Indian World - volume 2, number 10 (March, 1980) · UBCIC Photograph Collection

Indian World - volume 2, number 10 (March, 1980)

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Indian World - volume 2, number 10 (March, 1980)

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1.06-01.04 Indian World

1.06.-01 Newsletters and bulletins sub-series

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March 1980

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volume

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1.06-01.04-02.03

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ditorial......................................2

Province Will Negotiate........................4

Lillooet Judge Says Federal Fisheries Should Too ... 4

President's Message............................5

By-laws Upheld................................7

Indian Controlled Health Services Called For.......8

News News News.............................11

Charges Dropped for Alkali Five............12

But Saanich Hunters Lose......................13

I Think......................................14

Dignity: Watchword for Fishing Rights First......15

Fountain Salmon Survival Potlatch..............16

Seton Lake Pow-Wow.................... 17

Chilliwack Area Bands: Power Play Against

Developments..............................18

In the News..................................20

Special Alcohol Supplement..................21-32

On the Wagon.............................21

Alkali Lake: Sharing and Caring............22

The Men Speak:

"Life is Now an Awesome Thing".........24

The Kids Speak:

"Come on Indians, Get Moving"..........26

The Women Speak:
"It feels very great to be what I am today" .. 28

^Change Takes Time.......................30

Band Controlled Schools:

The Mount Currie Experience.................33

Care for the Children..........................35

Up-Dates....................................36

What Government Refused to Hear on Uranium ... 38
Oil and Gas Company Moves in to

Nechako Basin.............................40

The Rebirth of a Great Nation..................41

Our World...................................42

Calving Management..........................44

WIAC Workshops............................45

Indian 4-H................................... 45

Regulating the Forests the Indian Way............46

Training Band Trainers ....................47

Profile of East Moberley Lake..................48

Book Review.................................50

In Memory of Aillee Prince.....................51

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INDIAN WORLD
" T H E CHOICE IS O U R S "

M A R C H , 1980

$1.00

UBCIC

NEWS

EDITORIAL
Alcoholism is a heavy subject. Every one of us in
Indian country is affected by its impact, whether it be
our family members, our community, our leadership
or ourselves who suffer from this arrestable but never
curable disease.

inches high, I realized that I could not possibly edit
this material down to 12 or even 16 pages and still do
justice to the individuals who wrote their own personal
stories, each one unique and valuable. Not one of
them could be eliminated.

When we decided we would tackle this subject in our
12 page supplement this month, we thought the way to
look at it would be through the eyes of recovered
alcoholics. We put our heads together and came up
with a surprisingly good long list of former drinkers
from every district in the province with the exception
of one. Then the phoning began.

The solution to this dilemma is one I sincerely hope
does justice to the people who wrote in and to the
seriousness of the problem of alcoholism. In this
month's issue of Indian World we zero in on the
unique and happy experience of Alkali Lake's fight
against Alcohol through their words and their words
alone.

The response was overwhelming. At last count 33
people had written about their experiences, feelings
and opinions and 7 more assignments were still to
come by bus, plane and mail delivery. 18 people wrote
in from Alkali Lake alone.

To introduce the whole big subject we begin
with a fine piece of writing by Tina Marie Christian of
the Round Lake Treatment Centre near Vernon who
puts the question of why we drink, into historical
perspective. In mid-April, we will be issuing an
"Alcohol Bulletin", one of those big wall posters,
written from the experiences of the other people who
wrote in this month, which covers the other
alternatives to alcoholics who want to quit.

The central message that comes through from all the
good people who took the time and effort to write, is
that of hope. The people who give us this valuable gift
are our unsung and anonymous brothers and sisters
who have experienced first hand, yet survived, the
crippling, tearing effects of the No. 1 killer in Indian
country: alcohol.

I think you will find, as I did, that reading the
supplement is a moving and uplifting experience, full
of love, hope and happiness.
What more can we ask, on a fine spring day?

When I sat down and wrestled with the job of
organizing these messages, a stack of papers two

The Editor

OUR COVER: Necoslie Elder Aillee Prince was a guide and comfort to the Band. She is sorely missed (see
page 51). Only from our Elders will we have the wisdom to meet the future.

INDIAN
WORLD
VOLUME 2, NUMBER 10

INDIAN WORLD 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.

Table of Contents

Spring is the season of hope and new beginnings.
This month we take a took at Alcoholism through the
experiences of those 'On the Wagon'. Roxanne and
Jeremy Morris of Kitamaat say: "Thumbs up! Life is
O.K."

Contributors
Editor: Beth Cuthand
Assistant Editor: Pauline Douglas
Eighteen Alkali Band Members, George Saddleman,
Lynne Jorgesen, Jerry Tallio, Xavier Eugene, Joe
Bartleman, Gary John, Greg Controis, Tina Marie
Christian, Gordon Turner, Willard Martin, Clifford
Hanuse, David Knight, Fransesca Antoine, Darrell
Ned, Herman Thomas, Louise Mandell, Sadie Wornstaff, George Manuel, Angela Matilpi, Archie
Pootlass, Violet Birdstone, Faye Blaney, Darryl
Watts, Maxine Pape, Marilyn Kasinsky, Lillian Basil,
Loretta Todd, Val Dudoward and Bess Brown.
Photographs: UBCIC staff unless credited
Illustrations for Supplement: Barry Wilson
Typesetting: Mary Schendlinger

Editorial
2
Province Will Negotiate
4
Lillooet Judge Says Federal Fisheries Should Too . . . 4
President's Message
5
By-laws Upheld
7
Indian Controlled Health Services Called For
8
News News News
.11
Charges Dropped for Alkali Five
12
But Saanich Hunters Lose
.13
I Think..
14
Dignity: Watchword for Fishing Rights First
.15
Fountain Salmon Survival Potlatch
16
Seton Lake Pow-Wow
. . 17
Chilliwack Area Bands: Power Play Against
Developments
18
In the News
20
Special Alcohol Supplement.
21-32
On the Wagon
21
Alkali Lake: Sharing and Caring
22
The Men Speak:
"Life is Now an Awesome Thing"
24
The Kids Speak:
"Come on Indians, Get Moving"
26
The Women Speak:
"It feels very great to be what I am today" . . 28
^Change Takes Time
30
Band Controlled Schools:
The Mount Currie Experience.
33
Care for the Children
35
Up-Dates
36
What Government Refused to Hear on Uranium . . . 38
Oil and Gas Company Moves in to
Nechako Basin
40
The Rebirth of a Great Nation
41
Our World
42
Calving Management
44
WIAC Workshops
...........45
Indian 4-H
45
Regulating the Forests the Indian Way
46
Training Band Trainers . . .
47
Profile of East Moberley Lake
48
Book Review
50
In Memory of Aillee Prince
51

"THE CHOICE IS OURS"
INDIAN W O R L D 3

* * * PROVINCE WILL NEGOTIATE * * *
Attorney-General Allan Williams has issued a statement that his office is not to proceed with
charges laid against Indians who hunt or fish out of season except on direct instructions from his
office.
George Manuel says much of the credit for Attorney General Allan Williams' decision regarding
Indians charged with hunting and fishing offenses must go to the Indian people who have defended
our rights in court. For the past214 years, Indian people have filled the courts, defending themselves
against what they believe are unjust charges. The UBCIC has been involved in this process through
legal support.
The B.C. Wildlife Act is not compatible with the rights and needs of the Indian people.
The permit system is of no real value to the Indian hunters and often is a regulatory obstacle to the
hunter who wants to simply supply his family with food.
"The fact is," says George, "that a senior member of the Fish and Wildlife Branch has
admitted that the Branch is continuing to instruct its conservation officers to continue laying
charges against anyone who violates the Act. This proves that nothing has yet changed.
Indian people are continuing to be harrassed despite the fact that the Attorney General has
ordered this racist treatment to stop.
"The UBCIC and other Indian people attended a meeting of the B.C. Wildlife Federation
in Vernon in 1979, but were forbidden, for the second consecutive year, to have a voice in the
management of B.C.'s wildlife resources.
"Clearly the order given by Allan Williams to drop these cases suggests the B.C. Wildlife
Branch is guilty of mismanagement of their responsibilities."
Wildlife management and control at the Band level is seen as the next necessary step forward to
ensure special hunting and trapping rights for Indian people. There could be a negotiation system set
up between Conservation Officers and the Band Councils to develop a better understanding of the
Indian people's hunting traditions and sustenance needs and the responsibilities of the provincial
wildlife staff.
The UBCIC is inviting the Provincial Government to join the Union in setting up an IndianProvincial Government Commission to travel to Greenland, in order to study how Native people
there have productively managed their fish and wildlife^
"I believe this experience would give us a solid foundation on which to build a wildlife plan," Mr.
Manuel says.
•

FEDERAL FISHERIES SHOULD NEGOTIATE TOO
LILLOOET JUDGE SAYS
On March 10, 11 and 12 the people
of Lillooet fought the last remaining
cases left over from their 1978 battle
with Fisheries. The cases still
remaining were the cases of Joe
Reynold and Willard Wallace from
Mount Currie, Leslie Edmonds and
Clifford Kirpatrick from Ashcroft,
Billy Sampson from Kanaka Bar, Vic
Adolph, Jr. from the Fountain
Indian Reserve, and Jim Fountain
INDIAN

WORLD

from Nuchatlaht Indian Band.
Vic Adolph, Jr., Billy Sampson
were not aware that the special
closure had taken place.
Willard Wallace and Reynold Joe,
two boys from the Mount Currie
Indian Reserve, were fishing on an
off day. They were fishing under the
permit of James Adams which
entitled fishing from Monday to
Thursday. They were caught fishing

and Jim Fountain were all fishing
during the special closure. In the case
of Vic Adolph, he fished along with
other Band members from his Band
in the Bridge River Band in defiance
of the special closure. In the cases of
Jim Fountain and Billy Sampson,
they were simply fishing as usual and
on a Friday.
(continued on page 6 )

PRESIDENT'S
MESSAGE

can I marry you when you are already married? Under
the romantic moon, he looked at me with shock, and he
said, my little fawn, where did you get the idea that I am
married? I am not married, I am single and you know it.
" M y reply was, White Cloud, you are married already
to alcohol in the bottle. That alcohol in the bottle that
you are married to is killing our Indian people. Did you
know our statistics?
• Death rate 4 times the national average
• Violent deaths 5 times the national average
• 3 times more Indian children in care than white
people
• 55% Indian population on social assistance
• 75% drop out rate from school at grade 7-9
• 85% of our people are unemployed
• A very large number of our people are in jails
• We have poor housing, often no running water

The World Council of Aboriginal People met in Peru last
month. The Council recently succeeded in their lobby for
a voice at the United Nations,

So you see, White Cloud, unless you are sincerely
prepared to divorce your first wife (the alcohol bottle),
then I will never marry you."
Our Indian Governments are trying to persuade our
people at the Indian reserve communities level to recreate and re-establish our traditional Indian values of
discipline. So we again can control and govern our own
lives within our own Indian Governments, and it must
start at the root of our community and the root is the
family. That is why I cannot marry you unless you
divorce your white wife (alcohol) and fully commit
yourself to re-building our Indian nation.

"Alcohol among our people is a major problem," said
a very young Indian girl to her grandmother. The
grandmother asked her granddaughter, "Why do you
make that judgment about our people?"

"The basic rules will have to be the Indian wisdom to
assess ourselves individually and our people.
• Can we control alcohol?
• Does alcohol control us? If alcohol controls us, then
what are the remedies required to bring it under control?

"Because, grandma, that young handsome Indian
boy that I have always been admiring asked me to marry
him. I wanted to marry him with all my heart, because he
is strong, handsome and when he is sober, he does much

These are the conditions. This must be carried out by our
people, and by you, White Cloud, before I marry you.

constructive organizational work in the area of sports,
housing and even helping our Elders in their shopping,
cutting wood, etc.
"Then suddenly he gets drunk for weeks. So granny,
when he asked me to marry him last night, I told him that
I would be so happy to marry him, but, I told him, how

Yours in struggle,

INDIAN W O R L D 5

(from page 4)
Leslie Edmonds had come to fish
on the Bridge River Indian Reserve
with his family. Although he held a
permit to fish Thursday to Saturday
the permit did not entitle him to fish
on the Bridge River at the time when
he was approached by Fisheries.
All of these people have been
waiting since 1978 to fight their cases.
Reynold Joe ''Acted
Reasonably"
On the first day of the trial,
Reynold Joe and Cliff Kirpatrick
were the only two accused persons
sitting in the courtroom. The trial of
Reynold Joe was the first to be called.
The prosecutor agreed that if
Reynold Joe was found not guilty he
would drop the charges against Willard Wallace. He made this deal
because the boys were fishing at the
same time and place when they were
arrested. It was also understood
that if Reynold Joe was found guilty,
then a 'bench warrant' may be issued
for Willard Wallace and he too would
have to answer to the courts.
Reynold took the stand on his own
behalf. He told the court that he had
been fishing for Adam James, an
Elder, who had a permit to fish
Monday to Thursday. They set their
net at a fishing spot on Thursday
morning, but come Thursday night
there was no ride available to take
them back to Mount Currie. The boys
checked fishing sites around their
area and also checked in town for a
ride but were not able to locate one.
Meanwhile they did not want to leave
their fishing camp because there was
fish there drying and they were afraid
the fish might be taken by wild
animals. On Friday a relative of
Reynold Joe came to pick them up
and so they went down to the place
where their nets were set to pull the
nets and gather whatever fish were
caught to go back home. As they were
pulling their nets they were approached by Fisheries and arrested
for unlawfully fishing.
Judge Shoop heard the story of
Reynold Joe and believed him. He
said that Reynold Joe acted
INDIAN W O R L D 6

reasonably and that he took good
care to try and fish within the law.
The fact that he was unable to comply
with the law did not make him guilty
of the offense and so he let him off.
Reynold Joe was pretty happy
because he fought the case successfully for himself and his friend
Willard Wallace. After lunch the
prosecutor came back and told us
that the charge against
Cliff
Kirpatrick had been dropped because
one of the Fisheries officers who was
to give evidence had died.
Vic Adolph, Jr.
The trial of Vic Adolph, Jr. carried
on next. The defense raised was a
technical defense, arguing that the
Fisheries had not proved that fishing
was illegal at that time and place. The
judge found against that defense and
found Vic Adolph guilty. Vic
Adolph and his father Vic Adolph,
Sr. and Saul Terry all took the stand
to explain to the Judge the
background of the stand taken by the
people during the special closure. We
felt the Judge should have that
information
before
he passed
sentence On Vic Adolph. Vic Adolph,
Jr. told the court about how he had
agreed with his Band to defy the
special closure during 1978. "Fishing
is our food," he told the Judge.
Judge Orders Indian Say in
Implementation of Policy
In his passing sentence, the judge
let Vic Adolph, Jr. off with a
conditional discharge. He also
directed that Federal Fisheries
negotiate with the Indian people. He
said that Fisheries has not been implementing its policy as stated with
conservation first and Indian Food
fishing second and the Indian people
must have some say in the implementation of that policy.
Chief Leslie Edmunds an
Admirable Leader, Says the
Judge
In the case of Chief Leslie
Edmonds the judge also found that
he was technically in breach of the act
and found him guilty. But he discharged him absolutely. In his
reasons for sentencing, he expressed

how much admiration he felt for
Chief. Edmonds and expressed that he
felt the Chief was an excellent person
to be part of the negotiations which
must take place with fisheries. He
then restated the directions given in
sentencing Vic Adolph, Jr. and directed Fisheries to negotiate with the
Indian people directly.
The prosecutor then stood up and
dropped the charges against Him
Fountain and against Billy Sampson.
At that point all the remaining
charges from 1978 had been dealt
with by the court.
The Bargaining Table
By fighting these cases the Lillooet
people have exerted political pressure
on the Department of Fisheries
through the courts in bringing
Fisheries to the bargaining table. The
bargaining must now begin and it will
be with hard bargaining that Indian
people will implement an overall
comprehensive management scheme. •

Where Have We Gotten?
The cases have concluded and
where have we gotten? In 1978 when
the Indian people in Lillooet decided
to defy the special closure they called
out loudly "FISHING IS OUR
R I G H T " . In 1979, the case of
Bradley Bob came before the courts
and the judge recognized that the
Indian people of the Bridge River
Indian Band had an exclusive right to
fish. The rights declared by the
Indian people of the Bridge River
were affirmed in law. But the
addirmation of the right did not bring
more fish up the river, nor did it give
the Indian people more control over
the management of the Fisheries. In
1980 we fought the remainder of the
charges. It was revealed to the court
through the chief that Fisheries was
mismanaging the resource and was
not taking into account Indian
interest in the allocation of the fishing
resource. The Judge directed that the
Fisheries negotiate with the Indian
people.

BY-LAWS UPHELD
A major landmark case in establishing the power of the Band By-law was
reached in the Vancouver Supreme Court earlier this month. The Court not
only upheld the legality of the Band By-law, but also the power to enforce it.
Squamish Band Tests By-Law in
action, and that the By-law was valid.
Court
A n action was taken by the
Band Council Authority Over
Squamish Indian Band against a
Land Use Supported in Law
Band member who had placed his
The Court however supported the
trailer on the Indian reserve at a place
Band
Council all the way. The decithat the Band did not approve. The
sion
states very clearly that in
Band had passed a By-law where the
Canadian
law the Band Council is
zoning plan of the entire Reserve was
an
entity
which
can sue, in this case
mapped by the Band. Band member
for
trespass.
It
does not need the
Findlay placed his trailer on a place
DIA
to
do
it.
unauthorized by the Zoning By-law.
The court affirmed the Band
The Band Council asked him to
Council's
right to pass Zoning Bymove. He went to court, claiming he
laws,
and
in this case, to manage
had a right to live on the Reserve any
their
own
zoning on the Reserve.
place he wanted, because he was an
There
was
no
need for the DIA to
Indian person entitled to his Reserve
defend
that
By-law
or in any way to
under the Indian Act. The Squamish
manage
the
Band
Council's
Band Council argued that the Zoning
responsibility
under
it.
The
Court
By-law was an authority which they
told
Mr.
Findlay
that,
being
a
Band
had and which they exercised thorugh
member,
he
had
to
follow
the
laws
the Indian Act. As a Band member he
of
the
Band
Council
had to live by that law.
This was an important case
The proceedings had already startbecause it confirms the authority of
ed when the Department of Indian
Affairs, through the Attorney Gener- the Band Council to initiate and
al, was added as a party to its lawsuit, carry out the general wishes of the
Band as to the use and benefit to be
claiming an interest in this action
made of Band land, although the
because it was being fought about
Indian Act says the Crown has
Indian reserve land. The Attorneypower in certain instances to veto
General for Canada argued that for
By-laws. Basically, however, the
trespass and for breach of the By-law,
Band Council has that authority to
it should be the Department alone
determine
what happens in any case
who has the right to bring the action,
involving
the
reserve vs. individual
as the Band Council is only a legal
Band
members.
It is a very positive
entity when operating under the DIA
case
in
terms
of
Indian
who has final responsibility for ReGovernment:
the
Band
Council
is
serve lands and Indians.
the
Indian
Government
of
the
Band
DIA Claims Right to Decide on
and as long as it is acting in good
Use of Band Lands
faith, what it says goes. This is the
The Government's major argument
first
time that the Court has taken
was that the Band did not have a right
the
issue
of the Band being able to
to decide what was going to happen
sue
and
enforce its position and
with reserve land, that it was actually
decided
on
this issue directly.
the Minister who could allot land and
Band
By-Laws
Supported in
decide where the people could live.
Law
They claimed only the Minister could
decide where Mr. Findlay could put
The decision means that the
his trailer, not the Band Council. The
Court will uphold the By-law and
court decided that it was the Band
assist the Band in enforcing that Bythat had the power to commence the
law if the Band Council says there is

a breach of the By-law. The By-law
has force and effect, provided the
By-laws are legally passed under the
Indian Act.
However, there are limitations to the
power of the Band Council implied in
this decision. The action was about
trespass, and under the Indian Act,
the Band has already some authority
to deal with its own trespass cases.
More importantly, there was a valid
By-law in place which had been read
into the record and approved by the
Government. This was not a case
where the Band Council, without a
DIA-approved By-law in place, tried
to assert what they believed is the
rightful claim. It is a case where the
Band Council had complied with the
regulations of the Indian Act. So it is
not a case of pure Indian Government
being recognized by the Courts. It's a
case where the law of the Band
Council in applying the Indian Act is
upheld by the courts. It doesn't go all
the way but it's definitely a step in the
right direction.
•
The Band had originally asked the
DIA to take the action and the DIA
wrote a letter saying the Band
should go ahead and assert its own
authority. The Band did that. Then
the Crown took the position that it
shouldn't have.
This is the second time this has
happened in the last few months. In
the Baker Lake case the DIA first
supported the Inuit statement that
they had occupied their land since
time immemorial. As soon as it
became clear that this could hurt the
Department's position on the control over the people, their land and
especially their resources, it tried to
withdraw that statement. The
Squamish case looks similar: before
the DIA realized the significance of
its move, it told the Band of its
support. It seems that in the course
of the action, the Department
became aware that it was losing
control over the people and quickly
reversed its position on the record
by running in and trying to take new
ground.

INDIAN W O R L D 7

Indian Controlled Health
Services Called For
The long awaited
Alert Bay Inquiry
The long awaited inquiry into the
delivery of health care services to the
Nimpkish people of Alert Bay began
Monday March 3, 1980 with a sense
of expectancy.
The Elders made their presentation
in Kwawkewlth language. They spoke
of herb medicines they used to gather
and use to cure many diseases and
ailments prior to using modern
medicine.

"I look at the future with a great
deal of hope. Not because I think all
of our problems are going to be
solved overnight by an agency that is
going to look at them, but if it could
bring our people to look into the
mirror again to see what it means to
be Kwawkewlth, and to rise and stand
again."

"Fish has become endangered to
the extent that the Nimpkish people
have had to give up their food fishery
just to sustain an adequate spawning
escapement. Every legislation the
government has put in place with the
idea of helping us has been a detriment."
"They
are
failing
because

They said they wanted to go out
again to gather herbs and teach the
younger people its value. Some of the
Elder women were knitting and crocheting while Elder Jack Peters talked
about when potlatching was outlawed
in Alert Bay. He felt this was when
they lost control of teaching the
children proper behaviour and the
Indian way of life.
"We have changed. I have let go
what it is I would have looked after.
We have stopped fighting. We were
told if we didn't move from our
original home to a place with a school
that we wouldn't get better. We did
and look what it has done for us,
nothing."
Anguish today, but hope for
the future
Ernie Willie, Co-ordinator for the
district council, gave strong statements of his dream for the Alert Bay
people. " I f ever the Kwawkewlth
nation is to rise again, it is going to be
because our women will become
strong again. They were the ones who
governed communities and held the
community together. They were the
ones who raised our children while
the men were fishing.
INDIAN

WORLD

Elders willing to teach Indian way of life.
Decreased Fish Stocks Caused
Poorer Health
Fish has always been the main diet
of the coastal Indian people.
Manager of the Band's Salmonid
Enhancement Program, Basil Ambers, says as the fishing resource decreased, so did the well being of the
people.
" D D T was sprayed into our waters
which resulted in ten years of scant
salmon stocks as well as the
immediate death of thousands of
salmon. With my own eyes I saw
miles and miles of young salmon dead
on the beaches."

every one of those programs is
designed without any Indian input. I
feel very strongly that without Indian
participation we are not going to have
any health that is going to matter.
Why is it always them who have to
control us? We have to have control
of our own health!"
"The re-building of fish stocks
throughout the area is imperative to
the health of our people. Any
interference with the rebuilding of
our food and economic base is a
direct threat to Indian health."
Recreation plays an important part
in preventative health care. One of

the major frustrations for the Band is
the lack of money for recreation
facilities and programs. There's
nothing more for the kids in Alert
Bay to do except maybe consume
drugs and alcohol.
Peggy Svanvik, Drug and Alcohol
Abuse Counsellor for the Band,
explains that drinking is not the
Indian way of life. "We have not had
centuries to adapt to drinking. So as a
result we became alcoholics sooner
than non-Indians. Alcohol respects
no one and it is destroying our Indian
way of life."
The Children Want a Better
Future
The Kwawkewlth children of Alert
Bay also had something to say. "We
want the Nimpkish Band to hire us to
repaint the totem poles in the long
house and cut the grass in the
graveyards to make Alert Bay look
nice. We would also like other jobs
like working in the office, cafe, day
care centre and the museum."
"We plan to make something of
our lives and those jobs will help us.
We want to know more about our
culture because it's important to us.
It's part of our life and will be with us
all our lives, part of the younger ones
growing up and the yet unborn."

"We are slowly learning our
culture. We are being taught Kwa
Kwa La and Indian dancing at school
but we'd still like to know more." A
thirteen year old girl expressed her
concerns. "They are thinking about
building a new hospital. We don't
need a new hospital here, we need
new doctors. We need a new doctor
because we don't trust the one that is
here."
"We are worried about our future
and yours as well. We want to make
things better for everyone in Alert
Bay by making the changes we
suggested possible. We are speaking
for all the young people of Alert
Bay."
Nimpkish Band employee Margaret Sirwois is concerned about what
she thinks is an over prescribing of
outdated drugs. "Many of our people
just phone into the drugstore for
prescription renewals. This can be
very harmful if they are not examined
on a regular basis. Our health situation should be classed as critical."

On Thursday everyone at the
inquiry was quiet. They listened and
saw families weeping as people read,
report after report of the negligent
medical practices of Dr. Jack Pickup.

Alert Bay children are learning their culture and want to learn more.

People listened and wept.
The worst came with words of how
the Nimpkish people witnessed Dr.
Pickup intoxicated and how he often
treated them in that condition.
Reliving the pain of losing loved ones
seemed endless.
Dr.
Gary
Goldthorpe,
the
Commissioner and one man to make
recommendations for the improvement of their health services felt there
should be a new doctor in Alert Bay.
"I think the people have had a lot of
bad experiences. They have good
reason to feel they haven't been
getting the best medical care. They
were telling me the way they
experienced it and they were sincere."
An 11-Year-Old Had to Die
Before Anything Was Done
Renee Smith was mentioned
throughout the meeting. She was the
main reason why the hearings began.
Dr. Pickup had not given her adequate medical care and told her
parents that her condition was
nothing to worry about. Everyone
felt she could have been saved if
Pickup was more sensitive.
Ethel Pearson's nephew died near
the time of the inquiry. She testified
that he drowned. "His body was
inadvertently brought to Comox.
When we went to get it they told us it
was dropped off in Campbell River.
After his autopsy, we were never told
what the findings were."
INDIAN W O R L D 9

"We are not even given dignity in
our death any more. If he were with
us, he would have been dressed. Instead he was put in a plastic bag. It is
a custom of our people to dress and
lay them out for people to pay their
last respects. We get worse treatment
on our own land than the D.P.'s from
other lands!"
"What kind of bungling service is
this on the part of the medical
services that my people here have to
endure?"
"I think it is about time a thorough
investigation is done instead of the
half failed promises we get. In so
doing, you will have fulfilled something worthwhile so that the girl,
Renee Smith, need not have died in
vain."
Vera Cranmer was crying as she
talked about her aunt Edna Alfred.
"I saw my aunt suffer and die. He
(Dr. Pickup) never helped her. He let
us believe that everything was fine. I
kept asking him what was the matter
with her, why her stomach was
swollen. He told me it was gas."
Edna died of an infection that spread
in her womb,
The outcome of the hearing was in
the hands of the Nimpkish people.
They were the ones who had to
endure the poor medical services.
Towards the end they seemed to
know what they were going to do
about it.
DIA Didn't Help Health Situation
The DIA didn't help. Assistant
Regional Director Duncan Clark said
that for fifteen years the department
has been trying to return to Indian
people the health responsibilities. He
talked about how much money the
DIA has contributed to Nimpkish
people to run programs.
Basil Ambers responded: "This
year we were getting $400,000 to run
17 Bands. How would you explain the
DIA office in Campbell River that
has 22 employees which costs
$600,000 just to keep them in the
building?" The room was quiet.
INDIAN

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Bobby Joseph told the commissioner that the inquiry may be the
most
profound
process
the
Kwawkewlth people have gone
through in a long time. "It has provided a means for our people to
examine their state of being."
"Our level of health is related to all
aspects of our lives. This too can be a
focal point for the DIA to reexamine
its role and effect on Indian people.
Government agencies cannot deny
Indian people have a level of health
far below that of other Canadians."
"Government
agencies
and
programs have been in part
responsible for creating whole
communities of hopelessness and
despair. There are communities in
this area that have disappeared when
people were encouraged to move so
they could be closer to hospitals and
better education."

Bobby read a study done by Jack
Beaver which said, "It's the right of
Indian people to retain their cultural
identity and shape their future
according to their own values and
aspirations." In essence, he said this
is what the people were saying all
week.
Returning to the Potlatch
A l Speck said, " I f this inquiry
turns out like the McKenna McBride
Commission of 1914 that took
information on Indian lands, not so
we could keep our lands, but was
geared so they could be taken away, I
will be very disappointed in you Mr.
Commissioner, in your government
and your understanding of the problems we face."
"It is my belief our life will centre
once again around the Potlatch. Sure,
leaders of my age may not see this,
but we can pave the road for this.'' •

Basil Ambers (below) spoke of government irresponsibility.

