death of owner Ernie Smith on August 16th, 1980, has brought the matter to a stop for the moment. The Okanagan Tribal Council feel that events should wait on the wishes of M r . Smith's family, and that negotiations for the purchase of the lake will continue once the family is able to do so. M O U N T CURRIE A P P E A L S PESTICIDE SPRAYING OF SURROUNDS On July 23rd, the Chairman o f the Pesticides Appeal Board handed down his decision that while B . C . Hydro could not spray Tordon K on reserve lands without Band permission, it could spray on surrounding lands. Chief A l l a n Stager has asked the U B C I C Legal Task Force to appeal this decision because it did not take notice of the Band pollution law that prohibits spraying on Band land. Tordon K spraying affects surrounding lands for a good distance and the Band would indeed be affected by the Board's decision. The appeal was lodged on August 20th, 1980. B . C . H Y D R O IMPOSES NEW " L E V I E S " The Tsartlip Band has brought additions to their Hydro bills to the attention of the U B C I C Legal Task Force. They have asked the task force to check whether the new municipal transit levy is in fact a form o f taxation. If so, it would not be applicable to Indian Bands under the Indian A c t . BLUEBERRY B A N D R E L O C A T I O N The Blueberry Band members are each certain that they will move out of their valley the day Kildonan reopens its wells, whether they have homes to go to or not. Their permanent relocation funding is delayed: there is no way all members can be relocated permanently before the proposed October opening. The company is impatient. It is now withdrawing its offer to contribute funds to relocation of the Band and will go ahead with putting those dollars into relocating the battery site. It seems the proposed new battery site is only half the distance recommended for safety by the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources and it is this Department that has the power to impose conditions upon the wells' re-opening. The Band has as well asked the Department to provide 24 hr. monitoring of hydrogen sulphide on the new site, but the Department does not consider this its responsibility. The Band has alternatively asked the Department to cause the wells to remain shut down until all members have been relocated in order to avoid a potentially calamitous situation. N D P caucuses are raising the issue in the Legislative Assembly and the House o f Commons on August 20th, 1980. INDIAN W O R L D 35 RODEO! Late Flash: Would you believe that the author of this story got laid up in the hospital after an exciting rodeo this weekend! by Buddy Napoleon O f the sports there are in the world, rodeo is the only sport that actually grew out of a work system. Rodeo started out as a betting game between cowboys from different ranches against other cowboys. A lot of ranches boasted that they had a cowboy who couldn't be thrown or a hoss who couldn't be rode. The stakes were often high because some cowboys would bet an entire month's wages that they could outride or outrope other cowboys from other areas. A s the sport started taking roots, there were rodeo associations that were formed and these associations, whether they are pro or amateur, had their own rules and regulations. A n d as time went on these rules and regulations were modified to favour the animal rather than the cowboy. Rodeo can only be compared with golf, because both o f these sports are independent. The rodeo cowboy does not earn a guaranteed salary and does not draw an expense allowance. Not only does he not receive any salary but he also has no pension plan, no coach, no trainer, and he usually has to pay for his own doctor bills. His only income is what he can win by competing against other cowboys, but first he must be able to qualify on the stock that he draws and a lot of times it is not that easy. Before a cowboy can compete he must buy a membership card from a rodeo association. Then i f he is in good standing with the association he has to pay for his enterfee which probably will range from $20 to $100 an event. There are seven major events in a rodeo: saddle bronc riding, bare back riding, bull riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, and team roping. There are also ladies events such as goat tying, barrel racing, and undecorating. O f course there are novelty events that are not considered major but still are crowd thrillers, like boys' steer riding. INDIAN W O R L D 36 A cowboy's equipment may range from around $500 anywhere to $25,000, plus it depends on what events he may compete i n . I guess when it all comes down to one basic point, rodeo is expensive for the amount of money that is involved with the sport. A rodeo cowboy is the last of the independent breed and is his own man. Usually half of his winnings are spent on travel expenses, telephone bills, greasy burgers, and enterfees. But keep in mind a good cowboy can win in eight seconds when it takes another person to make the same amount in a month. A n d on the other hand he can be bucked off, or he can be crippled for life by a freak accident in the arena. But i f you even ask a cowboy why he rodeos, a lot of cowboys would probably say friends, money, travel, challenge, excitement—the way of life. In general most cowboys will have other answers and to me rodeo is self-explanatory and " I love i t . " B.C.I.R.A. STANDINGS AS OF AUGUST 11,1980 Saddle Bronc Riding: 1. Lawrence Elkins 2. Guy Gottfriedson 3. Oliver Louis $1638.98 $1211.01 $897.99 Bare Back Riding: 1. Dennis Sampson 2. Clint Morin 3. Richard Louis $1548.02 $1403.63 $1263 50 Bull Riding: 1. Burt Williams 2. Alexis Harry 3. Ernie Thomas $1904.65 $1252.80 $992.47 : Boy's Steer Riding: 1. Troy Dan 2. Shane Johnston 3. Faron Tonasket $318.73 $299.75 $246.02 Steer Wrestling: 1. Clarence Hunt 2. Chester Elkins 3. Chester Labelle $911.53 $887.30 $691.12 Calf Roping: 1. Chester Labelle 2. Terry Rider 3. Eugene Creighton $1317.66 $1279.65 $699.20 Team Roping: 1. Oliver Louis 2. Blane Louis 3. Mike Benjamin $1589.52 $1388.64 $1312.94 Ladies Barrel Racing: 1. Fay Nelson 2. Joan Perry 3. Sandy Pasco $1465.11 $1158.52 $1135.90 All Around: 1. Lawrence Elkins 2. Oliver Louis 3. Dennis Sampson $2832.65 $2487.57 $2169.13 Rookie of the Year: 1. Darryl Eustache 2. Willy Johnson 3. Glen Gottfriedson $754.27 $380.00 $105.20 The next results done after sugar cane rodeo! Good luck to the cowboys in the remainder rodeos! FALL FAIR October 10 & 11,1980 Sponsored by the W E S T E R N INDIAN A G R I C U L T U R A L CORPORATION 440 W. Hastings Vancouver, B.C. Tel. 684-0231 INDIAN W O R L D 37 DIA Records from 1872 to 1950 One o f the major acquisitions o f the Resource Centre was the purchasing o f the Record Group 10 series on microfilm. This series is an extremely large one; only the parts dealing with British Columbia were acquired. The R G 10 series is comprised o f letters, memorandums, etc. from the Department of Indian Affairs files. These Over the last decade Indian leaders throughrecords are very important to research on land claims and out Canada have recognized the great need for aboriginal rights. They can also be used when researching skilled and informed workers. If the Indian Band or tribal histories. Resource Centre people of British Columbia and Canada hope to The R G 10 series is made up o f the school files, Deputy achieve self-determination (Indian GovernSuperintendent Letterbooks, Headquarters Letterbooks, ment) in the near future it is imperative that Headquarters we Files and the Black Series Headquarter begin to make use of the materials and resourFiles. The Black Series is the most frequently used of R G ces that are available to us. We can no longer 10, it contains information concerning the general admincondone or accept alibis such as "I did notistration of the Department of Indian Affairs from 1872 know where to look for such information ortoI 1950. didn't know such resources existed and were The Resource Centre has purchased microfilm on the Indian Reserve Commission, Royal Commission on available to me." Indian Affairs i n B . C . , School Branch Letterbooks, B . C . The days of obtaining a large percentage of Superintendency Inspector of Indian Agencies Letterour information from governmental sources are books, Kamloops Agency and the Cowichan Agency. also gone. It is a known fact that the informaThese also belong to the Record Group 10 series. tion provided by the government is neither objective nor complete. The Resource Centre o f the Union of B . C . Indian Chiefs has been in existence since December of 1977. It was established by the Union to serve the information needs of the Indian People i n British Columbia. We have described our major holdings in back issues of the U B C I C News/Indian World (see especially October 1978, November 1978 and September 1979). However, for new researchers or new readers we thought a recap of what we have here might be valuable. Our holdings consist of materials from the Land Claims Centre in Victoria and materials acquired during the last two years. The collection consists of published and unpublished books, photographs, periodicals, news-clippings, microfilm, film, reports and maps. The subjects covered by these materials include fishing, land claims, education, economic development, Indian Government plus many other issues o f interest to the Indian people of British Columbia. District Research Files Another important source of information available at the Resource Centre are the District Research Files. They were compiled at the Land Claims Centre in Victoria to assist the Bands in research projects. The information contained in the files include papers and reports published by the B . C . Government, schedule of reserves, short list of books on Bands and tribes of each district plus much more information. The district files would be an excellent starting point for Band researchers, whether they they are working on land claims or the history of the Band. INDIAN W O R L D 38 B . C . Indian Bands, Indian people and researchers are encouraged to make use o f this very important source o f information. It is possible to photocopy all documents necessary on the reader-printer. The Resource Centre staff cannot, however, photocopy all R G 10 material on a specific Band or tribe as the microfilms have not been completely catalogued. The Resource Centre will be purchasing more R G 10 material as they become available. McKenna-McBride Commission Reports Also available at the Resource Centre is the Report on the Royal Commission on Indian Affairs for the Province o f British Columbia (McKenna-McBride Commission) and the transcripts o f these hearings (The Peoples' Evidence). The McKenna-McBride Commission was responsible for the taking away of land from existing reserves, i n spite o f the fact that the Indian people maintained that they needed more land, not less. The transcripts of these hearings contain evidence given by the Chiefs of the Bands. The Resource Centre also has material on B . C . Indian history, Canadian history, housing, the Indian A c t and other topics of interest to B . C . Indians. The materials contained in the Resource Centre could prove to be invaluable to Bands in areas such as land claims. A s the Resource Centre was established to serve the information needs of the Indian People i n British Columbia, we would be happy to help you make maximum use of it. The staff of the Resource Centre will do their utmost to provide information requested. TEACHING OUR TEACHERS Student Teachers Chosen from Band School Staff Student teachers were basically chosen from teacher-aides and paraprofessionals already working in the Mount Currie School. To be admitted to the program, they had to have had six months of documented, successful teacher-aide experience, as well as letters of recommendation from teachers for whom they had worked. Several of these candidates also had a year or two of higher education in various regional colleges, and some were admitted to S F U as mature students. N o one who showed exceptional promise was turned away. The decisions about who would become student teachers and who would not were made jointly by the Ts'zil Board and SFU—as have all decisions about course work. continued to provide courses, and all of the original group of student teachers eventually obtained Standard Certificates. All Seventeen Graduates Working in Mt. Currie School Two separate groups of Mount Currie people, totalling 17 persons, completed this basic training by 1977, and all o f them found work in the Mount Currie Community School. hard and hope to receive their teaching licenses by this fall. Because the Ts'zil Board of Education wanted to give priority to the local Indian language and culture in our school curriculum, we felt that we had to have teachers from Mount Currie reserve. A t first, a number of available, reasonably-educated Indians were offered employment within the school as teacher-aides; but the Teaching Training is Based in Classrooms Student teachers learned how to teach by being in the classrooms with master teachers. Later, they would take courses which would show them the theories that went with the approaches they had watched and learned. English courses were essential early courses in their programs as were Educational Methods and Foundation courses. Some of these were provided by the on-site supervisor and some from staff brought in from the university. Throughout the period of their inclassroom training, student teachers spent two days per week in workshops given by S F U professors. A t the end of 11/2to 2 years of practicum and course work in Mount Currie, the student teachers qualified for British Columbia Teaching Licenses which would allow them to teach in provincial schools up to 48 months. By the end of 48 months, their professional qualifications had to be updated to the Standard Certificate level. S F U Mary Susan James teaching the kids the basics of basket weaving in the Mount Currie School. Training our own teachers is our way of making sure that our cultural education remains a priority in our own schools. We could do this because outside teachers were not rehired once native teachers became available. Other persons from the community who took these courses have found positions in curriculum and administration. In the past year, an additional 8 student-teachers have been studying Board realized that this was a stopgap measure at best. Outside teachers still had classroom control and could limit cultural activities. Also, many aides tended to accept the standard programs outlined by the master teachers, rather than insisting on a widely-ranging cultural program. INDIAN W O R L D 39 Finding a School Interested in Meeting our Requirements So in 1973, Board members made the rounds of several university Faculties of Education to try to persuade one of them to take on the training of Indian student teachers from Mount Currie. Two of the major ones demanded a four year training program and practiceteaching in the overly-efficient classrooms of the public school system. A s our aim was to have teachers trained to meet the special needs of Mount Currie, these programs were too standard and inflexible to be considered. We also wanted a program which would put qualified teachers in the classroom in a short period of time, and as well would allow for the practice-teaching in classrooms in Mount Currie. Only i n this way would the Board have any say in the kind of teachers developed for its school. Simon Fraser University decided to meet those needs. YOUTH GATHERING AT OWL ROCK It was morning. The smell of pine and campfire was in the air as the sun struggled to filter its rays through the teepee. It would be another beautiful day full of laughter, good food and educational experiences for young and old alike. It would be much more for the two hundred and fifty odd people gathered at O w l Rock Camp for the next six days. The Okanagan territory was up to its old tricks and only offered the sun to us in momentary glimpses this first day. The rains fell a short while on the hills overlooking the camp. We did need water and the workers who had worked so hard the previous weeks i n preparation welcomed the rains. Of Course There Were Some Problems This program did not occur without problems. A major one was the inadequate educational backgrounds of some of the student teachers. Courses had to be planned to fill in some of this background—a situation which would not have been the case with other student teachers. The main problem in keeping the studentteachers in the program turned out to be financial. D I A finally agreed to pay tuition costs and the Ts'zil Board squeezed our limited budget to find money for maintenance of the student teachers while they studied. Eventually, D I A agreed to pay living costs for these student teachers. Mostly it was Hard Work Much of the progress may seem to have occurred because o f luck, but hard work by everyone involved made the program a success. A t least one other group, Enderby, has a student teacher training program for natives set up in conjunction with SFU. INDIAN WORLD 40 A youngboyanxiouslyasked, " W h a t we gonna do today?" The answer had to be, " W e l l , what would you like to d o ? " The boy thought of the possibilities. Maybe he would go swimming after the morning pipe ceremony, or go hunting with the older people. He thought of canoeing, fishing, climbing the obstacle course, hiking, o r . . . . He decided to chop wood instead and think about it some more. Some went to sweat very early in the morning; others were cooking breakfast. "This isn't an interior teepee," Mario said as he reached for the cold water that would wake him from a deep sleep. He had been on "guard duty" all night, ensuring that there were no problems " f r o m the outside" and kept the fire people company as his trail passed them. " B u t , it doesn't matter," he told us. Later he would explain that it was its practicality that was important and it was true, the fire inside was warm in that cool mountain air. The Elders were always served first and breakfast was a hit, as were all the meals. We had mush, eggs, pancakes, stew, frybread, vegetables, salmon (Indian caviar!) from all over and there was always coffee. We were offered the pipe to celebrate the new day. It was the beauty of the ceremony and the truth of the prayers that gave it its integrity. The day was well on its way to becoming another one of joy and discovery. People were fixing their drums, learning how to build a leanto, washing dishes, repairing axes; some went down to a ranch haying, others were learning to canoe and watching how to make paddles. The young boy had decided on fishing and already was celebrating two catches of trout. Later in the day there would be archery, 22 range-shooting, hiking, lean-to building and more. For now, we settled on getting a couple more canoes for the races. We went into a totally different reality called " t o w n " but escaped and got back to camp before the talks around the fire. If you wanted to talk politics, tell jokes, stories or history, and share in the wisdom of the Elders, you could. Everyone participated. After learning to play stick-game, and listening to the drumming, the little boy went to sleep and began dreaming of Our Indian W o r l d . . . the teachings of the Elders were being celebrated in his sleep. Thanks for support and help at native youth gathering A