NEWS, NEWS, NEWS
SECRETARIAT PROGRAM
The UBCIC is being questioned on why we are not
participating with the provincial forum that was set up by
the Regional office of the Department of Indian Affairs.
It was our understanding after discussions between Mr.
Fred Walchli and George Manuel that as the UBCIC had
already set up the Secretariat program to deal with issues
of a common nature we would in fact be duplicating
services by participating with the provincial forum.
It has been our experience in the past, dealing with
other organizations on common issues in this province,
that they tended to make political issues in front of
various government departments instead of dealing with
issues of the Indian people of B.C.

HERRING SEASON A DISASTER FOR MANY
INDIAN FISHERMEN
The Vancouver Island East and West Coast herring
fishery closed early this year due to the labour strike by
the Native Brotherhood and U F A W U and because
Federal Fisheries professed concern about herring stocks.
The only area that is open right now is the North Coast
for the Co-op fishermen.
The strike was organized against the Fisheries Association because they couldn't reach an agreement on the
price of herring this year. A lot of fishermen didn't get a
chance to go out at all and it has been a financial disaster
for many Indian fishermen who have had to borrow
heavily to equip their boats in preparation for the herring
season.

MAINE INDIANS SETTLEMENT
The Penobscot and Passamaquoddy Tribes of Maine,
USA, have come to an $81.4 million settlement with the
State for payment of about two-thirds (12.5 million
acres) of Maine, which was taken illegally from the
Indian people years ago.
In return for the land lost, the American Congress will
be asked to put about $27 million into a permanent trust
fund for the Indians. In addition, a $54.4 million fund
will be set up with which the tribes may buy a 300,000
acre permanent land base.
Although the political leaders of the two Tribes have
agreed with the settlement, there is a group of Indian
people who do not. They believe that the Tribes could
have gotten a better settlement through the courts and

have hired a lawyer from the Washington-based
American Indian Resources Legal Centre to fight the
case.
Following the lead of the two Maine Tribes, several
Tribes from New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts,
and Connecticut are now making claims for land taken
from them in the past.

NICOLA VALLEY SAND AND GRAVEL READYMIX MERGER
A Lower Nicola Band-owned ready-mix company last
February signed an agreement with Vancouver-based
Pacific Rim Ready Mix. The two companies are uniting
to take advantage of a probable construction boom in
Logan Lake, which is situated in the copper-rich
Highland Valley (approximately 40 miles from Merritt).
PacRim will supply a concrete batching plant and fleet
of ready mix trucks to Nicola Valley Sand and Gravel's
crushing and screening operation on Pipseul Reserve,
which is one mile from Logan Lake.
According to Len Marchand, administrator of the
Nicola Valley Indian Administration which serves five
Bands in the area, the agreement is "a good move for
Nicola Valley Sand and Gravel." He termed Rivtow
Straits, the parent company of Pacific Rim, "a highly
reputable company."
In addition, the agreement allows for the hiring of
Indian personnel "where possible," said Don Moses,
manager and a founder of Nicola Valley Sand and
Gravel, "which leaves it flexible for them (PacRim) to
hire. It's also our responsibility to have available
qualified people prepared to work." He noted that
members of other Bands and non-status people will also
be employed when the plant begins operations March 31,
1980.
At least six people will be employed full time at the new
operation, "but will vary, depending on the contracts
secured," said Len Marchand.
Asked what the agreement would do for the Indian
profile in the Nicola Valley, Moses replied: "It will show
what we're capable of in terms of doing business." He
also cited the opportunity for Native people to "develop
the skills to work in this industry. It's extremely
independent, very technical—it requires dedication and
work.
"We're not doing any favours for anybody," Don
Moses added. "They've got a job as long as they're
prepared to work."
by Lynne Jorgesen

INDIAN

WORLD

CHARGES DROPPED FOR
ALKALI FIVE
Ya-hooo!

After the case the people of Alkali met to discuss what their court victory means for their hunting rights in
future.
On March 6th, 1980 the case involving five Alkali Band members was to
be heard in Williams Lake. The case
started on February 5th, 1980 and
adjourned, to be continued on March
6th, 1980. The five had been charged
with shooting deer out of season. On
February 5th and 6th they had
appeared before Judge Barnett in Williams Lake where they gave evidence
that where they were hunting was on
traditional lands. The night before the
case was to be heard again the UBCIC
Legal Advisor went out to Alkali to
meet with the Band to discuss the
strategy for presenting their evidence.
A l l the elders of Alkali were to play a
strong role, speaking of the days they
used to hunt in the same area where the
Alkali five had been charged. They
remembered that this was their
traditional hunting grounds, going
back years when they were young and
going out with their parents. They
INDIAN

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spoke of how important hunting was,
and still is, to them.
So the stage was set for the next day
in court. A delegation of people
showed up that morning to hear the
outcome.
Once all the people were in the
courtroom, which was packed to
standing room only, we could see that
this would be an interesting day. The
prosecutor entered and noticed the
over-packed room, went over to the
Legal Advisor, spoke quietly for a
minute
and
left
the
room
momentarily. The Advisor, smiling,
turned to look at the delegation and
said that the crown was dropping
charges against the accused.
The
Judge
seemed
to
be
disappointed that the charges were
dropped because he had been looking
forward to hearing the evidence of the
Elders. He told the delegation that this
is a victory for the accused, and that

the Band is in the position to negotiate
their right to hunt in future over
disputed lands.
What showed me that this case
would go in the Alkali Five's favor was
the togetherness of the Band to gather
the evidence, and their spirits were
always high.
After the case was dismissed, the
Band went to the Friendship Center, a
longhouse structure not far from the
court house. There they discussed the
importance of the victory for the Band
and how it would be a stepping stone
for the future of their hunting rights in
the Alkali area.
The Band will be striving toward
making their own By Laws in bringing
back the rights they once had when the
Elders of Alkali were free to hunt.
They will be meeting with Fish &
Wildlife Branches to come to an
agreement over how much rights the
Band has on their traditional hunting
territories.
•

BUT SAANICH HUNTERS
LOSE
Island Treaties Ignored
Doug August's main defence was
that in 1876 there was correspondence
between various government officials
which guaranteed hunting and fishing
rights for the Halalt people. Although
they weren't "official" documents or
an "official" treaty, the defence
maintains that they were still legally
binding. The Judge didn't argue on
this point. He said that certain aspects
of a formal treaty weren't met, such as
signatures of Indian people or an
official survey of the treaty area.
Doug's other defence was that he is
related to Joe and by traditional ways
this would give him a right to hunt with
Joe in the area protected by the
Saanich Treaty and not be charged
with illegal hunting. In his Reasons for
Judgment, the Judge didn't even
answer this question. It was apparently ignored.
The
definition of the term
unoccupied land was the other major
issue of the case. Here again the views
of the Indian people and those of the
Judge clashed. The Judge said that in
the treaty it referred only to hunting on
unoccupied lands within the area
covered by the treaty—the land surrendered. But because of the extensive
traditional hunting territory of the
Saanich people, the defence argued
that the unoccupied lands extended
past those boundaries and included the
area where the two men were hunting.
The Judge also said that unoccupied
land, as far as hunting was concerned,
was as far as a gunshot could be heard.
But, gunshots can be heard for a long
distance, so the definition isn't really a
practical one. It would be inconsistent
across B.C., since gunshots can be
heard for different distances in
different terrains and in different weather.
UBCIC lawyers said that if land
isn't fenced or if no one lives there or if
a person can't really tell it's being used
for any reason, it should be considered
unoccupied. Indian people can't be

expected to do a land survey every time
they want to go hunting. Again the
thinking isn't practical.
At this time the Saanich people are
waiting to see if the case will be
appealed. If it is, these issues will again
be brought before the court.
After a two and a half year court
battle, the Bartleman and August
hunting case is at least over for now.
But, the Judge's decision is far from
acceptable to the Saanich people. The
case was lost.
On July 5, 1977, Joe Bartleman of
the Tsartlip Band and Doug August of
the Halalt Band, both on Vancouver
Island, went hunting for food and the
two men were charged.
Joe was charged with hunting with a
.22 calibre rifle while Doug was
charged with hunting out of season.
The charges came under provincial law
—the B.C. Wildlife Act. They were
found guilty by Judge Giles at the
Duncan Provincial Court March 4,
1980, and each received a $50 fine.
At this time, Doug, Joe and UBCIC
lawyers are strongly considering
appealing the decision, but no decision
has been made yet.
There were two main issues that had
to be dealt with in thel5ase. One was
that the defence argued that the two
men were protected from the B.C.
Wildlife Act by two treaties—"one covering the Tsartlip people and other
covering the Halalt people. This made
the court battle an uphill one. First the
Judge had to he convinced that the
treaties were valid and then that Joe
and Doug were within a guaranteed
hunting area.
The other major issue was the
definition of "unoccupied land" that
was talked about in the treaties.
During the court case documents
were brought out which represented a
treaty between James Douglas, an
agent of the Hudson's Bay Company,
and the Saanich people. In 1852 the
treaty was drawn up when the Saanich

people surrendered a large part of their
land in exchange for guaranteed
hunting and fishing on unoccupied
land. The documents guaranteed that
the Indian people could carry on their
hunting and fishing "as formerly",
or, as they had always done.
In his decision, the Judge agreed
that the Saanich Treaty was in fact a
treaty, but said that since the men were
hunting outside the treaty area they
were still liable under provincial law.
However, the defence said that the
Judge was wrong. The reason is
because the Saanich people had
hunting territories extending far
beyond the area surrendered to James
Douglas. The Indian people never
gave up their rights to hunt or fish in
these areas. And, they would never
agree to hunt only on the unoccupied
land within the treaty area.
This situation is somewhat like
someone owning 100 acres of land and
selling 10 acres to another person on
the condition that they can still use the
water from the creek that runs through
the land. Just because the person has a
guarantee for that 10 acres, doesn't
mean the use of the creek running
through the remaining 90 acres has
been given up—the whole thinking
isn't logical.
•
INDIAN

WORLD

I THINK . . .

Joe Bartleman is a direct descendant of the Saanich
people. They signed a Treaty with James Douglas in
1852 which guaranteed the rights of the Indian people to
hunt and fish at Vancouver Island.

RE: January, 1980 Issue UBCIC News, page 8.
(Salmon Exchange)
I am a member of the Tsartlip Band on Vancouver
Island. I am a descendant of the people who signed a
treaty which allows me to hunt and fish as formerly.
After reading the article (Salmon Exchange) I feel
my rights of the treaty and as an Indian have been
violated. No one has ever asked if I would give up my
rights to the river for Salmon from Qualicum River or
any other river. If confronted with such a question I
would have given a flat no.
My reasons are as long as I am able to hunt and fish
I am a person, I am Indian. As long as I am able to
throw a spear or carry a rifle I am alive. If I can't hunt
my ground or fish my rivers I might just as well be
white, which is as close to death as I can see.
I have accepted fish from Qualicum River. The fish
we received were about three days old and in poor
shape from transporting.
Also I have worked with fisheries, writing permits
from our office. It was easier for our people to get a
permit from our Band office rather than drive 14 miles
to Victoria. Fisheries disagreed with my method of
writing them. I was not going to quote a number on
the permits on how much they were to take. I was not
going to play god and decide how much a family needs
for the winter. I also wasn't going to tell the people
what day they were going to fish.

INDIAN

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Fisheries decided they were going to put a limit of 25
fish per person. I did not agree so they now issue
permits from their office.
Now they tell us we cannot fish Goldstream River
because we are accepting fish from Qualicum. They
know before fish even leave Qualicum, to what reserve
it's going to.
They get an advance notice and don't or refuse to
write permits. Our Band has a thirteen acre fishing
station in Goldstream and we cannot use it. We have
hunting rights and cannot use them. As far as I'm
concerned there was no exchange and if there is a
chance there was, why were the people of the nineteen
Bands not consulted? No Band council or committee
can make such a decision without consulting each and
every Band member.
The person responsible for releasing such
information should have consulted the people before it
was published.
To hunt our own game and to fish our own fish was
born into the Indian people and I am proud to be
Indian.
We have never been defeated as a people but I will
have to be defeated before giving up my treaty right.
Joe Bartleman
P.O. Box 122,
Brentwood Bay, B.C.

DIGNITY:
WATCHWORD
FOR FISHING
RIGHTS FIGHT
The annual Fish Forum sponsored by the UBCIC's
Fishing Portfolio, was held in Vancouver March 4 to 6,
1980.
One Elder from each district, as well as Indian people
from across Canada were at the meeting.
Discussions were aimed towards the development and
implementation of an effective, comprehensive fish
management scheme. Throughout the forum, it was
pointed out that fish is a resource that Indian people
depend upon socially, economically and politically.
Several speakers stressed the importance of remembering
that fish do affect Indian people in all three of these
areas.
Building Indian Dignity and Credibility Essential
Neil Sterritt of the Gitskan-Carrier Tribal Council
made a forceful presentation on not forgetting the social
impact of fishing for Indian people. Indians must work
with these aspects kept in mind, such as Indian dignity
and credibility. When Indian people decide to put

FRASER VALLEY
NATIVE BOXING
CHAMPIONSHIP

National/International
Fish Conference
The UBCIC is hosting a National/International Fish
Conference—May 21-22, 1980 at the Sandman Inn, 180
W. Georgia Street (across from the Bus Depot) in
Vancouver. Attendance will be approximately 150 from
across Canada and a delegation of Brothers and Sisters
from the U.S.
A n agenda has been forwarded to each District
Representative and a letter sent to each Chief.
forward a fishing project, They must never allow to leave
their minds the amount of dignity it holds. And he said
that once an Indian stops being Indian because of a
project, he should not do it.
In the 1800's Indians controlled the fisheries, now it is
controlled by the Federal Fisheries. Indian people must
re-establish their credibility. The way to do it, he said, is
to do a better job of managing the fisheries than the
Federal Fisheries do. Re-establishing that credibility was
started by Indians pleading 'not guilty' to fishing charges
in court—and winning the cases. How do Indians build
that credibility? Neil said that Indians must work
together: it is easy to organize ourselves around the
fishing, because it is a part of our life.
Dollars Cannot Be the Focus
Neil added that when a Band starts a project to be used
to employ Indian people, it shouldn't allow dollars to get
in the way of that goal. One example of a project that's
seasonal, needs no training or big dollars and that applies
to most unemployed Indian people, Neil said, is fishing.
It's a resource Indians are in control of, know how to
harvest and process and that there's a market. The only
thing stopping Indians is legislation.
The Legal Task Force stressed that another way to
build credibility is to pass Band by-laws protecting the
fisheries from such industries as logging, which is the
second largest taker of fish—second only to commercial
fishing.
Phillip Paul spoke about fish as always having been
part of Indian culture and that Indians don't think of fish
in the same way as non-Indians—they are deeply rooted
in Indians, both culturally and spiritually.
Control of Fisheries Vital to Indian Government

APRIL 18-19
place

Chilliwack
Coliseum

OUTSTANDING B O X E R S
from
British Columbia, Alberta,
Saskatchewan and U.S.A.

The politics of fish was also talked about at the threeday meeting. Saul Terry said that Indian control of
Indian fishing is a major part of Indian Government and
we must decide what is needed in terms of Indian fishing
rights. We are now showing that we understand the
politics better: more and more are saying 'not guilty' to
fishing charges and winning those cases in the law
courts.
•
INDIAN

WORLD

FOUNTAIN
SALMON
SURVIVAL
POTLATCH

With the warm weather on the way,
celebrations will soon be starting at
reserves all across the province.
Fountain Band held a Salmon
Survival Potlatch over the weekend
of 23rd and 24th February.

There was an estimated 250 to 300
people at the Potlatch. Drumming,
singing and dancing groups came
from across B.C. to share their
talents. There were even visitors there
from New Mexico.
I N D I A N W O R L D 16

Chief Victor Adolph exclaimed
that the weekend was a great success
—especially the money the Band
received for legal actions. He
explained that, as is the traditional
way, the money for the fund was
given to the Elders. Then, the Elders
immediately turned the money back
over to the fund.
As is traditional at celebrations,
feasting was enjoyed. That was
thanks to Chief Victor Adolph and

Roger Adolph who spent the good
part of a day preparing a special meal
of salted and baked salmon.
•

Photos by Myrna Thevarge

During the Potlatch, money was
collected for the Salmon Survival
Fund, which was set up to pay
expenses for the legal action the
Fountain Band is taking against the
Federal Fisheries.

SETON LAKE
POW-WOW
by Gary John
On March 8 and 9 the Seton Lake
Nation Singers hosted the gathering in Shalalth. The reason for the
gathering was to try and get the people to come together in body and
mind, to try and interest more people
in the revival of the old days.

lunch was served. After lunch
Baptiste Richie told a couple of
stories and Charlie Mack added on a
few words of his past.

On Saturday there was a light luncheon and singing until all of the
visitors arrived. After the singing, the
Chief of the Drum Group gave
greetings to the Lillooet Drum Group,
the Mount Currie Drum Group and
Elders, Sam Mitchell, Charlie Mack,
Baptiste Richie, and Eddie Thevarge.

Dinner was served later on and the
Elders made speeches about how they
felt towards the gathering taking
place and how thankful they were to
be part of it because there hasn't been
such a gathering as this in Shalalth
for quite a while.
The speakers also talked about
Education, Cultural Revival and respect and trust. Later on, Patricia
and Lisa Aleck were presented with a
Birthday Cake from their parents for
their 15 birthdays. Tom Bull was
presented with a pair of buckskin
gloves from the parents of the Children to thank him for all his hard
work in helping the group.
The drummers and dancers took
over with their voice and fancy
footwork and managed to keep everyone in their seats until it was time to
go home.
On Sunday the people talked and
reminisced about old times until

The gathering was a huge success
and the people of the Drum group
would like to thank all of those who
were able to participate in the gatherings.
Yours in Friendship,
The Seton Lake Nation Singers
INDIAN

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POWER PLAY AGAINST
DEVELOPMENTS

After a development company proposed to build 93 homes for rich people on Chilliwack Mountain, four area Bands.
began lookingfor ways to stop it.
Four Chilliwack area Bands may be
taking the Department of Indian
Affairs and the City of Chilliwack to
court on as many as five separate
actions. All of the actions would be
aimed at stopping or getting
compensation for the damages that
would result from proposed development on Chilliwack Mountain.
The whole issue began when
Chilliwack
Mountain
Estates
proposed a plan to develop the
mountain for the building of about 93
homes for wealthy people. The four
Bands, Squiala, Skway, Aitchelitz,
and Kwak-kwaw-a-pilt, are against
the
development
because
the
mountain is an Indian hunting
ground, there are four burial grounds
on the mountain, and because the
proposal would call for the building
of a septic drainage system which
would .dump sewage on the property
of several Indian people living on the
Squiala reserve.
Five Separate Actions Could be
Started
The Bands immediately tried to
find a way to either stop the development or to get compensation for the
resulting damages. While researching
the issue, they found five actions that
INDIAN

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could be taken which would help their
cause. A l l four Bands are involved in
the case as a unit because part of the
land on the mountain in question is
commonage reserve. Although it has
been called the property of the
Squials Band, the true ownership has
never been settled. So, all four Bands,
as the original owners, became
involved.
Chilliwack Mountain Road
The
first
action
concerns
Chilliwack Mountain Road. In 1950,
the DIA issued a permit which
allowed
the
municipality of
Chilliwack to use the road. But the
permit was issued without the consent
of the Bands and without compensation and because of that the Bands
have sued the DIA with fraud, negligence and breach of trust in allowing
the municipality to use it. As well,
they have sued the City of Chilliwack
with trespassing. The actions are
brought because the developer's plans
would cause increased traffic on and
even widening of the road. They
argue that the developers shouldn't
profit from use of the road because
the Bands have never been paid or
compensated for the road and
because the Bands don't want in-

creased traffic on their road when
they oppose the building of the
subdivision.
Skway Road
The second road issue is along the
same lines. Skway (or Wolfe) Road
runs through the Skway Band and has
never been paid for. Unlike
Chilliwack Mountain Road which has
a permit allowing its use (even though
it's considered an illegal one), Skway
Road has no legal document in
existence whatsoever allowing its use.
Because there is no legal right for the
road to be used by the city, the
lawsuit is straight trespassing.
Chilliwack Mountain Access
Road
There, is also a third road issue. It
concerns the Chilliwack Mountain
Access Road which was planned to
run from Chilliwack Mountain Road
to the site of the development. The
developers put forth a plan to the
DIA to transfer ownership of a
couple of acres of reserve no. 8 to be
used for the road. The law states that
the provincial government can use
1036 to expropriate reserve land for
roads, but no other body can do this.
However, the developers in effect

asked the provincial government to
borrow its name to expropriate the
land. The Bands say this action is
wrong
because
the
provincial
government neither wants nor needs
the land—the developers do.
Commonage Reserve
In addition to the roads, there are
two land issues to be dealt with.
Because of flooding in the area, more
than 52 acres of Chilliwack Mountain
were set aside for both Indians and
white people to be used as a refuge in
the event of floods. During the time
when the land cutoffs were taking
place, this commonage reserve was
taken from the people. The only
other
historical
example
of
commonage reserve for both Indians
and White people was in the
Penticton area. In that case, when the
commonage was taken away from the
Indians, the Indian Bands involved
received a land exchange. The
Chilliwack Bands argue that either
the commonage reserve belongs to the
Indians or that there has to be some
kind of fair compensation, possibly a
land exchange similar to the
Penticton Bands.

One of the Bands' main concerns is to protect their burial grounds on the
mountain.
Aichelitz Band
The other land problem concerns
Aichelitz Band, which is situated on
the mountain. The land was taken
from the Indian people on the basis
that there were no surviving members
of the Band. This came about years

Chilliwack Mountain has always been an Indian
mountain for hunting and a refuge during floods.

ago. The DIA claims that the person
it called the last remaining survivor,
gave up the land. However, there are
several members now living on the
reserve which seems to make the DIA
claim ridiculous.
At this point the Bands have
already begun to pursue the road
issues and will soon begin on the land
disputes. The ultimate plan is neither
to stop the development or to get fair
compensation for damages that will
result from it. This compensation
could be in one or more forms. The
Indian people may ask for municipal
services, money, land exchange or
possibly political recognition which
would give them a major say in
regional affairs that concern them.
Although there has been no decision
yet, these are some areas being
considered.
The bottom line to the whole issue
is that the Bands want their grave
sites protected, proper sewage lines
installed if the development goes
ahead and fair compensation for past
injustices. Unless the Bands are
satisfied with results of negotiations,
they will use their legal power and
political
power
to
stop
the
development
on
Chilliwack
Mountain.
•
INDIAN

WORLD

From the News...
COQUALEETZA LAND
TRANSFER

the same year leased the main
complex (formerly the hospital) to the
Department of National Defense.
The Indian people received control
of the smaller buildings: the Big
House, the Salish weaving centre, the
Snookwa Hall and the houses located
at the rear, the library and the Area
Indian Council Centre. The people
began to dream of a complete cultural
and recreational centre, planned for
the needs of the Sto:lo people, controlled and owned by them.

Illustration — Peter Lindley

The two most historic places for
the Indian people in Chilliwack are
Edenbank
and
Coqualeetza.
Methodist missionaries established a
school at Coqualeetza on Crown
land, on what is presently known as
Knight Road. In 1889, the school was
transferred across the street to its
present Vedder frontage property,
still Crown land.
Despite the voiced objections of the
community,
construction
went The Land Transfer
ahead. The main emphasis was to
They are using a ministerial letter
provide "Industrial Training for to transfer 45 acres of land to Indian
Indians." In 1891 Coqualeetza was control. This is supposed to streamline
levelled by fire. The Federal the process of transferring property
Department
of Indian
Affairs from one Federal Department to anocontributed 90% of construction ther.
It remains a

costs for a new complex. The slow process. The DPW will remain
Women's Methodist Missionary con- the landlords until such time as the
tributed the remaining cost. By 1894, Department of National Defense no
it was completed and was known as longer wants the property and
the "Coqualeetza Industrial Insti- buildings they are now using,
tute" until 1937. At that time the fourteen acres. They estimate this will
residential school closed down and be for another three to five years.
Coqualeetza became a hospital, treat- After that, it will eventually be
ing mainly tuberculosis victims.
returned to Indian control.
In 1974, the Department of Public The Sto:lo Dream
Works took over the complex and in
Pat Kelly, Education Coordinator,

INDIAN

WORLD

KILLER W H A L E
Killer Whale sounds so lonely to me.
They look so powerful, yet they look
so friendly.
Makes a person think and wish
they were a killer whale.
Men have tried so hard,
And are beginning to understand,
That they are friendly and they look so
powerful,
Yet gentle, the killer whales.
Jerry Tallio
Grade 7
from Nuxalk News
is excited that now the Cultural
Centre is zeroing in to the final stages
of the land transfer. The long term
development
potential
of
the
Coqualeetza property seems sure
because of the closeness to the Trans
Canada Highway, and to the major
tourist and regional shopping centres.
The land between Coqualeetza and
the Cottonwood Mall has been taken
out of the Agricultural Land Reserve
and re-zoned. The merger of the Chilliwack Township and City places
Coqualeetza much closer to the
geographical centre of the new municipality.
Their planning consultant turned
over the first concept-plan for the
possible
development
to
the
Coqualeetza Board of Directors on
February 15th, 1980. After consulting
with some of the Sto:lo elders, other
Sto:lo people after Coqualeetza staff
and meeting several times with the
Board, this report represents the people's dream for a planned future of
Coqualeetza. Some of the possibilities for the new centre include a traditional village, a sports recreational
complex, theatre and restaurant, a
hotel and convention centre and a
play area. The plans are for a very
major complex. The complete report
is available at the Centre and the staff
and Board are looking for input and
response from the people to these
first draft plans.
(Contact Bob Hall at Tel: 858-9431)

O N T H E WAGON

I feel good to be sober today, to be able to smile at the people I meet. I can talk and laugh a
enjoy
myself
As an Indian person, I don't need to drink, I don't have to be ashamed. I care for myself as m
asIcare for my Indian people.Ilearn"dance to the drum", I can be proud today, I can hold my
up, smile and just be happy. As I see, all our children smile, I see Elders smile and all people
togetherandshare, I know—
The cost of being sober, is theFutureof our Children.

ALCOHOL SUPPLEMENT
INDIAN

WORLD

IS DRINKING OUR TRADITION?
Books upon books have been written about alcohol and why people drink and after all the dollars have been spent on
research they find that the bottom line is usually"apoor self
image."
We all have in our minds an image of ourselves and either we try to live up to this image, or we try to escape it. To
some the feeling of inadequacy is overpowering. We can't cope with ourselves and we try to hide. So many of our
problems stem from feelings of guilt. We all have the power to change ourselves, our lives, our futures. We are the way
we are for several reasons and we didn't get like this overnight.
with being stereotyped as lazy, drunk,
register first. It's no wonder that we
For Indian people there have been
poor and useless, and the list goes on
drink.
many contributing factors for our self
and on. Doesn't do too much for the
What good is all this wealth if we
image and most of them are negative.
self-image, does it? When I read some
have no one to share it with? What
The loss of our identity has had a
of the laws that were enforced against
good is a big house in the suburbs if
traumatic effect on all of us. As chilIndian
people it is no wonder they
our neighbours won't talk to us?
dren we were not given the proper
drank. The Old People say that things
What good is all this i f your children
guidance from our parents and
will soon change. The change has
don't respect you? What kind of
grandparents because for the most
already started. We are becoming
future are we building for our chilpart we were not living with them.
more
aware of ourselves, our
dren and for our future as Indian
The Institutions and foster parents
people? When I look at alcohol in this
stripped them of the responsibilities. surroundings, and our future. We are
no longer content to sit back and
light, I see that it serves no purpose
We were not taught how to deal with
accept the generous offerings from
except to destroy any hope we might
life, right from how to share their
DIA. It's been said that Fear is a
have left.
toys to being responsible for their
great motivator. I'm sure that in a lot
chores and being responsible for their
How many of us have left our chilof our minds we are afraid of the
younger brothers and sisters. They
dren at home to go to the bar? We go
future and what it has in store for our
are taught how to appreciate nature
to the bars to forget.... forget what?
people, especially if it is to continue
and to respect their Elders. InstituThey are still there, we didn't lose our
on the path of the last fifty years.
tions couldn't possibly teach our chilproblems en route. They follow us
dren what they needed to know.
everywhere. How much respect can
The ways of Indian people are in
When children did come home for the
we
command from people when we
the minds of the Old People. When
summer, their parents didn't know
are in a stupor? But still we make
they go—we go. Our way of life used
how to deal with them any more,
excuses for ourselves and those we
to be simple. It was not this
their teaching at the school was difcare about. If we really cared we
aggressive, abrasive world in which
ferent. The parents and grandparents
wouldn't make those excuses. I no
we now live. We shared both our
felt useless, unwanted, their sense of
longer find it acceptable to have
wealth and our knowledge. Things
responsibility had diminished. The
someone that is drunk kiss our infant
were done for a community, not an
way of the Indian people were being
son or cry on my shoulder. When we
individual. There was respect for each
forced out by the government. Soon
excuse their drunkenness we are in
other and our surroundings. We were
they started to drink. What little time
fact approving of their behaviour.
a proud people. There was prayer—
the children did spend at home was
Most people that are excessive users
we acknowledged that there was a
spent with strangers.
greater power than ourselves and we of alcohol are looking for someone or
something to help them. They are
prayed to the creator for strength and
From here, some of the children
saying "I don't know how to cope"
guidance. There was responsibility
graduated to Juvenile Detention Cenbut we laugh at them or shake our
and we accepted it with pride. Each
tres, then to Provincial Jails then to
heads in disgust.
of us was responsible for someone
the big time, to the Federal penitenand something which gave our
tiaries. It's no wonder that there is
If you want to help save a life, tell
communities strength.
such a high crime rate among Indian
them to sober up and support them
people. As children, they weren't for
when they do. Quitting drinking is the
When we look around us today it is
the most part and still aren't being
easy part, staying sober is the hard
hard to find anyone who lives by
taught how to live. They grow up, not
part. It doesn't cost anything to give
these values. We have so many
being brought up. Before a person
support and acceptance to those that
external forces that we have to deal
can become a responsible parent they
are struggling with their lives: give
with on a daily basis, we are so busy
need to have had a parent, a role to
someone a future. We talk of our hisrunning around trying to tend to all
follow. Just because we can bear
tory, our culture, our traditions:
these so-called "necessities" we've
children doesn't automatically make
things that are passed from one
forgotten how to live. We have
us a good mother or father.
generation to another. In twenty
forgotten to take time for our famiyears, will drinking be a tradition?
lies, our communities, our culture all
For the past twenty or thirty years
in an endless effort to reach the cash
the Indian people have had to deal
by Tina Marie Christian
INDIAN

WORLD

In Alkali Lake, when you first arrive, whether for business or a visit with friends, you notice smiles, happy faces,
children all over the community running, playing. You really get a warm feeling. The handshakes: the people of Alkali
Lake are 70% sober. It's been hard, all the years of struggle to fight alcoholism, on this particular reserve in central B.C.
It's now been 9 or 10 years since people of Alkali Lake started to recognize alcoholism as a disease. Two people started to
do something about the problem on their reserve with the help of a concerned friend. Today things happen at Alkali
Lake. Sober dances, sober Indian gatherings, everything that happens in Alkali Lake is sober.