special note of thanks to Chief MorrisKruger and his Council members of the Penticton Indian Band for giving the permission for the Union of B . C . Indian Chiefs and the O w l Rock Camp staff to host this annual Native Youth Conference. A n d a very warm thank you to all those volunteers who put so much work into the camp's chores and cooking help and those who came from far and near to help with their good spirit. In order to keep up the sprits of the people we had two fine cooks who did a lot of work with traditional Indian foods and passed on the spirits to the young. people of what, it really means to share in survival. We have many young people who share in the sacred ways and who through their presence always contribute a helping spirit to all of the people in any gathering. They shared many sacred songs to the creator to give thanks for this good experience. There is a balance i n everything and we really found this to be true from our spiritual leaders who did everything from talking around the sacred fires and doing ceremonies to helping to make the youth gathering the successful experience that it was for each and every one who went through this beautiful experience. A special thanks to old man Charlie for being the keeper of this lake for so long and who made everyone feel welcome to O w l Rock Camp. The same appreciation for the revered dedication of Mario and Jeanette Bonneau, and Mario George for building and maintaining the camp purely on a volunteer basis. The Elders that were present at the conference helped us in many ways by their presence, by sharing their wisdom and knowledge with the young people around the sacred fire and in sharing a listening ear to the children of today. HELP WANTED R E F E R R A L WORKER: L I L L O O E T FRIENDSHIP CENTRE Duties: To monitor all requests coming into the Friendship Centre by phone or in person. T o provide people with information about housing, employment, education, legal and financial matters and personal problems, and to refer them to those in the community or district who can deal with these matters in more depth if necessary. To supervise those using the Centre from 9-5 p.m. and keep statistics of these for funding purposes. To share the typing duties with the Bookkeeper. Full-time, permanent position to commence Monday, August 18, or A . S . A . P . Salary negotiable. P R O G R A M DIRECTOR: L I L L O O E T FRIENDSHIP CENTRE Responsible for development, initiation, implementation, leadership and reporting on Programs operated by the Friendship Centre. This is a full-time, permanent position with regular hours. Applicant must be responsible, reliable, willing to work with other staff, F . C . Board of Directors, community agencies (Native and non-Native), and members of the public of all ages. Job to commence A . S . A . P . $10,000 per year. Written resume and application to Gordie Peters, Box 465, Lillooet, B . C . V 0 K 1V0. Phone: 256-7616. INDIAN WORLD 41 Our Elders have stated as an unchanging principle in our policies on Indian Education, that w teachings of our Ancestors there will be no language, traditions and customs to pass on to ou We have heard it told time and time again that the language is the heart of our culture. Wit are ineffective to teach our children the truth of the teachings of our old ones. We ne effectiveness to better understand the true meaning of Indian Education which can be the tru to Indian Government. THE HEART OF OUR CULTURE IS OUR LANGUAGE BY Glen Williams Time is of the essence in coming to deal with our mother tongue. Society's ways are exploitation, making money or gaining prestige. T o try and help our people to regain what we have lost i n the past century through this approach doesn't work. Our children wait for us to take over our destinies, to go on teaching the ways of our people. We can no longer accept the feeble kind of help that ministries and universities try to do for the Indian people. Indian Language Program Not Set Up By Indian People Now the ministries are once again trying to do the same thing and the pattern is to pass a private b i l l — A N A C T TO ESTABLISH A N INSTITUTE OF N A T I V E INDIAN L A N G U A G E S FOR B . C . They have not sought of exploitation has been the publication of Indian language stories and legends by linguists who claimed good fortune from our people and exploited the precious energies of our Elders for few pennies. Making Our Own Laws About Our Languages We have Indian Governments and Organizations that will help the people to get what we want for the recognition and respect of our Indian languages i n schools and i n society today. We must make a collective appeal to our Band governments to try and do something about this kind of exploitation and make our own laws concerning our own tribal languages. Band governments must work with tribal governments and with power from the four directions we will get what we want for ourselves. "Our children wait for us to take over our destinies. "From left, Rose Point, Violet Charlie, Nora George, Albert Phillips and Emilia Douglas at Musqueam Band. any kind of legal documentation by the Indian people of B . C . For many years they have been feebly trying to seek certification for our trusted Elders and Language teachers to be recognized by the Ministry o f Education. Setting up societies and forming elite groups will not gain the power and teach our children our precious languages. Exploitation by Universities For the past ten years these people and professional linguists that have been working on Indian language programs have tried to set up an elite sort of way to introduce it to the university way of life. Another avenue INDIAN W O R L D 42 There is a tentative conference date set for September 26-27, 1980 by an Indian language instructors' committee to try and deal with the language development issue. For certain there is a General Assembly October 14-17, 1980 and perhaps this would be time to deal with these kinds of issues. To build another Institute for Indian people is to waste money. We have land and facilities like St. Mary's Student Residence in Mission, B . C . , headed for closure by D I A policy. These are some things to think about in the development of Indian Government through our Bands and tribal Councils and the survival of our Indian languages. THE UNION OF B.C. CHIEFS TWELFTH ANNUAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY OCTOBER 14-17 During the Annual General Assembly, there will be a photography display. Many Indian people are capturing the Indian culture through photography. It is an art. As we are rediscovering our past, so too must the Indian culture of today be documented—to recordforever the faces of our Elders, the laughter of our children and the daily life of our people. In photography, we get images. Sometimes these images are captured by the photographer who sees the spirit of the people or the person in one single moment. That becomes our image and it is recorded forever. At the Annual Assembly, the photography display will be another unique way of expressing our Indianness and especially at this point in time when we are implementing Indian government—a great tribute to the Indian culture which will never die. CONFERENCE DETAILS: PLACE and TIME October 14—Workshops at Robson Square Media Center: 800 Robson Street October 15 -17—Assembly Italian Cultural Center, 3075 Slocan Street, Vancouver, B . C . (phone: 430-3337) THEME: IMPLEMENTING INDIAN GOVERNMENT F R O M : UNION OF B . C . INDIAN CHIEFS 440 WEST HASTINGS ST. V A N C O U V E R , B . C . V6B 1L1 SECOND CLASS M A I L REGISTRATION NUMBER 4983 VANCOUVER, B.C. The theme of this year's General Assembly is Implementation of Indian Government. The basis for our discussions will be the A b o r i ginal Rights Position which has been adopted by the Indian people of B . C . This position and the Indian Government Manifesto declared at the First Nations Conference in Ottawa are presented as a Special Supplement to the Indian W o r l d in preparation for the discussions. Our Children are Our Survival and we are responsible for bringing them up to be strong and confident, to desire and take control o f their lives: this is the message from Chief B i l l Mussell of the Skwaw Band (page 28). Chief Manuel of Neskainlith talks of taking community justice into our own hands on page 30, while the control of community education through control of teacher training is described by the Ts'zil Board on page 39. More Indian teachers graduated from N I T E P this year: thanks to Frances Johnson of A l k a l i Lake Band for his report to "Our World." The Canim Lake trappers discuss the steps they are taking to ensure a part i n their community's integrated resource management plans (page 14) while an event in Bella Coola prompted an article on the proper management of fishing resources (page 18). We haven't left out the festivals and joyful occasions in Our W o r l d . Thanks to Joanne Dixon and Jerry Patrick of Nazko Band for their story on the Stoney Creek Indian Days and the K'san Dancers for their pictures and story of their trip to Edmonton (page 12). We also covered the Sekani Days, the Bridge River Fish In, the Anaham Rodeo and the Seton Marathon. Thanks to everyone involved for the hospitality we enjoyed with you.  SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT ian Chiefs . Ind C ion of B. Aboriginal Rights Pos Un ition  EDITORIAL So often, at political meetings and during political discussions, I have heard our people say over and over again that our society has always been a matriar- chal society, a society in which the bloodline is deter- mined by the woman; a society in which women have always had influence in terms of political decision- making. And yet, at these meetings and during these discussions, women are present to make: coffee, arrange lunches, register delegates and handle travel arrangements. Are we not talking in one language and acting in another? Our political leaders are usually men; women play the ‘‘support roles.’’ The laws of this country remain unequal in terms of Indian women being ‘‘punished’’ for marrying outside of our race, while Indian men “‘pass On’’ their bloodline to the white women they marry and the children they have. All this is in direct opposition to most of the matriarchal tribal tradi- tions of this country. The defense of non-action taken by political lea- ders, phrases like ‘‘we can’t separate our struggle by recognizing only the struggles of women’’ or ‘‘we have to stick together”’ or ‘‘we have to make sure of what we’re doing before we change the Indian Act’’ have become the jaded code-words of procrastina- tion. The truth is, until Indian women are treated as human beings, both in Indian and non-Indian, or federal-provincial government law, there is really no Indian movement. A movement is a movement of the people. ‘‘The people’’ includes the more than 50% female Indian population among our nations. Looking at the non-Indian society, the problems there tend to be magnified within the Indian commu- nity, and among minority populations within any majority society. So problems like unemployment, alcoholism, family problems, are intensified in our community. And the problems that women in main- stream society face are hundreds of times more stressful among Indian women: poverty, abuse by men, family breakdowns, employment problems— Indian women are being crushed by these things. We need the support of the entire Indian community. If we’re really talking about a movement of the people, of all our people who want to be involved, then let’s be realistic about the situation as it now stands. Surely we don’t want to lose more women to the mainstream society; this has been happening be- cause many of our women don’t feel they have the recognition, or employment or political opportuni- ties, within our own organizations. It’s past time for our leaders and the people to seriously meet this challenge, to begin meeting the reality of today’s Indian women, and not yesterday’s illusion. We’re still waiting, a little less patiently, but just as anxiously, for that true moment of political unity. We must take the responsibility to tell our leaders at the community and provincial levels to begin working for what we want; we have to give them direction. And they must be responsive to our needs, because without us, their goals would be hollow and false. Indian Government means responsibility, and a part of meeting that responsibility means ensuring that women have the roles we want and deserve in our people’s political work. Both women and men still must tackle the responsibility of redefining our political and personal relationships to each other. Without good seed and good earth, the tall tree won’t grow. by Val Dudoward (Communications Co-ordinator) OUR COVER: The Indian Government flag was raised at the Bridge River Fish In to give strength and hope in our fight to save our fishing for our children. (See page 16 for story). Do you have a picture for the cover of our ‘‘Indian World’’? See inside for competition details.  WORLD Indian Government by providing an awareness of the Signed articles and opinions are the views of the political and social issues affecting the Indians of VOLUME 3 NUMBER 5 individuals concerned and not necessarily those of the 7 < INDIAN WORLD is the official voice of the Union : of British Columbia Indian Chiefs. It is dedicated to building a strong foundation for British Columbia. © UBCIC., Table of Contents BIO al ecg sae OTs oe eres as ea a ee Z BEK@MLAVS! dey.” votes ewok Sk "ah Wie Sete 6 President’s Message... .. 2... 0i..cb ees > a ee 7 Nishgas fight to protect Fishing Grounds ..........8 Munro’s Flying Visit to Interior Bands ...........10 **Change Socio-Economic Thinking”’ “9 Demands at NIB Assembly .........450-e cee. i] g NIB Elections ey Wy real ee 2 aes > tlseae Oh ee 9 POurwerdsj::.....F.e meee m4 Sei 12 7 Band Resources don’t have to Conflict: e Canim-Lake Trappers Study .............0000. 14 ® Bridge River Fish-in......... te oe & og pe 16 es . Fish Management: " Chief Sam Baptiste of Osoyoos and Xavier Eugene Washington/B.C., Share Information .......... 16 of Windemere take a break from the NIB Assembly PAVRUINCAGV TAG. Se. Sabet ors ah: «gl an ecieey os « enna 17 last month to enjoy the Prairie space (see page 11). Fisheries Mix Up Priorities ...0......01...0. 30508 18 = : ie ae SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT ...........--.6. 19-26 Co IN t i I b U to r S Aboriginal Rights Position ..... Denia eas) See 20 : ' Indian Government Manifesto ..............4. 24 Editors: Faye Edgar and Darrell Ned , ; ats : AP MaMMoe sh ae any Senet oles rT a £4 ene ca eotiel aulne Dougtas PW Way Oharing <i 00. J. 5) tues a cwaeaetadd 28 Written contributions: Canim Lake Trappers, Ts’zil Taking Justice into our Owit-Hands.....'0..as 3... 30 Board, Philip Paul, Archie Pootlass, Bill Mussel, Indian Health: Beating the Odds DA edis eats «A Sc 33 Francis Johnson, Joanne Dixon and Jerry Patrick, New Family and Child Service Act............... 33 K’san Dancers, Bobby Manuel, Herman Thomas, Up-Dates eal deel nateel cece uel a:-aibaest clit ot tins of Cite ots oo eee ee 35 Faye Blaney, Ron Dan, Bess Brown, Millie Poplar, Reese Sean 2. 7S, ey cee a a 36. - Debbie Joe, Jeff Smith, Glen Williams, Sylvia Woods, Resource RSET ne 8 oa Ne eee ee aly «(a els ae 38 Willard Martin, Sadie Wornstaff, Buddy Napoleon, Teaching Our Teachers » ottans foag (le pee ee 39 PeeWee Gottfriedson, Gail Stump, and Val Dudoward Youth Gathering at Owl Rock...... inst GHEE, biomes a 40 PPIs CO pe gcc bse oka) hele > ed Beas 41 Photographs: UBCIC staff unless credited The Heart of our Culture is our Language ........ 42 Typesetting: Mary Schendlinger i | 12th Annual General Assembly................. .43 Supplement Illustrations by Angeline Eagle . ey INDIAN WORLD 3  Nearly every Indian community is having to work out its own way of- coping with non-Indian welfare workers who have fixed ideas of how children should be raised and by whom. Where they don’t see their own values in place, they feel most strongly that our children would be better off in white foster homes. The misunderstandings and fears between Indian families and often well-intentioned welfare workers were much in evidence in the Fort Ware area in early August. A member of the UBCIC legal task force, and her one year old son, were up there for a Treaty 8 workshop. She was asked to visit Mrs. Lillian Masselto to discuss the problems of child appre- hension and on her way over to the house her son began to cry. While she was trying to make him feel better, 9 year old Ida Masselto came up to him, ‘‘Don’t cry baby, welfare will get you.’’ Families are walking around with a lot of fear. INDIAN WORED 4 7 a fi 4 . nd ts \ oe , , s el ~~ Fy a. i“ Fo L \ Ca Parénts and Grandparents Win Custody of Children at least Until Trial Date The next day eight cases of child apprehension were due to be heard at court in McKenzie. This was the first day of the proceedings, where the apprehended children ,and their parents have to be at court to fix a date for trial or to decide if the par- ents want the children to be tempor- arily or permanently placed in the care of the welfare, without having a hearing. All the parents and grand- parents were in McKenzie to seriously fight all the cases. The first case involved a woman who had said that she would give up her child for adoption, but as soonas the baby was born, she had changed her mind. Welfare apprehended the baby saying the mother didn’t have the skills to be a mother. UBCIC. lawyer argued that there are people in’ the mother’s own community to teach her those skills. It was a really fierce battle. Child -Apprehensions JUDGE SENDS “@, CHILDREN The social worker would not, for a long time, admit that there was anybody in the community who could help out! Finally it was agreed that mother and baby should return home and there would be a review in two weeks to see that the baby was all Tight. isn’t Dried Moose Meat Good Food? : The second case involved four children who had been apprehended from the grandparents’ house. The social worker said that she had found them ‘dirty and hungry.’”’ The lawyer had visited the grandparents’ house— and there was a lot of dried meat hanging from the rafters which the social worker had not considered. There was a lot of food. No one in the community has running water and the notion of ‘‘clean’’ was just a question of values. The social worker again strongly opposed it. The people felt that, if there was a problem, then it was one that could be handled by the community.  ae “ f ai P J R o; ee i - 4 i a The judge agreed and . ordered the children to return home until the final trial date. He asked, however, that the community, through the Chief and Council, send down weekly reports on the children in the meantime. Grandparents’ Rights The last case was also won. This also involved a grandmother whose three children had been taken away. Non-Indian courts don’t recognize authority and rights of grandparents for their grandchildren. So although the two elder children were returned the case was put over till September. - till the mother could appear for the case of the baby. Differing Notions of Jurisdiction and Values The whole situation of differing social values and differing ideas about responsibilities and authority was there. In each case, however, the judge decided not so much on question of jurisdiction but on the = en « ae I 0 fbee Sie tt es + : f . Z 2 i, = — eye : a 5 a c so3 = A = ans ge se fhe J tS ey gee, Ne 2 e ef 3 =P. = * ie oot . ee a Lines brn ~ » + tees +; an ae : ey es PTR ee Sie Sea question of the best interests of the children. As a result of these argu- ments the social worker did approach - the Band to see if they could improve their working relationship. Community Responsibility One of the major points of the day was that the judge confirmed that the community should take the responsi- | bility for the welfare of their children. “‘We thought we should be more in- volved with it,’? commented Chief Harry Chingee, ‘‘It’s only since last winter that our public is noticing it and remarking that the chief and council should look into the matter. So the chiefs in our area are going to get together and see what we can come up with. We do have some cases that are bad, but most are not. You know it’s often a case of civil servants looking out more for their own jobs * than for the welfare of our children. They haven’t talked to us. We would like to see the Chief and Council in- volved more: we don’t want to be left out of the decision-making. And we would like to see the UBCIC involved politically to support us.”’ The Chiefs and Council will be meeting through ‘‘Sekani Days’’ to look at other Band laws on child pro- tection and to draw up a statement of their position. e INDIAN JUSTICE SYSTEM On July 20, 1980, the regulations re- garding the Spallumcheen children became their Band’s law. The document is written in both English and Shuswap. I[t spells out very clearly the community’s authority and responsibility to make sure their children are taken care of within their own community. The Spallum- cheen Band will have exclusive juris- diction over any child custody pro- ceeding involving any child who is a member of the Band, no matter where the child is or has been living. INDIAN WORLD 5  On August 21st and 22nd the Seka- _ ni Nation had a gathering on McLeod Lake Reserve. People travelled a lot of miles to get to McLeod Lake from Fort Ware to Ingenika to Finlay Forks by boat then by car. On the first day the Chiefs and Band members had a meeting. As Harry Chingee said, ‘‘The gathering here is to educate my people on our rights for Land Claims.’’ This ‘was the second gathering in the last 3 years. It’s only the beginning and they plan to have many more, to get stronger as a Nation. Nick Prince said, ‘Gatherings like this happen only because of you people, get toge- ther, talk and get ideas then bring «it home and tell your Chief. A Chief cannot do it alone. We have to work together to survive and keep our cul- ture alive.”’ It was such a beautiful sunny day, on thefirst day of the gathering. As the meeting got started, “‘Sekani’’ (their Eagle) flies over. As Pearly Tylee says, ‘‘Oh that’s Sekani. He always comes and checks up on us.’’ The ladies were busily preparing the meals, bannock, deer meat, fish, beaver meat, moose meat, bear meat, potatoes, salads, vegetables, home made bread, cinnamon buns, baked cakes, huckleberry pie and much amore which were so tasty and filling. They were thanked heartily by : INDIAN WORLD 6 all the people there for all the work they did to feed us all. The Doh Da Dee Cla Friendship ‘ Centre from Prince George added good spirit with their dancers which some of the Band members have joined. Then later in the evening people played the La’Hal game and turned in for the night in their tents. This -year because of developers going through Sekani land, overlog- ging the land they are feeling very threatened as they rely so much on the land and wildlife (a good example is a Prince George Company getting charged $450,000 for overlogging the area in 1979). This year the people are finding it very hard to hunt moose, and are relying on last year’s stock for meat. They are worried it will bea rough winter. The government and developers have never asked Sekani Indians to go through their land or to log over someone’s . trapline. The Sekani Nation has never given up their right to the land, they still own the land. The trapping and fur-trading the Sekani people did in 1824, the same amount is. still done today. This proves how much the Sekani people live off the land for their livelihood. As Andy Solonas Senior said it is ‘for our children and grandchildren that we must exercise our right to the. land and protect it. — Se  eit | | PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Why has the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs lasted this. long despite all the different attacks it has had from various quarters? Simply because the majority of Bands have been successful in coming together and bringing about effective change in policy areas. With the collective strength of other Bands under the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, many communities have stopped the negative efforts of big governments in areas of policy or detrimental government projects. The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs has done this without raising loud banners of self praise but in many instances has proceeded very quietly, providing the necessary technical assistance and helping a community on to vic- tory with a particular struggle. This approach has been so effective that the word in Ottawa among high ranking ministers of the Federal government is that the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs has to be destroyed at all costs. The Regional Director of Indian Affairs, Mr. Fred Walchli has been using Indian Affairs money and programs to counter any approaches put forward by the member Bands of the Union. The Regional Director has successfully organized all the opposers to the Union into a Regional Forum to strength- en the opposition to the Union. The Federal Fisheries under the directorship of Wally Johnson has denied the Union any research funding for Indian fishing despite the many charges and apparent problems in the Indian fishing throughout the Province. This is just a few examples of how the government is curtailing the effectiveness of the Union. The Federal government is cowardly using our own people against us but I have full confidence that the majority will see through the Federal government strategy and respond Philip Paul, Portfolio Head for Education, presents Larry Pierre with a blanket at the Special Assembly on Education at Penticton between June 16-21, 1980. with the collective strength that has brought us through in the past. The strength of our ancestors will be passed to the next generation. Yours in Brotherhood, Vice President for South-Western Region (EC Faulk Philip Paul INDIAN WORLD 7  =e Set = ee . * ' i . “We can say right now the Amax mining company has offered us 2 share in their mine and our share is going to be death. It’s going to mean death to our people because our food chain will have been con- taminated. We even say now that our entire fishery, the commercial fishery, of this whole northwest is being threatened.’’ (James Gosnell, . President, Nishga Tribal Council) Company Plans on Unsurren- dered Land The Nishga Tribal Council has spent July and August visiting other Indian organizations, environmental groups and talking to the media, organizing support for their fight against the reopening of the molybdenum mine in Alice Arm. The area that would be affected is part of the Nishga land claim. The Kitsault mine and townsite is an area where some Nishga Chiefs have tradition- ally had hunting and fishing camps. The access road, running 22 miles from the Stewart-Terrace highway, runs right through the unsurrendered land. Yet not once have the Nishga people been consulted, let alone offered participation in the Amax Company’s plans. When they did mention that this land is unsurren- dered Indian land, the company cried unfair, and accused the Tribal Coun- cil of using the mining plans as leverage in their land claims negotia- tions. The company claims this is a Federal/Provincial problem and does not see their plans for the mine as having any relevance to the situation. Amax Acts as if the Nishga Didn’t Exist The mine operated between 1968 and 1972. Since it was discovered that molybdenum is useful in strengthen- ing steel, the price has gone up to $10.00 a pound. Amax of Canada Ltd. bought the mine and plans to put it back into operation in 1981/82. The Kitsault mine is on Alice Arm, about 130 miles north of Prince Ru- pert. The company plans to spend millions on developing the town and building the road; but it won’t be INDIAN WORLD 8 NISHGAS FIGHT TO PROTECT FISHING GROUNDS License to pollute based on wrong information spending money on tailing ponds for the waste. By next summer, Amax plans to have 450 employees there. Construction work has already begun and already a $40,000 satellite recei- ving station has been installed for all movie T.V. channels from San Fran- cisco. According to a Financial Post article on Amax, sports hunters at the construction site ‘‘who have just en- joyed a heavy run of spring salmon, can hardly wait for the new road to open up what promises to be exceptional moose hunting.”’ ALASKA b° Stewart BRITISH Kincolith j COLUMBIA Terrance » The company has never considered training or employing Nishga people: it has never considered any possible benefits to them, or profit sharing with them. Amax has acted all along as if the Nishga people were not there at all. Special Exemption to Pollute What is most alarming, however, is the company’s plan to dump mine tailings right into the inlet. This is against all pollution regulations and especially against those of the Federal Fisheries Act, the Metal Mining Li- quid Effluent regulations. Yet, Amax has received an exemption by an Order-in-Council from the former Liberal government. Under the Federal Fisheries regulations 25 parts per million of suspended matter in the water is the maximum. The exemption puts no maximum, -though provincial regulations do put on a 400,000 parts per million restriction! The Order-in-Council permits dis- charge of a hundred million tons of mill process effluent into Alice Arm where, according to the study pre- pared for the Company, it would settle on the bottom of the inlet and | in time be covered up by river silting. According to the same study, the waste products (containing arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium and radium 226) are not detrimental to marine ‘life. And according to this study, there is no native food fishery at Alice Arm. No independent study was asked for, nor further information required from Federal Fisheries. No socio- economic or environmental impact study was required. The Nishga peo- ple were not asked to give their evi- ‘dence. Once they found out about it, only 4-5 months ago, Nishga Tribal Coun- cil was able to document inaccuracies and inadequacies in this study that show it to be-worthless as evidence on which to base a pollution exemption. Currents Will Spread Tailings _ A UBC oceanographer pointed out evidence of heavier, saltier water flowing into the inlet mixing up the water and sediments. The Utah Mines  Ltd. had made a claim that their tail- ings would also settle permanently into one basin: they’ve been proved wrong - Mine Wastes Have Wiped Out Marine Life in Quatsino Sound The Indian people of Quatsino Sound and Hallbourg Inlet and all the areas affected by Utah mines waste say their marine resources have been virtually wiped out by the tailings. The study for testing how’ poisonous is the discharge into Alice Arm is deficient, claims the Tribal Council: trout are kept in the effluent for 96 hours and if not more than SO’of the fish die, the effluent passes the lethal- ity (fatality) test. However, there has been no study of long term effects, and scientists say that the poison can stay in an organism for a couple of years and accumulate up to. lethal levels. The effect of accumulation of toxic substances over a period of 50- 100 years is just not known. Track Record of Pollution Amax’s track record in pollution fines and in not obeying pollution ‘regulations gives the Tribal Council further cause for alarm. They docu- mented a record of nine instances where the company was fined heavily or taken to court for contamination of water resources, damage to the land and/or polluting the air. Finally, the Nishgas are challenging the study’s statement that local In- dians do not fish in the area. Had anyone asked the Nishga fisheries department of even Federal Fisheries they would have found that 2,000 Nishga get a portion of their diet from Alice Arm and that for at least 212 Kincolith people, it is a very significant portion. There is no men- tion of the clams or cockles fishery: yet in one month last summer, over three tons of cockles and three tons of clams were taken by-Kincolith people from Alice Arm. The study talks of five Dungeness crabs being taken in 40 days of fishing: yet five Kincolith boats took 92 Dungeness crabs within a week, with one or two pots each, while digging for clams. Demand for Immediate Moratorium The Nishga Tribal Council is cal- ling for an immediate moratorium on Amax’s proposed marine disposal system. If tailing ponds are unsafe in the rainy and unstable mountains, they say then another way must be EME: INDIAN G ist Prize-—35. mim camera | 2nd Prize-—--Cassette tape recorder ard ee eS Bacio RULES: measure $ x FO. mounted. areemployers-or freelancing. - test is October ist, E986. OL The contest is-open to ail B.C. Indians. ag: The niinimwm size of photograph submitted should a ail photographs submitted to the contest rast be taken by the person entering the contest, 4, Photographs submitted to the contest shail not be 5. The contest is closed to all UBCIC staff plus phato- graphers of magazines and newspapers whether they 6, The deadline for entries into the phate For ge eeoraaton be contact oe coe qa! found. “‘We are astonished,’’ stated the Tribal-Council in a telex to Fisheries Minister Romeo LeBlanc, ‘‘that your government could subject our people to such risk, without the slightest con- sultation with us. It has become evi- dent that the information upon which you and your Cabinet based your de- cision was incomplete and misleading...We will not sit back and watch while we are made into guinea pigs in an_ environmental experiment undertaken with such reckless disregard for our health and our way of life.”’ This has become more-than an In- dian issue, says the Tribal Council. This multi-national company is about to completely smother and contamin- ate the sea life of one of B.C.’s most beautiful fjords. Many environmental groups have come out in support of the Nishgas’ struggle. They are demanding that the Federal Government immediately revoke the Alice Arm = Order-in-Council and demanding a full and public inquiry into the impact of the Amax proposal. The Nishga Tribal Council is asking for support in the form of written letters to the Minister of Fisheries to back their demands. @ AnIndian- owned general development i | Z | consulting group oe - (indian Consulting Group) Ltd. Economic feasibility studies Preparation of funding proposals Project planning/implementation Socio-economic impact analysis Negotiations with government/industry | Band organization and training graphy con | 225-744 West Hastings Street Vancouver (604) 682-7615 V6C 1A5 INDIAN WORLD 9  MUNRO’S FLYING VISIT WITH INTERIOR BANDS Report from Lynn Jorgensson, Nicola Indian Leaders of the Central Interior Tribal Council were supposed to meet in Kamloops with John Munro, Mini- ster of Indian Affairs on the evening of July 31st. That meeting was can- celled but a few well-placed phone calls revealed that most of the top level Regional office staff also hap- pened to be in Kamloops that eve- ning. They had not been invited - However, the tightly scheduled next day went well and Interior lea- ders felt that a good deal was accom- plished. Because the people had felt their requirements would be under- stood better if the Minister was actu- ally at their Bands to see conditions for himself, the tour was made by helicopter. Erosion at North Thompson The first stop was to inspect river bank erosion at the North Thompson reserve. 100 acres have been eroded since 1878. The Province refuses to help since this is on Indian land. Special Arda is doing a feasibility study but federal funding would be required. te The next stop was Lillooet.(p.17) Lytton School When the Minister met with Chief Nathan Spinks of Lytton, it was to discuss the leasing of former Indian residential school, St. Georges, to a non-Indian. The people feel the lease was badly handled by the DIA — and that the lessee is abusing his privi- leges. John Munro promised to help terminate the lease and turn the school land to reserve lands. Sharori Spinks spoke of the problems their childrem are experiencing in the Pro- vincial school system: the Band wants their MTA dollars returned to the In- dians. ‘‘We contribute money to the school via the MTA, we should be able to do ’something,’’ responded the. Minister. INDIAN WORLD [0 Upper Nicola Concerns on Con- stitutional Representation At the Shulus kindergarten, Chief George Saddleman of the Upper Nicola. Band and chairman of the local Area Council, spoke of his concern that the Minister alone would not be able to adequately rep- resent Indian people at constitutional talks. It was certain that the B.C. government would not even try. He called for Indian representation there. Finally a pair of: beautiful buckskin gloves made by Shulee Kilroy was presented to the Minister. NVIA: Trial Operation Outside DIA At the Nicola Valley Indian admin- istration, Chief Gordon Antoine of the Coldwater Band spoke for an agreement for long-term Indian government that would lessen a lot of red tape. He suggested a trial budget . for local Bands there to operate out- side of the department. The minister gave his support for the idea. The ' Significance of Spotted Lake ; At this stage, Chief Wayne Chris- tian accompanied the Minister on an unscheduled ride over Spotted Lake. Minister was trying to understand the spiritual value of the lake and it strengthened his interest in buying back the lake as a ‘‘commonage reserve,’’ . Back in Kamloops, Don Moses pre- sented the CITC ‘‘Red Book’’ for. Band Delivery of Services; and Ger- ald Etienne of the South Central Area Council presented the Hat Creek Statement of Risk. John Munroe guaranteed support. | Core Funding Herman Phillips of Boston Bar called for an annual increase of 10% core funding to keep up with infla- tion. As well, when it comes to per capita funding, B.C. and Ontario are definitely down at the bottom. While John Munro pledged to put things up to a more equal footing, he warned that it would take 3 or 4 years. Return of Cut Off Lands Agreed employment. on the project. To But Not Forthcoming Chief Morris Kruger of Penticton Band brought up the question of cut- off lands. For his Band this involved 11,000 acres. The Band had accepted the provincial government’s offer of last year but it seems that each gov- ernment was waiting for the other to act and nothing was happening. Similkameen Erosion Chiefs Barnie Allison .of Lower Similkameen and Slim Allison of Upper Similkameen spoke of their river erosion problem. Special Arda had already contributed 75% of the necessary funding to resolve the problem and needs a federal contri- bution of 25%. This was guaranteed. Alaska Highway Pipeline It was the problems connected to the Alaska Highway Pipeline that concerned Chief Sophie Pierre, chair- person of the Kootenay Indian Area Council. Chey had presented two submissions to Ottawa and had heard nothing. The Kootenay people felt that they are going to feel the brunt of the construction problems and they at least. want meaningful The Minister promised to follow up Membership: A Band Decision Under section 4 of the Indian Act, the Chief can call a moratorium on section 12 by a simple BCR, which then leaves the decision in Band - hands. Housing Funds a Priority Housing had been his priority since his appointment, claimed the Minister. He is kind of proud that he had been the only minister to get any .extra funds out of Treasury Board: there is now 94 million dollars avail- able for housing. That was an extra 20 million for housing plus 8.1 million dollars that were included at the last minute for labour costs. 