ALKALI L A K E

SHARING AND CARING
The Shuswap people here at Alkali
Reserve had suffered a great loss in
the past when alcoholism had taken
its toll and the whole community was
affected. It all began in the early sixties when alcohol was open to Indians
which greatly affected many aspects
of the lives of the people.
In the past our Reserve was called
Alcohol Lake making reference to the
heavy drinking on the reserve. Most
of the adults drank, even the children
were drinking at an early age. There
was no respect for the Elders.
The lifestyle at the reserve had
changed drastically for the worse.
Every area of the lives of the people
at Alkali was affected by the
drinking. Even to the point where
there were many deaths due to
alcohol.
----- Car accidents
----- drownings
----- suicides
----- burned in fire
----- exposure
----- medical reasons
----- other
There is a lot more to be added to
the statistics, all the sadness, the pain
and all the struggles are not recorded
here. At that time drinking was just
the way of life. There were also many
cases of child neglect, beatings, children were missing school and many
dropped out of school, the housing
conditions were terrible, and the
health
of
our
people
was
deteriorating—all because of A L C O HOL. It took almost a death every
month in 1972 before something had
to be done.
In 1973, the Alkali Reserve started
taking steps to change from a drinking community to a working community. It was hard in the beginning for

Most kids in Alkali's nursery school class have never even seen their parents
drunk. Band members started sobering up in '73. Alkali people say: "The cost
of sobriety is the future for our children. "
this change to take place. A member
of Band Council, then, took steps to
request a worker from the Alcohol &
Drug Program for weekly visits to
bring alcohol awareness to the
community.
The
Alcoholics
Anonymous program was introduced
at a later time, however, it took some
time before the membership started
to grow. It was not until 1975 when
several people went away to alcohol
treatment centres in B.C. and Alberta
for recovery from alcoholism. So far
there have been about 45 people who

have received help through Alcohol
Treatment Centres. This was only the
beginning.
A person going away to treatment
also receives a lot of community
support in Alkali. The Band Council
gives encouragement by seeing that
the person's house is renovated, the
children are placed with another
family in the community, and see that
employment is available when the
person returns, or check into
training. In Alkali the whole community is concerned.
(Cont. on page 31)
INDIAN

WORLD

THE MEN S P E A K :
Imprisoned and Shackled
My drinking was a hellish prison
which began when I was quite young.
Up t i l l 1974 my life was a sample of
horror. I was lost to my people, my
family, friends, but most of all I was
lost to myself, I was beaten, defeated,
exhausted, dejected, rejected and
very lonely. It seemed it was game
over. My liquor didn't give me the
relief it used to give me. It tasted
stale. I felt like a caged animal. It was
as if no source of any kind was
available to salvagemefrom my garbage heap. How I wished for death.
But death is only dealt by the great
spirit. He meant for me to come
back. I talk about the hellish prison
my drinking got me into. I held many
kinds of responsible jobs which I
barely hung onto because of booze. I
tried quitting on my own, no way.
Thank great spirit, my leaders intervened, Their example and respect
won my praise for them for what help
they wanted to give me. I listened. A
miracle. Things began to change.
Not overnight mind you. Day by
Day, week by week. It has been four
years since I had my last drink. The
same things four years ago look different and, wow, freedom from my
prison and shackles of alcoholism.
Recovering, happy every day, is a
miracle. Life now is an awesome
thing. We the people here in our
Village of Alkali are all unique, but in
all there's a powerful Band, a unity, a
"we care" attitude towards each
other. Our leaders have all our respect. We honour their requests. We
know, deep down in our hearts our
plight in life is guided by good
leadership.
Our village is growing in leaps and
bounces. We need never be alone.
That's why our village, Alkali, is
proud and want to help.
•
INDIAN

WORLD

"Life now is

To tell you the truth, I was to hell
and back. On my journey, boy, I tell
you right now I thought it was fun
going along the way. It all happened
one day when I took that first drink,
boom!!!! I was on my way, nobody
would stop me now.

But somewhere along the way I
blackened out. Woke up next
morning with a stiff arm and all
swollen up at that, two big cuts on my
upper right arm. During the time I
blackened out till I woke up sober I
had gone to a neighbour's house and

hit right through their window just to
get even over a quarrel they had with
me.

Today these same people are my
best friends. We share a lot of things
with each other. The things we share
are good things. It's not sharing the
bottle any more. Our families are all
happy now. There are fewer deaths in
our community. This is the result of
putting our heads together and start
caring and sharing for each other and
enjoy. I really enjoy the goodness of
life.
•

A New Beginning
A long time ago in the days when I
was just a boy of five or six years old
I lived with my grandparents. It was
at that time I saw life as it was as a
child brought up in a world of the
unknown. I was 11 years old when I
began my schooling. I didn't know
much then only to speak my native
tongue was all that mattered. As time
went on I learned quickly of the white
man's ways: how to speak English,
how to get an education, and how to
drink. This story begins the day I
made my step to live a better life—to
accept whatever good life had to
offer. I had a treatment, a treatment
that would change my whole outlook
on life. I had what you might call a
sickness, a disease that slowly deteriorated my life. Alcohol was my
problem.
Prior to my treatment I felt I had
hit the bottom of my drinking days. It
was at that time I realized my life had
become unmanageable. I was powerless over alcohol. I became a slave to
the bottle. I lived a life where I
thought that the answer to all my
problems was to drink at every occasion. Whatever it was, you name it.
I lived with alcohol at every side,
all through my teen years, my late

20's and so on. It became a
progressive obsession to me. You
might say I suffered a lot more than
anyone could understand. I guess I
went through the mill. I could go on
and on of what alcohol did to me and
of what I did to myself and to others
involved in my drinking but I have
given a good picture of what alcohol
can do to anyone who knows about
it.
My life now has a lot of meaning to
it. My family whom I have neglected
many times are closer to me now, so
are my non-drinking friends. I find
that love abounds everywhere. I have
been set free. The bonds of alcohol
have been broken. I see a new life and
I reach for that mark, that goal that is
set before me. I want to be worthy of
my task, I see the need for my people
who are still struggling with that
problem. I am now involved in a
Drug Alcohol Counselling in my
community. This new beginning is
not easy. At times I still struggle with
the menacing thought of involving
myself with alcohol. But I know too
if I ask for the serenity I need, I gain
confidence. I face each day with the
thought, 'just, for today I will not
drink.'
•

an awesome thing"
My Story

Speaking for myself as I am today
and what was before. What I have to
say now is my true story of me! Ever
since I could remember I've witnessed
that No. 1 killer—FIREWATER. It
was really powerful and I grew up
with all this, firewater and all. To me
it was the first drink that started it all.
I was about 9 or 10 years old. I felt
good when I took that first drink. It
was then that I started stealing liquor
off my parents. It wasn't only from
my parents, it was anybody.
A l l through my school years, I was
involved with the bottle. I drank not
every weekend but when I could steal
a bottle. I found that in the drinking
years, back then, it wasn't hard to
find a bottle. You know when I come
to think of it, I say to myself, How
did I manage to stay in school and
finish Grade 12 and eventually graduate? What kept me there I really
don't know. I know for a fact that it
wasn't easy, because some Mondays,
as I remembered, when I went to
school that I actually had a hangover.
Some of the excuses I made to have a
drink were unbelievable. When 1 had
graduated, to me this was one of
those things I had to celebrate. It was
then that I didn't really realize what
was to happen after I finished school.
Sure I had plans; I went into
training right away but you know
who was in my way? " M R . A L C O H O L . " He was there and at that time
I didn't know how he was affecting
my life. Fridays and weekends were, I
thought, good days, but when it came
to Monday, something used to come
to my mind, even though I might
have a hangover. There was that guilt
feeling and I didn't like that feeling,
because I wanted to know what I did
that weekend. Mind you, this was
when I was taking my training.
This was when I started going
downhill. My problem was getting

worse. What I can see now is that I
was getting to the bottom. I was the
guy in the bottle! I was powerless
over Alcohol! It had pretty good
control over me. It was still getting
worse. My weekends would probably
get longer and worse, than what it
was then. I often wonder where I
would be now, if I hadn't realized
where I was then.
If it wasn't for some of my people
and Band Council I would not be here
today. With what they did then, is
called an Intervention Team, made
up of the Band Council and other
members of the Band. It was those
people that made me realize what my
problem really was.
It was after that meeting that I
really started to think and it was then
that I decided to go to treatment
centre. I'm glad that I had listened to
what I was told. Four weeks at the
treatment centre really had opened
my eyes. That was my first step (baby
step) to a better life and to this day
I'm glad, that I sat in front of that
Intervention Team.
I'm still young and hope for a good
future. I have a goal that 1 hope to
achieve one day.
Positively speaking—The important thing I should mention is that:
How things have changed since 197273. How the community has developed and how the community has
grown, I guess in many ways.
Everything is happening now. We
have quite a lot going on. WE have
something to be proud of! I see this
community as a strong community in
many areas. The sharing and caring
the Unity!
From what I went through, for me
it wasn't that easy. We all struggled
and had gained a lot. For myself I'm
still climbing that long mountain
road. By this I mean, that I'm trying
to gain something, something I
should be proud of, something to
look back at.
•

Three years ago, I came close to
dying in a car accident all because of
alcohol. That same summer, my
drinking got worse. I beat up my dad
so bad, after a drinking party, I was
really hurting, feeling rejected, guilty
and frustrated at myself. Today I'm
happy that the Band Council cared.
They helped me through that crisis.
Today after 3 years of sobriety my
greatest fear is not alcohol, but my
own Indian people who laugh, mock
and ridicule me because I won't
accept their offers of the bottle—of
firewater. They don't understand my
weakness for alcohol: They call me
high tone, because I won't drink with
them. For me, one drink is too much
and a thousand is not enough.
Sobriety means working together
as Indian people. Working toward a
future for our children. My two
children never saw me drunk, I pray
to the Great Spirit they never will.
One time my two year old daughter
said, "Daddy, why do you fight?"
All my problems never went away
because I quit drinking, but now I can
solve them soberly and honestly. Last
week I prayed in the Sweatlodge for
my people who were on trial for
hunting without permits. Someday I
hope more Indian people realize, we
can get more things done if we stand
together.
•

The fight of Alcohol started in
1973. With alcohol I was no good.
But now I'm sober and much
happier. I'm a family man with five
children. My children are very happy
about what they have. My self and
my family are involved in Native
Dance Groups. We make our own
regalia, bustles, beaded work, etc.
We go to Pow Wows when we can.
We've danced at the Williams Lake
Stampede and also at Folkfest in
1979. As of now 1980 is coming good.

INDIAN

WORLD

"Come on Indians, get movin

It
th
us
kn

Photo: Alkali Band

THE KIDS SPEAK:

It
po
a
a

I'm really glad that my
parents are sober today.
Not just for my parents
but for everybody on the
reserve. I hope not to
make the same mistake
others did.

Photo: Alkali Band

It is good for my mom and dad to be sober today. They quit drinking for four years.
My mom is a Shuswap teachers and she goes to five different classes. She enjoys
watching the older boys compete in Rodeos. Now on this Reserve parents have got
respect from their children.

THE WOMEN S P E A K :
The Good, Bad & the Ugly
Sometimes when 1 think back I feel
a little depressed but it was a fact of
life and I really like thinking more
about the present because of the good
things that happened to me and my
family since I started staying sober. I
feel that the way of life I have now
wouldn't exist except for the fact that
there are people in the world who
cared enough about me to try and
help me out of the living Hell I was
creating for myself by the abuse of
alcohol. 1 had to let go of the past
hurts of so long ago, you know it's
crazy the way 1 held on to those hurts
but to behave this way is a side effect
of the abuse of alcohol. I don't like
talking about my past but I have to
give something of myself in order to
receive something in return. Learn to
believe in myself, think positive, and
practice what I have learned from listening, reading and talking with
others.
My Past—I have a hard time
speaking of it yet. 1 used to wake up
(sober up) sometimes in strange beds,
maybe not even remember the guy's
name. That was if I woke up with
someone strange. I used to say that 1
didn't care but I did. I felt disgusted
with myself but I thought that was the
way I was supposed to be or the way I
should be. O H ! It used to make me
sick sometimes.
After I had my four children (one
given away through adoption) the
responsibilities just added on. I
figured that was a lot for an unwed
mother but the fact remains that I
was drinking each time I conceived.
Someone mentioned once...somewhere, that I was searching for love
through these sexual encounters, I
believe that to be true. I don't like
thinking of it but I have gone with
many men but most of the time I had
INDIAN

WORLD

"It feels very

to use alcohol in the process. Now
I'm trying to gain back my respect for
myself, learn to like myself again. I
know I can do it through the help
from people around this reserve. I'm
grateful to those who have helped me
regain a part of my sanity through
sobriety.
•
Sobriety, unity, trust, is how it
works. I didn't drink in my early
years, but some time along the way, I
started. At first I didn't drink all the
time until later on. But I am not sorry
I became an alcoholic, because now I
have learned my lesson well. Properly
I would still be wondering what good
alcohol would do for me. But what it
brought me was heartbreak, money
problems, you name it.
Since I woke up sober three and a
half years ago, things have been
different in my life. I am looking
after nine children every day which
keeps my mind off of drinking, and
also the children keep me jumping,
not staggering or both. My daughter
trusts me to look after her own
children and also her foster child.
I am sorry to say, my husband is
still drinking. Some day he might
come to his senses and quit drinking
with the help of his higher power.
•

Before I decided to quit I had to get
hurt. But at any time I was invited to
a bottle before, I was right there. I
just couldn't control myself. Booze
controlled me.
But now would you think of me,
that way today? No, it's "no
thanks." 'Cause there are times when
people who just test and say: "Here,
have a drink," or "why don't you go
and just take a social drink," or
even tell you, " I f I were you having
sons, like what you got, that are
Rodeo Riders, I would celebrate if
they have a win." But that's a noway. I wouldn't think that I would do
such a thing. After all I feel proud.
I'm a proud mother of nine children
and proud of my grandchild, a girl.
As surely I'm proud of my family.
Also proud to know that I have many
friends.
I'll tell you it feels very great to be
what I am today.
Respected by whom I know now
that I feel just like an Indian and how
an Indian should live. To quit this
rotten business of drinking. When
you know what you are doing at all
times, oh you're real different.
That's how I feel today me, myself.

great to be what I am today"

I hit bottom, lost respect for
myself, went with every Tom, Dick
and Harry. Did not care how I
looked, sloppy and dirty.
Lost my loved ones, all over booze.
Have a sister-in-law crippled for life.
Had my children taken away. Before
I came to my senses, with the help of
my sister.
Now I am a happy mother of five, I
have my own home. A job as an
Administrator for the school. We
control the school, the hiring,
budgeting, everything to do with
school, the education school board of
eight. So it is good to be alive, not
thinking of booze. It is more fun
without it. You know what you are
doing, not getting sick on Mondays.
The sharing and caring by the
whole community.
When the men play hockey or the
boys we are there to cheer them on.
A daughter that is in soccer games
going to different places. She was in
the Winter Games.
Live and Let Live.
Take what you like and Leave the
Rest.
•
I had started drinking when I was
quite young. Whenever I saw a
chance to grab a bottle from
somewhere I somehow got it. It
wasn't until 1980 New Year after I
had a drinking party then was in a car
accident that I decided to quit for
good or at least give it my best try.
The thing that got me thinking was
the "Personal Growth" sessions I
have been taking now for a few
weeks. I'm really trying to change my
personality so I can help myself out
of the rut I've been living all of these
years. The session helped me think
positively of all the negative things
that have happened to me, at least the
negative things that happened to me
have taught me a lesson. We, in the
group had to share. Now I know that
everyone has problems, some the

same as mine. So I don't feel too
alone with my problems.
I think I'm off to a good start since
here at Alkali we have many different
recreational activities I can join in on
like Bingos, bake sales, rummage
sales, etc.
•

I just had a little look back of my
life and it's not a nice thing to do.
The life I lived was mostly in drinking
I thought I had to drink to be Happy.
And drink so I could do my
housework. I had to be half-cut to do
my laundry, things like that. I am a
mother of eight. These eight kids
weren't happy at all, not until I had
to smarten up and quit.
I had a lot of friends that told m e t
had a problem. But now, I have no
problem.
•

Life now has meaning to me. I was
controlled by a bottle of alcohol and
wherever it was, I was there. I played
the alcoholism game for five years. I
lost my dad when I was five, I
remember every detail, the burial in
the ground. To me, it was the end of
the world...over at alcohol. I
watched alcoholism in my family
while growing up. Friends and relatives died one week after the other, all
alcohol related. There was and still is
a lot of suffering, suffering that probably everyone has to experience to
extremes before they want to change.
To me, as an Administrator, Alcoholism is the number one problem
within our communities and has to be
the number one priority. Housing,
Education, Social Services, Economic
Development and even your culture
are meaningless if you are still practising alcohol. In my position, I can't
afford to be lost in the alcohol
problem. I don't want to try to be
part of the solution and part of the
problem at the same time.

I was a person who couldn't do
anything without the courage I found
in the bottle. With a few drinks I
could do or say anything I normally
wouldn't do while sober.
Since I found sobreity I don't feel
the hurt and shame that comes with
the bottle. To me sobriety is
happiness, trust and peace of mind. •

How many years have I been with
kids, within the many years I have
been teaching?
What really got me to thinking?
How did I have to start to respond
to my working chores?
Where did I start?
These were the words for me. They
made me think of how i really should
start to attend to my business of my
teaching and other work, and it began
four years back.
Today, I'm happy and the students
are happy. 'Cause the children have
started to realize how they are in the
home, without their parents drinking.
And even as small children they
understand and respect them now.
They know they're cared for. That's
what I see in the kids at school now—
happiness. People stay sober and the
children listen, and go to school.
If you drink, don't expect your
child/children to listen, it's best you
know you're the problem.
Think of your family. Think of
your Elders. Think of your relatives.
Think of how you're ruining your
own life.
Think of how our people are killing
themselves by suicide. Think of how
our people are really killing each
Other.
These are things that really got me
to think. And especially, think how
tremendous it is to be yourself—your
only self.
And Happiness brings everything
for you, whatever you got from this
World. And that's how we should be,
treat it that way.
INDIAN

WORLD

CHANGE TAKES TIME
When I was about five or six years
old, I was very sick. I wouldn't be
alive today if it weren't for my grandmother's home remedies. I really
thank her...she lived to be an oldage woman, and I had a chance to
look after her.

I'm a happy
woman today

We went to school at about the age
of 8 or 9 years. The Residential
school I went to was good. I learned
how to sew and cook and clean
house, things that we should know,
when we left school.

That's when I started to really
think—is this what I want of life?
This was in the 70's, that's when it
struck me, I saw two or three people
going around sober, and wondered
how they did it. I decided to try.
After the first three weeks, boy, I fell
off the wagon, but I climbed back on.
This whole thing took quite a few
years before I finally found
happiness, being sober. I am a happy
woman today because I was able to
do it for myself. I found myself. I am
happy with my family and happy with
the community, because we are all
sober, and able to do what has to be
done around the reserve. People
share and care. We have our new
school, the store, and the Band
office. There are many activities
going on in the reserve. They have
Shuswap language taught in school.
The children are happy we have
hockey clubs, rodeo club, youth club
and women's group, native dance
group and all kinds of committees.

The years I really remember were
the war years and the struggle each
family had. Everything was rationed
and there was no electricity or water
pumps on our reserve. People had to
live on hunting, fishing and trapping
most of the years. There was no law
saying that we couldn't hunt or fish
or trap. We had our hunting grounds.
The Great Spirit made these things
for us to live on, and so that's what
we lived on.
During those years, I never knew
anything about drinking. People
didn't do too much drinking. But I
remember when it started, people
drank moonshine or homebrew.
Sometimes in the 50's, the liquor
was opened to the Indians, and then
the problem started. I thought the
liquor was going to run dry, so I
helped the government keep up his
store stocked up. I thought I'd be a
sociable drinker but it wasn't so.

When I lost my husband through
alcohol my drinking got worse. I
thought I'd drown my sorrow in
alcohol. But when I sobered up it was
just as bad. The problem was there
yet.
INDIAN

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hear people talking and praying" and I
was so jumpy. I just could not sleep. I
used to walk all night, I just couldn't
keep quiet. But still I kept on
drinking. I never stopped to think.
After every hangover, I used to say,
never again. I noticed my breath
starting to get shorter and my body
wasn't feeling too good.

I never did stop to think what I was
doing to my children and to my
family and friends around me. I just
thought about where my next drink
was going to come from. Years and
months passed by and finally my
health was starting to fail. Still I
didn't know what was happening to
me. I thought I was drinking to be
happy, but I wasn't. The hangovers I
used to have, boy, were bad. I used to

All that happened to me all those
years didn't take overnight to undo.
It took years before I got to where I
am today. I am really thankful for my
sobriety.

So ifthereis anybody who wants to
get ahead, just stay away from booze
or liquor. There are three little words
you could say—NO T H A N K Y O U . •

SHARING AND CARING

Photo: Alkali Band

The Alkali Community has been
growing stronger since 1973. Sobriety
has to take place at the Band Council
level before anything can get started.
They set an example for the
community. Also caring and sharing
is important. At Alkali the Band
Council has done a lot of intervention
with the people in the past two years.
This intervention involves the members of the Band Council who meet
with individuals having alcohol
related problems either in their jobs,
family, child neglect, or is a threat to
the community's safety. It is at these
meetings where individuals are
confronted
with their alcohol
problem. We know what it used to be
like and have seen the suffering our
people endured and we don't want to
go back there anymore.
The growth in this community is
tremendous. For example, for the
past four years Alkali has hosted two
Rodeos a year, one All Indian Rodeo
and also an Interior Rodeo Association. This past year, Alkali hosted its
first Pow-Wow, with dancers and
drummers from other communities.
We also have other recreation
activities, such as hockey, softball,
etc. Today our culture is included in
the school curriculum Today our
people are looking up to our Elders.
We are learning more about
alcoholism and how it affects every
area of our lives, physically, mentally
and spiritually. In November 1979
our Chief, two Band Councillors and
two staff members attended the
Mechi Alcohol & Drug Abuse course
held in Williams Lake to get a better
understanding of alcoholism in the
community, and how the Band
Council can deal with the problems
more effectively. We are still learning
and growing stronger and would like
to share with other Indian communities how we deal with our greatest
problem, A L C O H O L I S M .
•

Photo: Alkali Band

(cont. from page 23)

INDIAN

WORLD

I am proud to be an Indian.
I am proud that I am born free from drugs and alcohol.
I am proud that we have sweatlodgesand Indian dancing.
I am proud of my friends that they are learning the ways,
the same way I am trying to learn.
I am proud of our Elders that they are teaching us our ways.
I am proud that we have no more beer
or wine bottles lying around our streets.
I am proud of what I have today and what my friends have.
I am proud of the youngsters that they are
learning the ways of Indians and not
the way of alcohol or drugs.

INDIAN

WORLD

Photo: Johnnie Abraham

THE MT. CURRIE
EXPERIENCE

Till about 1972, Mount Currie children were educated according to Indian Affairs' policies. Many young
people spent years away from their
families in residential schools, while
others attended the local DIA-operated Federal Day School or the public
school 5 miles away in Pemberton. In
all instances, the educational acticity
was directed by DIA in conjunction
with provincial educational guidelines and integration was the underlying philosophy.
All of this changed in 1973. How?
Through the strength of a group of
parents in Mount Currie who looked
at what was happening to their children and said, " E N O U G H ! We've
tried the regular school system. We'll
find our own way."
Because there had been pressure
exerted to have the few students
attending the local Federal Day
School transferred to the public
school 5 miles up the valley, these
parents formed an educational committee to try to keep their children
home. This committee was also concerned about the 90% drop-out rate
of the local Indian students from
public schools. What was to be done

with the young teenagers not attending school and roaming the streets?
After becoming the Ts'zil Educational Advisory Board in the early
1970's, this group's first move was to
set up alternate schooling for the
drop-outs who were hanging around
the village. This first Ts'zil alternate
class of 21 students and a teacher the
Board had somehow managed to hire
set up school in a large room above
one end of the local gymnasium.
Funds were withheld by DIA from
this group, and local people who
helped teach this group worked for 6
months without pay in order to make
the venture a success.
During that time, the Ts'zil Advisory Board began to realize that it
had very little power to influence
teachers and principals who had
effective control of their children's
education. The Board could only
advise and its advice was rarely followed. It had little say in regard to
even the body of Indian students
attending the local Federal Day
School. Nor did this Advisory Board
have any input into educational programming, teacher hiring, and money
matters. A l l was handled by DIA

through a principal hired by them.
To get more say in these matters,
the Ts'zil Board decided to seek
control of the local Federal Day
School. They approached the local
Band Council and told that elected
group that for education to have any
meaning for Indian students in
Mount Currie changes had to occur.
The change they desired—after which
unlimited
change
could
take
place—was to take over the operation
of the Federal Day School. A questionnaire was taken from door to
door in Mount Currie, and the survey
showed that over 90% of people were
in favour of a takeover. After weeks
of heated debates, family feuds, and
community turmoil, the Band
Council threw its support behind the
Advisory Board. A Band Council
Resolution was drafted and forwarded to Ottawa asking for total
control of the operation of the
Federal Day School.
Imagine the confusion in Ottawa
and the indignation of bureaucrats in
the Vancouver DIA regional offices!
At that time, the Minister of Indian
Affairs, Jean Chretien, accepted the
idea of Indain control of Indian
INDIAN

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education, but the regional offices
never implemented it. After all, how
was integration to occur if Indians
operated their own educational
system? And besides, wouldn't Indian
education governed by Indians be
second-rate education?
The Ts'zil Board took up the challenge such questions posed, and eventually in 1973 gained total control of
the education of students attending
the local Day School in Mount Currie. In the 1973-74 school year, the
Board hired its first principal, retained
several staff members who had previously taught in the Day School,
introduced cultural programs, and
budgetted for its first financial operation.
The Ts'zil Board has not looked
back.
Those early years were not without
trial and tribulation. Convincing
Indian people that Indians could
operate a school has been a continuing stumbling block. Even today, a
portion of Mount Currie students
attend the public schools 5 miles away
in Pemberton. It is believed by the
families of these students that public
school education is the roadway to
the good life. They seem to have forgotten how the public schools failed
(in so many ways) Indian students in

tion. Since that time—once DIA accepted the Ts'zil Board as a viable
operation—things have greatly improved.
Having enough money to operate a
school of 200 or more students has
always been a problem. DIA has
continually insisted that the Ts'zil
Board be tied to the M . T . A . formula
which is in effect between the federal
and provincial governments. They
forget that most provincial school
boards only use the DIA tuition
money as part of their general operating budget; they also get extensive
tax-based support from the province.
It took many hours of argumentation
to persuade D I A personnel that the
school had to have all of the resources
that other schools had at their
disposal. Most schools are part of a
larger school unit, and thus, have a
built-in resource pool of equipment,
professional consultants, library
materials, and audio-visual aids.
Besides which, the Federal Day
School that the Ts'zil Board was
taking over was poorly equipped and
the stock of textbooks hopelessly outdated. Because the Ts'zil Board
wished to establish its own direction,
it felt a need to budget for extensive
support and replacement items. Over
a period of time and through persistent negotiation, many of these resources have become available within
Mount Currie.

the past.
Convincing DIA—especially members of the regional offices—was a
problem. Regional office personnel
did everything they could to block the
takeover, and once the takeover had
occurred, did everything they could
to disrupt and cause the Ts'zil Board
to give up. One year the budget that
the Board submitted came back six
times, with barely any comments to
indicate what was wrong with it—
except that it was incorrectly done. It
took much patience and many hours
of sitting in regional offices before
someone would finally admit that
"Yes, a cheque for salaries is forthcoming." This is only one example of
the continual stall on DIA's part
during the first two years of operaI N D I A N W O R L D 34

Space has always been a problem.
Over the years the Ts'zil Board kept
pressing for more and better buildings. Their ultimate aim has been the
establishment of a modern school
complex to replace the clutter of 10
buildings—some of which are at
condemnation levels. Though this
new school project has been on the
drawing boards for several years, the
groundwork is only now beginning.
In the meantime, portable trailers
have been purchased in a band-aid
approach to the problem of space till
the new school is completed. The
combat between the Ts'zil Board and
DIA in regard to whether or not a
new school would be built is a story

too long to unfold here, but suffice it
to say that the whole process has been
frustrating to Board members as DIA

the special interests and problems of
Indian children was a difficult task.
In many instances, teachers who
seemed the best for the job turned out
to be inadequate. The Board initially
made the mistake of hiring teachers
mainly on the basis of academic qualifications, but when some of these
choices were less than satisfactory in
performance, the Board tried to hire
on the basis of personality as much as
on academic criteria. In recent years,
the Board has had a relatively good
group of outside teachers. Fortunately, the teacher-training program they
operated jointly with Simon Fraser
University began to meet the need for
local Indian persons as regular teachers after 1976.
The pursuit of a teacher training
program to develop teachers from
Mount Currie and the establishment
of a curriculum/cultural centre have
also been central to the Mount Currie
experience. Today 15 of 21 teachers
at the Mount Currie Community
School are Indian and provinciallyqualified teachers. A current SFUdirected student-teacher training
program for Mount Currie people
will add another 7 or 8 to that number, and will probably do away wi9th
the need for outside teachers
Since 1972 when the Ts'zil Board
had an alternate set of 21 students,
the school has grown to house some
220 students from Nursery to Year
12. The school has graduated 55
Indian students from Year 12 in the
past five years, and several of these
have proceeded to further education
at UBC, SFU, U.Vic, and other institutions of higher learning. Those
graduates who have remained in
Mount Currie seem to have confidence in their Indian"ness" and have
a measure of personal self-worth and
integrity that the public and residential school systems did not seem to
foster.
•
Illustration by Marie Abraham
Posters available at Mt. Currie.