4,046 million extra dollars were allotted to _ B.C. Because the money had been gotten on an emergency basis, it was immediately available and should be used by October-November. That evening leaders expressed satisfaction with the visit-and at the preparation that had goneintoit. @  NIB DEMANDS CHANGES IN SOCIO-| ECONOMIC THINKING Much of the discussion at the N.I.B. Assembly centred on socio-economic development. Leaders from across Canada found the Department of Indian Affairs more of a liability and obstruction rather than any help in this field. Certainly in B.C. there is no evidence that economic development activities with Indian Bands is on the increase. As a matter of fact, there is reason to believe that such activity is on a serious decline nationally. The lack of development provincially is, - perhaps, partly due to the fact that a great many Indian Bands are not strategically located. For instance, an aspiring Band with strong agriculture skills cannot initiate related projects because their land is on a rock pile or swamp. DIA Has No Clear Philosophy on Indian Economic Development The more serious obstacle to Indian economic devel- | opment is the Department of Indian Affairs’ attitude towards the matter. It must be obvious to the Canadian people in general, that the Department has chosen to adopt a very unrealistic approach to the whole process. Funds Swallowed Up By DIA Bureaucracy Time and time again, the Department has insistently ‘stated that there are just no funds available for this | purpose. Yet, simple research has shown that there are | adequate funds made available which could realize some very profitable projects if done in earnest and systemati- cally. Instead, the greater part of such funds have been absorbed by the Department’s bureaucratic jungle. Trying to Change DIA Thinking The Union, under its mandate, has sought to force the Department to change its thinking in the matter, and bring about the much needed improvements, and will continue to do so. There is ongoing development of workable strategies which might enhance activities in the area of economic development. NIB Calls for Indian Planning and iivntentehtation It is encouraging to see that the National Indian Bro- | therhood has taken the initiative to approach the department in Ottawa and demand that there is an immediate change in the situation, a change that is largely originated, developed and implemented by the Indian. people of Canada. It is only in this way that our interests can best be serviced. NIB ELECTIONS by Sylvia Woods My first trip to an N.I.B. General Assembly in Calgary was quite an experience, both exciting and frustrating. Every morning they had Sunrise Ceremonies by the Elders. J The Conference opened with the signing in of the Chiefs which was very interesting and made me feel good. They entered with the Drummer at the head of the line, then the Elders and then a Chief from each Organization across Canada. They walked to the middle of the room, finished their singing and then an Elder opened the meeting with a prayer. Eugene Steinhauer, new President of the Indian Asso- ciation of Alberta, welcomed everyone to the Twelfth Annual General Assembly of the National Indian Bro- therhood. Chairman Bill Shead called for nominations for the new President of the NIB and an Election Committee was selected. Bobby Manuel accepted nomination in a speech on our Aboriginal Rights position and Treaty Rights. Del Riley accepted his nomination and talked about the issues that we are facing now. = New NIB President Del Riley worked for the Union of Ontario Indians for ten years. Clive Linklater announced he was Sita eauine his can- didacy for N.1:B. President “On Tuesday evening they had an outdoor barbecue at Sarcee Reserve, which is a very beautiful place surrounded by rolling hills. The Chief gave a short talk before everyone left the Reserve and told them that they are welcome back whether at meetings in Alberta or just passing through. The elections took place next day. Bobby Manuel lost by two frustrating votes. Someone from the N.I.B. Office had told the Yukon Delegation that they did not have voting capacity and that they only had observer ‘status so they left. There was supposed to be a re-election because of this but the few delegates that were there voted to leave it as it was. Del Riley is the new President of National Indian Bro- therhood. His Vice-President is Sykes Powderface of Alberta, who has served Indian people in community development since 1961. Wednesday. evening there was an outdoor barbecue and pow-wow at Morley Reserve. There were speeches given by the newly-elected President and Vice-President. There was some discussion on the Constitution and Del Riley made a statement that N.I.B. would set up an office in London, England to keep ongoing talks with the British Parliament. @ INDIAN WORLD 11  SS STONEY CREEK ELDERS SOCIETY PRESENTS 2nd ANNUAL INTERTRIBAL INDIAN DAYS The Stoney Creek Elders gathering held its 3rd annual meeting outside Vanderhoof August 15-16-17. It was attended by, about 500 people per day. Traditional structures were in place- and in use—including skin stretchers, fishwracks, teepees and bark baskets. © Reference to the Elders was shown in cultural displays, native dancers and speeches. A La’Hal tournament was played throughout the meeting. Prince George and Stoney Creek dancers in | full native dress took part in Grand Entry, as well as dancers from Skide- gate, Queen Charlotte Islands. Twenty-three of the Haida Dancers under the instruction of Mabel Wilson and Verna Gladstone, high- lighted the festival with their dances. The group has been ‘together for 2 years and has full support.of its Band through community effort. The peo- ple of Skidegate paid for all their dancers and company to participate at Stoney Creek. The Elders Festival was honoured to have Chief Dan George attend. He gave splendid advice, as well as a prayer for the safekeeping of our Elders and for the future of our children. ; The Elders are hoping to have more traditional dress and participation from our children next year, to nurture and strengthen our traditional life style. INDIAN WORLD 12 OUR WORLD er POLE RAISING The wolf stands among his other | animal friends in their village by the sea. Walter Harris carved the newest - pole. With the people of ’Ksan he dedicated the pole to inspire future generations and show respect to the grandfathers who shared their know- ledge and recorded history through legends and carving totem poles, by Joanne Dickson and Jerry Patrick ae eae,  K’SAN DANCERS i ? a ba 3 In Edmonton, when they perform their celebration, ‘The Breath of Our Grandfathers,’’ the ’Ksan Dancers of Hazelton, B.C. will be guests of the Alberta Diamond Jubilee Committee. They perform for five nights beginning Monday, August 18, 1980. r The ’Ksan group has been the guests of UNESCO on several occasions and performed to standing ovations during the Cultural Olympics in Montreal in 1976, *Ksan uses a condensed version of an 1880 ‘‘Potlatch’’ as a window through which the audience may glimpse the stature of the culture their ancestors enjoyed. In the photos you see the bear Nax Nok, the Beaver and the Bear Warrior. NITEP GRADUATE by Francis Johnson I was among the 3000 grads who graduated this year from U.B.C. Nine of us graduated from the Nitep program. The families, = relatives, and friends of the ized till the ceremony began. My family friends, = and relatives also cele- brated my happiness with me, Attending the Nitep : gathering were Nitep board members, members of the Nitep staff, members from the faculty of U.B.C., and others. Thelma Cook and Lonnie Hindle gave a speech to begin the ceremony. Robert Sterling then presented each of the grads with a gold pin as well as congratulating them. After that there was more well wishing, more talk- ing and more picture taking. After there was more picture taking when we donned our gowns. From there we went to the Student Union Building to get our degree before we went into the War Memorial Gym. Despite the amount of students milling around I finally found my place. We then marched to the gym and were seated. It was an honour to be able to walk up in line, have my name called out by the Dean and kneel in front of the large audience before the Chancellor to be tapped on the head with his cap. When I stood I felt like shouting to the Native people, ‘‘I did it, so can you!”’ ey {iia SETON MARATHON On an August Sunday morning the runners sat around a fire for the sharing of a peace pipe and blessing. Each runner was given a piece of burnt wood (ash) from the Great Spirit. - The run was 21 miles, which took three hours along a rugged and fierce road. The ladies started at Roaring Creek which is about halfway through to Seton Portage. The winner was Hack Terry from Seton Portage. Second was Jimmy Peters from D’Arcy. ‘““Wonnie’’ came first among the five After breakfast, more people arrived Teepees were erected and the sound of drums and singing could be heard ladies that ran. from far-off. INDIAN WORLD 13  Canim Lake Trappers study Story prepared by a few Trappers of | the Canim Lake Band and the Band Manager. The Canim Lake Village Reserve is located about 30 km north east of 100 ‘Mile House, in the southern Cariboo. Trapping was carried out by many of the Band members years ago but the amount of trapping by Band members has gone down a lot in recent years. Interest is reviving now and some people have shown a desire to return to trapping, while others who are younger want to learn more about this traditional practice. There are at least 20 men on the Reserve who want to‘trap every year. About 12 of them took a course on trapping last winter and were awarded certifi- cates recognizing their knowledge. The Band trappers have decided to ‘hold at least one meeting a month to work on problems and goals. Meet- ings were held on the Reserve on June 24, July 29 and August 14, Represen- tatives of Band trappers attended the Trappers Forum sponsored by UBCIC and held at Williams Lake June 25 and 26. 4 4 and stretching beaver at Alexis Lake Johnny Stump, aged 86, skinning in the Chilcotin, .Central Interior. Trapping has been a way of life io | Johnny, a Chilcotin Indian Elder, and he has very strong ties to the land. Be *y | oir > rn 7 | | BAN D RESOURCES DON 'T HAVE TO CONFLICT Recently the Band got copies of © maps from the Fish and Wildlife Branch which show the locations of local Indian traplines. These locations are being checked for accu- racy by the Band trappers and are being marked on another more de- tailed integrated resources map which INDIAN WORLD 14 was prepared by a group of Band members during a 2-week wildlife research field trip in July. Integrated Resource Management Program This research, which has really just begun, is part of the Band’s long- term Integrated Resource Manage- ment Program. Some of the activities carried out by the Band members in company with a wildlife specialist on the field study included: ¢ the procedures to evaluate wildlife resources and habitat e evaluation: of important habitat areas of moose, mule deer; how  Carrying on a tradition and a life they wouldn’t trade for anything are the sons of Johnny Stump. On the left is the elder son Lawrence, holding antlers he found for the picture and his wife Katie enjoying fresh perked coffee. On the right Johnny’s second eldest son enjoys the antics of his older brother with Judy. _ Photos: Courtesy Stanley Stump Pe | Beaver stretched and drying near Line cabin at Alexis Lake. Mark Boyce and Jim Frank of Canim Lake at the Trappers’ Forum. much they were using shrubs, etc. e looked at why certain ranges were favored more than others * how to use Brunton compass, read maps and aerial photos e looked at possible fish spawning areas, probable fish supply in cer- tain lakes, and how this relates to potential tourist market ® discussed the use of one resource with another, e.g. type and location of logging and how it might affect lakes, streams, etc. Some of the Problems that the Band trappers noted at recent meetings included: ® logging too close to lakes and creeks, affecting spawning beds * trappers take backseat to new hou- ses and private developments start- ing in the bush. Trappers have to go © around new development sites. ¢ Conflict of private property own- ers and trappers, e.g. where creek goes through both areas; threats made on notes or in person to trap- -pers; traps taken away by private property owners. e Middlemen selling furs. We should return to system of trapping quan- tity you have tag for. No poaching ' to be tolerated. * People leaving carcass to waste— shooting animals for pleasure. ¢ Insufficient funds available to assist trappers The Band trappers plan to look into these and other issues during the coming year. Some activities planned so far are: e sharing information and knowledge about trapping with each other . e make decisions on ways to solve present problems, aprticularly care- less logging practices © build cabins at certain trapline locations ¢ hold a Trappers Workshop in Sep- tember with neighboring Bands ¢ keep informed about the progress of the development of a B.C. In- dian Trappers Association as de- cided at the Trappers Forum in Williams Lake. INDIAN WORLD i  “SAVING WHAT WE’RE ~ FIGHTING FOR”? Fish Management B.C./Washington Indians Sharing Information On July 30 the fishing portfolio and Indian delegates from _ the | Northwest met in I onar Ellawa Port Angeles, Washington. In attendance were food fishing delegates from each district in B.C. that could attend. Indians do not recognize the Canada/U.S. border because when it was first set up it div- | ided nations, tribes and even families _of Indian people across Canada and the United States. That is just a very small sample of a | problem that Indians must cope with | for the moment. It is the goal of UBCIC and tribes of the Northwest to resolve problems | like this one. This is not the first meeting but in fact is a continuation of a March 7th, 1980 meeting at the UBCIC boardroom. Our most ‘gracious host Jerry Charles chaired the meeting and also made sure Indians were met at the airport and ferry docks. In this meet- ing the delegates expressed their views on various subjects and possible solutions: supertankers, pollution of our rivers and how to manage and conserve the fishery resource. Discus- sion included how to_ resolve | problems of developing a hatchery both economically and physically. Jerry Charles gave a tour of their very successful hatchery and explained its potential. The next meeting was scheduled to be in Van- couver in October, 1980. The people of the Sklallum Band | barbecued a delicious salmon dinner, | working hours before the meeting began. INDIAN WORLID 16 THE BRIDGE RIVER For three days in August the people of Bridge River invited Indian people to share in celebrating an important anniversary for them, It was two years ago that the courts confirmed ~ what Indians know: our . exclusive right to fish. Bradley Bob was there: his: was the test case to prove that right. So too were many of the other fishermen who had fished that day in - 1978 in their strong belief in that right. Federal fisheries had cut down on Indian fishing to two days a week and the people were demonstrating that they: had no right to do that. They felt Fisheries was regulating In- dians rather than conserving salmon. The Celebrations Have a Serious Air — For the most part, however, the gathering was quiet, as people drop- ped.in for a meal of fresh deer meat ‘and barbequed salmon and went right back to their fishing stations. On Saturday and Sunday afternoons, the Lillooet area chiefs and representa- tives from neighbouring areas met under a large tent to discuss the main topic in everyone’s mind and the rea- son also why the celebration had a serious air. This year the salmon stocks are lower than ever, and in the interests of conservation people have had to cut down on their food fishing. . No Victory if no Salmon Left As Chief Saul Terry explained to the large crowd who came on Saturday night, ‘“Now we have to make sure we have something to fight for. We have won the right to fish, but if there are no salmon left to fish for, it is not much of a victory.’’ The people had been very worried over the lower stocks going up the Fraser in July, and hardly anyone had been fishing at all during that month. FISH IN eR : , pp ; e * Chief Nathan Spinks of Lytton had just returned from a visit to the Stuart- Trembleur Band with a disturbing report that only seven thousand salmon had reached the spawning grounds there.’ And he also brought back news that touched directly on the reason for the salmon depletion:  dl the people of Stuart-Trembleur were worried over logging company plans to put truck crossings across five of the main spawning channels. The areas around the lakes where the salmon go to spawn is also very good for logging: and there is the conflict. Five pulp mills empty pollutants just into the Thompson, which flows into the Fraser. The other major reason for salmon depletion, of course, is the pollution and poisonous wastes that are emptied into the Fraser. Indian Provincial Conservation Management Commission Being Formed Chief Saul Terry reported to the people how local chiefs had met with the DIA Minister very briefly to express these concerns and he had been promised a return visit. Federal Fisheries have not been able to pro- tect the salmon from industry. The International Pacific Salmon Com- mission is more of a political organi- zation to regulate conservation but has also failed so far to exert the necessary pressures to pull industries into line. Most of their efforts have been on deciding on equal Canadian/ U.S.A. catch limitations. Attempts to have direct Indian representation on this commission have failed so far. In fact, since the Indian people of Washington state and B.C. have been meeting about fish management. People have felt that the commission has tried to turn us against each other. Like the Bradley Bob decision for the Lillooet people, the Boldt decision has only been a partial victory for the Indian people of Washington state. The pressure is on again now and things are going to get worse, warned Saul Terry. In spite of court victories that forced fish and wildlife officers to stop arresting Indian people on fishing and hunting charges, news has just been received of three Lytton people arrested for hunting on reserve lands. Respected Elder and salmon expert Ed Thevarge of D’Arcy was also camping down by Bridge river and he too talked to and encouraged the peo- ple who have come to listen to and dance with the Lillooet singers and drummers. After that there was an honour song dedicated to the salmon. The Indian government flag was raised on Sunday, visible from most of the fishing stations and giving the © people strength and hope for what is going to be a long battle. Jay Treaty Kincolith fishermen angered at charge of ‘‘alien’’ in Alaska waters The border that separates Canada from the United States has created many problems for Indian people. Tribes have been divided between the two countries, our former easy movement and trade has become inhibited by formal border cross- ings. A treaty signed between the Canadian and United States govern- ments almost 200 years ago, called the Jay Treaty, in theory guarantees Indian people ‘‘the right to freely cross the border and to work in the United States without regard to im- migration laws.’’ This treaty has be- come a legal joke, because neither the United States nor the Canadian government truly recognizes it. Yet: the ink has dried in the law-books, and the words of the Treaty reriain, like so many others, an ignored real- ‘ity, A new development concerning the Jay Treaty has recently ogeurred —the three members: ot the House : Nishga tribe hope to use. fhe reaty to clear themselves af che es os Sie William, Lin 1c’ in and ( Gec 190 Nel. son, of Kincolith, In addition to claiming — the Jay Treaty as a defense, the men. are. ne an 1888. agreement signed by Chief Alfred Mountain and Charles Thomas, the captain of a steamer doing work fer — the government of the United States. | The agreement says that after Chief Mountain moved kis Band to the American side of Portland Canal, the chief ‘‘wil] not be disturbed in his position by any United States authorities.” Fred Lineoln, one of the three fishermen arrested in July, is the great-great-grandson of Chief Mountain. ss eee of their claim of ual, or men are " peeeiving: compensation through the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act; all three hold social se “urity cards for the United States. Tommy Dennis is a spokesman for the House of Mountain Band | and the Nishga Tribe. He says the fishermen believe the United States waters belonged to them in the beginning. (Mr.} Dennis says the meh were charged as ‘‘aliens’’ ille- gally fishing in American waters, and that his people find this term demeaning. The three men say they drifted into United States waters in rough weather while they wéere-sleeping. They have pleaded not guilty to the charges. INDIAN WORLD 17  Harassment instead of Conservation On August 13, 1980 one of our Elders, Willie Hans, crossed to the north side of the Bella Coola River to tend his fruit and vegetable garden. Upon his return he was approached and questioned by a young, rather abrasive federal fisheries officer re- garding his use of a power boat to cross the river. Willie explained quickly how the old foot bridge was washed out by a flood and that the power boat was the safest means of crossing the river, especially with women and children. Not expecting any reply, the officer handed Willie a summons to appear before court on October 1, 1980. The following day Willie, still infuriated by the previous day’s events, requested assistance from the Band office. Charged Under a Law that Doesn’t Exist Yet Upon investigation by the Chief we discovered “some very interesting things. It turns out the regulation he was charged with, wasn’t even pro- claimed law yet. It is only a proposed - regulation, which may be proclaimed law under the Canada Shipping Act by Ottawa in another three or four months. When this was brought to the attention of the fisheries officer, the charge was quickly dropped. We could see Willie’s thoughts. Do they really think that I am responsible for the destruction of the salmon re- source? Doesn’t the fisheries depart- INDIAN WORLD 18 ment of the federal government have more important things to do than to harass me? Maybe I should tell them a few things that we told MacKenzie about the salmon resource when he first came to Bella Coola.” — Facing the Real Culprits They should know salmon are sen- sitive, like us, to pollution from mills and industrial sewers. Mining efflu- ents being dumped into rivers and streams choke them and lessen the chance of the spawn to survive. Logging industry has contributed to the depletion of our salmon stocks. Logging too close to the streams causes siltation, affects the oxygen in the water, and disrupts the spawning beds. Dragging logs right through the rivers must be obviously harmful to our salmon. Too Many Bosts Commercial fishing should be con- trolled better. There are far too many boats. Why should teachers, lawyers,. doctors, businessmen be allowed to fish commercially? I heard that trollers are disregarding the small fish that they claim are unsuitable for the market. What chance do they have to survive after having a hook put into their mouth? Highly electronic technology has made it difficult for salmon and herring to camouflage themselves from the fishing fleet. The seiners have better gear and are allowed to FEDERAL. FISHERIES MIX UP PRIORI- | TIES fish around rivers and the mouths of very sensitive inlets. Multi-national companies are using _ ruthless harvesting practices. Salmon Suffer While Govern- ments Fight Over Jurisdiction During the past month we have seen the federal and provincial gov- ernments dispute over who has juris- diction over the amount of water that Alcan should be allowing to flow into the Nechako river system. It is un- likely that anything will get done at least for this year. This multi-national company has the power to tie up those orders from government for years in the courts, at the expense of the salmon. Willie Hans will continue to cross the Bella Coola River to tend his garden. Indian people will continue to fish on the river. They only wish that the government and the public would do something about the real culprits in the management of the fishing resource. It’s A Question of Good Management Willie Hans is not responsible far the depletion of the salmon stocks. The federal and provincial govern- ments must address the problem at its source. They must stop using Indians _as‘scapegoats for their own misman- agement. The government must tight- en up and review their own manage- ment policies. @   Traditionally, as abor- iginal people, we had supreme and ab- solute power over our territories, Our resour- ces and our lives. We had theright to govern, to make laws and enforce laws, to decide citizenship, to wage war, to make peace and to manage our lands, resources and istitu- tions. We had our own political, legal, social and economic sys- tems. . The power to govern rests with the people and, like our aboriginal rights, it comes from within the people and cannot be taken away. Our Aboriginal Rights Position Paper represents the foundation upon which we, the Indian people of British Columbia, will negotiate a better relationship within Canada. Since 1969, the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs has been in- volved in extensive research and consultation with Indian people through- out the province in relation to the totality of Aboriginal Rights. Wehave found through this work that our people have no desire, under any circumstances, to see our Aboriginal Rights extinguished. Our people have always said that our Aboriginal Rights cannot be bought, sold, traded or extinguished by any government. Our responsibilities and our right to be who we are can never be relinquished. The Indian Chiefs of Bri- tish Columbia in legislative assembly, do here- _by proclaim as our Aboriginal Rights Position that: 1. We are the original people ee ; of this land and have the 7 absolute right to self-deter- mination through our own unique form of Indian Gov- ernments (Band Councils). 2. Our Aboriginal Rights to self-determination, through our own unique forms of Indian Governments are to be confirmed, strengthened and expanded, through the British North America Act. INDIAN WORLD 20  whey “Ss A Ts 3. Our Indian Reserve Lands are to be expanded to a size} that is large enough to provide for the essential needs of 4. Enough lands, waters, forestry,.minerals, oils, gas, wildlife, fish and financial resources are to be made avail- able to our Indian Governments on a continuing basis and in sufficient quantities to ensure socio-economic self-determination for the peace, order and just “gov ernment of Indian people. 4 a Lt x. Zs iy (qu 5. Our Indian Governments or Legislatures are to have exclusive jurisdiction to make laws in relation to the fol- lowing matters (without limiting the scope of the possible subjects to be under the jurisdiction and authority of our indian Governments); INDIAN WORLD 21  ( Section 1: Constitutions The development of a constitution and the amendment, from time to time, of the con- stitutions of our Indian Governments. Section 2: Citizenship c Regulations as to who shall be a citizenora * member of our Bands. | Section 3: Land Management cre “Gece, ee ae . | q The management of all Indian reserve = — wl lands, including all other lands or resource -_. ; 3 el | ~ a / a qe areas under Indian Government jurisdic- a 7 — bh i tion. s Niet i Ae BN sees = ! The Mowachaht people held Band Hearthes ona a Band law to regulate pollution over their lands. A pulp mill leasing land from the Band has | Section 4: Water Management been forced to follow Band pollution controls. All waterways and bodies of water asso- tr ciated with our reserve lands, including any form of water rights and foreshore rights under Indian Government jurisdiction. | Section 5: Air All air space above all our reserve lands; waters and resource areas. . Section 6: Forests All our forests on reserve lands, including all other Indian forest resource reserves. Section 7: Mineral Resources All mineral resources under and within boundaries of all those lands, waters and ; resource areas established under Indian Alkali Band hunters ConTined their rights to hunt in a court victory Government jurisdiction. in March, 1980. This was followed by a full Band meeting to discuss See laws to ensure their hunting rights in traditional lands. Section 8: Oil and Gas All oil and gas resources within the boun- daries of our reserve lands and within any additional lands or waters that, from time to time, may be negotiated and agreed to by the federal, provincial and Indian Gov- ernments as being under the jurisdiction of Indian Governments. Section 9: Migratory Birds The conservation management of all migratory birds that pass through our lands, including migratory bird sanctuary © : During the Alaska Highway Pipeline hearings, the people of the reserves that will be established under the. northeast made it clear that their oil and mineral rights have never wee isdiction of Indian Government, | been surrendered with their knowledge or consent. INDIAN WORLD 22  RISHINS Bands all over B.C. are making Band laws on the proper management and conservation of our fishing resources. The K wakiutl people of Gene Mudge have Padiled Sacred potlatch artifacts that were confiscated earlier this perutUry when PORMinnes were ou tla wed. SAE O4% PARIS oat Ww INK eee Zs, aay Pa ce » tb Communications Our Way: Bands, Tribal Councils and Indian pro- vincial organizations have our own news and information system. _ Section 11: Fish ‘on such matters as trade, commerce, and : Section 15: Education —_— , : = Section 10: Wildlife All our wildlife resources in reserve lands and all other wildlife resource areas under the jurisdiction of Indian Governments. All our fish resources in the waters defined as Indian Fisheries. Section 12: Conservation The conservation of all our lands, waters and resources. Section 13: Environment The productive management of our environment. Section 14: Economy The establishment and management of the economy through the development, imple- mentation and enforcement of regulations, | the formation of companies within the framework of Indian Government objectives. All areas of Indian education as defined by the authority and jurisdiction of Indian Governments. Section 16: Social Order The maintenance of social order. Section 17: Health The proper health, welfare and care of our people. Section 18: Marriage The solemnization and dissolution of marriage within the institutions of tradi- tional Indian religions. Section 19: Culture and Religion The safeguarding of all Indian sacred places. The protection of our right to practice our religions, cultures and languages. Section 20: Communications The development of communication systems. INDIAN WORLD 23  Section 21: Taxation All revenues coming in within the jurisdic- - semper tion of Indian Governments. eT! Section 22: Justice Justice, including the constitution, main- tenance and organization of Indian Government courts. Section 23: Penal System The imposition of penalties for breaking 4 . any laws of the Indian Governments, a Section 24: Local and Private Matters All matters of local or private nature on our lands, including other lands, waters and resource areas that will, from time to time, be established within Indian Govern- _ ment jurisdictional boundaries. “The DeEBTe oF Spallumcheen have made a Band law TOE gives en full responsibility for the welfare, protection and custody of the children in their Band. In declaring our Aboriginal Rights Position, we are re- affirming our right to be here and, are re-affirming the responsibilities given to all nations of Indians on this continent. These rights and responsibilities held us together as nations of people for thousands of years and we celebrate our survival and the beauty of our land. The relationship which exists between Indian nations and the Governments of Canada has never been clearly understood. We have always taken for granted that Indian institutions.and European institutions would co- exist in Canada. Many of the European colonial leaders INDIAN WORLD 24 held a similar conviction. They asked our leaders to make alliances and agreements. They did not question the authority of our leaders to speak on behalf of our people, just as out leaders did not question the A ULHOUILY. of the colonial leaders. But other colonial figures refused to recognize Indian governments. They called for the destruction not only of Indian governments and Indian cultures, but of Indian people themselves, These two opposite views have continued to co-exist in Canada and in British Columbia.  The Basic Principles Two principles are basic to the position of the Indian people of British Columbia. The first is the principle of ' self-determination of peoples. This is a principle of International Law: ‘All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political Status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.”’ Canada has signed its support of this principle. To work, it must exist with a second principle: the equality of peoples. For self-determinationtohave _ meaning, there must be a basic respect between political communities. : The British North America Act of 1867 sets Indian nations apart, recognizing their uniqueness within Canada. Canadian governments have undercut that fact by deliberately making these constitutional guarantees as weak as possible. Indian governments are treated as municipal governments. Our communities are unique because they come under federal jurisdiction, yet they have not been given full recognition as a distinct order of government within Canada. This can change. Canada can fulfill the promise of the British North America Act and take a leading role internationally in applying the principles of self-determinatidn and equality of indigenous people. 1. The Constitutional Structure Section 91(24) of the British North America Act of 1867 gave the Parliament of Canada legislative jurisdiction over ‘‘Indians and Lands reserved for the Indians.’’ The Indian Act, which was passed under the authority of Section 91(24), is treated by Canadian law as the source of authority for Indian Band councils. Indian governments existed for thousands of years before Euro- peans came to Canada. We can never accept the notion that the authority of our governments is a grant from those who came from elsewhere. The proper way to establish Indian relations to the rest of Canada is not by the Indian Act but by a basic political agreement, or ~ contract. The agreement will be recognized as part of the constitution of Canada. As an agreement it cannot be changed without the consent of both sides. As part of the Constitution both sides will be compelled, by law, to respect its terms. The agreement will describe the place of Indian governments within Canadian federalism. It will define Indian rights‘to renewable resources—rights to hunt, ‘fish, trap and gather—on lands outside the limits of Indian governments. It will also deal with the Jay Treaty Rights, resource sharing, taxation, the superiority of _Indian Government laws over provincial legislation and ‘ Indian representation in the institutions of the central government. Our right of self-determination is a right which we have not surrendered and will not surrender. The Canadian government will have to accept that Indian people are a people who will not dis- appear. The Position of the Indians of British Columbia To the Indian people of British Columbia, the questions of the constitution, the Indian Act and Land Claims are simply different parts-of Aboriginal Rights. They can be resolved by full recognition of Indian Gov- things are now. ernment. That recognition requires changes to the way 2. The Powers of Indian Governments | Band Governments will be strengthened and will be the basic units of Indian Government. Indian people will directly elect our representatives to the new governmental body. The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs-has defined the powers it feels are appropriate for Indian governments. ; These are set out in twenty-four points. The powers of - Indian governments will basically be-similar to those of INDIAN WORLD 25  base for Indian communities. Land and resource issues have never been resolved in British Columbia, a fact a on by the federal government in their e me on Aboriginal Title Claims in 1973. the provinces. In addition certain powers that are presently federal, such as powers in relation to fisheries, marriage and divorce, must'be restored to Indian govern- ck ments for the areas under the jurisdiction of those Nw governments. Indian govern Vitkhave the authority to draft == ne. Equatization Payments Bills of Rights which will apply within their jurisdiction Seco Indian governmients, like overn- in the same way that certain provinees have their own Bill ~ e eee qualify f¢ izati agree of Rights. : ‘there should b i am mens all parts of the country. The mayitarss are ueouatGnal 3ser on to.the Institutions of the The provinces are free to choose their own priorities. This al nmefit is the kind of block, predictable funding that Band i defirfethe structure and the powers governments have sought for their people. It is funding and its relationship to other based on need, not short-term_politics. For example, in SS a | he fiscal year 1999-80, Prip ard Island received be parall aT a bx <i avernment willy a =payrientss It has Sl ge ove ers ile the jurisdictions hremsenrdpe ‘ople.