CARE FOR YOUR
CHILDREN
by Xavier Eugene
First item off the list—love your children. Know
how to love your children. These two items make up
the main rules of caring for your children. A l l parents
love their children unless there is something terribly
wrong with them. To really love your children you
have to show your children that you really love them.
Loving your children is not jut changing their diapers,
feeding them, sending them off to school every day
and feeding them when they return from school, etc.
When you serve your children, do it with affection
such as when changing them, show some love by
letting them know that you don't mind changing them.
Sometimes this is hard especially in the late hours of
the night or worse still, in the wee hours of the
morning. Sometimes this causes us to be cross. Hide
your crossness if you can. When you are feeding them,
show some love like enjoying it when you feed them.
Show them that the meal or food, even if sometimes
there is very little, you cook for them is made special
for them to enjoy. Don't let it show that it is a chore
and a burden to prepare their food. That way your
children will enjoy it more better, better still, enjoy it
with them.

Where you have to discipline your child, have them
know it is done to help them grow up to be a good
strong person. Directly after disciplining them, show
them you still love them and that the discipline is over
and done with till the next time it is needed. Have them
understand that they will face discipline only when
they are not doing right.
Teach them the proper manners so that other people
will also enjoy your children because even though you
may love your child, it is hard for another person to
love that child if the child is a brat. There is a saying
that "no one loves a brat", so raise your child to
respect themselves, their parents and others.
If you know your customs and traditions, teach
them to your child. Make your child proud of their
heritage. Most of your customs and traditions in
raising your child are in the previous words I have
written because we would not have been able to survive
this far as Indian people if they were not practiced by
our ancestors. I have just written them in the language
of the white man.
The practice in bringing up a child with love,
affection and good discipline are practiced by any
good set of parents, to develop a strong child so that
these thins will stand that child to adulthood and that
child when he or she is an adult will in turn raise their
children in a like manner to continue to raise strong
children.
I know that a lot of us as present day parents have a
lot to learn as our parenting skills were taken away
from us by residential schools and now that these
schools are closing down, we have to again learn to be
parents. We have a lot to learn to again be skilled
enough to raise our children like our ancestors did.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
•

CHILD WELFARE STUDY
by Fay Blaney

When sending them off to school, send them off
with them knowing you care by trying to have them
enjoy a good day at school, by preparing a lunch for
them to enjoy.
When they return from school, have them know that
you are happy to have them home. One of the most
loving ways to show your child your love is to show an
interest in what happened to them during their day in
school. The little actions of interest you show them
like asking them how their day was sometimes really
lights up their little eyes. And if they have had a bad
day, this will open the door for them to share their
problems and will let them know that they will always
have you to share their joys and problems. Such words
as "How was school today?" " D i d you have a good
day?" These are magic words to a child.

In gathering the terms of reference for the study, the
co-ordinator has had meetings with representatives of
several interested Indian groups and organizations. The
discussions have been quite successful but unfortunately,
in most cases, they have not been followed up by
documented response.
Due to a number of requests, the initial one month
contract has been extended by one. more month.
Hopefully the additional month will encourage those who
did not send in their terms of reference in the first month
to send them in now.
The next meeting has been scheduled for March 26,
1980. At this time a "preliminary report" will be
presented. This is an excellent opportunity for all of us to
act on behalf of our children. If we, as Indian people, can
demonstrate our concerns and our willingness to take
action, then this will be one study that won't be shelved
and forgotten.
•
INDIAN

WORLD

UP-DATE
CONSULTATION FUNDING
In October 1979, we were made aware, through the
National Indian Brotherhood, that there was $475,000
available from National Health and Welfare for Consultations on Indian Health for the 1979 fiscal year.
Rather than have Medical Services distribute these
funds and have the amount reduced to a minimal sum as
has happened in the past, the NIB offered to distribute
this money evenly throughout the ten provinces.
Justice Berger and his Commission
was hired to consult with the Indian people across
Canada, and to present his recommendations to the
Minister's office.
On 7 February 1980, we were told that
because of the limited time left in this fiscal year, there
would be a $25,000.00 ceiling on the Consultations
Money per province. B . C . would receive $25,000.00
to be spent no later than midnight, 31 March 1980.
After some serious thought and discussion, an Indian
Health Conference was planned to obtain as many ideas
as possible from everyone including the Youth and
Elders. The Berger Recommendations have been handed
over to the Minister of Health & Welfare, but is still being
translated into French and will only be available for the
National Commission Enquiry meeting in Calgary March
24-27.
All these ideas will contribute to a Position Paper on
Indian Health for British Columbia, postmarked 31
March 1980.
BELLA COOLA GRAVEYARDS
Bella Coola is still fighting to protect its various burial
grounds from logging.
Crown Zellerbach, a huge logging company that has a
plan to log out the entire valley of the Bella Coola people*
requested permission to remove coffins from one burial
ground in order to log the area. The Band said "no,"
because the logging would mean the destruction of the
grounds.
Ed Moody, Band councillor at Bella Coola, reports
that the Band saw an initial logging plan of the company.
The plan calls for logging that would take out about one
million board feet of timber per year which would be
worth about $5-6 million. They have requested input into
approval of the plan.
Because the company is anxious to continue with its
plan, it has been pressuring the Band to settle the issue of
burial grounds. However, the Band plans to continue
fighting for the protection of the grounds. The Bella
Bella Band is working with Bella Coola in their issue.
INDIAN

WORLD

ANGUS DAVIS CASE
In February 1978, the Majestic Wiley Construction
Company, acting on behalf of the Westcoast Transmission Co. Ltd., started construction of a pipeline which
ruined the traplines of Angus Davis, an Indian in the Fort
St. John area. The construction was undertaken without
the permit necessary by the National Energy Board.
Angus, with the UBCIC Task Force, has since taken
action against the company for the damages caused. The
case is to go to court sometime in April, although no date
has been set.
DELEGATION TO TRY FOR MORATORIUM ON
LOCAL SERVICES AGREEMENT
The smaller and less sophisticated Bands are very
worried about the political, legal and administrative
implications of the agreement. The more established and
well developed Bands are mainly concerned with
suggestions that the Agreement will ultimately lessen
benefits afforded by the Indian Act. Some Indian leaders
fear that it will, perhaps, eventually undermine the entire
Act itself. If this is the case, then the matter becomes a
serious concern to all Indian people across the land.
During the process of studying and discussing the
proposed Agreement with groups or individual Bands, it
became quite apparent that the DIA staff had not tried to
inform the Band organizations of every aspect of the
Agreement. Instead, they had adopted a process of
intimidation in many cases to entice some Bands (usually
the less informed) to come to an Agreement and sign a
document which would ultimately serve the interest of the
Department.
The Band organizations have not been totally critical
of the proposed agreement (negatively). The first
introduction of the document represented the advance of
local control for the Band councils. Many saw it as an
instrument for achieving the much needed autonomy for
the Bands. DIA suggests that about forty percent of the
Bands in the Province have signed an Agreement. The
Union is in the process of verifying this information.
Because so many Bands are seriously concerned, it is
highly unoikely that many more will sign. The Union
continues to advise all to be very cautious.
Being prompted by the concerns of many Bands, a
delegation from the Union is seeking audience with the
Ministry. The purpose of such a meeting is to urge the
Ministry for postponement or a moratorium on the
L.S.A. for at least one year. At the time this statement is
in printing, the delegation will be in Ottawa for these
purposes.

UP-DATE
HUNTING CASES
Francis Haines:
On March 12th, the Legal Task Force launched an
appeal on behalf of Francis Haines. His court victory of
November, 1978, that confirmed the rights of Chilcotin
Indians to hunt for food without a permit had been
reversed on February 12th. The Fish and Wildlife Branch
had appealed that first court decision and the County
Court Judge claimed that he couldn't find enough proof
of Aboriginal hunting rights, and that he needed to have
proof that Francis had himself been refused a sustenance
permit. In a case where sustenance permits were being
refused in general by the Alexis Creek Fish and Wildlife
Branch, the Judge said that Francis Haines' remedy was
what is called "an administrative law remedy". That
means that Francis should have applied for a permit,
been refused and then taken legal action against the
Branch, appealing the refusal. The judge made no
suggestion as to how the large family was to eat in the
meantime.
The appeal against this decision is expected to come to
court in a couple of months. In the meantime, Francis
must go back before Judge Barnett in Alexis Creek on
April 1st, 1980, to be sentenced.

FOUNTAIN BAND CHARGES
During a raid by Federal Fisheries at Fountain Band in
the summer, several Lillooet-area Indians were charged
with illegal fishing.
On March 20, three more of them went to court. Victor
Adolph, Jr. of Fountain Band was given a conditional
discharge. There will be no record in the books as long as
he "keeps the peace" for six months.
Leslie Edmunds of the Cornwall Band received an
absolute discharge. He won't have any record either. The
person who was hit the hardest was Roger Adolph of
Fountain Band, who was called guilty by the judge and
given a $300 fine.
As a result of the way the Federal Fisheries conducted a
raid on the Fountain Band fishing station last summer,
the Band has laid charges against the Fisheries.
On March 20, Band representatives went to court to see
if the charges—nine for trespassing on reserve land, six
for common assault and one for causing a disturbance by
using obscene language—would be accepted for court.
The Judge did accept them. Fountain Chief Victor
Adolph said no court date has been set.
OPTING OUT CLAUSE

Charlie Case:
On the same day, the Legal Task Force filed an Appeal
in the Charlie case. At the County Court in Victoria last
month, also on February 12th, the people of Saanich
were told that the Wildlife Act prohibited hunting of deer
out of season was stronger than the Freedom of Religion
clause in the Bill of Rights. Anderson Jack and George
Charlie had shot a deer out of season for traditional
religious ceremony, a peaceful and lawful practice and
were charged under the Wildlife Act.
These two cases, along with the Alkali one, have been
successful politically in causing the B.C. Government to
recognise Indian Special hunting rights and negotiate for
a change of policy. Legally, Indian Bands involved must
decide whether they want to appeal, because as the law
now stands two decisions are still on the books which are
against Indian hunting rights.

FISHING CASES
Lawrence Mackay was charged in August 1979 with
possession of fish during closure. The case came on for
trial March 5, 1980.
When the Advisors got to court they found out that the
prosecutor had dropped the charges.

The O.O.C. are the words to be put into the M . T . A .
for Indian control of Indian education, to be used by
those Bands that want control.
We are moving forward. DIA agrees with all of the
wording on the opting out clause. All Bands received a
copy of these words in the mail in January 1980.
DIA had us worried for a while; they said they were
going to change the opting-out clause. We said they coud
not change it if they had agreed to it on December 10,
1979. If they agreed then, what happened?
On February 6th, 1980 DIA sent us a letter saying they
wanted to take our words and put it into two separate
agreements or contracts.
We sat down with our Union lawyers to look at what
this means. Our lawyers said we would still get what
Indian people want in B.C., even if they do put it into
two separate papers.
So we sent a letter to DIA saying, we accept your offer
on condition, and only if all of our words and what they
mean are included in the two separate papers.
So we have an agreement in principle with DIA on the
opting out clause. A n agreement in principle means that
we haven't signed anything yet, but we agree on what we
are going to sign — Indian control.
Our next step after that is to make sure DIA signs these
words with the Provincial Government.
I N D I A N W O R L D 37

WHAT GOVERNMENT REFUSED TO HEAR ON URANIUM
February 27th seemed just like any
other day at the office of the Royal
Commission into Uranium Mining
until the staff got a telephone call
telling them to listen to the radio for a
message which they might find interesting. Gathered around the radio,
the staff and some of the participants
heard Premier Bill Bennett's announcement of the end of the Inquiry
and a seven year moratorium on
uranium exploration and mining. A
few minutes later, the news reached
the UBCIC office. Dr. Bates, who
was in Australia examining uranium
mine sites at the time of the announcement, had only heard of the
announcement himself an hour
before everyone else. He refused to
comment when reached in Australia
by the CBC.
Like the decision on the West
Coast Oil Ports Inquiry, this announcement
was
completely
unexpected by public participants
who had devoted time and resources
to the process.
No Exploration or Mining of
Uranium for Seven Years
The decision means that there can
be no. exploration for or mining of
uranium in B.C. for the next seven
years, and the demands expressed by
the General Assembly of the UBCIC
last year have, therefore, been
partially met. This is a victory for the
Indian people of B.C. who have
struggled to prevent uranium mining
in the province.
Representatives of the Okanagan
and Osoyoos Bands, which were the
Bands most immediately threatened
by the possibility of uranium mining,
expressed their pleasure with the
government's decision. However,
they also noted that it was only a 7
year delay and their struggle to
control an unwanted development of
uranium mining might have to be
resumed in seven years.
INDIAN

WORLD

This struggle has been one in which
the Indian people have been joined by
many other groups. The reactions of
these groups has been varied.
Some of the environmental groups
saw the decision as a complete
victory. These groups not only
celebrated the government's announcement—they celebrated the termination of the Inquiry itself.' For
them
the
Inquiry
was
an
unsatisfactory process which did not
allow them to present their case
against
uranium
mining
and
exploration
openly.
Others
complained that the Inquiry did not
allow complete examination of all
problems involving radioactivity.
"Some of the groups, the mining
companies
and
the
mining
associations, like Norcen and the
B.C. Yukon Chamber of Mines, were
in no mood to celebrate either the
moratorium or the discontinuation of
the hearings.
Major Evidence Left Unheard
The UBCIC felt that the discontinuation of the hearings was a loss. The
Bates Commission did not hear the

major body of testimony in the areas
of public and worker health and environmental protection and would
therefore not be able to write a
complete, final report. As a result,
many problems from the wastes of
other non-uranium mines will be left
unresolved. Also, in seven years the
province may be in a worse position
to make a decision regarding uranium
mining than it is today because at
present, at least, there is a large
amount of public involvement. The
B.C. Medical Association, the
Confederation of Canadian Unions,
and the United Fishermen and Allied
Workers' Union were in agreement
with the UBCIC.
Other Mining Dangers Ignored
by Moratorium
Many people in the communities
were upset because not continuing
with the hearings is going to have a
direct impact on them.
The people of Atlin are concerned
because of the molybdenum mine
which is currently being developed by
Placer in the Atlin area. The wastes
from this mine will have radiation

What will happeninseven years once the ban on uranium mining is lifted?

levels equal to or in excess of those
from a uranium mine and at present,
there are no standards in place to regulate that mine or its wastes. The
problem of radiation and wastes from
non-uranium mines where other
minerals are extracted is one which
could occur anywhere in B . C . ,
causing a threat to drinking water,
fish or wildlife.
Evidence on Social Impact Left
Unheard
The Indian people experienced a
loss because there will not be a chance

to present evidence to the Bates Commission on the social impact of mine
development on our communities.
UBCIC had intended to present
evidence on the consequences of a
large mine on the Atlin people's
hunting, fishing or trapping based on
the evidence of a land use and
occupancy study. This was to have
been presented at a community
hearing in Atlin in the fall.
Other unexamined concerns are the
natural deposits of uranium or radiation and the possible threats to

health.
Now that the Inquiry has been
terminated, the Commissioners have
been given until October 15th to write
an 'interim report' based on evidence
presented at the Inquiry to date and
based on written evidence which will
not be subject to any questioning.
The UBCIC and other participants
have been asked to prepare and
submit summary arguments by May
1st.
Why Were the Hearings
Stopped?
The question now being asked is
why did the government discontinue
the hearings after having spent $2
million? Premier Bennett did not
mention this in his announcement so
there is only speculation. Some are
suggesting that the government was
afraid of the strictness of Bates'
recommendations, others say it was a
political move, based on the
widespread opposition to uranium
mining in the province.
Two things are clear, however, that
unless the moratorium is put into
legislation, it can be reversed at any
time. Secondly, in another seven
years, we may be involved in another
struggle against
the
unwanted
development of uranium mining.
•

Above: The people of Atlin are also worried about the molybdenum mine
being developed in their area.
Right: Indian people in the communities are directly affected by the
province's decision not to continue with the uranium hearings.

The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs has endorsed an
anti-nuclear march and rally to be held in Vancouver on
April 26. The theme of the rally will be SURVIVAL and
it will focus on the threat that the nuclear industry
presents to all humanity. Many information booths are
expected and there will be speakers from a variety of
groups, including representatives from many Indian
organizations (for details, Energy and Resources
Portfolio).

INDIAN

WORLD

INDIAN TRAPPERS
FORUM
At a meeting of the Lakes, Williams Lake and Fort
St. John Districts in Fort St. John this month, delegates
called for a Province-wide meeting to deal with trapping
rights. They expressed a lot of concern about the
destruction of traplines by industrial developments and
with their conflict with farming and logging operations.
They also considered the possibility of forming an
organzation to protect the rights and the livelihood of
B.C. Indian Trappers. The meeting will be held during
the fourth week in June in the Williams Lake area.
Further details are being arranged.
B.C. Energy, Mines & Petroleum Resources Minister
announced on January 15, 1980 that oil and gas
exploration rights had been awarded to Canadian Hunter
Exploration Ltd.
This Calgary based oil company, a subsidiary of
Noranda Mines, Ltd., got 43 of 51 permit parcels

"The Nazko Band's concern regarding the oil and gas
exploration is that the beginning of oil and gas
exploratory activities in underdeveloped areas of the
region represents further erosion of Indian rights. The
issuing of licences for the adjacent areas to reserve land
means development activity and possibly removal of
resources, prior to settlement of Aboriginal Rights in the
area of traditional Indian use. As with similar resource
extraction activity now underway, the situation must be
condemned as unethical. The responsibility lies with the
federal and provincial government for their refusal to
participate in a just settlement of Aboriginal rights in
B.C.
Furthermore, this exploratory activity will result in a
variety of disruptions to Indian communities and life
styles. The building of access roads into areas of
traditional Indian use, are an economic threat with the
disruptions of traplines and increased pressure on
hunting, fish and other resources. Once an area is
"opened up" in this way, traditional uses of it are rapidly
eroded as one development activity follows the next. We
cannot see what benefits the company is offering to the
Band or to the Native people."

OIL AND GAS COMPANY
MOVES INTO NECHAKO
covering approximately five million acres in the Nechako
Basin, west of Williams Lake.
The work program is defined as geological or
geophysical exploration and drilling. Canadian Hunter
plans to spend 27.5 million dollars here in the next five
years.
The Indian communities directly affected by the new
oil and gas exploration are: Anahim Band, Kluskus
Band, Nazko Band, Alexis Creek Band, Stone Band and
Nemiah Band. Outside of the Williams Lake area, the
Stallqou and Kitselas Bands are also affected.
The Caribou Tribal Council was not aware of the oil
and gas exploration until it was announced on January
15th. When the company learned that some of their
seismic lines would be passing by Indian reserve lands,
they immediately began arranging to meet with the
Indian Bands in the Williams Lake area.
On February 25, 1980 the Caribou Tribal Council held
a meeting to discuss the oil and gas exploration in their
traditional and aboriginal territory and to prepare for
their first meeting with Canadian Hunter the following
day. At the meeting Dennis Patrick, Chief of the Nazko
Band and UBCIC Vice President for the Northern
Region, made a statement on behalf of the Nazko Band.
I N D I A N W O R L D 40

The Caribou Tribal Council closed the four hour
meeting by telling the company that they would have to
take the Company's information and offers back to their
communities, and it will be the communities that make
the decisions. The Caribou Tribal Council as a whole will
meet with the company in future meetings and they will
get back to the Company when they were ready. The
company would have to wait to find out if the Bands will
allow the Company to put seismic lines through their
reserve lands or to allow any drilling on their reserves.
UPDATE
The Carrier and Chilcotin Indian Bands within and
outside the exploration boundaries have agreed to allow
Canadian Hunter Gas & Oil to explore for gas and oil.
They insist however that certain conditions must be
negotiated first to protect concerns such as fishing,
hunting and trapping.
The Band's agreement to allow Canadian Hunter to go
ahead with exploration will only be in force up to the time
they discover gas and oil. Upon such discovery, further
negotiations will have to take place.
"Once oil is discovered we're going to deal with our
reason for existence, and dealing with our future. We
believe there is some sense in every man. There is only
one man that decides our future and we don't think the
government can take the place of the Great Spirit."
•

THE REBIRTH OF A GREAT
NATION
Prologue
The start of the end has begun, they have
launched the deadly neutron bombs.
Written by David Wilson (18), student in Okanagan
Indian Band Adult Education program.
In the distance I can see the deadly mushrooming
clouds of man's destruction. I watch with great intensity
as these clouds come closer. I know the end is near as
everything goes dark. In this darkness I see a vision: a
man is drinking a strange liquid, then in a painful way he
dies. In the background I see thunder clouds rolling over
the mountains. Through this thunder cloud comes a
coyote holding a baby out to me. I awake, not knowing
what this dream means. I am amazed to still be alive and
do not know who else is still alive, or if I am the only one
left.
As I look around everything looks natural, but I know
that not far away there is death and destruction all
around. I hope my people are still alive. We live on a
North American Concentration Camp. It is a Reservation
far from any city or town. As I walk about I find that
many of my people have survived. It would be impossibly
to survive as individuals, but we have survived as a people
returning to many of our old ways of survival.
Every so often we are approached by one of the
different ones—people of another race, half crazed and
starved. These ones know only of the restaurant and
supermarket, but not of the old ways. They will die soon
along with all the others who do not know their mot heir,
the earth.

Joe Hawk, 1999, A D .
In the past as the years went by, the children of mother
earth began coming together as a people, proud of their
ancestors, of the great wars and the way of the Indian
people. Now in the present time we have been scattered.
It has been seventy years since the world died.
As I think of this I can now see the meaning of my
dream. The man who had died from drinking the strange
liquid was a symbol of my people, dying the slow death
that comes from the whiteman's unjust society. The
thunder clouds rolling over the mountains were from the
nuclear war which sent death and destruction rolling over
our land. And the child and the coyote coming out of the
place of thunder and cloud meant we will push through
the death, destruction and holocaust of the war. The
baby is the rebirth of our people, the rebirth of a proud
nation. And when the whiteman comes next from across
the great waters, we will greet him as a person, not as a
God. These people will rule North America no more. For
we are the original owners of this great land. As I look
back over the five hundred years which have been ruled
by the whitemen, I see one thing they gave us that will
unify us as a great nation of people. The one language
will help us communicate with each other and prosper as
a nation.
•

Epilogue:
I am getting old now—it is the year 2083
A.D. My dream has come true, we are now
a great unified people.
by Joe Hawk
Illustration by Greg Contois
INDIAN

WORLD

OUR WORLD

Joe, Addie and Gay Williams of Mount Currie have
recently received their Class I Instructor's Certificate
from the Whistler Ski School. They've been skiing for
thirteen years and next winter they hope to go to Banff
to get their Class II Certificate. During the summer they
work on their Mount Currie family farm and save their
dollars.

Steve Collins is a 15-year-old Ojibway from a
reserve near Thunder Bay, Ontario. Although he
only started ski jumping when he was eleven and
competing at 14, he now ranks in the top ten in the
World Cup ski jumping standings. He has won two
World Cup events and has placed in the top ten of
six other races. He recently won the World Junior
Ski Jumping Championship in Sweden.
At the Olympics this year he placed ninth. He is
in Europe now, competing in the remaining World
Cup events.
Photo: Williams

Every Wednesday night there is a
pow-wow practice at the Vancouver
Indian Centre for any Indian person
who's not doing anything else that
night. There's singing practice and
people practising their dancing and
free coffee all night. There's
generally a good strong feeling here
at the Vancouver Indian Centre at
1855 Vine Street, Vancouver.
The Centre has also recently
taken over a hotel in downtown
Vancouver.
Willie
Chief
is
managing this Indian run hotel at
396 Powell Street. Eight Indian
Centre staff, using Indian methods,
will be working there. For more
information call 681-8934.
INDIAN

WORLD

Where's the joy and laughter in OUR WORLD? Where's our sense of humor? INDIAN WORLD hopes that some of the
good times will be recognized on these pages. But we need your help. We'll give a genuine INDIAN WORLD T-shirt for
every story/picture used on these two pages. Don't delay. Do it to-day. Deadline is the 15th of every month.

The weekend of March
8th and 9th was a big one
for sports fans and players.
The Provincial Women's
Basketball playoffs took
place in Vernon. The results
in this tournament were
that a Nanaimo team placed
first, Port Simpson placed
second and the Vernon Falconettes placed third over
all.
At the Quilehena Braves,
11th Annual Moccasin
Hockey Tournament, the
Cache Creek Truckers
(above) took the trophy.
Photo: Nicola Indian

Austin Sterling (left, Lorna Williams
of Mount Currie and Gertrude
Barney of Lillooet (standing on right)
spent two weeks at Mohawk College
in Ontario for a photography course.
"Anybody who thinks a jet-set Indian has it easy these days is not fillen
i n , " writes Austin in "Nicola Indian."
"Being 3,000 miles from
home with $1.75 in your pocket sure
took out all the glitter for this jet-set
Indian."
Photo: Lorna Williams

A l l Chiefs Conference
Ottawa, Ont.

April 27, 28 & 29

Coming of Age
A little frog inhales
(A bull to be, I assume was he)
His first croak on hand,
Deflates with a squeak
Red faced (if ever one can be)
He leaps into the creek
Embarrassed (if frogs can be).

(For further information contact Indian Government
Portfolio)
Chief Saul Terry
I N D I A N W O R L D 43

CALVING
by George Saddleman
All the hard work done over the past short year will
show in our calf crop this spring. The careful planning in
the whole farm operation draws down to what we expect
from our supposedly healthy calves that our brood herd
produces.
Part of the planning involves producing good quality
hay during the hot and rainy days last summer. The
nutrition of beef cattle is one of the very important parts
of maintaining your beef herd. Experience helps a great
deal about the type of feeding program you develop for
your brood cows, bulls, calves (yearlings), etc.
Bull program
Also you gain experience and knowledge about putting
together a bull program for the desired result that you
want in your calf crop, or future replacements for your
brood herd. Your bull program could be as elaborate as
you want it. The point is plan your breeding program to
avoid inbreeding and poor selection of bulls.