-Fo ermments (and outside Mesuagiction of eqializatien paymentghave rep sc eiwem alae ae OF nments); Relations between Indian their governm — —. — provinclaligovernments will be handled ———=—— t (as relatiofis.between provinces are c. Delivery of Services ens within the juri ion of either Thirdly, Indian governments must be responsible for Or a provincial government will the delivery of programs and services to Indian people eral parliament and be repre- funded by the federal government. There is now a large, = central government costly, inefficient bureaucracy to deliver services and Ba ghannel nionies for Indian people. The Indian Affairs dian gc ase distinct _,bureat¢eracy competes with Indian governments for rp Oana cay ~— ye, Y afitipinevitably,maintains the colonial neBOK of nada THe = = of Inidian*Za er t relations in Canada. nl so a oa / Direct Tre rang te ‘Pay eigats =) t pvernm nett nf | oCBiNe, aris. pa ther they.a jalizalion, reverm : onies, The en be ~, n thet dget-o} eral Bo ent and aie pat Birectly o India ve mem will be _— ~ handled in the same mare prov neial a and territorial governments. THe eportin ge act ting — willbed defined by agreements to benegotiated between “Indian governments and the-federal government, _and not byt he Department of Indian Affairs or any other _ government department. This will establish maximum es ADIHG Gare will dramatically.reduce the adininistrative vECl, aN SS mente ients dire : of Ir pe ee nent in | dia in LW JF ; F es . ik! a See Cl * pLAr tz si ame ale a — arrangell int } Historically, Eure es with little or no ities intoa eee not lead to any d any positive solutions. Phe ie Local Government Guidelines at 1975-happe ed’ again in 19802with the Local ! Services. == — ~~~ Constitutio n— = oo continue unless basic changes are 2 We don ot wa boriginal Rights © nancia ] arrangements whictraffeet’ our = _whieh in dnl reflect ay eNermination ora final eer 5, It is © y when structures of dependence ~ cash se en oe 7 s Ba 2 d Alaska t type anc welfare are rem. mee nee equality and self-determin- _ of agreements en h ecagnitiomo dian = See Pee r demain acontinuing b is withi A afiadian, . ang? “federalism. Indian self-determination will ee both ~~ + Land ase > ene 4 Indian people and non-Indian peopléfrom man : here must be an increased land [and resource — - colonialism and-dependence. ~ = SS INDIAN WORLD 26  ATLIN BAND WANTS IN TO B.C. The Indian people of Northern B.C. are administered partly by B. C. and partly by the Yukon. Much of the mismanage- ment and misinformation that this has caused has gone unchecked in the past. Now, however, the Atlin Band is going through their affairs and straightening out the confusion, p about Atlin. The name Atlin comes from the Tlinget word meaning a big body of water. My people, the Tlingets, are ori-. ginally from the Taku River around - the Juneau area. Throughout the year my ancestors used to migrate from the coast all the way up here and some even further to Teslin and to White-- horse to trade. They had a trail they followed each year through — the Taku river valley. My people are known as the Taku river Tlingets: traditionally and still today, the Taku river is hunted and fished by my people. A Living From Commercial River Fishing We fish the river commercially for salmon. There are non-Indian fisher- men there too but hopefully we’ll see more and more of my people down there. At the moment we have six permits, 2 fishermen to a permit. Just last week we cleared the final one. I - can’t use my permit this year because of Band business. The Vancouver office, with UBCIC Fishing Portfolio intervention, agreed my license could be transferred a few months ago but the local official didn’t know any- thing about it. Finally, last week, the okay came down the line for my com- mercial license to be transferred over to Henry Taku Jacks Jr. So this was clarified and it is to the Band’s satis- faction that we announce this now, Food Fishing Rights Confirmed -But Not on Paper Our Band members have found it very difficult to get food fish permits in the past. Even though this was also 4 ee oint by point. Andy Williams, Band Manager, talked to us ra, ‘Chief Sylvester Jack coming into ‘Atlin from his fishing grounds. Band business has concentrated on getting the matters of hunting and fishing sorted out to Band members’ satisfaction. f sorted out in Vancouver a few months ago, the attitude of the local conservation officer was not co- operative. At a meeting last week, to which he was invited, together with a number of UBCIC staff; this matter was finally cleared up. It is our under- standing now that food fishing per- mits will be given to any Band member. There would be no more static, he promised, and it would be for 7 days a week in Atlin Lake. We also food fish along the Taku river for five days when there is no commercial selling to the fish packers. We want a formal agreement now, something written on paper, in case they come back and say—no, you can’t do that after all. Prejudice Confronted At the same meeting, we cleared up the matter of hunting permits. The ‘Band members felt the local conservation officer had been prejudiced when it came to handing out permits. He was more free with hunting permits to people on welfare in town than to people on-reserve on UIC, which is less. When one of the boys would go down for a permit, they’d damn near have to get on their knees to get it. We are almost totally dependent on game during the slow winter months. His boss was there at the meeting and now we have an agreement that any Band member who wishes to kill a moose in winter will have to come before the Band council. The council will look into his case and if he needs one they will give a letter recommending that the con- servation officer grant the Band member a license. We’re satisfied with this, up to a point. We’ll just have to see how it works and if it doesn’t, we’ll have to pursue it from a different angle. (continued on page 32) ENDIAN WORLD 27  We talk about our people More as problems Than as resources. Why? | Do we do better When we speak of our land? Good acreage Many of us have, How do our members benefit? In our Aboriginal Rights Position Paper We read about the need To meet essential needs _ Of our people. We also read that We have | Every reason And right To Bear our responsibilities In this land. It is the land That binds us As a people. It can be said © To give us An identity. From the outside, This appears to be so. Tis different From the inside Is it not? The world Of a newborn child Is the world created By his family. That which happens And does not happen Within the four walls Of the home Can strongly influence The way This new Tribal member Will grow Physically, Emotionally | And Mentally. INIXHAN WORLD 28 With nourishing food, Warm and clean shelter, Parental love and attention, Mental stimulation From the singing, the talking And many things the eye - Can see The hand can touch The nose can smell The ear can hear The child will grow. His needs are well met. His potential is being developed. He knows He is a valued resource. THE WAY—  or Grandma or Grandpa for that matter. ‘Who continues to try SHARING Let’s do our best To count our strengths, Recognize and develop them, for our future ; Can best be built By pooling our strengths To ensure that We each . Will have the right to choose And to determine our future. by Bil! Mussell Skwah Band ’ So that they too know The infant’s need For physical, emotional And mental nourishment Is really no different From thé basic human needs Of his sister, his brother, 4 His aunt, his uncle, His. Mom or his Dad Each person wants recognition To feel important, Wanted. Each person needs to know He is a valued resource. Is it not the person Who has the feeling He is needed Who tries to help Himself and others? Is it not this person To get ahead, To work the land, When he or she knows | Someone Genuinely cares And is counting on him to provide? This is the person Who has the capability ~ To help others grow, To provide Leadership By showing others ; How to be independent and resourceful. He can best help us Be a self-determining people. He is a good example Of a responsible Tribal Member. His family helped him To develop a strong identity. Confidence, desire, ability to work hard And to take responsibilities For himself, his family and his community f . Are Rooted to his earliest relationships. He knows he is a valued resource, Can treat others They are important. He knows how to give And to take. Sharing is his way. INDIAN WORLD 29  TAKING JUSTICE INTO OUR OWN HANDS The power that we’ve possessed internally through our Elders, our leaders, and our councils has been gradually eroded. The powers now rest in many different hands and external institutions: much of our political power has been assumed by the federal and provincial governments. Many of our people believe that these governments have that political power, and function according to that belief. And because they have the money, those institutions re-inforce that belief. There are so many doctors, nurses, hospitals and scientific studies, that responsibility for our health lies outside our community. Education is the same way: with all their teachers and universities and colleges, that’s been taken away from the people. Our own people even look towards those things as an answer in those areas. Then we look at justice: the judges, the NS) AS courts, the police are in iy control of law enforcement. WO The parliament is in control WZ of the law-making forces. rept Our Personal Constitutions Internally, everyone has a constitution, they have their own laws to operate by. But our personal constitutions, at the moment, are obviously not good constitutions. They are not effective in terms of improving our lives now. Un- doubtedly there are indivi- duals who have strong and solid constitutions: that they function by, but by and large, most have allowed external controls to influence our own personal laws and principles. A lot of people realize that with their heads,. but they haven’t disciplined themselves enough that they’re going to abide by that constitution they make for them- selves, There are certain things that external forces can INDIAN WORLD 30 as Mey CGincerand Wee OX by Chief Robert Manuel do, like a community as a whole can apply certain kinds of pressure. Like in our community, we will not hire anyone who is not using the job to build a strong found- ation for their family, we choose people that care for their family, act responsibly to their children. Sometimes creating employment allows parents to have babysitters and go out partying, that’s a negative effect _ and we limit that ability. We put a lot of social pressure on people. Freeing Ourselves of External Forces It takes a lot of discipline to go through the process of acting out the changes we want. The crunch came for us lastsummer, when one of our own community members was wronged by the police. Our young men didn’t have the power to stand up to what was right, because they were in control of the local — police. If they didn’t rock the boat, they could be assured of being dealt with less harshly: a kind of ‘‘You ‘scratch my back and I'll scratch yours’’ attitude. We have to get out of that kind of control, so that we can challenge wrong doing, otherwise we'll always be under them, and they are al- galt; i, Ses SG ca y ways going to control us | mentally, and physically. So we don’t go and drive when AW we're drunk, don’t go and I~ fight foolishly and so on. Now we have pretty well et eliminated people from going to court, and the local police don’t have that kind of power over us any more beyond what is their job. In our community, what we had to do was eliminate all external institutions, put them outside. We created a vacuum in our community so that people didn’t have anyone to run to for solutions. Some people tried running to the Union or running to the department of _ Indian Affairs or other places to try and re-attach  themselves to some dependency, but there was a political might to turn these things around so that everybody consulted with the Chief and Council. And our concerns began’to be dealt with internally. It was a long process. It began with the rejection of funds in 1975. All we did was carry through the fact, just keeping the external forces out. Every Community Has Its Laws There are laws in every community but on Indian re- serves, by and large the laws haven’t been fitting. One of the laws was that it was all right to leave my children and wife at home and go to the bar and make excuses why I should be there. There was a law that it was all right to drink on the job, smoke dope on the job. Now in my community we’re saying that those laws are no longer any good and we’re changing the laws. We want a comfortable life, food and shelter. We’re going to change some of the laws because the laws we have are negative ones, they’re not leading us to that. Like in our Band we have just made a law in terms of our equipment. Where a person abuses equipment that is owned by the Band, that person is giv- en 30 hours community work. That means volun- teer work, no pay. The second time we get 60 hours and the third, 90 hours. Now, that’s a law made by our people. The law before was that it was all right to cheat on the machines and the equip- ment. So we made a better law. If we’re going to have progress we’ve got to have good laws. Making Our Laws Better Of course there are problems, We’ve been pushed very hard and a lot of families have learned to protect each other, making excuses for each other for acting irresponsibly. However, if Indian Government is to come into being, then a community law has to be above the individual. There has to be relegation of authority to the community and everybody has to apply themselves according to the laws established by the community. We have to rely on our own people, we have to have faith in ourselves; we have to have faith in ourselves as indivi- duals, have faith too in other people in the community that can help us. We’ve got to have faith so strong that - they are going to stand it. It’s hard to. get people to believe that they can do something. You always have forces in the commu- nity that see the advantages in having external forces in control of our lives and that advantage is that you don’t have to act responsibly. I think the problem in most of our communities is that the external laws are not made by us, so they are not understood very precisely and there is no commitment to them. But when the Band _ makes the law and enforces that law, it becomes a per- sonal responsibility. Like when we started talking about problems with machines and equipment in our Band, we talked about penalties of -30 hours community work and more. This got adopted. Through- out the discussions developing in that policy, one guy sat there, he said he had nothing to say. Finally when it came to the vote he yelled, ‘‘Holy smokes, you don’t know what you’re doing to yourselves.’? Because what the people were doing was taking a responsibility. They were deciding not to allow damages to certain kinds of equip- ment that we have and if there are damages, then these are the penalties that are going to be laid out. When we talk about Indian Government and Aboriginal Rights, it’s talking about internalizing that responsibility and acting accordingly. @ INDIAN WORLD 31  (from page 27) Trap Lines Violated Band members are getting worried - about the number of private buyers taking up land where there are exist- ing Indian traplines. Hefe too we have a beef with the local conserva- tion officer, Brian Petra. I lodged a complaint about trespass on a trapline but it wasn’t acted on for at least a month. By that time of course the snow had melted, all the trails were destroyed, and the person who was trespassing had pulled his traps, sold his furs and left town. . What amazes me is that we are told that this is a democratic government: by, for, and with the people. As soon as us Indians want to do something, © hunt or fish or whatever, there is an official reading out of a _ book, “that’s against the law.’’ As far as the law pertaining to natives are con- cerned, we feel we should have greater participation in making those regulations in our area. We have been pretty well asleep for a few years and we’re just at the stage of getting back on our feet. But that’s the direction we'd like to go in. Priority Is Improving Health Services At the moment, we’re coping with day-to-day affairs. For example, our health services are very poor. We have an elderly registered nurse. She cannot handle the load of about 500 people in the summer and 350 people in the winter. There is no resident doctor in the town. A visiting doctor comes in once every 6 weeks and he INDIAN WORLD 32 writes prescriptions which are filled in . a pharmacy in Whitehorse, 100 miles away. We have to pay half the pre- scriptions. This also applies ‘to glasses. We have an ambulance ser- vice that’s run on a voluntary basis. The other day a friend of mine was in a car accident and we had to wait one anda half hours before the ambu- . lance came to take him to White- horse, another 2 hours drive. People are not happy with the dentist that serves us and we are also expected to pay half the cost of the dental bills. DIA restricts us to this one dentist unless we are prepared to pay the full cost to see another one. ‘ Andy collects water samples The sewer system drains right into the slough which is situated alongside the land set aside for Indians. As the lake waters rise and fall so this drains into the lake and this is where the town gets their drinking water. It’s hard to believe! We complained about it and now the UBCIC Health Portfolio is going to get water sam- ples analyzed. But we do know no more wildlife exists in the slew now as it used to in the past. Diversions of Cultural Education Funds Leave Very Littie for Band Our culture means a great deal to our people. Jack Williams: has re- ported seeing a number of our arti- facts in the Juneau museum. Some have since disappeared from there, maybe to Seattle. These things disap- peared from our “‘old village,’’ like 25 or so muzzle-loader rifles, button blankets, bear traps and wooden, trunks. Anything like that belongs to the clan. No one can sell it without getting permission from the whole clan. The Band feels very strongly that we should get our artifacts back. They belong to our people and we want them. Evelyn Jack and Susan Carlick, are the cultural education teachers here. Their funds should be paid directly to the Band. But instead they are admin- . istered and controlled by the school. Besides we are not getting enough money to administer our cultural edu- cation. It comes through the Council of Yukon Indians. They divide it up amongst their 19 Bands and the Northern B.C. Bands of Atlin and Lower Post. Our funds are then sent through the Fort St. John school dis- trict.