INDIAN

WORLD

Planned Breeding Season
Carefully plan your breeding season to have a
preselected time for your valuable calves to arrive. The
idea is to shorten your calving date to a shorter period
rather than starting in January and ending May. I should
add that your bulls should have a semen test prior to
breeding season to ensure that the brood herd will be in
calf for next spring. Have a select date for starting of
breeding season and also a select date to end the breeding
season.
Culling the Brood Herd
We must carefully maintain our brood herd. That
means culling out the old, dry, crippled and diseased
cows. The longer you keep these cull cows the more
expensive it will be to your pocket book and loss of
planning time for the farm operation.
Calving Yards
Another plan we should carefully consider is our
calving yards, pens and pastures. Make sure you don't
use the same pasture continuously: rotate each yard to
avoid diseases in calving programs. Depending on the size
of your operation, separate the heifers from the older
cows, because usually these calve first and give you more
problems than the older cows.
Be prepared before your brood herds start to calve:
have the basic tools and veterinary medical supplies on
hand. Draw up a routine check for watching your brood
herd.
Calving
Here experience plays a very important role in the
actual calving that heifers or older cows go through. By
quick evaluation, stage of presentation and previous
experience, one knows if the animal needs help in calving,
by yourself or a veterinarian. Sometimes experience says
to go to bed for a rest or have a long coffee break, then
come back to make a last minute check to see if all's well.

Keep Up-To-Date on Calving Information
One should always read and take in new developments
about calving: people never stop learning about things. If
the opportunity arises, question your local veterinarian
about problems, new techniques, and short day courses
on calving.

WIAC Workshops
April-May 1980

Date

Area

April 1
April 2
April 3
April 4
April 7,8
April 9
April 15
April 16
April 17
April 21-2-3

Enderby, Vernon
Westbank
Penticton
Keremeos, Oliver
Tobacco Plains
Tobacco Plains
Stoney Creek
Stoney Creek
Stoney Creek
WIAC Office

May 6
May 13
May 14-15

Cranbrook
Ft. St. John
Ft. St. John

May 13-15

WIAC Office

Type of Workshop

Fieldman

Home gardens
Home gardens
Home gardens
Home gardens
Farm Management
Home Gardens
Land clearing, Seeding
Gardening
Preg. Testing
Financial Management
for Fieldmen
Small animals & Poultry
Land clearing
Seeding, Gardening,
Preg. testing
Extension Education
Workshop, Method of
Presentation of Material
for more Effective Delivery
(WIAC Fieldmen)

Cecil Louis
Cecil Louis
Cecil Louis
Cecil Louis
Dan Gravelle
Dan Gravelle
Jimmy Quaw
Jimmy Quaw
Jimmy Quaw

Dan Gravelle
Angus Dickie
Angus Dickie
Dr. Gary
Dickenson

Machinery Maintenance Course
The more time you invest on informing yourself, the
larger the returns.
•

The Western Indian Agriculture Corp. (W.I.A.C.)
sponsored a farm machinery maintenance course for
Spallumcheen Band members. The course ran from

The Western Indian Agriculture Corporation
(W.I.A.C.) hopes to help set up Indian 4H programs on
Bands across the province.
The proposed plan is to add an Indian perspective to
the provincial 4H programs. This would mean not only
sponsoring such activities as horticulture, sewing,
photography, outdoor living, first aid and learning about
animals, but also Indian-oriented activities. These could
include cultural activities such as carving, beading,
making traditional clothes, tanning and others.
All activities of the 4H programs are geared to developing responsibility, maturity and initiative in young people
ranging in age from nine to 19 years. For such an
Indian-oriented program to be set up, two things are
needed. One is adult 4H leaders who would be
responsible for the overall organization of the activities.
The other need is for sponsors which would provide
training, materials and money. Some possible sponsors
could be, W . I . A . C , DIA, the UBCIC, Band Councils or
communities.
Those Bands or individuals interested in an Indian 4H
program at their Band may contact local W.I.A.C. fieldworkers for more information.

Photo: Faron Jones

INDIAN 4H PROGRAMS

January 15-February 15 with five persons completing it.
The course was designed with emphasis placed, on the
amount of money that can be saved when machinery is
properly maintained throughout the year and how much
longer machinery can last with constant maintenance.
During the first week, Band members learned basic
mechanics through the use of lectures and
demonstrations. Then, for the remaining time they went
to the practical side of the course. The students worked
on various farm machinery and learned about operating
maintenance, diagnosing problems and repairing major
faults.
W.I.A.C. reported that the course will be condensed
into a 5-day workshop. Before a workshop can be held,
two weeks to a month's notice is requested. For more
information contact your local W.I.A.C. fieldworker.
INDIAN

WORLD

Regulating the Forests
the Indian Way
Many Indian people throughout B.C., whether it be in
Band Council meetings, District meetings, or even in
discussion amongst themselves, have voiced their
concerns over the management of Indian timber on their
Indian reserves. A lot of these individuals probably have
successfully entered into forestry operations such as
logging, milling or reforestation both on and off Indian
reserves. With this in mind I think it is fair to say that we
have come to a cross-road and that we should seriously
look at the situation concerning Indian authority and
control of Indian timber and management.

Indian Timber Regulations
The Indian Timber Regulations were enacted as an
Order-In-Council in 1954 by the authority of Section 57
of the Indian Act and have been amended only to a
limited extent since that date. The three District foresters
in the B . C . region continue to make Indian timber
business transactions for Indian Bands on the basis of
policies that are twenty-six years old. These set of rules
regulate the harvesting sale and disposal of timber within
Indian reserves and surrendered lands. In short these
regulations are very limited in scope and are generally
inadequate as a basis for regulating forestry activities.

Permit for Indian Use
The first manner of disposing Indian timber is the
Permit for Indian Use. Permits to cut timber without
paying stumpage or royalties may be issued to a l a n d for
Band purposes, or to a member or a group of members of
a Band to cut timber and fuel wood for his or their
individual use. Permits to sell timber are also available
under the Regulations. Such permits may be issued to a
Band or a member or a group of members of the Band
for a period of one year. Stumpage or royalties must be
paid on such timber unless such payments are waived as a
measure of relief to the permit holder. Timber cut under
this permit must be measured by a licenced scaler or by
some other person appointed for the task to determine
stumpage or royalties which are payable and the timber
cannot be "manufactured" until it has been measured
and all stumpage or royalties have been paid unless
consent is obtained from the Assistant Deputy Minister.
The final form of rights available under the Regulations is the "licence" which is available to any person
other than a member of the Band on whose behalf the
timber is being administered. So if Band has an
economically viable logging company, because of these
Regulations, that logging outfit can't log its own Band's
timber. Licences are available where timber has been
surrendered or released to the Crown or without a
surrender where the Assistant Deputy Minister is satisfied
INDIAN

WORLD

that the sale of the timber is in the interest of the Band
and the Band Council consents. Licences are to be issued
after advertising except where stumpage or royalties
payable on the timber will not exceed $2,500.00. So if the
Department determines that your Band's Indian timber is
less than $2,500.00 in timber stand value it poses a
question as to whether the Department makes the right
decision as to who is allocated the right to cut.

Timber Licenses
Timber licences are issued for a term of one year and
are renewable. Ground rent must be paid each year at a
rate of $0.20 per acre with a minimum fee being $40.00
and a security deposit must be kept in place. Stumpage or
royalties are payable and again the timber must have been
measured by a licenced scaler or by some other person
appointed for the task and all stumpage and royalties
must have been paid before the timber can be
manufactured at a mill unless consent has been obtained
from the Assistant Deputy Minister. Licencees must pay
certain fire protection costs and limited conservation
costs.
The Indian Timber Regulations as presently
constituted are a poor vehicle for the management of
Indian timber lands. They must be expanded greatly to
deal with important questions such as reforestation requirements. Furthermore, they must be amended to
provide greater clarity and to comport with the realities
of the forest industry.

Ideas for Amending Indian Timber Regulations
Firstly, it would be appropriate to give Band Councils
the authority and control over the Indian timber and the
management of Indian timber. One can argue that Band
Councils can get all the authority and control over
forestry matters but it will be somewhat useless since
much of the Indian timber on Indian reserves is depleted.
"There are a number of ways one can look at this idea.
Secondly, there should be provision where the Department may obtain timber quotas from the provincial
government for the Indian Bands in B.C. I know this
poses the question of land claims and may be detrimental
to the whole question of land claims but that remains to
be seen. You must remember that we are dealing with the
federal and provincial governments and today we are
actually making proposals to these governments to
conduct forestry oriented economic development
activities. The purpose of the timber quotas is to make up
for the depletion of the forestry resources we have
today. With the increase in our forestry land base and
coupled with our increase in authority and control I
would think we are making headway towards independence through the route of economic development.
•

Please contact U B C I C Forestry staff for your ideas on
recommendations for amendments to the Regulations.

TRAINING BAND TRAINERS

After much consideration and cautious planning, the intial stages of the Band
Management Training Project were introduced
various
provincial
representatives at a seminar held at the Union office recently.
As expected, the reaction and views of participants
were varied and most interesting. The discussions were
spontaneous and very informative. They contributed to
sound basis for the technical advisors and project
coordinator to develop some recommendations for a
program which would best serve the needs of most Bands
in the Province.
To those newly exposed to the whole process of band
management and administration, the project is regarded
as a welcome guide. To those fairly well established, it is
found to be an enhancement to their abilities to manage
adequately. Then, there are the so called old hats who
reacted to the proposed program with some opposition.
This faction saw the program as something similar to
many imposed by outside agencies which were complete
failures, failures because there was usually little or no
Indian input, and usually introduced with an intimidating
theme.
After somewhat heated but meaningful interaction the
group came to a consensus that the project (with its long
term objectives) is entirely feasible and could be
immensely successful. However, it was strongly felt that
this would be possible only with limitless participation of
Indian Bands and undertaken by a representative Indian
organization like the Union.
Indian Expertise in Environment Management
During the discussions, some rather interesting illustrations were made. It was asserted that Indians were
probably among the best managers in society, especially
when they are managing affairs within environments
familiar to them.
Financial Management
It was agreed that in many instances the Indian has
failed drastically in one aspect of management, and that
is financial administration. Participants were reminded
that the world's most successful financiers were jumping
out of windows or committing suicide by some other
means during the depression in the 1930's. But you
seldom heard of Indians dying of starvation in back

alleys or on railroad tracks during the same period. This
could only result from good management practices in the
face of adversity. What is the great concern today?
Perhaps we need only learn to adapt to a necessary
change. So, what we are saying is that outside influential
agencies are so apt to be generally critical of Indian
management, but perhaps this is true only to a certain
extent.
Reasons for Poor Management
It also became apparent that there are many Band
organizations failing in management for a number of
reasons, the most common being the inadequacies in the
DIA educational systems; the lack of initiative within
Band organizations to develop systems suitable to their
needs. The lack of proper preparation in transferring
responsibilities to Bands from DIA has become an
obvious cause more recently.
Through this process (Band Training Seminars) a
major part of the difficulties and alleged causes have
surfaced and the solutions seem to be in sight. The Bands
collectively would do well to support an effort to bring
about a permanent solution.
The coordinators are convinced that the objectives set
out in the project are attainable. The goals are based on
information obtained from studies involving numerous
Bands and with a consciousness of the views of Indian
Bands presently. Being guided by these goals the Union
has embarked on a rather ambitious project (Band
Management Training).
With the completio of "Seminar Leader" training,
field workers are now assigned to various regions in the
Province for the purpose of conducting seminars with
groups of or individual Bands. The same personnel shall
be available to provide additional information and
assistance on the following: Band Community Planning,
Budget Preparation and Maintenance, Financial
Controls and Reporting and Selection and Effective Use
of Auditors.
These training sessions shall continue indefinitely as
long as there is demonstrated need.

Effective Band management is an integral part of Indian Government
INDIAN

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A PROFILE OF EAST
MOBERLEY LAKE
East Moberley Lake is a community
of about 100 people located 18 miles
from Chetwynd in northeastern B.C.
The Band Council is being forced into
time-consuming battles with the
Department of Indian Affairs in order
to protect the way of life still being
enjoyed by the people of East
Moberley Lake. This month, Band
Manager, Amy Gautier, shares her
community with us.

We're the only reserve in this area
that's close to town. We're eighteen
miles out so we don't really consider
ourselves isolated.
We used to have a lot of problems
with non-Indian people coming onto
the reserve, but it's getting better now.
I'm against having anybody up here,
especially the white people because if
anything had happened, the responsibility would fall right back to the
Band members. If I see white people
come on the reserve, especially young
girls, just to have a place to stay, I tell
them to go back to their parents and
not to get involved in the reserve.
No Capital for Housing Forces
Members into Towns
Our Band list is 179 and 100 live on
the reserve. There are 21 houses being
lived in right now. And Housing is one
of our problem areas. A lot of our
people have to move into town because
there is no housing here. The DIA will
only give the Band $12,500 for a house
and the Band has to make up the rest of
the total cost. We've had four people,
on our housing list for the past four
years and none of them has gotten a
house yet. The only real thing we ever
had was renovations and there are
other people asking for houses, too,
but we just don't have the capital. But
hopefully we'll have three or four
houses this year. We've made arrangements to trade off logs from our
INDIAN

WORLD

Band manager Amy Gauthier of the East Moberley Lake Band says it's
quiet on the reserve now, but she wants to stop the flow of people coming
into the area to work on the rigs.
reserve to a company in Hudson Hope
in return for lumber for houses to be
built on this reserve. This will cut down
the cost.
And people can't afford the houses
most of the time because there's no
employment here. There are slashing
and falling jobs during the spring
break-up, but once that's over there
won't be work until the beginning of
June. In between that, our welfare
rate gets pretty high. And the Indian
people don't get jobs from all the (oil)
rigs coming in.
Department Interferes with
Band Programs
We've just recently taken control of
our own social assistance program.
There are only five families that are
really in need of social assistance right
now and one single person. We try to

keep our people away from social
assistance as much as we can. It's not a
very good feeling to be on welfare, so
that's why we only give it out when it's
really needed. Even though we have
our own program, the reports we do go
in to the Department and then they
question everything. They let us have
our own programs but they won't stay
away from our affairs.
One of the things that makes it hard
in this district is that the Department
always promises us programs but then
they never follow through with the
funds. And once you've got your own
program going they'll come in to
interfere and stop the good things
you've got going for your Band.
Like with our social assistance program, the Department is going to
review it at the end of this month.
Every April 1st they review their

programs, and this year they said
maybe you won't get your program
back. They say our Band has a slim
chance of getting our program back
now that they have their own social
worker. We're going to fight them on
that.
Forcing the L.S.A.
They're trying to force us to sign a
Local Services Agreement, even
though we told them we need time to
study the whole thing. But they've
given us a deadline of March 28th.
Most Families Depend on
Hunting and Trapping
Trapping is a big part of our life up
here. Most of the families, even the
kids, trap. We depend on fur-bearing
animals. Even when a person can't
find work they go out into the bush for
a certain length of time and make their
living on trapping. There's not many
people who have to go into town to buy
their own meat because of hunting and
trapping. Trapping helps keep us off
welfare during the off-seasons when
there is no other work.
In the summertime our people find
jobs, they go guiding, they go to work.
Life is a lot better in the summertime
after the spring break-up. Some of the
women go trapping, and all the women

More houses need to be built on the reserve. Some people have been waiting
for housing as long as four years.
go berry-picking in the summer. They
make a living selling moccasins,
mucklucks and moose-hide jackets.
But there are too many people
coming in here now. I especially worry
about our old people. And I worry
about the young girls. There's a lot of
people who are aware of what's going
to happen in the future, but a lot don't
realize just how hard it's going to be on

Hunting, trapping and berry-picking—these are some of the things the land
still provides for the people of East Moberley Lake Band.

the people of this reserve: the young
people, the old people
Too Many People Moving In
In the next couple of years I'd like to
see all the rigs move out, all the
contractors, all the seismic lines to
move out. Just leave the local people
alone. The people around here can
survive a lot better without having all
these seismic lines being put into our
areas.
The local people don't accomplish
anything for the rigs coming in because
they don't get jobs, especially the
Indian people. Even the white people
around here, they're not happy about
the whole thing. Up here it's just such a
change, especially with the north-east
coal and the scrubbing plant, the
Grizzly Valley Pipeline and all the
people coming in.
I hope that things will get better
soon. And not worse.

I'm pretty proud of this Band. I'm
pretty proud of the people for the
culture theystillhold.
•

INDIAN

WORLD

BOOK REVIEW
York, Thomas. We, the Wilderness. Toronto: McGrawHill Ryerson Limited, 1973. 171 p.
. _ '
by Bess Brown
We, the Wilderness, a novel by Thomas York, takes
place at an Indian village called Nanootkish. This village
is situated along the central coast of British Columbia.
The story centres around a small group of individuals in
Nanootkish.
The mood most prevalent throughout the book is one
of isolation, not only in terms of being physically isolated
but also of being isolated emotionally from everyone else
in the village. With this feeling of isolation is also the
terrible sense of hopelessness which the characters
display, whether it be about their own lives or the lives of
the people who surround them.
By examining two of the characters, Dean and Dr.
Sharp, this feeling of hopelessness will become
increasingly clear. The one aspect that binds the people of
Nanootkish together is that they aren't getting much
enjoyment out of life, either personally or professionally.
Dean, a young man in his early twenties, has a very
negative view of life. During one particularly difficult
period in his life, he speaks of drowning, not only
physically but also emotionally. "It's like that when you
live your whole life on the ocean, and half the people you
have ever known have drowned, most of them twice:
drowned the mind first with liquor, then fallen overboard
to drown the body." (p. 15) Dean dies a short time later
of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Dr. Sharp is presented as a rather troubled individual,
who is attempting to come to terms with the actions of his
father, who was a missionary-doctor at Nanootkish
before him. The younger Dr. Sharp is becoming very
disillusioned about the man he once thought was the
ultimate in goodness. Instead he sees a man who appears
to typify the missionary mentality, that was so prevalent
during the early and mid-nineteen hundreds. The old Dr.
Sharp apparently thrived on the power and the glory
bestowed upon him by the Indian people. Was he there to
help the Indians or to help himself?
The characters in We, the Wilderness are presented in
such a way that one doesn't feel very sympathetic
towards them, in spite of their apparent troubles. In fact
the reader feels somewhat angered by their inability or
unwillingness to cope with life.
This book would almost certainly leave its readers with
a negative and unfavourable view of life on a reserve. The
most disturbing facet of the book, however, is that it is in
fact based on life in Bella Bella, B.C. as perceived by the
author, Thomas York. Many of the characters are easily
recognizable, only their names have been changed.
INDIAN

WORLD

The reader is left with many disturbing images of the
people in Bella Bella. The author suggests that there are
fishermen who aren't as concerned with the amount of
fish they get as they are with the amount of weeks they
put in. It appears their major concern is putting in
enough weeks to collect Unemployment Insurance during
the winter. One also gets the impression that the nonIndian people in the village are doing the Indian people a
big favour by being there, regardless of whether or not
they are actually helping the Indians.
Death is one of the major subjects of the book. York
compares it to a stage production: there are a certain
number of players and they are very adept at their roles.
The Pentecostal Church and its followers are an itricate
part of this production. They are portrayed as religious
zealots, who wait impatiently for the next death to occur.
It is somewhat strange that the United Church is rarely
mentioned, and when it is the minister portrayed is not
York, who was the United Church minister at the time.
Though life on a reserve, in this case Bella Bella, is by
no means perfect, it is in no way as bad as it has been
depicted by York. Like many small towns or villages,
Bella Bella has gone through some difficult transitional
periods. The people have, however, gotten through these
periods with relatively few scars and have in fact achieved
a measure of success, both economically and more
importantly the social conditions which were somewhat
lacking in earlier years, have improved greatly.
One wonders if this book was born out of a
disillusioned individual's inability to cope with the
sometimes harsh realities of dealing with the lives of
people who in no way share the values and beliefs which
he not only grew up with but believed in.
This book is not recommended as it presents a totally
negative and one-sided picture of life on a reserve. If one
were to accept York's view, one would believe that the
Indian people have enjoyed very little in the way of
success or happiness, which definitely is not the case.
•

In Memory of
Aillee Prince.

This was one of our Elders on
Aak'azdli Reserve in Fort St. James
who died only a week ago. She was
our Mother. As you know Nick
Prince and me are brother and sister.
during her life very scary experiences
and even went through three months
of starvation when an act of Charity
was called for. Her family—mother,
father and a baby and herself took
this trip across B.C. on foot during a
winter. One of her life story it was
and it is now ready for the printers.
My mom was the head of our clan
"Lisilyoo." She was our good
councillor, our Guide, our protector.
She taught me everything I know and
can do all the different kinds of work
we Indians are skilled at. She had
A l l of us in and around Fort St.
James are going to miss her. Very
much. I only regret that I did not tape
all the stories she told when she was
alive. So if you have Elders who are
very valuable in your villages, please
do not hesitate to put down on paper
their stories and counselling. This you
can use in cultural training in your
schools. It's very important. Respect
your Elders and go to them for
anything you want to know,
especially when in doubt of some
decision. You'll find it's the wisest
thing to do. Thank you.
Your sister
Franceses Antoine
INDIAN W O R L D 51

FROM: UNION OF B.C. INDIAN CHIEFS
440 WEST HASTINGS ST.
VANCOUVER, B.C. V6B 1L1

THIS M O N T H :
One problem on reserves that has touched every Indian
in B.C. is alcohol. We all have a friend or a relative who's
had a drinking problem. With the help of people across
the Province INDIAN WORLD takes a look at how
people have fought back and won. We thank all of those
who so generously contributed their personal experiences,
views and hopes for our ALCOHOL SUPPLEMENT.
The Lillooet Trials are over: there were major victories
for Indian Fishing (see page 4). Leslie Edmunds and Vic
Adolph Jr. were there and sent pictures. In this month's
"I Think", page 14, Joe Bartleman of Tsartlip forcefully
presents his views on the Treaty Fishing Rights on
Vancouver Island.
Fransisca Antoine of Necoslie Band sent in a warm
article about her mother and also her picture, Our Cover
this month. She talks about the importance of recording
the stories of the Elders before they are gone from us (see
page 51).

During the time of Residential Schools there were few
children left on reserve. On page 35, Xavier Eugene of
the Shuswap Band talks about being a parent again. The
parents in Mount Currie have built up their own school
and curriculum, taking control of Indian education. The
School sent in their story and Johnny Abrahams sent in
the pictures (page 33).

In the short story "The Rebirth of a Great Nation",
David Wilson of Okanagan envisions how the Indians in
the future will once again control this land (page 1).
Lynne Jorgesen, Editor of Nicola Indian, sent in a
report of the Lower Nicola Band's Ready Mix Cement
Company merging to bring more economic advantages to
the Band. The community profile of East Moberley Band
shows another Band striving for self-reliance. Amy
Gauthier, Band Manager there, spent a day to discuss the
problems involved and also sent pictures for the story on
page 48.
This month INDIAN WORLD has started a new
monthly section to the magazine: the People Pages (42
and 43): interesting, humorous, satisfying stories and
pictures about the good things that happen. Please feel
free to send in your pictures and stories. Now that the
weather is getting warmer, festivals and celebrations will
soon get in full swing. Rodeos will also be starting soon.
Burt Williams of Mount Currie is a champion bull rider
and sent in a picture. Addy, Joe and Gay Williams sent in
a picture after they had received their ski instructor's
certificate. On these pages too is a picture of the Shuswap
Spartenettes in action from Richard Manuel.
Thanks to Gry John, a Seton Lake Nation Singer, for
sending us his story on the Seton Lake Pow-wow and to
Myrna Thevarge for her pictures of the Fountain Band's
Salmon Potlatch. Thanks to everyone who contributed to
make this spring issue one of hope.

EDITORIAL

Alcoholism is a heavy subject. Every one of us in
Indian country is affected by its impact, whether it be
our family members, our community, our leadership
or ourselves who suffer from this arrestable but never
curable disease.

The central message that comes through from all the
good people who took the time and effort to write, is
that of hope. The people who give us this valuable gift
are Our unsung and anonymous brothers and sisters
who have experienced first hand, yet survived, the
crippling, tearing effects of the No. 1 killer in Indian
country: alcohol.

When I sat down and wrestled with the job of
organizing these messages, a stack of papers two

The solution to this dilemma is one I sincerely hope
does justice to the people who wrote in and to the
seriousness of the problem of alcoholism. In this
month’s issue of Indian World we zero in on the
unique and happy experience of Alkali Lake’s fight
against Alcohol through their words and their words
alone.

To introduce the whole big subject we begin
with a fine piece of writing by Tina Marie Christian of
the Round Lake Treatment Centre near Vernon who
puts the question of why we drink, into historical
perspective. In mid-April, we will be issuing an
*‘Alcohol Bulletin’’, one of those big wall posters,
written from the experiences of the other people who
wrote in this month, which covers the other
alternatives to alcoholics who want to quit.

I think you will find, as I did, that reading the

supplement is a moving and uplifting experience, full
of love, hope and happiness.

What more can we ask, on a fine spring day?

The Editor

OUR COVER: Necoslie Elder Aillee Prince was a guide and comfort to the Band. She is sorely missed (see
page 51). Only from our Elders will we have the wisdom to meet the future.

a ss > - " vey a es a > 7s = 5 = n 7 ——,

co INDIAN WORLD is the official voice of the Union a
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

VOLUME 2, NUMBER 10 UES f C i
| Table of Contents
BRURTPSS UR Rope otek aa tetare ats: cfs tess wetece nsaretad 48 eneere eierene ees 2
Province Will N exofite Gara uote MTeaT pahberd ovale! slerece\acelehers 4
Lillooet Judge Says Federal Fisheries Should Too ...4
President’s Message .......... Bin tieite cies cpapk-we erie 5
; By-laws Upheld. «cscs san sales oe ecioas ae eee aeons 7
§ Indian Controlled Health Services Called For....... 8
News News N@WS-s0r <0: acositese ne uF sieee eee 11
Charges Dropped for Alkali Five ...........-+++- 12
But Saanich Munters Gs€ fs. yee ve tebind otek
To ae at A Pele ch Sic ce icteterad weer tng leeieged Remake 14
Dignity: Watchword for Fishing Rights First ...... 15
Fountain Salmon Survival Potlatch .............+ 16
Setoneake POW- WOW cia saise ecvicieso-0 0 vie /ohe lola cc auy's 17
. Chilliwack Area Bands: Power Play Against
Developinientsrs. aaiclecucete's es bs ere a alk o) wialelerers 18
: Tnithe! Newsies ncn lc Wi Uae SR sre ai 20
Special Alcohol Supplement..............-.-- 21-32
; | Ortho Wasnt js.can-d cues pace ete dwt ee 21
| Spring is the season of hope and new beginnings. Alkali Lake: Sharing and Caring ............ 22
| This month we take a look at Alcoholism through the The Men Speak:
| experiences of those ‘On the Wagon’. Roxanne and ‘*Life is Now an Awesome Thing’’......... 24
_ Jeremy Morris of Kitamaat say: “Thumbs up! Life is The Kids Speak:
OR? ‘‘Come on Indians, Get Moving’’.......... 26

The Women Speak:

a
E “It feel it to be what I am today”’ . . 28
Contributors ee tine thatlomenierha

eee ee ee ee eee ee eee

. Editor: Beth Cuthand Band Controlled Schools:
| Assistant Editor: Pauline Douglas The Mount Currie Experience. ...............: 33
Mareror the Colaren:. «uses ¢sftcaalie cease eartieie 35
, Eighteen Alkali Band Members, George Saddleman, Wipeatess bee eres. A Ue, ask She eee eR 36
Lynne Jorgesen, Jerry Tallio, Xavier Eugene, Joe What Government Refused to Hear on Uranium .. . 38
Bartleman, Gary John, Greg Controis, Tina Marie Oil and Gas Company Moves in to
Christian, Gordon Turner, Willard Martin, Clifford Nechako Basil occ0scs fecevkecne ews ce ae 40
Hanuse, David Knight, Fransesca Antoine, Darrell The Rebirth of a Great Nation ..............000. ii
Ned, Herman Thomas, Louise Mandell, Sadie Worn- Qupw ord see ee ee ane een ietinsueen eee 42
staff, George Manuel, Angela Matilpi, Archie Calving Managements) ssc veces ae edecemaee 44
Pootlass, Violet Birdstone, Faye Blaney, Darryl WVIAC WIOERSNODS aco isaastet cases scl era ame
Watts, Maxine Pape, Marilyn Kasinsky, Lillian Basil, Prices te E ea elsc o os aetins Sine iee co enc nis ees 45
Loretta Todd, Val Dudoward and Bess Brown. Regulating the Forests the Indian Way............ 46
Waite AN VIAMECTS 0 biel crete. o.0.5, 0.6.4.9 s.0iej9 orsie: oles 47
‘Photographs: UBCIC staff unless credited Profile of East Moberley Lake .............5008: 48
IMustrations for Supplement: Barry Wilson BOORORCVIOW so ibis iad UN eRe ale alg eteeenniens 50
Typesetting: Mary Schendlinger In Memory of Aillee Prince Micke atala Jepeon wey scare cotter 51

be | “THE CHOICE IS OURS”’ )

INDIAN WORLD 3

* &* & PROVINCE WILL NEGOTIATE x x x

Attorney-General Allan Williams has issued a statement that his office is not to proceed with
charges laid against Indians who hunt or fish out of season except on direct instructions from his
office.

George Manuel says much of the credit for Attorney General Allan Williams’ decision regarding
Indians charged with hunting and fishing offenses must go to the Indian people who have defended
our rights in court. For the past 2% years, Indian people have filled the courts, defending themselves
against what they believe are unjust Charges. The UBCIC has been involved in this process through
legal support.

The B.C. Wildlife Act is not compatible with the rights and needs of the Indian people.

The permit system is of no real value to the Indian hunters and often is a regulatory obstacle to the
hunter who wants to simply supply his family with food.

‘The fact is,’’ says George, ‘‘that a senior member of the Fish and Wildlife Branch has
admitted that the Branch is continuing to instruct its conservation officers to continue laying
charges against anyone who violates the Act. This proves that nothing has yet changed.
Indian people are continuing to be harrassed despite the fact that the Attorney General has
ordered this racist treatment to stop.

“‘The UBCIC and other Indian people attended a meeting of the B.C. Wildlife Federation
in Vernon in 1979, but were forbidden, for the second consecutive year, to have a voice in the
management of B.C.’s wildlife resources.

**Clearly the order given by Allan Williams to drop these cases suggests the B.C. Wildlife
Branch is guilty of mismanagement of their responsibilities.’’

Wildlife management and control at the Band level is seen as the next necessary step forward to
ensure special hunting and trapping rights for Indian people. There could be a negotiation system set
up between Conservation Officers and the Band Councils to develop a better understanding of the
Indian people’s hunting traditions and sustenance needs and the responsibilities of the provincial
wildlife staff.

The UBCIC is inviting the Provincial Government to join the Union in setting up an Indian-
Provincial Government Commission to travel to Greenland, in order to study how Native people}
there have productively managed their fish and wildlife.

**I believe this experience would give us a solid foundation on which to build a wildlife plan,’’ Mr.
Manuel says. °

FEDERAL FISHERIES SHOULD NEGOTIATE TOO
LILLOOET JUDGE SAYS

On March 10, 11 and 12 the people
of Lillooet fought the last remaining
cases left over from their 1978 battle
with Fisheries. The cases still
remaining were the cases of Joe
Reynold and Willard Wallace from

- Mount Currie, Leslie Edmonds and

Clifford Kirpatrick from Ashcroft,
Billy Sampson from Kanaka Bar, Vic
Adolph, Jr. from the Fountain
Indian Reserve, and Jim Fountain

INDIAN WORLD 4

from Nuchatlaht Indian Band.

Vic Adolph, Jr., Billy Sampson
were not aware that the special
closure had taken place.

Willard Wallace and Reynold Joe,
two boys from the Mount Currie
Indian Reserve, were fishing on an
off day. They were fishing under the
permit of James Adams_ which
entitled fishing from Monday to
Thursday. They were caught fishing

(continued on page 6 )

eee

| PRESIDENT’S

MESSAGE

The World Council of Aboriginal People met in Peru last
month. The Council recently succeeded in their lobby for
@ voice at the United Nations,

**Alcohol among our people is a major problem,’’ said

a very young Indian girl to her grandmother. The.

grandmother asked her granddaughter, ‘‘Why do you

make that judgment about our people?’’

“Because, grandma, that young handsome Indian
boy that I have always been admiring asked me to marry
him. I wanted to marry him with all my heart, because he
is strong, handsome and when he is sober, he does much

constructive organizational work in the area of sports,

‘housing and even helping our Elders in their shopping,

cutting wood, etc.

“Then suddenly he gets drunk for weeks. So granny,.
when he asked me to marry him last night, I told him that
I would be so happy to marry him, but, I told him, how

can I marry you when you are already married? Under
the romantic moon, he looked at me with shock, and he
said, my little fawn, where did you get the idea that [am |
married? | am not married, I am single and you know it!

“My reply was, White Cloud, you are married already
to alcohol in the bottle. That alcohol in the bottle that
you are married to is killing our Indian people. De you
know our statistics?

® Death rate 4 times the national average

® Violent deaths 5 times the national average

e 3 times more Indian children in care than white
people 4

® 55% Indian population on social assistance

¢ 75% drop out rate from school at grade 7-9

e A very large number of our people are in jails

® We have poor housing, often no running water

So you see, White Cloud, unless you are sincerely
prepared to divorce your first wife (the alcohol bottle),
then | will never marry you.”’

Our Indian Governments are trying to persuade our
people at the Indian reserve communities level to re-
create and re-establish our traditional Indian values of
discipline. So we again can control and govern our own
lives within our own Indian Governments, and it must
start at the root of our community and the root is the

-family. That is why I cannot marry you unless you

divorce your white wife (alcohol) and fully commit
yourself to re-building our Indian nation.

‘**The basic rules will have to be the Indian wisdom to
assess ourselves individually and our people.
® Can we control alcohol?
® Does alcohol control us? If alcohol controls us, then
what are the remedies required to bring it under con-
trol?

These are the conditions. This must be carried out by our
people, and by you, White Cloud, before 1 marry you. —
Yours in struggle,

INDIAN WORLD 5

(from page 4)

Leslie Edmonds had come to fish
on the Bridge River Indian Reserve
with his family. Although he held a
permit to fish Thursday to Saturday
the permit did not entitle him to fish
on the Bridge River at the time when
he was approached by Fisheries.

All of these people have been
waiting since 1978 to fight their cases.

Reynold Joe ‘‘Acted
Reasonably”’

On the first day of the trial,
Reynold Joe and Cliff Kirpatrick
were the only two accused persons
sitting in the courtroom. The trial of
Reynold Joe was the first to be called.
The prosecutor agreed that if
Reynold Joe was found not guilty he
would drop the charges against Wil-
lard Wallace. He made this deal
because the boys were fishing at the
same time and place when they were
arrested. It was also understood
that if Reynold Joe was found guilty,
then a ‘bench warrant’ may be issued
for Willard Wallace and he too would
‘have to answer to the courts.

Reynold took the stand on his own
behalf. He told the court that he had
been fishing for Adam James, an
_ Elder, who had a permit to fish
Monday to Thursday. They set their
net at a fishing spot on Thursday
morning, but come Thursday night
there was no ride available to take
them back to Mount Currie. The boys
checked fishing sites around their
area and also checked in town for a
ride but were not able to locate one.
Meanwhile they did not want to leave
their fishing camp because there was
fish there drying and they were afraid
the fish might be taken by wild
animals. On Friday a relative of
Reynold Joe came to pick them up
and so they went down to the place
where their nets were set to pull the
nets and gather whatever fish were
caught to go back home. As they were
pulling their nets they were ap-
proached by Fisheries and arrested
for unlawfully fishing.

- Judge Shoop heard the story of
Reynold Joe and believed him. He
said that Reynold Joe acted

INDIAN WORLD 6

reasonably and that he took good

care to try and fish within the law.
The fact that he was unable to comply
with the law did not make him guilty
of the offense and so he let him off.

Reynold Joe was pretty happy
because he fought the case success-
fully for himself and his friend
Willard Wallace. After lunch the
prosecutor came back and told us
that the charge against Cliff
Kirpatrick had been dropped because
one of the Fisheries officers who was
to give evidence had died. ‘
Vic Adolph, Jr.

The trial of Vic Adolph, Jr. carried
on next. The defense raised was a
technical defense, arguing that the
Fisheries had not proved that fishing
was illegal at that time and place. The
judge found against that defense and
found Vic Adolph guilty. Vic
Adolph and his father Vic Adolph,
Sr. and Saul Terry all took the stand
to explain to the Judge the
background of the stand taken by the
people during the special closure. We
felt the Judge should have that
information before he passed
sentence on Vic Adolph. Vic Adolph,
Jr. told the court about how he had
agreed with his Band to defy the
special closure during 1978. ‘‘Fishing
is our food,’’ he told the Judge.

Judge Orders Indian Say in
Implementation of Policy

In his passing senience, the judge
let Vic Adolph, Jr. off with a
conditional discharge. He also
directed that Federal Fisheries
negotiate with the Indian people. He
said that Fisheries has not been im-
plementing its policy as stated with
conservation first and Indian Food
fishing second and the Indian people
must have some say in the implemen-
tation of that policy.
Chief Leslie Edmunds an
Admirable Leader, Says the
Judge

In the case of Chief Leslie
Edmonds the judge also found that
he was technically in breach of the act
and found him guilty. But he dis-
charged him absolutely. In_ his
reasons for sentencing, he expressed

how much admiration he felt for
Chief Edmonds and expressed that he
felt the Chief was an excellent person
to be part of the negotiations which
must take place with fisheries. He
then restated the directions given in
sentencing Vic Adolph, Jr. and direc-
ted Fisheries to negotiate with the
Indian people directly.

The prosecutor then stood up and
dropped the charges against Him
Fountain and against Billy Sampson.
At that point all the remaining
charges from 1978 had been dealt
with by thecourt. ~
The Bargaining Table

By fighting these cases the Lillooet
people have exerted political pressure
on the Department of Fisheries
through the courts in bringing

Fisheries to the bargaining table. The
bargaining must now begin and it will
be with hard bargaining that Indian
people will implement an overall
comprehensive management scheme. @

BY-LAWS UPHELD

A major landmark case in establishing the power of the Band By-law was
reached in the Vancouver Supreme Court earlier this month. The Court not
only upheld the legality of the Band By-law, but also the power to enforce it.

Squamish Band Tests By-Law in

Court
An action was taken by the

Squamish Indian Band against a

Band member who had placed his —

trailer on the Indian reserve at a place
that the Band did not approve. The
Band had passed a By-law where the
zoning plan of the entire Reserve was
mapped by the Band. Band member
Findlay placed his trailer on a place
unauthorized by the Zoning By-law.
The Band Council asked him to
move. He went to court, claiming he
had a right to live on the Reserve any
place he wanted, because he was an
Indian person entitled to his Reserve
under the Indian Act. The Squamish
Band Council argued that the Zoning
By-law was an authority which they
had and which they exercised thorugh
the Indian Act. As a Band member he
had to live by that law.

The proceedings had already start-
ed when the Department of Indian
Affairs, through the Attorney Gener-
al, was added as a party to its lawsuit,
claiming an interest in this action

because it was being fought about
Indian reserve land. The Attorney-

General for Canada argued that for
trespass and for breach of the By-law,
it should be the Department alone
who has the right to bring the action,
as the Band Council is only a legal
entity when operating under the DIA
who has final responsibility for Re-
serve lands and Indians.
DIA Claims Right to Decide on
Use of Band Lands

The Government’s major argument
was that the Band did not have a right
to decide what was going to happen
with reserve land, that it was actually
the Minister who could allot land and
decide where the people could live.
They claimed only the Minister could
decide where Mr. Findlay could put
his trailer, not the Band Council. The
court decided that it was the Band
that had the power to commence the

action, and that the By-law was valid.

Band Council Authority Over
Land Use Supported in Law

The Court however. supported the
Band Council all the way. The deci-
sion states very clearly that in
Canadian law the Band Council is
an entity which can sue, in this case
for trespass. It does not need the
DIA to doit.

The court affirmed the Band
Council’s right to pass Zoning By-
laws, and in this case, to manage
their own zoning on the Reserve.
There was no need for the DIA to
defend that By-law or in any way to
manage the Band Council’s
responsibility under it. The Court
told Mr. Findlay that, being a Band
member, he had to follow the laws
of the Band Council

‘This was an important case
because it confirms the authority of
the Band Council to initiate and
carry out the general wishes of the
Band as to the use and benefit to be
made of Band land, although the
Indian Act says the Crown has

' power in certain instances to veto

By-laws. Basically, however, the
Band Council has that authority to
determine what happens in any case
involving the reserve vs. individual
Band members. It is a very positive
case in terms of _ Indian
Government: the Band Council is
the Indian Government of the Band
and as long as it is acting in good
faith, what it says goes. This is the
first time that the Court has taken
the issue of the Band being able to
sue and enforce its position and
decided on this issue directly.
Band By-Laws Supported in
Law

The decision means that the
Court will uphold the By-law and
assist the Band in enforcing that By-
law if the Band Council says there is

a breach of the By-law, The By-law
has force and effect, provided the
By-laws are legally passed under the
Indian Act,

However, there are limitations to the
power of the Band Council implied in
this decision. The action was about
trespass, and under the Indian Act,
the Band has already some authority
to deal with its own trespass cases.
More importantly, there was a valid
By-law in place which had been read
into the record and approved by the
Government. This was not a case
where the Band Council, without a
DIA-approved By-law in place, tried —
to assert what they believed is the
rightful claim. It is a case where the
Band Council had complied with the
regulations of the Indian Act. So it is
not a case of pure Indian Government
being recognized by the Courts. It’s a
case where the law of the Band
Council in applying the Indian Act is
upheld by the courts. It doesn’t go all
the way but it’s definitely a step in the
right direction. @

nou.

INDIAN WORLD 7

im * r

Indian Controlled Health

iG SSS
\

The long, awaited
Alert Bay Inquiry

The long awaited inquiry into the
delivery of health care services to the
Nimpkish people of Alert Bay began
Monday March 3, 1980 with a sense
of expectancy. _

The Elders made their presentation
in Kwawkewlth language. They spoke
of herb medicines they used to gather
and use to cure many diseases and
ailments prior to using modern
medicine.

They said they wanted to go out
again to gather herbs and teach the
younger people its value. Some of the
Elder women were knitting and cro-
cheting while Elder Jack Peters talked
about when potlatching was outlawed
in Alert Bay. He felt this was when
they lost control of teaching the
children proper behaviour and the
Indian way of life.

*“We have changed. I have let go
what it is | would have looked after.
We have stopped fighting. We were
told if we didn’t move from our
original home to a place with a school
that We wouldn’t get better. We did
and look what it has done for us,
nothing.’’

Services Called For

**I look at the future with a great
deal of hope. Not because I think all
of our problems are going to be
solved overnight by an agency that is
going to look at them, but if it could
bring our people to look into the
mirror again to see what it means to
be Kwawkewilth, and to rise and stand
again.”’

+ Fe ot
= :

‘Fish has become endangered to
the extent that the Nimpkish people
have had to give up their food fishery
just to sustain an adequate spawning
escapement. Every legislation the
government has put in place with the
idea of helping us has been a detri-
ment.’’

“They are failing

ee H

because

ll
SP

a5
_

Elders willing to teach Indian way of life.

Anguish today, but hope for
the future

Ernie Willie, Co-ordinator for the
district council, gave strong state-
ments of his dream for the Alert Bay
people. “‘If ever the Kwawkewlth
nation is to rise again, it is going to be
because our women will become
. strong again. They were the ones who
governed communities and held the
community together. They were the
ones who raised our children while
the men were fishing.

INDIAN WORLD #

Decreased Fish Stocks Caused
Poorer Health

Fish has always been the main diet
of the coastal Indian people.
Manager of the Band’s Salmonid
Enhancement Program, Basil Am-
bers, says as the fishing resource de-
creased, so did the well being of the
people.

‘“DDT was sprayed into our waters
which resulted in ten years of scant
salmon stocks as well as the
immediate death of thousands of
salmon. With my own eyes I saw
miles and miles of young salmon dead

-on the beaches,”’ .

*‘The re-building of fish stocks
throughout the area is imperative to
the health of our people. Any
interference with the rebuilding of
our food and economic base is a
direct threat to Indian health.’’

Recreation plays an important part
in preventative health care. One of

the major frustrations for the Band is
the lack of money for recreation
facilities and programs. There’s
nothing more for the kids in Alert
Bay to do except maybe consume
drugs and alcohol.

Peggy Svanvik, Drug and Alcohol
Abuse Counsellor for the Band,
explains that drinking is not the
Indian way of life. ‘“‘We have not had
centuries to adapt to drinking. So asa
result we became alcoholics sooner
than non-Indians. Alcohol respects
no one and it is destroying our Indian
way of life.’’

The Children Want a Better
Future

The Kwawkewlth children of Alert
Bay also had something to say. ‘‘We
want the Nimpkish Band to hire us to
repaint the totem poles in the long
house and cut the grass in. the
graveyards to make Alert Bay look
nice. We would also like other jobs
like working in the office, cafe, day
care centre and the museum.”’

‘‘We plan to make something of
our lives and those jobs will help us.
We want to know more about our
culture because it’s important to us.
It’s part of our life and will be with us
all our lives, part of the younger ones
growing up and the yet unborn.”’

“We are slowly learning our &

culture. We are being taught Kwa

concerns. ‘‘They are thinking about
building a new hospital. We don’t

need a new hospital here, we need |
new doctors. We need a new doctor
because we don’t trust the one that is |

here.”’

‘‘We are worried about our future
and yours as well. We want to make
things better for everyone in Alert
Bay by making the changes we
suggested possible. We are speaking
for all the young people of Alert
Bay.”’

Nimpkish Band employee Margar-
et Sirwois is concerned about what
she thinks is an over prescribing of
outdated drugs. ‘‘Many of our people
just phone into the drugstore for
prescription renewals. This can be
very harmful if they are not examined
on a regular basis. Our health situa-
tion should be classed as critical.’’

On Thursday everyone at the
inquiry was quiet. They listened and
saw families weeping as people read,
report after report of the negligent
medical practices of Dr. Jack Pickup.

Alert Bay children are learning their culture and want to learn more.

—eo ae
+ it.
un

Kwa La and Indian dancing at school Rene
but we’d still like to know more.”’ A |

thirteen year old girl expressed her |

The worst came with words of how
the Nimpkish people witnessed Dr.
Pickup intoxicated and how he often
treated them in that condition.
Reliving the pain of losing loved ones
seemed endless.

Dr. Gary Goldthorpe, the
Commissioner and one man to make
recommendations for the improve-
ment of their health services felt there
should be a new doctor in Alert Bay.
‘*] think the people have had a lot of
bad experiences. They have good
reason to feel they haven’t been
getting the best medical care. They
were telling me the way they
experienced it and they were sincere.”’

An 11-Year-Old Had to Die
Before Anything Was Done

Renee Smith was mentioned
throughout the meeting. She was the
main reason why the hearings began.
Dr. Pickup had not given her ade-
quate medical care and told her
parents that her condition was —
nothing to worry about. Everyone
felt she could have been saved if

' Pickup was more sensitive.

Ethel Pearson’s nephew died near
the time of the inquiry. She testified
that he drowned. ‘‘His body was
inadvertently brought to Comox.
When we went to get it they told us it
was dropped off in Campbell River.
After his autopsy, we were never told
what the findings were.”’

INDIAN WORLD Y

=e SS Se 7 = = = hi

_ “We are not even given dignity in
our death any more. If he were with

us, he would have been dressed. In-
stead he was put in a plastic bag. It is
a custom of our people to dress and
lay them out for people to pay their
last respects. We get worse treatment

on our own land than the D.P.’s from
other lands!”’

“What kind of bungling service is
this on the part of the medical
services that my people here have to
endure?”’ :

“I think it is about time a thorough
investigation is done instead of the
half failed promises we get. In so
doing, you will have fulfilled some-
thing worthwhile so that the girl,
Renee Smith, need not have died in
vain.””

Vera Cranmer was crying as she ©

talked about her aunt Edna Alfred.
**I saw my aunt suffer and die. He
(Dr. Pickup) never helped her. He let
us believe that everything was fine. I
kept asking him what was the matter
with her, why her stomach was
swollen. He told me it was gas.’’
Edna died of an infection that spread
in her womb.

The outcome of the hearing was in
the hands of the Nimpkish people.
They were the ones who had to
endure the poor medical services.
Towards the end they seemed to
know what they were going to do
about it.

‘Bobby Joseph told the commis-
sioner that the inquiry may be the
most profound process the
Kwawkewlth people have gone
through in a long time. ‘‘It has pro-
vided a means for our people to
examine their state of being.’’

“*Our level of health is related to all
aspects of our lives. This too can be a
focal point for the DIA to reexamine
its role and effect on Indian people.
Government agencies cannot deny
Indian people have a level of health

far below that of other Canadians.’’

““Government agencies and
programs have been in _ part
responsible for creating whole
communities of hopelessness and
despair. There are communities in
this area that have disappeared when
people were encouraged to move so
they could be closer to hospitals and
better education.’’

i 7 “ay zi ——— SS = es

Bobby read a study done by Jack
Beaver which said, ‘‘It’s the right of —
Indian people to retain their cultural
identity and shape their future ©
according to their own values and
aspirations.”’ In essence, he said this
is what the people were saying all
week.

Returning to the Potlatch

Al Speck said, “‘If this inquiry
turns out like the McKenna McBride
Commission of 1914 that took.
information on Indian lands, not so
we could keep our lands, but was
geared so they could be taken away, I
will be very disappointed in you Mr.
Commissioner, in your government
and your understanding of the prob-
lems we face.”’

“Tt is my belief our life will centre
once again around the Potlatch. Sure,
leaders of my age may not see this,
but we can pave the road for this.”” ©

has 22 employees

DIA Didn’t Help Health Situation

The DIA didn’t help. Assistant

Regional Director Duncan Clark said
that for fifteen years the department
has been trying to return to Indian
people the health responsibilities. He
talked about how much money the
DIA has contributed to Nimpkish

_ people to run programs.

Basil Ambers responded: ‘‘This
year we were getting $400,000 to run
17 Bands. How would you explain the
DIA office in Campbell River that
which costs
$600,000 just to keep them in the

_ building?’’ The room was quiet.

- INDIAN WORLD 10

Basil Ambers (below) spoke of government irresponsibility.

NEWS, NEWS, NEWS

SECRETARIAT PROGRAM

The UBCIC is being questioned on why we are not
participating with the provincial forum that was set up by

_ the Regional office of the Department of Indian Affairs.

lt was our understanding after discussions between Mr.
Fred Walchli and George Manuel that as the UBCIC had
already set up the Secretariat program to deal with issues
of a common nature we would in fact be duplicating
services by participating with the provincial forum.

It has been our experience in the past, dealing with
other organizations on common issues in this province,
that they tended to make political issues in front of
various government departments instead of dealing with
issues of the Indian people of B.C.

have hired a lawyer from the Washington-based
American Indian Resources Legal Centre to fight the
case.

Following the lead of the two Maine Tribes, several
Tribes from New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts,
and Connecticut are now making claims for land taken
from them in the past.

HERRING SEASON A DISASTER FOR MANY
INDIAN FISHERMEN

The Vancouver Island East and West Coast herring
fishery closed early this year due to the labour strike by
the Native Brotherhood and UFAWU and because
Federal Fisheries professed concern about herring stocks.
The only area that is open right now is the North Coast
for the Co-op fishermen.

The strike was organized against the Fisheriés Associa-
tion because they couldn’t reach an agreement on the

price of herring this year. A lot of fishermen didn’t get a

chance to go out at all and it has been a financial disaster
for many Indian fishermen who have had to borrow
heavily to equip their boats in preparation for the herring
season. i

MAINE INDIANS SETTLEMENT

The Penobscot and Passamaquoddy Tribes of Maine,
USA, have come to an $81.4 million settlement with the
State for payment of about two-thirds (12.5 million
acres) of Maine, which was taken illegally from the
Indian people years ago.

In return for the land lost, the American Congress will
be asked to put about $27 million into a permanent trust
fund for the Indians. In addition, a $54.4 million fund
will be set up with which the tribes may buy a 300,000
acre permanent land base.

Although the political leaders of the two Tribes have
agreed with the settlement, there is a group of Indian
people who do not. They believe that the Tribes could
have gotten a better settlement through the courts and

NICOLA VALLEY SAND AND GRAVEL READY-
MIX MERGER .

A Lower Nicola Band-owned ready-mix company last
February signed an agreement with Vancouver-based
Pacific Rim Ready Mix. The two companies are uniting
to take advantage of a probable construction boom in

. Logan Lake, which is situated. in the copper-rich

Highland Valley (approximately 40 miles from Merritt).

PacRim will supply a concrete batching plant and fleet
of ready mix trucks to Nicola Valley Sand and Gravel’s
crushing and screening operation on Pipseul Reserve,
which is one mile from Logan Lake.

According to Len Marchand, administrator of the
Nicola Valley Indian Administration which serves five
Bands in the area, the agreement is ‘‘a good move for
Nicola Valley Sand and Gravel.’’ He termed Rivtow
Straits, the parent company of Pacific Rim, ‘‘a highly
reputable company.”’

In addition, the agreement allows for the hiring of
Indian personnel ‘‘where possible,’’ said Don Moses,
manager and a founder of Nicola Valley Sand and
Gravel, ‘‘which leaves it flexible for them (PacRim) to
hire. It’s also our responsibility to have available
qualified people prepared to work.’’ He noted that
members of other Bands and non-status people will also
be employed when the plant begins operations March 31,
1980.

At least six people will be employed full time at the new
operation, ‘‘but will vary, depending on the contracts
secured,’’ said Len Marchand.

Asked what the agreement would do for the Indian
profile in the Nicola Valley, Moses replied: ‘‘It will show
what we’re capable of in terms of doing business.’’ He
also cited the opportunity for Native people to “‘develop
the skills to work in this industry. It’s extremely
independent, very technical—it requires dedication and
work.

‘‘We’re not doing any favours for anybody,’’ Don
Moses added. ‘‘They’ve got a job as long as they’re
prepared to work.”’ .

by Lynne Jorgesen

INDIAN WORLD II

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CHARGES DROPPED FOR |
_ ALKALI FIVE

_ Ya-hooo!

After the case the people of Alkali met to discuss what their court victory means for their hunting rights in

Suture.

On March 6th, 1980 the case involv-
ing five Alkali Band members was to
be heard in Williams Lake. The case
started on February Sth, 1980 and
adjourned, to be continued on March
6th, 1980. The five had been charged
with shooting deer out of season. On
February Sth and 6th they had
appeared before Judge Barnett in Wil-
liams Lake where they gave evidence
that where they were hunting was on
traditional lands. The night before the
case was to be heard again the UBCIC

_ Legal Advisor went out to Alkali to

meet with the Band to discuss the
. strategy for presenting their evidence.

Allthe elders of Alkali were to playa
strong role, speaking of the days they
used to hunt in the same area where the
Alkali five had been charged. They
remembered that this was their
traditional hunting grounds, going
back years when they were young and
going out with their parents. They

INDIAN WORLD 12

spoke of how important hunting was,

-andstillis, tothem.

So the stage was set for the next day
in court. A delegation of people
showed up that morning to hear the
outcome. -

Once all the people were in the
courtroom, which was packed to
standing room only, we could see that
this would be an interesting day. The
prosecutor entered and noticed the
over-packed room, went over to the
Legal Advisor, spoke quietly for a
minute and left the room
momentarily. The Advisor, smiling,
turned to look at the delegation and
said that the crown was dropping
charges against the accused.

The Judge seemed to _ be
disappointed that the charges were
dropped because he had been looking
forward to hearing the evidence of the
Elders. He told the delegation that this
is a victory for the accused, and that

the Band is in the position to negotiate
their right to hunt in future over
disputed lands.

What showed me that this case
would go in the Alkali Five’s favor was
the togetherness of the Band to gather
the evidence, and their spirits were —
always high.

After the case was dismissed, the
Band went to the Friendship Center, a
longhouse structure not far from the
court house. There they discussed the
importance of the victory for the Band
and how it would be a stepping stone
for the future of their hunting rights in
the Alkaliarea.

The Band will be striving toward
making their own By Laws in bringing
back the rights they once had when the
Elders of Alkali were free to hunt.

They will be meeting with Fish &
Wildlife Branches to come to an
agreement over how much rights the
Band has on their traditional hunting
territories. e

BUT SAANICH HUNTERS

LOSE

Doug August’s main defence was
that in 1876 there was correspondence
between various government officials
which guaranteed hunting and fishing
rights for the Halalt people. Although
they weren't ‘‘official’’ documents or
an “‘official’? treaty, the defence
maintains that they were still legally
binding. The Judge didn’t argue on
this point, He said that certain aspects
of a formal treaty weren’t met, such as
signatures of Indian people or an
official survey of the treaty area.

Doug’s other defence was that he is
related to Joe and by traditional ways
this would give him a right to hunt with
Joe in the area protected by the
Saanich Treaty and not be charged
with illegal hunting. In his Reasons for
Judgment, the Judge didn’t even
answer this question. It was appar-
ently ignored.

The definition of the term
unoccupied land was the other major
issue of the case. Here again the views
of the Indian people and those of the

Judge clashed. The Judge said that in |

the treaty it referred only to hunting on
unoccupied lands within the area
covered by the treaty—the land sur-
rendered. But because of the extensive
traditional hunting territory of the
Saanich people, the defence argued
that the unoccupied lands extended
past those boundaries and included the
area where the two men were hunting.

The Judge also said that unoccupied
land, as far as hunting was concerned,
was as far as a gunshot could be heard.
But, gunshots can be heard for a long
distance, so the definition isn’t really a
practical one. It would be inconsistent
across B.C., since gunshots can be
heard for different distances in
different terrains and in different wea-
ther.