-We get a very small share and we feel ripped off. Switching ADministration to B.C. Right now we’re in the midst of trying to switch our administration from the Yukon to’B.C. We want to be administered out of Terrace. Com- pared to Bands in southern B.C., we feel about 75 years behind the time in terms of the service they receive. The way it goes now, CYI are going for complete control of all monies issued to the Yukon Territories for the In- dians. We feel that Atlin, being in B.C., will be left holding the bottom end of the stick. We feel we are in a limbo up here. Our peopleare wanting to go ahead now. In the future, the Atlin Indian Band will be initiating land claims and as a part of our land claims we will be pressing for more participa- tion in government rulings. We are going to stress management of wildlife in the environment. That is our way of life and we’re not going to — be giving it up. e@  Indian Control of . Indian Health BEATING THE ODDS ministries. - The major setback that Indian 1 people are confronted with is the fact | that the government is preoccupied with whining about what isn’t their responsibility, rather than dealing with issues that require attention. Health services for Indian people has suffered this fate. The federal govern- ment’s policy of dividing its responsi- bility for Indian people among differ- id ent ministries and levels of govern- ment has been the primary problem. For example, the desperate housing conditions on reserves, which directly » affect tHe health of Indians, must be through different The fact that spiritual, emotional, and mental health are overlooked also contributes to the addressed Siecle decline i in the status of Indian THE NEW F AMILY AN D CHILD SERVICE ‘Indian Act.” So if there is nothing A New Family and Child Service Act was introduced into the Legis- lature.on August 1, 1980. The new Act will not be law, however, until it. is first debated in the Legislature and then given a final reading. If | and when the Act becomes law, | what will the main effects be on Indian people and our children? Chiefs of Bands to be Given Notice of Hearings The only specific mention of Indian people is a provision which requires that notice of hearings must be given to the Chief of the Indian Band in which the apprehended | child is registered, that is, if the Su- perintendent knows the child is registered with a Band. So if a hearing is held to determine whether a child will be taken away or re- turned to his parents (is “‘in need of protection’’), the Chief will be noti- fied. There are two problems with this provision. First, notice to the _Chief only has to be given ‘if the Superintendent knows the child to - be registered as an Indian under the in the file about a child being regis- tered with a Band, the Chief of the Band probably would not be noti- fied. Secondly, it is possible that ar- rangements can be made without holding a hearing, ‘in which case too the Chief does. not have to be noti- fied. If parents consent to giving up custody of their children before a hearing, no hearing will be held. Also, the new Act seems to encour- age atrangements being made between the Superintendent and the parents, without the necessity of holding a hearing. Therefore, in practice, notice will only be given to Bands where parents object to the apprehension of their children. and where the Superintendent knows that a child is registered with a Band. Other Major Changes Which Wiil Affect indian People There are new sections in the Act which give the Ministry of Human Resources employees a lot more power to decide when a child should be taken away and to make it easier ACT BILL 45 for them to enter homes. The result of these new sections is that appre- hension of our children will be easier. | First, if the social worker is refused entry by the parents, he or she can now phone the judge for a warrant to get entry to the home. Under the old Act, warrants had to be secured in Court. Secondly, the new definition of the conditions under which children can be taken is worded in a very general way; for example ‘‘abused or neglected so that well-being is endangered”’ or ‘*deprived of necessary care through absence or disability of his parent.’’ By using such general words, the social worker will be given more discretion to decide what he or she thinks. is:a situation which requires apprehension. In the ald legislation there were 19 descriptions of | situations when a child could be apprehended; in the new legislation there are only 5. 4 If the new Act becomes law, it is extremely likely that more Indian children will be apprehended. | INDIAN WORLD 33  health. The only possible means of reviving Indian health is through In- dian control. This means raising the position of health on the priority list of Band councils. Indian Health a National Priority In October 1977, the National In- dian Brotherhood passed a resolution to form a technical subcommittee on Indian health. Accordingly, the Na- tional Commission ._Inquiry (NCI), consisting of representatives from the Provincial and Territorial Organiza- tions, was formed to investigate and report on.the historical, social, and | political factors involved in the continuing decline in Indian health. One of the steps the NCI took was to develop ‘‘A Resource Paper for the Development of an Indian Health Council. ”’ Reforming ‘‘Symptom-Treating Approach’’ The purpose of the NCI Resource Papers is to present Indian people with an alternative, forcing our atten- tion on our ever-declining health con- ditions by means.of forming a health council. A resolution was passed at the Twelfth Annual General Assem- bly of the National Indian Brother- hood accepting NCI Resource Papers as the national Indian health policy; but this does not mean that we are restricted to implementing this. We can use it for information purposes and use what suits our needs. A council of this kind would give us a meaningful input in the direction of our health status. This would involve reforming the government’s tom-treating”’ redefining health as it applies to Indi- an people. Basically the NCI Resource Paper presents Indians with the means of implementing Indian Government in ang enek crucial aspect of our lives. What a Heaith Council Could Do The possible functions of a health council vary according to the struc- — ture, the role it plays, and the degree of advancement. Its structure would be determined by the role that the INDIAN WORLD 34 ‘‘symp- | approach, and: Band decides upon. The possible roles could be to act as an agent for Medical Services Branch, a technical resource for the Band Council, a liai- son between Band Council and Medi- cal Services, or an independent struc- ture, parallelling the Indian political Structure and act as a mediator between Medical Services and Band ‘council and its representative organi- zations. The success of the health councils would hinge upon the condi- tion that it originate at the Band level, then proceed at their own pace. The notion of a regional or national health council could come at a later point when Bands are prepared for it. . Starting With Short Term Plans When a health council is getting started, its most likely function would e “ Cd r. a2 a | r “* ; * i? iy = 4 *¥ - on A ee ed . oe jee Cae sg ne ae we © fe o " ta ; i 4 : Kaas ng be to deal with short-term plans or merely reacting to existing problems. With time and experience it would begin advising Band Councils on community concerns. and health problems. When the council feels that Band members are ready it can intro- duce them to health matters by means: of educational programs, meetings, and workshops. At this stage the health council would then be in a po- © sition to assess community health needs and priorities. 3 Long Term Policies to Fit Each Band This skill and bareseuia would allow health councils to begin devel- oping policies and attempting to influence the health policies by parti- cipating in negotiations with Medical Services. Involvement in the policy development process would assist health councils in being able to iden- tify the most effective programs for their community. Their experience would put them in a position to strive to influence the allocation of resour- ces by participating in budgetary ne- gotiations. Final Control of Band Health Matters ‘At this point, the health council would be nearing its goal of imple- menting Indian Government. They would be capable of planning detailed health services and other long-term goals; They would have the compe- implement tence to- their plans. Ultimately the Band would have total administrative, management and con- trol of Indian health. Surviving the Odds _ _— - The improvement of the health status of Indian people is crucial to our survival. Lack of action could mean the increase of infant mortality rates, greater losses of young lives through alcohol and drug abuse, and higher rates of mortality from acci- dents, poisoning, violence, and infectious diseases. No society, including. the Indian race, could survive these odds. If the future . scenario is to include the Indian race, now is the time to combat the health problem which is crippling the very existence of Indian people. @  UP-DATE ADDITIONAL HOUSING CAPITAL DOLLARS FOR BANDS IN B.C. Total Housing funding for B.C. has now been raised to $9,933,000 for this year. The capital subsidy of $12,000.00 will increase up to a maximum of $22,125.00 but it depends whether the reserve is in urban, rural or remote areas. Bands who. have already received the $12,000.00 capital subsidy per unit for 1980/81 will receive additional capital subsidy for those units. _ Bands in urban areas could receive an additional $6,000.00 capital per unit. Bands in rural areas could receive an additional $8,750.00 capital per unit. . Bands in remote areas could receive an additional $10,125.00 capital per unit. DIA has worked out the cost differences per region as per their construction manual issued in April, 1980. This manual determines the cost of construction, cost of building supplies, etc. If the Bands’ new houses are already adequately financed the additional funds may be allocated to major repairs, additional new units or prepurchase of materials for new construction in 1981/82. The number of planned houses for 1980/81 is 490 in B.C. There will be no transportation subsidy for 1980/81. .Bands in urban areas will be allocated an additional $900,000.00. Bands in rural areas will be allocated an additional $1,750,000.00. Bands in remote areas will be allocated an additional $1 ,427,625.00. Bands in B.C. will receive an additional $4,046,000.00. For further information, contact Housing Portfolio, UBCIC. MOUNT CURRIE APPEALS PESTICIDE SPRAYING OF SURROUNDS On July 23rd, the Chairman of the Pesticides Appeal — Board handed down his decision that while B.C. Hydro could not spray Tordon K on reserve lands without Band permission, it could spray on surrounding lands. Chief Allan Stager has asked the UBCIC Legal Task Force to appeal this decision because it did not take notice of the ~ Band pollution law that prohibits spraying on Band land. Tordon K spraying affects surrounding lands for a good distance and the Band would indeed be affected by the Board’s decision. The appeal was lodged on August 20th, 1980. B.C. HYDRO IMPOSES NEW “LEVIES“ The Tsartlip Band has brought additions to their Hydro bills to the attention of the UBCIC Legal Task Force. They have asked the task force to check whether the new municipal transit levy is in fact a form of taxa- tion. If so, it would not be applicable to Indian Bands under the Indian Act. SPOTTED LAKE Because of delays in negotiations over the re-purchase of Spotted Lake by the Department of Indian Affairs, the Minister of Municipal Affairs warned the Okanagan Tribal Council that he could no longer delay the Osoyoos bylaw that would rezone the lake area for commercial purposes. However, the death of owner Ernie Smith on August 16th, 1980, has brought the matter to a stop for the moment. The Okanagan Tribal Council feel that events should wait on the wishes of Mr. Smith’s family, and that negotiations for the purchase of the lake will continue once the family is able to do so. BLUEBERRY BAND RELOCATION The Blueberry Band members are each certain that they will move out of their valley the day Kildonan re- opens its wells, whether they have homes to go to or not. Their permanent relocation funding is delayed: there is no way all members can be relocated permanently before the proposed October opening. The company is impa- tient. It is now withdrawing its offer to contribute funds to relocation of the Band and will go ahead with putting those dollars into relocating the battery site. It seems the proposed new battery site is only half the distance recom- mended for safety by the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources and it is this Department that has the power to impose conditions upon the wells’ re-opening. The Band has as well asked the Department to provide 24 hr. monitoring of hydrogen sulphide on the new site, but the Department does not consider this its responsibility. The Band has alternatively asked the Department to cause the wells to remain shut down until all members have been relocated in order to avoid a potentially calamitous situation. NDP caucuses are .aising the issue in the Legislative Assembly and the House of Commons on August 20th, 1980. INDIAN WORLD 35  RODEO! Of the sports there are in the world, rodeo is the only sport that actually grew out of a work system. Rodeo started out as a betting game between cowboys from different ranches against other cowboys. A lot of ranches boasted that they had a cowboy who couldn’t be thrown or a hoss who couldn’t be rode. The stakes were often high because some cowboys would bet an entire month’s wages that they could outride or outrope other cowboys from other areas. As the sport started taking roots, there were rodeo associations that were formed and these associations, whether they are pro or amateur, had their own rules and regulations. And as time went on these rules and regu- ~ lations were modified to favour the animal rather than the cowboy. Rodeo can. only '_ be compared with golf, because both of these sports are inde-_ _ pendent. The rodeo cowboy does not earn a guaranteed salary and does not draw an expense allowance. Not only does he not receive any salary but he also has no pension plan, no coach, no trainer, and he usually has to pay for his own doctor bills. His only income is what he can win by competing against other cow- . boys, but first he must be able to qualify on the stock that he draws and a lot of times it is not that easy. Before a cowboy can compete he must buy a mem- bership card from a rodeo as- sociation. Then if he is in good standing with the asso- ciation he has to pay for his enterfee which probably will range from $20 to $100 an event. -_, There are seven major events in a rodeo: saddle bronc riding, bare back riding, bull riding, steer wrestling, calf. roping, and team roping. There are also ladies events such as goat tying, barrel racing, and undecorating. Of course there are novelty events that are not considered major but still are crowd thrillers, like boys’ steer riding. INDIAN WORLD 36 Late Flash: Would you believe that the author of this story got laid up in the hospital after an exciting rodeo this weekend! A cowboy’s equipment may range from around $500 anywhere to $25,000, plus it depends on what events he may compete in. I guess when it all comes down to one basic point, rodeo is expensive for the amount of money that is involved with the sport. A rodeo cowboy is the last of the independent breed and is his own man. Usually half of his winnings are spent on travel expenses, telephone bills, greasy burgers, and enterfees. But keep in mind a good cowboy can win in eight.seconds when it takes another person to make the same amount in a month. And on the other hand he can rou AW @ be bucked off, or he can be crippled for life by a freak accident in the arena. But if you even ask a cowboy why he rodeos, a lot of cowboys would probably say friends, money, travel, challenge, excitement—the way of life. In general most cowboys will have other answers and to me rodeo is self-explanatory and ‘‘I love it.’’ ©  = * iW ¢ Hi ——— = = _ SS B.C.1.R.A. STANDINGS AS OF AUGUST 11, 1980 Saddle Bronc Riding: | 1. Lawrence Elkins $1638.98 2. Guy Gottfriedson $121 1.01 3. Oliver Louis : 3 $897.99 Bare Back Riding: ; 1. Dennis Sampson ! : $1548.02 2. Clint Morin $1403.63 3. Richard Louis $1263.50 Bull Riding: - 1. Burt Williams a $1904.65 2. Alexis Harry $1252.80 3. Ernie Thomas ; $992:47 Boy’s Steer Riding: 1. Troy Dan . $318.73 2. Shane Johnston $299.75 3. Faron Tonasket ; $246.02 Steer Wrestling: 1. Clarence Hunt $911.53 2. Chester Elkins $887.30 3. Chester Labelle $691.12 Calf Roping: ‘ ’ 1. Chester Labelle $1317.66 2. Terry Rider $1279.65 3. Eugene Creighton $699.20 Team Roping: |. Oliver Louis $1589.52 2. Blane Louis ] $1388.64 3. Mike Benjamin $1312.94 Ladies Barrel Racing: |. Fay Nelson . $1465.11 2. Joan Perry $1158.52 3. Sandy Pasco $1135.90 All Around: ]. Lawrence Elkins : $2832.65 2. Oliver Louis. $2487.57 3. Dennis Sampson $2169.13 Rookie of the Year: 1. Darryl Eustache $754.27 2. Willy Johnson $380.00 3, Glen Gottfriedson $105.20 The next results done after sugar cane rodeo! Good luck to the ~ cowboys in the | remainder rodeos! i; C res FALL FAIR October 10 & 11, 1980 . Sponsored by the WESTERN INDIAN | AGRICULTURAL CORPORATION 440 W.Hastings Vancouver, B.C. Tel. 684-0231 a INDIAN WORLD 37  Resource Centre Over the last decade Indian leaders through- out Canada have recognized the great need for skilled and informed workers. If the Indian people of British Columbia and Canada hope to achieve self-determination (Indian Govern- ment) in the near future it is imperative that we begin to make use of the materials and resour- ces that are available to us. We can no longer condone or accept alibis such as “I did not know where to look for such information or I didn’t know such resources existed and were available to me.’’ The days of obtaining a large percentage of our.information from governmental sources are also gone. It is a known fact that the informa- tion provided by the government is neither objective nor complete. The Resource Centre of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs has been in existence since December of 1977. It was established by the Union to serve the information needs of the Indian People in British Columbia. We have - described our major holdings in back issues of the UBCIC News/Indian World (see especially October 1978, November 1978 and September 1979). However, for new researchers or new readers we thought a recap of what we have here might be valuable. Our holdings consist of materials from the Land Claims Centre in Vic- toria and materials acquired during the last two years. The collection consists of published and unpublished books, photographs, periodicals, news-clippings, micro- film, film, reports and maps. The subjects covered by these materials include fishing, land claims, education, economic development, Indian Government plus many other issues of interest to the Indian people of British Columbia. District Research Files Another important source of information available at the Resource Centre are the District Research Files. They were compiled at the Land Claims Centre in Victoria to assist the Bands in research projects. The information contained in the files include papers and reports pub- lished by the B.C. Government, schedule of reserves, short list of books on Bands and tribes of each district plus much more information. The district files would be an excellent starting point for Band researchers, whether they they are working on land claims or the history of the Band. INDIAN WORLD 38 DIA Records from 1872 to 1950 One of the major acquisitions of the Resource Centre was the purchasing of the Record Group 10 series on microfilm. This series is an extremely large one; only the parts dealing with British Columbia were acquired. The RG 10 series is comprised of letters, memorandums, etc. from the Department of Indian Affairs files. These records are very important to research on land claims and aboriginal rights. They can also be used when researching Band or tribal histories. _ The RG 10 series is made up of the school files, Deputy Superintendent Letterbooks, Headquarters Letterbooks, Headquarters Files and the Black Series Headquarter Files. The Black Series is the most frequently used of RG 10, it contains information concerning the general admin- istration of the Department of Indian Affairs from 1872 to 1950. The Resource Centre has purchased microfilm on the Indian Reserve Commission, Royal Commission on Indian Affairs in B.C., School Branch Letterbooks, B.C. Superintendency Inspector of Indian Agencies Letter- — books, Kamloops Agency and the Cowichan Agency. These also belong to the Record Group 10 series. B.C. Indian Bands, Indian people and researchers are encouraged to make use of this very important source of information. It is possible to photocopy all documents necessary on the reader-printer. The Resource Centre staff cannot, however, photocopy all RG 10 material ona specific Band or tribe as the microfilms have not been completely catalogued. The Resource Centre will be pur- chasing more RG 10 material as they become available. McKenna-McBride Commission Reports Also available at the Resource Centre is the Report on the Royal Commission on Indian Affairs for the Province of British Columbia (McKenna-McBride Commission) and the transcripts of these hearings (The Peoples’ Evidence). The McKenna-McBride Commission was responsible for the taking away of land from existing reserves, in spite of the fact that the Indian people main- tained that they needed more land, not less. The tran- scripts of these hearings contain evidence given by the Chiefs of the Bands. The Resource Centre also has material on B.C. Indian history, Canadian history, housing, the Indian Act and other topics of interest to B.C. Indians. The materials contained in the Resource Centre could prove to be invaluable to Bands in areas such as land claims. As the Resource Centre was established to serve the information needs of the Indian People in British Colum- bia, we would be happy to help you make maximum use of it. The staff of the Resource Centre will do their utmost to provide information requested. @  TEACHING OUR TEACHERS Student Teachers Chosen from Band School Staff Student teachers were basically chosen from teacher-aides and para- professionals already working in the Mount Currie School. To be ad- mitted to the program, they had to have had six months of documented, successful teacher-aide experience, as well as letters of recommendation from teachers for whom they had worked. Several of these candidates also had a year or two of higher edu- cation in various regional colleges, and some were admitted to SFU as mature students. No one who showed exceptional promise was _ turned away. The decisions about who would become student teachers and who would not were made jointly by the Ts’zil Board and. SFU—as have all decisions about course work. Teaching Training is Based in Ciassrooms Student teachers learned how to teach by being in the classrooms with master teachers. Later, they would take courses which would show them the theories that went with the approaches they had watched and learned. English courses were essen- tial early courses in their programs as were. Educational Methods and Foundation courses. Some of these were provided by the _ on-site supervisor and some from. staff brought in from the university. Throughout the period of their in- classroom training, student teachers spent two days per week in work- shops given by SFU professors. At the end of 1% to 2 years of practicum and course work in Mount Currie, the student teachers qualified for British Columbia Teaching Licenses which would allow them to teach in provin- cial schools up to 48 months. By the end of 48 months, their professional qualifications had to be updated to the Standard Certificate level. SFU continued to provide courses, and all of the original group of student teachers eventually obtained Standard Certificates. | All Seventeen Graduates Working in Mt. Currie School Two separate groups of Mount Currie people, totalling 17 persons, completed this basic training by 1977, and all of them found work in the Mount Currie Community School. hard and hope to receive their teach- ing licenses by this fall. Because the Ts’zil Board of Educa- tion wanted to give priority to the local Indian language and culture in our school curriculum, we felt that we had to have teachers from Mount Currie reserve. At first, a number of available, reasonably-educated In- dians were offered employment with- in the school as teacher-aides; but the Mary Susan James teaching the kids the basics of basket weaving in the Mount} Currie School. Training our own teachers is our way of making sure that our cultural education remains a priority in our own schools. We could do this because outside tea- chers were not rehired once native . teachers became available. Other persons from the community who took these courses have found posi- tions in curriculum and administra- tion. In the past year, an additional 8 student-teachers have been studying Board realized that this was a stop- gap measure at best. Outside teachers still had classroom control and could limit cultural activities. Also, many aides tended to accept the standard programs outlined by the master tea- chers, rather than insisting on a widely-ranging cultural program. INDIAN WORLD 39  Finding a School Interested in Meeting our Requirements So in 1973, Board members made | the rounds of several university ‘Faculties of Education to try to persuade one of them to take on the training of Indian student teachers from Mount Currie. Two of the major ones demanded a four year training program and __practice- teaching in the overly-efficient class- rooms of the public school system. As our aim was to-have teachers trained to meet the special needs of Mount Currie, these programs were too standard and inflexible to be consi- dered. We also wanted a program which would put qualified teachers in the classroom in a short period of time, and as well would allow for the practice-teaching in classrooms in Mount Currie. Only in this way would the Board have any say in the kind of. teachers developed for its school. Simon Fraser University deci- ded to meet those needs. Of Course There Were Some Problems This program did not occur without problems. A major one was the inadequate educational back- grounds of some of the student teach- ers. Courses had to be planned to fill in some of this background—a situa- tion which would not have been the case with other student teachers. The main problem in keeping the student- teachers in the program turned out to be financial. DIA finally agreed to pay tuition costs and the Ts’zil Board squeezed our limited budget to find money for maintenance of the student teachers while they studied. Eventually, DIA agreed to pay living costs for these student teachers. Mostly it was Hard Work Much of the progress may seem to * have occurred because of luck, but hard work by everyone involved made the program a success. At least one Other group, Enderby, has a student teacher training program for natives set up in conjunction with SFU. @ INDIAN WORLD 40 YOUTH GATHERING AT OWL ROCK — It was morning. The smell of pine and campfire was in the air.as the sun struggled to filter its rays through the teepee. It would be another beautiful day full of laughter, good food and educational experiences for young and old alike. ft would be much more for the two hundred and fifty odd people gathered at Owl Rock Camp for the next six days. The Okanagan territory was up to its old tricks and only offered the sun to us in momen- tary glimpses this first day. The rains fell a short while on the hills over- looking the camp. We did need water and the workers. who had worked so hard the previous weeks in prepara- tion welcomed the rains. A YOUNZ ULUy alALUUsIY a@SKeU, “What we gonna do today?’’ The answer had to be, ‘‘Well, what would you like to do?’’ The boy thought of the possibilities. Maybe he would go swimming after the morning pipe ceremony, or go hunting with the older people. He thought of canoeing, fishing, climbing the obsta- cle course, hiking, or.... He decided to chop wood instead and think about it some more. QUIS Well LU SWCAL VELY Cally LI the morning; others were cooking breakfast. ‘‘This isn’t an interior tee- pee,’’ Mario said as he reached for the cold water that would wake him from a deep sleep. He had been on “‘suard duty”? all night, ensuring that there were no problems ‘‘from the outside’’ and kept the fire people company as his trail passed them. “But, it doesn’t matter,’’ he told us. Later he would explain that it was its  practicality that was important and it was true, the fire inside was warm in that cool mountain air. _ The Elders were always served first and breakfast was a hit, as were all the meals. We -had mush, eggs, pancakes, stew, frybread, vegetables, salmon (Indian caviar!) from all over and there was always coffee. We were offered the pipe to celebrate the new day. It was the beauty of the ceremony and the truth of the prayers that gave it its ‘integrity. The day was well on its way to becoming another one of joy and discovery. People were fixing their drums, learning how to build a lean- to, washing dishes, repairing axes; some went down to a ranch haying, | others were learning to canoe and watching how to make paddles. The young boy had decided on fishing and already was celebrating two catches of trout. Later in the day fae would be archery, 22 range-shooting, hiking, lean-to building and more. For now, we settled on getting a couple more canoes for the races. We went into a totally different reality called ‘‘town’’ but escaped and got back to camp before the talks around the fire. If you wanted to talk politics, tell jokes, stories or history, and share in the wisdom of the Elders, you could. Everyone participated. | tong and who Thanks for support and help at native youth gathering : : A special note of thanks to Chief MorrisKruger and his Council members of the Penticton Indian Band for giving the permission for the Union of B.C. | Indian Chiefs and the Owl Rock Camp staff to host this annual Native Youth | ‘Conference. And a very warm thank you to all those volunteers who put so much work jie the camp’s chores and cooking help and those who came from far and near to 4 help with their good spirit. a In order to keep up the spirits of the people we had two fine cooks who did a lot of work with traditional Indian foods and passed on the rs to the YOUNG 5) | ; people of ghee it roays means to share in survival. ai a We have many young people who share in the arcu ways and who through | their presence always contribute a helping spirit to all of the people in any, gathering. They shared many sacred songs to the creator to give thanks for thi good experience. J There is a balance in everything and we really found this to be true from our spiritual leaders who did everything from talking around the sacred fires and doing ceremonies to helping to. make the youth gathering the successful exper- ience that it was. for gash and FEY one who went through this bea iful ‘experience. erm A special thanks 10 old man Chase fob appreciation for the revered dedicasion. of | Marlo and ! Jeanette Bonneau, aa Mario George for building and maintaining the c: o ere: basis, The Elders that were present at the conference helped us in many ways | by their presence, by sharing their wisdom and knowledge with the young | people around the sacred fire and in sharing a listening ear to the children of After learning to play stick- -game, and listening to the drumming, the little boy went to sleep and began dreaming of Our Indian World... the teachings of the Elders were being celebrated in his sleep. today. = REFERRAL WORKER: LILLOOET FRIENDSHIP CENTRE Duties: To monitor all requests coming into the Friend- ship Centre‘by phone or in person, To provide people with information about housing, employment, educa- tion, legal and financial matters and personal problems, and to refer them to those in the community or district who can deal with these matters in more depth if necessary. To supervise those using the Centre from 9-5 p.m. and keep statistics of these for funding purposes. To share the typing duties with the Bookkeeper. Full-time, permanent position to commence Monday, August 18, or A.S.A.P. Salary negotiable. HELP WANTED = " PROGRAM DIRECTOR: LILLOOET FRIENDSHIP CENTRE Responsible for development, initiation, implementa- tion, leadership and reporting on BI Ggraris operated by the Friendship Centre. This is a full-time, permanent position with regular hours. Applicant must be responsible, reliable, willing to work with other staff, F.C. Board of Directors, commu- nity agencies (Native and non-Native), and members of the public of all ages. Job to commence A.S.A.P. $10,000 per year. Written resume and application to Gordie Peters, Box 465, Lillooet, B.C. VOK 1V0. Phone: 256-7616. INDIAN WORLD 41  Our Elders have stated as an unchanging principle in our policies on Indian Education, that without the teachings of our Ancestors there will be no language, traditions and customs to pass on to our children. We have heard it told time and time again that the language is the heart of our culture. Without it we are ineffective to teach our children the truth of the teachings of our old ones. We need this effectiveness to better understand the true meaning of Indian Education which can be the true doorway to Indian Government. — . THE HEART OF OUR CULTURE ~ IS OUR LANGUAGE Time is of the essence in coming to deal with our mother tongue. Society’s ways are exploitation, making money or gaining prestige. To try and help our people to regain what we have lost in the past century through this approach doesn’t work. Our children wait for us to take over our destinies, to go on teaching the ways of our people. We can no longer accept the feeble kind of help that ministries and universities try to do for the Indian people. : Indian Language Program Not Set Up By Indian People — | Now the ministries are once again trying to do the same thing and the pattern is to pass a private bill—AN ACT TO ESTABLISH AN INSTITUTE OF NATIVE IN- DIAN LANGUAGES FOR B.C. They have not sought _ BY Glen Williams of exploitation has been the publication of Indian lan- guage stories and legends by linguists who claimed good fortune from our people and exploited the precious energies of our Elders for few pennies. Making Our Own Laws About Our Languages We have Indian Governments and Organizations that will help.the people to get what we want for the recogni- tion and respect of our Indian languages in schools and in society today. We must make a collective appeal to our Band governments to try and do something about this kind of exploitation and make our own laws concerning our own tribal languages. Band governments must work with tribal governments and with power from the four directions we will get what we want for ourselves. \ ‘Albert Phillips and Emilia Douglas at Musqueam Band. any kind of legal documentation by the Indian people of B.C. For many years they have been feebly trying to seek certification for our trusted Elders and Language teach- ers to be recognized by the Ministry. of Education. Setting up societies and forming elite groups will not gain the power and-teach our children our precious languages. __ Exploitation by Universities For the past ten years these people and professional linguists that have been working on Indian language pro- grams have tried to set up an elite sort of way to introduce it to the university way of life. Another avenue INDIAN WORLD 42 “Our children wait for us to take over our destinies.’ From left, Rose Point, Violet Charlie, Nora George, a - eA 5 There is a tentative conference date set for September 26-27, 1980 by an Indian language instructors’ commit- tee to try and deal with the language development issue. For certain there is a General Assembly October 14-17, 1980 and perhaps- this would be time to deal with these kinds of issues. . To build another Institute for Indian people is to waste money. We have land and facilities like St. Mary’s ‘Student Residence in Mission, B.C., headed for closure by DIA policy. These are some things to think about in the development of Indian Government through our Bands and tribal Councils and the survival of our Indian languages. e@  | THE UNION OF B.C. CHIEFS TWELFTH ANNUAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY OCTOBER 14-17 | During the Annual General Assembly, there will be a photography display. Many Indian _ people are capturing the Indian culture through photography. It is an art. As we are rediscovering our past, so too must the Indian culture of today be documented—to ~~» record forever the faces of our Elders, the | _ laughter of our children and the daily life of our people. __»._ In photography, we get images. Sometimes these images are captured by the photographer who sees the spirit of the people or the person in one single moment. That becomes our image and it is recorded forever. At the Annual Assembly, the photography display will be another unique way of express- ing our Indianness and especially at this point in time when we are implementing Indian government—a great tribute to the Indian culture which will never die. a and Media Center: 800 Robson Street — TIME’ October 15-17—Assembly Italian Cultural }§ Center, 3075 Slocan Street, Vancouver, B.C. (phone: 430-3337) THEME: IMPLEMENTING INDIAN GOVERNMENT |  FROM: UNION OF B.C, INDIAN CHIEFS 440 WEST HASTINGS ST. VANCOUVER, B.C. V6B IL1 The theme of this year’s Gen- eral Assembly is Im- plementation of Indian Government. The basis for our discussions will be the Abori- ginal Rights Position which has been adopted by the Indian people of B.C. This position and the Indian Government Manifesto de- clared at the First Nations Conference in Ottawa are presented as a Special Supplement to the Indian World in preparation for the discussions. Our Children are Our Survival and we are responsible for bringing them up to be strong and confident, to desire and take control of their lives: this is the message from Chief Bill Mussell of the Skwaw Band (page 28). Chief SECOND CLASS MAIL REGISTRATION NUMBER 4983 VANCOUVER, B.C. Manuel of Neskainlith talks of taking community justice into our own hands on page 30, while the control of community education through control of teacher training is described by the Ts’zil Board on page 39. More Indian teachers graduated from NITEP this year: thanks to Frances Johnson of Alkali Lake Band for his report to Our World.’’ The Canim Lake trappers discuss the steps they are taking to ensure a part in their community’s integrated resource management plans (page 14) while an event in Bella Coola prompted an article on the proper manage- ment of fishing resources (page 18). We haven’t left out the festivals and joyful occasions in Our World. Thanks to Joanne Dixon and Jerry Patrick of Nazko Band for their story on the Stoney Creek Indian Days and the K’san Dancers for their pictures and story of their trip to Edmonton (page 12). We also covered the Sekani Days, the Bridge River Fish In, the Anaham Rodeo and the Seton Marathon. Thanks to everyone involved for the hospitality we enjoyed with you.