UBCIC lawyers said that if land
isn’t fenced or if no one lives there or if
a person can’t really tell it’s being. used
for any reason, it should be considered
unoccupied. Indian people can’t be

expected to doa land survey every time
they want to go hunting. Again the
thinking isn’t practical.

At this time the Saanich people are
waiting to see if the case will be
appealed. If it is, these issues will again
be brought before the court.

After a two and a half year court
battle, the Bartleman and August
hunting case is at least over for now.
But, the Judge’s decision is far from

acceptable to the Saanich people. The °

case was lost.

On July 5, 1977, Joe Bartleman of
the Tsartlip Band and Doug August of
the Halalt Band, both on Vancouver
Island, went hunting for food and the
two men were charged.

Joe was charged with hunting witha
.22 calibre rifle while Doug was
charged with hunting out of season.
The charges came under provincial law
—the B.C. Wildlife Act. They were
found guilty by Judge Giles at the
Duncan Provincial Court March 4,
1980, and each received a $50 fine.
At this time, Doug, Joe and UBCIC
lawyers are strongly considering
appealing the decision, but no decision
has been made yet.

There were two main issues that had
to be dealt with in the tase. One was
that the defence argued that the two
men were protected from the B.C.
Wildlife Act by two treaties—one cov-
ering the Tsartlip people and other
covering the Halalt people. This made
the court battle an uphill one. First the
Judge had to be convinced that the
treaties were valid and then that Joe
and Doug were within a guaranteed
hunting area.

The other major issue was the
definition of ‘‘unoccupied land’’ that
was talked about in the treaties.

During the court case documents
were brought out which represented a
treaty between James Douglas, an
agent of the Hudson’s Bay Company,
and the Saanich people. In 1852 the
treaty was drawn up when the Saanich

Island Treaties Ignored

In his decision, the Judge agreed
that the Saanich Treaty was in fact a
treaty, but said that since the men were
hunting outside the treaty area they
were still liable under provincial law.
However, the defence said that the
Judge was wrong. The reason is
because the Saanich people had
hunting territories extending far
beyond the area surrendered to James

' Douglas. The Indian people never

gave up their rights to hunt or fish in
these areas. And, they would never
agree to hunt only on the unoccupied
land within the treaty area.

This situation is somewhat like
someone owning 100 acres of land and
selling 10 acres to another person on
the condition that they can still use the
water from the creek that runs through
the land. Just because the person has a
guarantee for that 10 acres, doesn’t
mean the use of the creek running
through the remaining 90 acres has
been given up—the whole thinking
isn’t logical. e

INDIAS WORED 13

eS SF oS eee — lr, sy
. oe ert | oe oe >

ed»

’

ITHINK ...

tt . —_ : ‘
RE: January, 1980 Issue UBCIC News, page 8.
(Salmon Exchange)

| am a member of the Tsartlip Band on Vancouver
Island. | am a descendant of the people who signed a
treaty which allows me to hunt and fish as formerly.

After reading the article (Salmon Exchange) | feel
my rights of the treaty and as an Indian have been
violated. No one has ever asked if | would give up my
rights to the river for Salmon from Qualicum River or

| any other river. If confronted with such a question |

would have given a flat no.

My reasons are as long as | am able to hunt and fish
I am a person, | am Indian. As long as I am able to
throw a spear or carry a rifle | am alive. If I can’t hunt
my ground or fish my rivers | might just as well be

| white, which is as close to death as I can see.

1 have accepted fish irom Qualicum River. The fish
we received were about three days old and in poor
shape from transporting.

Also I have worked with fisheries, writing permits
from our office. It was easier for our people to get a
permit from our Band office rather than drive 14 miles
to Victoria. Fisheries disagreed with my method of
writing them. | was not going to quote a number on
the permits on how much they were to take. I was not
going to play god and decide how much a family needs
for the winter. | also wasn’t going to tell the people

Joe Bartleman is a direct descendant of the Saanich
people. They signed a Treaty with James Douglas in
1852 which guaranteed the rights of the Indian people to
hunt and fish at Vancouver Island.

Fisheries decided they were going to put a limit of 25
fish per person. I did not agree so they now issue
permits from their office. |

Now they tell us we cannot fish Goldstream River |
because we are accepting fish from Qualicum. They
know before fish even leave Qualicum, to what reserve
it’s going to.

They get an advance notice and don’t or refuse to ]
write permits. Our Band has a thirteen acre fishing
station in Goldstream and we cannot use it. We have
hunting rights and cannot use them. As far as I’m
concerned there was no exchange and if there is a
chance there was, why were the people of the nineteen |
Bands not consulted? No Band council or committee
can make such a decision without consulting each and
every Band member.

The person , responsible for releasing such
information should have consulted the people before it
was published.

To hunt our own game and to fish our own fish was
born into the Indian people and I am proud to be
Indian.

We have never been defeated as a people but | will }
have to be defeated before giving up my treaty right.

Joe Bartleman

what day they were going to fish. P.O. Box 122,
Brentwood Bay, B.C.
aul iney

INDIAN WORLD 14 ‘

DIGNITY:

WATCHWORD
FOR FISHING
RIGHTS FIGHT

The annual Fish Forum sponsored by the UBCIC’s
Fishing Portfolio, was held in Vancouver March 4 to 6,
1980.

One Elder from each district, as well as Indian people
from across Canada were at the meeting.

Discussions were aimed towards the development and
implementation of an effective, comprehensive fish
management scheme. Throughout the forum, it was
pointed out that fish is a resource that Indian people
depend upon socially, economically and politically.
Several speakers stressed the importance of remembering
that fish do affect Indian people in all three of these
areas.

Building Indian Dignity and Credibility Essential

Neil Sterritt of the Gitskan-Carrier Tribal Council
made a forceful presentation on not forgetting the social
impact of fishing for Indian people. Indians must work
with these aspects kept in mind, such as Indian dignity
and credibility. When Indian people decide to put

‘FRASER VALLEY’
we Bowe

APRIL 18- OUTSTANDING BOXERS
place from

Chilliwack British Columbia, Alberta,
Coliseum Saskatchewan and U.S.A.

| W. Georgia Street (across from the Bus Depot) in|

\ Representative and a letter sent to each Chief. 3)

National/ International — ae)

Fish Conference of

The UBCIC is hosting a National/International Fish
Conference— May 21-22, 1980 at the Sandman Inn, 180

Vancouver. Attendance will be approximately 150 from
across Canada and a delegation of Brothers and Sisters |

from the U.S.
An agenda has been forwarded to each District

Ne SA

forward a fishing project, They must never allow to leave
their minds the amount of dignity it holds. And he said
that once an Indian stops being Indian because of a
project, he should not do it.

In the 1800’s Indians controlled the fisheries, now it is
controlled by the Federal Fisheries. Indian people must
re-establish their credibility. The way to do it, he said, is
to do a better job of managing the fisheries than the
Federal Fisheries do. Re-establishing that credibility was
started by Indians pleading ‘not guilty’ to fishing charges
in court—and winning the cases. How do Indians build
that credibility? Neil said that Indians must work
together: it is easy to organize ourselves around the
fishing, because it is a part of our life.

Dollars Cannot Be the Focus

Neil added that when a Band starts a project to be used
to employ Indian people, it shouldn’t allow dollars to get
in the way of that goal. One example of a project that’s
seasonal, needs no training or big dollars and that applies
to most unemployed Indian people, Neil said, is fishing.
It’s a resource Indians are in control of, know how to
harvest and process and that there’s a market. The only
thing stopping Indians is legislation.

“ The Legal Task Force stressed that another way to

build credibility is to pass Band by-laws protecting the
fisheries from such industries as logging, which is the
second largest taker of fish—second only to commercial
fishing.

Phillip Paul spoke about fish as always having been
part of Indian culture and that Indians don’t think of fish
in the same way as non-Indians—they are deeply rooted
in Indians, both culturally and spiritually.

Control of Fisheries Vital to Indian Government

The politics of fish was also talked about at the three-
day meeting. Saul Terry said that Indian control of
Indian fishing is a major part of Indian Government and
we must decide what is needed in terms of Indian fishing
rights. We are now showing that we understand the
politics better: more and more are saying ‘not guilty’ to
fishing charges and winning those cases in the law
courts. .

INDIAN WORLD 15

celebrations will soon be starting. at
reserves all across the province.
Fountain Band held a Salmon
Survival Potlatch over the weekend
of 23rd and 24th February.

There was an estimated 250 to 300

people at the Potlatch. Drumming,

singing and dancing groups came

from across B.C. to share their

talents. There were even visitors there
from New Mexico.

INDIAN WORLD 16

With the warm weather on the way,

During the Potlatch, money was
collected for the Salmon Survival
Fund, which was set up to pay
expenses for the legal action the
Fountain Band is taking against the
Federal Fisheries.

As is traditional at celebrations,
feasting was enjoyed. That was
thanks to Chief Victor Adolph and

LATCH

FOUNTAIN
SALMON
SURVIVAL
POT-

Roger Adolph who spent the good
part of a day preparing a special meal
of salted and baked salmon. _ @

Photos by Myrna Thevarge 3

—————

i
a on

On March 8 and 9 the Seton Lake
Nation Singers hosted the gath-
ering in Shalalth. The reason for the
gathering was to try and get the peo-
ple to come together in body and
mind, to try and interest more people

in the revival of the old days.

oul

On Saturday there was a light lun-
cheon and singing until all of the
visitors arrived. After the singing, the
Chief of the Drum Group gave

greetings to the Lillooet Drum Group,
the Mount Currie Drum Group and
Elders, Sam Mitchell, Charlie Mack,
Baptiste Rice, ae Bacie Thevarge.

ETON LAKE
‘POW-WOW

by Gary John

Dinner was served later on and the
Elders made speeches about how they
felt towards the gathering taking
place and how thankful they were to
be part of it because there hasn’t been
such a gathering as this in Shalalth
for quite a while,

The speakers also talked about
Education, Cultural Revival and re-

spect and trust. Later on, Patricia .

and Lisa Aleck were presented with a
Birthday Cake from their parents for
their 15 birthdays. Tom Bull was
presented with a pair of buckskin
gloves from the parents of the Chil-
dren to thank him for all his hard

_ work in helping the group.

The drummers and dancers took
over with their voice and fancy
footwork and managed to keep every-
one in their seats until it was time to
go home.

On Sunday the people talked and
reminisced about old times until

lunch was served. After lunch
Baptiste Richie told a couple of
stories and Charlie Mack added on a
few words of his past.

The gathering was a huge success
and the people of the Drum group
would like to thank all of those who
were able to participate in the gather-
ings.

Yours in Friendship,
The Seton Lake Nation Singers

INDIAN WORLD 17

After a UETCloDienI company iy proposed) to build 93 ames for rich people on Chilli wack Mountain, our area i Baas
began looking for ways to stop it.

Four Chilliwack area Bands may be
taking the Department of Indian

Affairs and the City of Chilliwack to

court on as many as five separate
actions. All of the actions would be
aimed at stopping or getting
compensation for the damages that
would result from proposed develop-
ment on Chilliwack Mountain.

The whole issue began when
Chilliwack Mountain Estates
proposed a plan to develop the
mountain for the building of about 93
homes for wealthy people. The four
Bands, Squiala, Skway, Ajtchelitz,
and Kwak-kwaw-a-pilt, are against
the development because the
mountain is an Indian hunting
ground, there are four burial grounds
on-the mountain, and because the
proposal would call for the building
of a septic drainage system which
would .dump sewage on the property
of several Indian people living on the
Squiala reserve.

Five Separate Actions Could be
Started

creased traffic on their road when
they oppose the building of the
subdivision.

Skway Road

The Bands immediately tried to
find a way to either stop the develop-
ment or to get compensation for the
resulting damages. While researching
the issue, they found five actions that

INDIAN WORLD 18

Chilliwack Mountain Road

The first action concerns
Chilliwack Mountain Road. In 1950,
the DIA issued a permit which
allowed the municipality of
Chilliwack to use the road. But the
permit was issued without the consent
of the Bands and without compensa-
tion and because of that the Bands
have sued the DIA with fraud, negli-
gence and breach of trust in allowing
the municipality to use it. As well,
they have sued the City of Chilliwack
with trespassing. The actions are
brought because the developer’s plans
would cause increased traffic on and
even widening of the road. They
argue that the developers shouldn’t
profit from use of the road because

‘the Bands have never been paid or

compensated for the road and
because the Bands don’t want in-

The second road issue is along the
same lines. Skway (or Wolfe) Road
runs through the Skway Band and has
never been paid for. Unlike
Chilliwack Mountain Road which has
a permit allowing its use (even though
it’s considered an illegal one), Skway
Road has no legal document in
existence whatsoever allowing its use.
Because there is no legal right for the
road to be used by the city, the
lawsuit is straight trespassing.

Chilliwack Mountain Access
Road

There. is also a third road issue. It
concerns the Chilliwack Mountain
Access Road which was planned to
run from Chilliwack Mountain Road
to the site of the development. The
developers put forth a plan to the
DIA to transfer ownership of a
couple of acres of reserve no. 8 to be
used for the road. The law states that
the provincial government can use
1036 to expropriate reserve land for
roads, but no other body can do this.
However, the developers in effect

—

land exchange

asked the provincial government to
borrow its name to expropriate the
land. The Bands say this action is
wrong because the provincial
government neither wants nor needs
the land—the developers do.

Commonage Reserve

in addition to the roads, there are
two land issues to be dealt with.
Because of flooding in the area, more
than 52 acres of Chilliwack Mountain
were set aside for both Indians and
white people to be used as a refuge in
the event of floods. During the time
when the land: cutoffs were taking
place, this commonage reserve was
taken from the people. The only
other historical example of
commonage reserve for both Indians
and White people was in the
Penticton area. In that case, when the
commonage was taken away from the
Indians, the Indian Bands involved
received a land exchange. The
Chilliwack Bands argue that either
the commonage reserve belongs to the
Indians or that there has to be some
kind of fair compensation, possibly a
similar to the
Penticton Bands.

One or the Bands’ main concerns is to protect their burial grounds on the

mountain.

Aichelitz Band

The other land problem concerns
Aichelitz Band, which is situated on
the mountain. The land was taken

from the Indian people on the basis _

that there were no surviving members
of the Band. This came about years

Chilliwack Mountain has always been an Indian
mountain for hunting and a refuge during floods.

ago. The DIA claims that the person
it called the last remaining survivor,
gave up the land. However, there are
several members now living on the
reserve which seems to make the DIA
claim ridiculous.

At this point the Bands have
already begun to pursue the road
issues and will soon begin on the land
disputes. The ultimate plan is neither
to stop the development or to get fair
compensation for damages that will
result from it. This compensation
could be in one or more forms. The
Indian people may ask for municipal
services, money, land exchange or
possibly political recognition which
would give them a major say in
regional affairs that concern them.
Although there has been no decision
yet, these are some areas being
considered.

The bottom line to the whole issue
is that the Bands want their grave
sites protected, proper sewage lines
installed if the development goes
ahead and fair compensation for past
injustices. Unless the Bands are
satisfied with results of negotiations,
they will use their legal power and

political power to stop the
development on Chilliwack
Mountain. e

INDIANS WORLD 19

COQUALEETZA LAND
TRANSFER

still Crown land.
| Despite the voiced objections of the
community, construction went
| ahead. The main emphasis was to
provide ‘‘Industrial Training for
Indians.”’ In 1891 Coqualeetza was
levelled by fire. The Federal
Department of Indian Affairs
contributed 90% of construction

V4 UA
4

INustration — Peter Lindley

costs for a new complex. The
Women’s Methodist Missionary con-
tributed the remaining cost. By 1894,
it was completed and was known as
the “‘Coqualeetza Industrial Insti-
tute’’ until 1937. At that time the
residential school closed down and
Coqualeetza became a hospital, treat-
ing mainly tuberculosis victims.

In 1974, the Department of Public
Works took over the complex and in

INDIAN WORLD 20

‘From the News...

the same year leased the main
complex (formerly the hospital) to the
Department of National Defense.

The Indian people received control

of the smaller buildings: the Big
House, the Salish weaving centre, the
Snookwa Hall and the houses located
at the rear, the library and the Area
Indian Council Centre. The people
began to dream of a complete cultural
and recreational centre, planned for
the needs of the Sto:lo people, con-
trolled and owned by them.

The Land Transfer

They are using a ministerial letter
to transfer 45 acres of land to Indian
control. This is supposed to streamline
the process of transferring property
from one Federal Department to ano-
ther. It remains a

slow process. The DPW will remain
the landlords until such time as the
Department of National Defense no
longer wants the property and
buildings they are now using,
fourteen acres. They estimate this will
be for another three to five years.
After that, it will eventually be
returned to Indian control.
The Sto:lo Dream

Pat Kelly, Education Coordinator,

is excited that now the Cultural |
Centre is zeroing in to the final stages }

-response from the people to these

KILLER WHALE f
Killer Whale sounds so lonely to me.
They look so powerful, yet they look
so friendly.
Makes a person think and wish
they were a killer whale.
Men have tried so hard,
And are beginning to understand,
That they are friendly and they look so
powerful,
Yet gentle, the killer whales.

Grade7
from Nuxalk News

of the land transfer. The long term
development potential of the
Coqualeetza property seems sure
because of the closeness to the Trans
Canada Highway, and to the major
tourist and regional shopping centres. |
The land between Coqualeetza and
the Cottonwood Mall has been taken
out of the Agricultural Land Reserve
and re-zoned. The merger of the Chil-
liwack Township and City places
Coqualeetza much closer to the

geographical centre of the new muni- |

cipality.

Their planning consultant turned
over the first concept-plan for the |

possible development to the

Coqualeetza Board of Directors on }

February 15th, 1980. After consulting
with some of the Sto:lo elders, other

Sto:lo people after Coqualeetza staff |

and meeting several times with the
Board, this report represents the peo-
ple’s dream for a planned future of
Coqualeetza. Some of the possibili-
ties for the new centre include a tradi-
tional village, a sports recreational
complex, theatre and restaurant, a
hotel and convention centre and a

play area. The plans are for a very }.
major complex. The complete report |

is available at the Centre and the staff.
and Board are looking for input and

first draft plans.

Jerry Tallio |.

(Contact Bob Hall at Tel: eee

ON THE WAGON >

| feel 200d to be sober today, to be able to smile at the people T meet. I can-talk and laugh and ust
enjoy Aiyself,

Asan Indian person, L.don't need to drink, don't have to be ashamed. I care for m yselfas niuch
ust care for my Indian people. | can “dance ta the drum”, 1 can be proud today, I can hold my head
up, sinile and just be happy. As 1 see, all our children smile, Usee Elders smile and all people mix

together and share, [ knaw—
The csi of being sober, is the future of our Children.

_ ALCOHOL SUPPLEMENT

INDIAN WORLD 21

IS DRINKING OUR TRADITION?

Books upon books have been written about alcohol and why people drink and after all the dollars have been spent on
research they find that the bottom line is usually ‘‘a poor self image. ’’

We all have in our minds an image of ourselves and either we try to live up to this image, or we try to escape it. To
some the feeling of inadequacy is overpowering. We can’t cope with ourselves and we try to hide. So many of our

we are for several reasons and we didn’t get like this overnight.

For Indian people there have been
many contributing factors for our self
image and most of them are negative.
The loss of our identity has had a
traumatic effect on all of us. As chil-
dren we were not given the proper
guidance from our parents and
grandparents because for the most
part we were not living with them.
The Institutions and foster parents
stripped them of the responsibilities.
We were not taught how to deal with
life, right from how to share their
toys to being responsible for their
chores and being responsible for their
younger brothers and sisters. They
are taught how to appreciate nature
and to respect their Elders. Institu-
tions couldn’t possibly teach our chil-

dren what they needed to know.

When children did come home for the
summer, their parents didn’t know

- how to deal with them any more,

their teaching at the school was dif-
ferent. The parents and grandparents
felt useless, unwanted, their sense of
responsibility had diminished. The
way of the Indian people were being

forced out by the government. Soon
_ they started to drink. What little time
the children did spend at home was
spent with strangers.

From here, some of the children ~
graduated to Juvenile Detention Cen-
tres, then to Provincial Jails then. to os
_ the big time, to the Federal peniten-

tiaries. It’s no wonder that there is
such a high crime rate among Indian

people. As children, they weren’t for
the most part and still aren’t being
taught how to live. They grow up, not -

being brought up. Before a person

can become.a responsible parent they
need to have had a parent, a role to
follow. Just because we can bear

children doesn’t automatically make
us a good mother or father.

_ For the past twenty or thirty years
the Indian people have had to deal

INDIAN WORLD 22

Caeanice:

with being stereotyped as lazy, drunk,
poor and useless, and the list goes on
and on. Doesn’t do too much for the
self-image, does it? When I read some
of the laws that were enforced against
Indian people it is no wonder they
drank. The Old People say that things
will soon change. The change has
already started. We are becoming
more aware of ourselves, our
surroundings, and our future. We are
no longer content to sit. back and
accept the generous offerings from
DIA.

of our minds we are afraid of the
future and what it has in store for our

people, especially if it is to continue.

on the path of the last fifty years.

The ways of Indian people are in
the minds of the Old People. When
they go—wego. Our way of life used
to be simple: It was not this
aggressive, abrasive world in which
we now live. We shared both our
wealth and eur knowledge. Things
were done for a community, not an
individual, There was respect for each

other and our surroundings. We were
a proud people. There Was prayer—
we acknowledged that there was a
ao power than ourselves and we

to the creator for strength and
There was responsibility
and we accepted it with pride. Each
of us was responsible for someone
and something which gave our
communities strength. »

When we look around us today it is

hard to find anyone who lives by

these values. We have so many
external forces that we have to deal
with on a daily basis, we are so busy
running around trying to tend to all
these so-called ‘‘necessities’’ we've
forgotten how to live. We have
forgotten to take time for our fami-
lies, our communities, our culture all
in an endless effort to reach the cash

It’s been said that Fear is a
great motivator. I’ m sure thatin alot —

. problems stem from feelings of guilt. We all have the power to change ourselves, our lives, our futures. We are the way

What good is all this wealth if we
have no one to share it with? What
good is a big house in the suburbs if
our neighbours won’t talk to us?
What good is all this if your children
don’t respect you? What kind of
future are -we building for our chil-
dren and for our future as Indian
people? When I look at alcohol in this
light, I see that it serves no purpose
except to destroy any hope we might
have left.

How many of us have left our chil-
dren at home to go to the bar? We go
to the bars to forget. ... forget what?
They are still there, we didn’t lose our
problems en route. They follow us
everywhere. How much respect can

-we command from people when we

are in a stupor? But still we make
excuses for ourselves and those we
care about. If we really cared we
wouldn’t make those excuses. I no
longer find it acceptable to have
someone that is drunk kiss our infant
son or cry on my shoulder. When we
excuse their drunkenness we are in
fact approving of their behaviour.
Most people that are excessive users
of alcohol are looking for someone or
something to help them. They are
saying ‘‘] don’t know how to cope”’
but we laugh at them or shake our
heads in disgust.

If you want to help save a life, tell
them to sober up and support them
when they do. Quitting drinking Is the
easy part, staying sober is the hard
part. It doesn’t cost anything to give
support and acceptance to those that
are struggling with their lives: give
someone a future. We talk of our his-_
tory, our culture, our traditions:
things that are passed from one
generation to another. In twenty
years, will drinking be a tradition?

by Tina Marie Christian

i Alkali Lake, when you first arrive, whether for Buaess or a visit with friends, you notice smiles, happy faces,
children all over the community running, playing. You really get a warm feeling. The handshakes: the people of Alkali
Lake are 70% sober. It’s been hard, all the years of struggle to fight alcoholism, on this particular reserve in central B.C.
It’s now been 9 or 10 years since people of Alkali Lake started to recognize alcoholism as a disease. Two people started to
do something about the problem on ‘their reserve with the help of a concerned friend. Today things happen at Alkali
L ake. Sober dances, sober Indian gatherings, everything that happens in Alkali Lake is sober.

ALKALI LAKE

SHARING AND oe

The Shuswap people here at Alkali
Reserve had suffered a great loss in
the past when alcoholism had taken
its toll and the whole community was
affected. It all began in the early six-
ties when alcohol was open to Indians
which greatly affected many aspects
of the lives of the people.

In the past our Reserve was called
Alcohol Lake making reference to the
heavy drinking on the reserve. Most
of the adults drank, even the children
were drinking at an early age. There
was no respect for the Elders.

The lifestyle at the reserve had
changed drastically for the worse.
Every area of the lives of the people
at Alkali was
drinking. Even to the point where
there were many deaths due to
alcohol.

_—__ Car accidents

____ drownings

____. suicides

_____ burned in fire
exposure

_____ medical reasons

— = other

There is a lot more to be added to
the statistics, all the sadness, the pain
and all the struggles are not recorded
here. At that time drinking was just
the way of life. There were also many
cases of child neglect, beatings, chil-

dren were missing school and many |

dropped out of school, the housing
conditions were terrible, and the
health of our people was
deteriorating—all because of ALCO-
HOL. It took almost a death every
month in 1972 before something had
to be done.

In 1973, the Alkali Reserve started
taking steps to change from a drink-
ing community to a working commu-
nity. It was hard in the beginning for

affected by  the-

ees

Sy eis)

_ Most kids in Alkali’s nursery school class have never even seen their parents
drunk. Band members started sobering up in ’73. Alkali people say: ‘‘The cost
of sobriety is the future for our children. ”’

this change to take place. A member
of: Band Council, then, tock steps to
request a worker from the Alcohol &
Drug Program for weekly visits to
bring alcohol awareness to the
community. The Alcoholics
Anonymous program was introduced
at a later time, however, it took some
time before the membership started
to grow. It was not until 1975 when
several people went away to alcohol
treatment centres in B.C. and Alberta
for recovery from alcoholism. So far
there have been about 45 people who

have received help through Alcohol
Treatment Centres. This was only the
beginning.

A person going away to treatment
also receives a lot of community
support in Alkali. The Band Council
gives encouragement by seeing that
the person’s house is renovated, the
children are placed with another
family in the community, and see that
employment is available when the
person returns, or check into
training. In Alkali the whole commu-

nity is concerned.
(Cont. on page 31)

INDIAN WORLD 23

Fe to Fiat rom my gar-
bage heap. a EN ‘ished for death.

ea
™

spirits He- meanfet 9f me to come
back. I talk about tthe hellish prison
my drinking got ine into. | held many
kinds of responsible jobs. which |
barely hung onto because of booze. |
tried quitting on my own, no way.
Thank great spirit, my leaders inter-
vened, Their example and: respect
won my praise for them for what help
they wanted to give me. I listened. A
miracle. Things began to change.

Not overnight mind you. Day by
Day, week by week. It has been four
years since I had my last drink. The
same things four years ago look dif-
ferent and, wow, freedom from my
prison and shackles of alcoholism.
Recovering, happy every day, is a
miracle. Life now is an awesome
thing. We the people here in our
Village of Alkali are all unique, but in
all there’s a powerful Band, a unity, a
‘‘we care’’ attitude towards each
other. Our leaders have all our re-
spect. We honour their requests. We
know, deep down in our hearts our
plight in life is guided by good
leadership.

Our village is growing in leaps and
bounces. We need never be alone.
That’s why our village, Alkali, is
proud and want to help. e

INDIAN WORLD 24

dealt by the, great

“Life now Is

To tell you the truth, I was to hell
and back. On my journey, boy, I tell
you right now I thought it was fun
going along the way. It all happened
one day when | took that first drink,
boom!!!! 1 was on my way, nobody
would stop me now.

But somewhere along the way |
blackened out. Woke up _ next
morning with a stiff arm and all
swollen up at that, two big cuts on my

upper right arm. During the time |
-.- blackened out till | woke up sober |
_had gone to a neighbour’s house and

hit right through their window just to
get even over a quarrel they had with
me.

Today these same people are my
best friends. We share a lot of things
with each other. The things we share
are good things. It’s not sharing the

* bottle any more. Our families are all

happy now. There are fewer deaths in
our community. This is the result of
putting our heads together and start
caring and sharing for each other and
enjoy. I really enjoy the goodness of
life. °

A New Beginning

A long time ago in the days when I
was just a boy of five or six years old
I lived with my grandparents. It was

at that time I saw life as it was as a
child brought up in a world of the

unknown, [ was 11 years old when |
began my schooling. I didn’t know
much then only to speak my native
tongue was all that mattered. As time
went on I learned quickly of the white
man’s ways: how to speak English,
how to get an education, and how to
drink. This story begins* the day I
made my step to live a better life—to
accept whatever good life had to
offer. I had a treatment, a treatment
that would change my whole outlook
on life. | had what you might call a
sickness, a disease that slowly deteri-
orated my life. Alcohol was my
problem.

Prior to my treatment I felt I had
hit the bottom of my drinking days. It
was at that time I realized my life had
become unmanageable. I was power-
less over alcohol. I became a slave to
the bottle. I lived a life where I
thought that the answer to all my
problems was to drink at every occa-
sion. Whatever it was, you name it.

_ I lived with alcohol at every side,
all through my teen years, my late

20’s and so on. It became a
progressive obsession to me. You
might say I suffered a lot more than
anyone could understand. I guess I
went through the mill. I could go on
and on of what alcohol did to me and
of what I did to myself and to others
involved in my drinking but I have
given a good picture of what alcohol
can do to anyone who knows about
it.

My life now has a lot of meaning to
it. My family whom I have neglected
many times are closer to me now, so
are my non-drinking friends. I find
that love abounds everywhere. I have
been set free. The bonds of alcohol
have been broken. | see a new life and
I reach for that mark, that goal that is
set before me. I want to be worthy of
my task, I see the need for my people
who are still struggling with that
problem. | am now involved in a
Drug Alcohol Counselling in my
community. This new beginning is
not easy. At times I still struggle with
the menacing thought of involving
myself with alcohol. But I know too
if I ask for the serenity I need, I gain
confidence. I face each day with the
thought, ‘just. for today I will not
drink.’ ®

an awesome thing’’

My Story

Speaking for myself as | am today
and what was before. What I have to
_ say now is my true story of me! Ever
since | could remember I’ve witnessed
that No. 1 killer-—FIREWATER. It
was really powerful and I grew up
with all this, firewater and all. To me
it was the first drink that started it all.
I was about 9 or 10 years old. I felt
good when I took that first drink. It
was then that I started stealing liquor
off my parents. It wasn’t only from
my parents, it was anybody.

All through my school years, I was:

involved with the bottle. I drank not
every weekend but when I could steal
a bottle. { found that in the drinking
years, back then, it wasn’t hard to
find a bottle. You know when I come
to think of it, 1 say to myself, How
did I manage to stay in school and
finish Grade 12 and eventually grad-
uate? What kept me there | really
don’t know. I know for a fact that it
wasn’t easy, because some Mondays,
as I remembered, when I went to
school that I actually had a hangover.
Some of the excuses I made to have a
drink were unbelievable. When | had
graduated, to me this was one of
those things I had to celebrate. It was
then that I didn’t really realize what
was to happen after I finished school.

Sure I had plans; I went into
training right away but you know
who was in my way? ‘“‘MR. ALCO-
HOL.”’ He was there and at that time
I didn’t know how he was affecting
my life. Fridays and weekends were, I
thought, good days, but when it came
to Monday, something used to come
to my mind, even though | might
have a hangover. There was that guilt
feeling and I didn’t like that feeling,
_ because 1 wanted to know what I did
that weekend. Mind you, this was
when I was taking my training.

This was when I started going
downhill. My problem was getting

worse. Whatil gan see now is that |
was getting to th yf n, | was the
guy in the bottle! I was powerless
over Alcohol! It had pretty good
control over me. It was still getting
worse..My weekends would probably
get longer and worse, than what it
was then. 1 often wonder where I
would be now, df i pag, realized
where I was then.) .

If it wasn’t for some of my people
and Band Council lwould not be here
today. With what they did then, is
called an Intervention Team, made
up of the Band Council and other
members of the Band. It was those

people that made me realize what my

problem really was.
It was after that meeting that I

really started to think and it was then ©

that I decided to go to treatment
centre. I’m glad that I had listened to
what I was told.
treatment centre really had opened
my eyes. That was my first step (baby

step) to a better life and to this day ~

I’m glad, that I sat in front of that
Intervention Team.

I’m still young‘and hope for a good -

future. I have a goal that I hope to
achieve one day.

Positively speaking—The impor-
tant thing I should mention is that:
How things have changed since 1972-
73. How the community has devel-

oped and how the community has

grown, I guess in many ways.
Everything is happening now: We
have quite a lot going on. WE have
something to be proud of! f see this
community as a strong community in
many areas. The sharing and caring

. the Unity!

From what I went through, for me
it wasn’t that easy. We all struggled
and had gained a lot. For myself I’m
still climbing that long mountain
road. By this I mean, that I’m trying
to gain something, something I
should be proud of, something to
look back at. e

Four weeks at the

Three years ago, I came close to
dying in a car accident all because of
alcohol. That same summer, my
drinking got worse. | beat up my dad
so bad, after a drinking party, I was
really hurting, feeling rejected, guilty
and frustrated at myself. Today I’m
happy that the Band Council cared.
They helped me through that crisis.

Today after 3 years of sobriety my
greatest fear is not alcohol, but my
own Indian people who laugh, mock
and ridicule me because 1 won’t
accept their offers of the bottle—of
firewater. They don’t understand my

-.weakness for alcohol: They call me
high tone, because I won’t drink with

them..For me, one drink is too much

ae aoe a thousand is not enough.

Sobriety means working together
as Indian people. Working toward a
future for our children. My two

children never saw me drunk, | pray

to the Great Spirit they never will.

One time my two year old daughter
said, ‘‘Daddy, why do you fight?”’

All my problems: never went away
because I quit drinking, but now | can
solve them soberly and honestly. Last
week I prayed in the Sweatlodge for
my people who: were on trial for
hunting without permits. Someday I
hope more Indian people realize, we
can get more things Gone if we stand |

toget her. . °

The fight of: Alcohol started in
1973. With alcohol I was no good.
But now I’m sober and much
happier. I’m a family man with five
children. My children are very happy
about what they have. My self and
my family aré involved in Native
Dance Groups. We make our own
regalia, bustles, beaded work, etc.
We go to Pow Wows when we can.

We’ve danced at the Williams Lake
Stampede and also at Folkfest in
1979. As of now 1980 is coming good.

INDIAN WORLD 25

‘THE KIDS SPEAK: | .

z kr
oy
o
3
ee
z
9
2
re I
It is good for my mom and dad to be sober today. They quit aeinvine for four years. Pp
My mom is a Shuswap teachers and she goes to five different classes. She enjoys a
watching the older boys compete in Rodeos. Now on this Reserve parents have got a
respect from their children.
: I’m really glad that my

parents are sober today.
j Not just for my parents
but for everybody on the
reserve. I hope not to
make the same mistake
others did.

Photo: Alkali Band

THE WOMEN SPEAK:

The Good, Bad & the Ugly

Sometimes when | think back I feel
a little depressed but it was a fact of
life and I really like thinking more
about the present because of the good
things that happened to me’ and my
family since I started staying sober. I
feel that the way of life I have now
wouldn’t exist except for the fact that
there are people in the world who
cared enough about me to try and
help me out of the living Hell I was
creating for myself by the abuse of
alcohol. I had to let go of the past
hurts of so long ago, you know it’s
crazy the way I| held on to those hurts
but to behave this way is a side effect
of the abuse of alcohol. | don’t like
talking about my past but I have to
give something of myself in order to
receive something in return. Learn to
believe in myself, think positive, and
practice what | have learned from lis-
tening, reading and talking with
others.

My Past—I have a hard time
speaking of it yet. | used to wake up
(sober up) sometimes in strange beds,
maybe not even remember the guy’s
name. That was if | woke up with
someone strange. I used to say that I
didn’t care but I did. I felt disgusted
with myself but I thought that was the
way | was supposed to be or the way |
should be. OH! It used to make me
sick sometimes.

After I had my four children (one
given away through adoption) the
responsibilities just added on. I
figured that was a lot for an unwed
mother but the fact remains that /
was drinking each time I conceived.
Someone mentioned once...some-
where, that | was searching for love
through these sexual encounters, I
believe that to be true. I don’t like
thinking of it but I have gone with
many men but most of the time | had

INDIAN WORLD 28

with the help of his highér power. °

“It feels very

to use alcohol in the process. Now
I’m trying to gain back my respect for
myself, learn to like myself again. I
know I can do it through the help
from people around this reserve. I’m
grateful to those who have helped me
regain a part of my sanity through
sobriety. ®

Sobriety, unity, trust, is how it
works. I didn’t drink in my early
years, but some time along the way, I
started. At first 1 didn’t drink all the
time until later on. But 1] am not sorry
I became an alcoholic, because now |
have learned my lesson well. Properly
I would still be wondering what good
alcohol would do for me. But what it
brought me was heartbreak, money
problems, you name it,

Since | woke up sober three and a
half years ago, things have been
different in my life. | am looking
after nine children every day which
keeps my mind off of drinking, and

also the children keep me jumping, >»

not staggering or both. My daughter
trusts me to look after her own
children and also her foster child.

| am sorry to say, my husband is
still drinking. Some day he might
come to his senses and quit drinking

Before I decided to quit I had to get
hurt. But at any time I was invited to —
a bottle before, I was right there. I
just couldn’t control myself. Booze
controlled me.

But now would you think of me,
that way today? No, it’s ‘‘no
thanks.’’ ’Cause there are times when
people who just test and say: ‘‘Here,
have a drink,’’ or ‘‘why don’t you go
and just take a social drink,’’ or
even tell you, ‘‘If | were you having
sons, like what you got, that are
Rodeo Riders, I would celebrate if
they have a win.’’ But that’s a no-
way. I wouldn’t think that I would do
such a thing. After all I feel proud.
I’m a proud mother of nine children
and proud of my grandchild, a girl.

As surely I’m proud of my family. |
Also proud to know that I have many
friends. ,

Ill tell you it feels very great to be
what I am today.

Respected by whom I know now
that I feel just like an Indian and how
an Indian should live. To quit this
rotten business of drinking. When
you know what you are doing at all
times, oh you’re real different.

That’s how I feel today me, myself.

great to be what I am today”’

I hit bottom, lost respect for
myself, went with every Tom, Dick
and Harry. Did not care how I
looked, sloppy and dirty. 5

Lost my loved ones, all over booze.
Have a sister-in-law crippled for life.
Had my children taken away. Before
I came to my senses, with the help of
my sister.

‘Now Lama happy mother of five, I
have my own home. A job as an

Administrator for the school. We

control the school, the hiring,
budgeting, everything to do with
school, the education school board of
eight. So it is good to be alive, not
thinking of booze. It is more fun

_ without it. You know what you are

doing, not getting sick on Mondays.

The sharing and caring by the
whole community.

When the men play hockey or the
boys we are there to cheer them on,

A daughter that is in soccer games
going to different places. She was m
the Winter Games.

Live and Let Live.

Take what you like and Leave the
Rest. - °

I had started drinking when I was
quite young, Whenever I saw a
chance
somewhere I somehow got it. It,
wasn’t until 1980 New Year after I
had a drinking party then was in a car
accident that I decided to quit for
good or at least give it my best try.

The thing that got me thinking was
the ‘‘Personal Growth’’ sessions I
have been taking now for a few
weeks. I’m really trying to change my
personality so I can help myself out
of the rut I’ve been living all of these
years. The session helped me think
positively of all the negative things
that have happened to me, at least the
negative things that happened to me
have taught me a lesson. We, in the
group had to share. Now | know that
everyone has problems, some_the

to grab a bottle from.

same as mine. So I don’t feel too
alone with my problems.

I think I’m off to a good start since
here at Alkali we have many different

recreational activities I can join in on

like Bingos, bake sales, rummage
sales, etc. *

I just had a little look back of my
life and it’s not a nice thing to do.
The life I lived was mostly in drinking
I thought I had to drink to be Happy.
And drink so I could do my

. housework. I had to be half-cut to do

my laundry, things like that. | am a
mother of eight. These eight kids

“weren’t happy at all, not until I had

to smarften up and quit.
[had a lot of friends that told me I

had a problem. But now, J have no
problem. ®

Life now has meaning to me. I was
controlled by a bottle of alcohol and
wherever it was, | was there. I played
the alcoholism game for five’ years. I
lost my dad when I was five, I
remember every detail, the burial in
the ground. To me, it was the end of
the world...over “all:saleohol, 1
watched alcoholism im my family
while growing up. Friends and rela-
tives died one week after the other, all
alcohol related. There was and still is
a lot of suffering, suffering that pro-
bably everyone has to experience to
extremes before they want to change.

To me, as an Administrator, Alco-
holism is the number one problem
within our communities and has to be
the number one priority. Housing,
Education, Social Services, Economic
Development and even your culture
are meaningless if you are still prac-
tising alcohol. In my position, I can’t
afford to be lost in the alcohol
problem. I. don’t want to try to be
part of the solution and part of the
problem at the same time. e

Il was a person who couldn’t do
anything without the courage | found
in. the bottle. With a few drinks |
could do or say anything | normally
wouldn't do while sober.

-. Since I found sobreity I don’t feel
“the hurt and shame that comes with

the bottle. To me _ sobriety is
happiness, trust and peace of mind, ®

How many years have | been with
kids, within the many years | have
been teaching?

What really got me to thinking?

How did I have to start to respond
to my working chores?

Where did I start?

These were the words for me. They
made me think of how I really should
Start to attend to my. business of my
teaching and other work, and it began
four years back.

Today, I’m happy and the students
are happy. "Cause the children have
started to realize how they are in the
home, without their parents drinking.
And even as small children they
understand and respect them now.
They know they’re cared for. That’s
what I see in the kids at school now—
happiness. People stay sober and the
children listen, and go to school.

If you drink, don’t expect your
child/children to listen, it’s best you
know you're the problem.

Think of your family. Think of
your Elders. Think of your relatives.
Think of how you’re ruining your
own life.

Think of how our people are killing
themselves by suicide. Think of how
our people are really killing each
other.

These are things that really got me.
to think. And especially, think how
tremendous it is to be yourself—your
only self.

And Happiness brings everything
for you, whatever you got from this
World. And that’s how we should be,
treat it that way, e

INDIANS WORLD 29

CHANGE TAKES TIME |

When I was about five or six years
old, | was very sick. I wouldn’t be
alive today if it weren’t for my grand-
mother’s home remedies. I really
thank her...she lived to be an old-
age woman, and | had a chance to
look after her.

We went to school at about the age
of 8 or 9 years. The Residential
school I went to was good. I learned
how to sew and cook and clean
house, things that we should know,
when we left school.

The years I really remember were
the war years and the struggle each
family had. Everything was rationed
and there was no electricity or water
pumps on our reserve. People had to

live on hunting, fishing and trapping -
most of the years. There was no law ;
saying that we couldn’t hunt or fish }

or trap. We had our hunting grounds.
The Great Spirit made these things
for us to live on, and so that’s what
we lived on.

During those years, | never knew
anything about drinking.
didn’t do too much drinking. But |

remember when it started, people

drank moonshine or homebrew.

Sometimes in the 50’s, the liquor
was opened to the Indians, and then
the problem started. I thought the
liquor was going to run dry, so |
helped the government keep up his
store stocked up. I thought I’d be a
sociable drinker but it wasn’t so.

When | lost my husband through
alcohol my drinking got worse. I
thought I’d drown my sorrow in
alcohol. But when | sobered up it was
just as bad. The problem was there
yet.

ISDIAS WORLD 30

People

I’m a happy
woman today —

- ap neat

I never did stop to think what I was
doing to my children and to my
family and friends around me. | just
thought about where my next drink
was going to come from. Years and
months passed by and finally my
health was starting to fail. Still I
didn’t know what was happening to

me. | thought I was drinking to be
happy, but I wasn’t. The hangovers |
used to have, boy, were bad. I used to

hear people talking and praying and I
was so jumpy. I just could not sleep. I
used to walk all night, I just couldn’t
keep quiet. But still I kept on
drinking. I hever stopped to think.
After every hangover, I used to say,
never again. I noticed my breath
starting to get shorter and my body
wasn’t feeling too good.

That’s when I started to really
think—is this what I want of life?
This was in the 70’s, that’s when it
struck me, I saw two or three people
going around sober, and wondered
how they did it. I decided to try.
After the first three weeks, boy, | fell
off the wagon, but | climbed back on.
This whole thing took quite a few
years before I finally found

| happiness, being sober. I am a happy
/ woman today because I was able to
4 do it for myself. I found myself. lam
? happy with my family and happy with

the community, because we are all
sober, and able to do what has to be
done around the reserve. People
share and care. We have our new
school, the store, and the Band
office. There are many activities
going on in the reserve. They have
Shuswap language taught in school.
The children are happy we have

» hockey clubs, rodeo club, youth club

and women’s group, native dance
group and all kinds of committees.

All that happened to me all those
years didn’t take overnight to undo.
It took years before I got to where I
am today. I am really thankful for my
sobriety.

So if there is anybody who wants to
get ahead, just stay away from booze
or liquor. There are three little words
you could say—NO THANK YOU. ®

Photo: Alkali Band

SHARING AND CARING
(cont. from page 23)

The growth in this community is
tremendous. For example, for the
past four years Alkali has hosted two
Rodeos a year, one Adl Indian Rodeo
and also an Interior Rodeo Associa-
tion. This past year, Alkali hosted its
first Pow-Wow, with dancers and
drummers from other communities.
We also have other recreation
activities, such as hockey, softball,

etc. Today our culture is included in

the school curriculume Today our
people are looking up to our Elders.

We are learning more about
alcoholism and how it affects every
area of our lives, physically, mentally
and spiritually. In November 1979
our Chief, two Band Councillors and
two staff members attended the
Mechi Alcohol & Drug Abuse course
held in Williams Lake to get a better
understanding of alcoholism in the
community, and how the Band
Council can deal with the problems
more effectively. We are still learning
and growing stronger and would like
to share with other Indian communi-
ties how we deal with our greatest
problem, ALCOHOLISM. ®

Photo: Alkali Band

Photo: Alkali Band :

INDIAN WORLD 31

Ree

/ aim proud tobe an Indian,

lam proud that 1 am born free from drugs and alcohol.
lam proud that we have sweatlodges and Indian dancing.

/ ani proud of my friends thai they are learning the ways,
the same way [ am trying to learn.

1 am proud of our Elders that they are teaching us our ways.
/ am proud that we have no more beer

or wine bottles lying around our streets,

lam proud of what l have today and what my friends have.
I ain proud of the youngsters that they are

learning the ways of Indians and not

the way of alcohol or drugs.

INDIAN WORLD) 32

| was. directed by DIA in conjunction —

Photo: Johnnie Abraham

dren were educated according to In-
dian Affairs’ policies. Many young
people spent years away from their
families i in residential schools, while
others attended the local DIA-opera-
ted F ‘ederal Day School or the public

school 5 miles away in Pemberton. In |

all instances, the educational acticity

with provincial educational guide-
lines. and integration was the under-
lying philosophy.

All of this changed in 1973. How?
Through the strength of a group of
parents in Mount Currie who looked
at what was happening to their chil-
dren and said, ‘‘“ENOUGH! We’ve
tried the regular school system. We’ll
find our own way.”’

Because there had been pressure
exerted to have the few students
attending the local Federal Day
School transferred to the public
school 5 miles up the valley, these
parents formed an educational com-
‘mittee to try to keep their children
home. This committee was also con-
cerned about the 90% drop-out rate
of the local Indian students from
public schools. What was to be done

~ Till about 1972, Mount Currie chil- with the young teenagers

ing school and roaming the streets?

After becoming the Ts’zil Educa-

' tional Advisory Board in the early

1970’s, this group’s first move was to
set up alternate schooling for the
drop-outs who were hanging around
the village. This first Ts’zil alternate

class of 21 students and a teacher the

Board had somehow managed to hire
set up school in a large room above
one end of the local.gymnasium.
Funds were withheld by DIA from
this group, and local people who
helped teach this group worked for 6
months without pay in order to make
the venture a success.

During that time, the Ts’zil Advi-
sory Board began to realize that it
had very little power to influence
teachers and principals who had

effective control of their children’s

education. The Board could only
advise and its advice was rarely fol-
lowed. It had little say in regard to
even the body of Indian students
attending the local Federal Day
School. Nor did this Advisory Board
have any input into educational pro-
gramming, teacher hiring, and money
matters.

All was handled by DIA ~

not attend- through a principal hired by them.

To get more say in these matters,
the Ts’zil Board decided to seek
control of the local Federal Day
School. They approached the local
Band Council and told that elected
group that for education to have any

meaning for Indian students in
Mount Currie changes had to occur.
The change they desired—after which
unlimited change could take
place—was to take over the operation
of the Federal Day School. A ques-
tionnaire was taken from door to
door in Mount Currie, and the survey
showéd that over 90% of people were
in favour of a takeover. After weeks
of heated debates, family feuds, and
community turmoil, the Band
Council threw its support behind the
Advisory Board. A Band Council
Resolution was drafted and for-
warded to Ottawa asking for total
control of the operation of the
Federal Day School.

Imagine the confusion in Ottawa
and the indignation of bureaucrats in
the Vancouver DIA regional offices!
At that time, the Minister of Indian »
Affairs, Jean Chretien, accepted the |
idea of Indain control of Indian

INDIAN WORLD 33

education, but the regional offices

never implemented it. After all, how

was integration to occur if Indians
operated their own educational
system? And besides, wouldn’t Indian
education governed by Indians be
second-rate education?

The Ts’zil Board took up the chal-
lenge such questions posed, and even-
tually in 1973 gained total control of
the education of students attending
the local Day School in Mount Cur-
rie. In the 1973-74 school year, the
Board hired its first principal, retained
several staff members who had pre-
viously taught inthe Day School,
introduced cultural programs, and
budgetted for.its first finaricial opera-
tion. f

The-?¥s’zil Board has not looked

back:

Tog early years were not without
t iab ahd vtribulation: “Convincing
Indian \people that, ‘Indians. could
operate 2 school has) ‘been /a cdntin-
uing stumbling block: Even today,”a

portion of» Mount Currie ‘students

get the public.schools 5 miles away..
mberton.\ It is believed by the.

school ediftation is: the roadway to

the good life. They seem to have fors—

gotten how the ‘public schoolssfailed
(in so ma .ways) Indian students, in
the et

to give up. One.year the budgetathat

the Board submitted camesback six

times, with barely any.@omments!to
indigate what was wrong with it—
exept that it was ineorrectly done. It
took much patience and many hours
of sitting in régional offices before
someone would finally admit that
“*Yes, a cheque for salaries is forth-
coming.’ This is only one example of
the continual stall on DIA’s part
during the first two years of opera-

INDIANS WORLD 34

oda seid at especially memn-
Fe of the regional officeswas ax
problem: ‘Reégional.office persontiel
did everything.they gould toblock the
Nv \-tak@6ver, and once the takeover had”
occurred, did everything theye¢ould |
to disrupt and cause.the’?s*zil Board®

tion. Since that time—once DIA ac-

ia KY Nes long
cepted the Ts’ zil Boa asa a ia yy

operation—things ma eee,
proved.

. be

Having enough-mioney to Ne a

school of 200 or moré students has
always~been..a_ problem. DIA“has
continually” insisted that -the=Fs"zil
Board be tied to the M.T.A. formula
which is in effect.betwéen the federal
and provincial governments.

boards onty.-tse the DIA tuition”
money _as*part of their general, Opera-
ting budget; they also get, extensive
tax-baséd support from the proyinice.

~ It took many hOwrs of afgumeritation

to persuade DIA/personnel that the
school had to have.all of the/regotirces.’
that other schools had’ at their
disposal. Most schools are part of a
larger schoolaaftit, and thus, haye a
built-in resource pool of equipment,
professiofial consultants, ‘Jibrary
materials, and audio-visual ‘aids.

Besides Which, thé Federal Day

School that the TS’zit’ Boardwas (
~ taking Over Was podriy. equipped ‘and \

the-stoek of textbooks hopelessly out-
dated. Because the Ts?zil_. ‘Boatd |
wished to establish its Ownetlirection,

it felr’a Need to,budget for extensive
, Support and replacement items, Over

a period’ of time and throwgli persis-

> tent/ negotiation, many~of these re-
“sources have become’ available Within’
Be b Mount: Currie. ) <BR

}
Ty
1

Space has. always bees ' a papa.

Oyer'the years the Ts’zil Board ‘kept’ p

pressing fot more yand, better ‘build-
ings’ Their ultimate aim\has*been the

establishment of a m6defn school

complex to replace the <lutter of 10

' buildings—some of hich sare aty.
Though this —
new school project has begn on the |

condemnation levels.

drawing boards for several years, the
groundwork is only now beginning.
In the’ méantime,) portable trailers
have been purchased inva band-aid
approach to the problem of spate till
the new School i$ “Completed. The
combat6etween the Ts’zil Board and
DIA in regard to whether or not a
new school would be built is a story

| They”
forget that most provincial” ‘school ,

_ Halve proceeded to
“atUBC, SFU, ~UWWic and (
tutions: “of hi
\\pradilates = who % have) rém
Maint Cirsie-seem=to have Confi-

‘dence i inl their. Indian ness”? and have
/ve@-measife of- personat : self-worth and

Waster <, -—- J

“Hiring Le

the special 7

Indian child’ tren”

In- many TAG ef,

Seented the bestaorthé-je

to be inadequate. The Board inialy
_ made the. mistake ‘or hiring teachers

imainl\on the basis. of “ace qual-
‘ifigations, but whien™some of these
_ choices \were ‘ess thathsatisfactory in

performance, the, Boar tried to hire

on the basis of personality as much as
on academic, criteria. “In recent years,
the Board ‘has had & . Felatively good

_groupief outside eae porte
Vy, tlie teachier-traihing program they

operated jointly with Simon_Fraser
University began to meet-the need for
local Indian,perSons a$regular teach-

ers after.1976.

The pursuit of a teacher training

' program to develop teachers from

Mount Currie and the establishment

of a curriculum/cultural-centre have

also been-céntral to. the Mount Currie

experience. Today 15 of 21 teachers

at the Mount. Currie Community
School are Indiah and provincially-
qualified teachers. A current SFU-
directed student-teacher training
program for Mount Currie people
will add another 7 or 8 to that num-
befand will probably do away wi9th
the need for Wutside teachers

Since 1972 wher the Ts’ zil Board

had anjalternate set of 21 students,

the school has grown 10 | Tiouse some

Indian >, > from: "Year . jin the
past, five Years, > of these

thet Education
er insti-
P leanings, Those
naified in

integrity- tHat- thé-pilblic and residen-
tial school Syster 3 did not seem ie

~Ulusivationb yy Marie A broham
“Posters available at Mt. Currie.

—— f
=

CARE FOR YOUR
CHILDREN

by Xavier Eugene

_ First item off the list—love your children. Know
how to love your children. These two items make up
the main rules of caring for your children. All parents
love their children unless there is something terribly
wrong with them. To really love your children you
have to show your children that you really love them.
Loving your children is not jut changing their diapers,
feeding them, sending them off to school every day
and feeding them when they return from school, etc.
‘When you serve your children, do it with affection
such as when changing them, show some love by
letting them know that you don’t mind changing them.
Sometimes this is hard especially in the late hours of
the night or worse still, in the wee hours of the
morning. Sometimes this causes us to be cross. Hide
your crossness if you can, When you are feeding them,
show some love like enjoying it when you feed them.
Show them that the meal or food, even if sometimes
there is very little, you cook for them is made special
for them to enjoy. Don’t let it show that it is a chore
and a burden to prepare their food. That way your
children will enjoy it more better, better still, enjoy it
with them.

’

When sending them off to school, send them off
with them knowing you care by trying to have them
enjoy a good day at school, by preparing a lunch for
them to enjoy.

When they return from school, have them know that
you are happy to have them home. One of the most
loving ways to show your child your love is to show an
interest in what happened to them during their day in
school. The little actions of interest you show them
like asking them how their day was sometimes really
lights up their little eyes. And if they have had a bad
day, this will open the door for them to share their
problems and will let them know that they will always
have you to share their joys and problems. Such words
as ‘‘How was school today?’’ ‘‘Did you have a good
day?’’ These are magic words to a child.

Teach them the proper manners so that other people
will also enjoy your children because even though you
may love your child, it is hard for another person to
love that child if the child is a brat. There is a saying
that ‘tno one loves a brat’’, so raise your child to
respect themselves, their parents and others.

If you know your customs and traditions, teach
them to your child. Make your child proud of their
heritage. Most of your customs and traditions in
raising your child are in the previous words I have
written because we would not have been able to survive
this far as Indian people if they were not practiced by
our ancestors. I have just written them in the language
of the white man.

The practice in bringing up a child with love,
affection and good discipline are practiced by any
good set of parents, to develop a strong child so that
these thins will stand that child to adulthood and that
child when he or she is an adult will in turn raise their
children in a like manner to continue to raise strong
children.

I know that a lot of us as present day parents have a
lot to learn as our parenting skills were taken away
from us by residential schools and now that these
schools are closing down, we have to again learn to be
parents. We have a lot to learn to again be skilled
enough to raise our children like our ancestors did.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. e

CHILD WELFARE STUDY

by Fay Blaney

Due to a number of requests, the initial one month
contract has been extended by one.more month,
Hopefully the additional month will encourage those who
did not send in their terms of reference in the first month
to send them in now.

The next meeting has been scheduled for March 26,
1980. At this time a ‘‘preliminary report’’ will be
presented. This is an excellent opportunity for all of us to
act on behalf of our children. If we, as Indian people, can
demonstrate our concerns and our willingness to take
action, then this will be one study that won’t be shelved
and forgotten. e

INDIAS WORLD 35

—_ UP-DATE ——

CONSULTATION FUNDING

In October 1979, we were made aware, through the
National Indian Brotherhood, that there was $475,000
available from National Health and Welfare for Consul-
tations on Indian Health for the 1979 fiscal year.

Rather than have Medical Services distribute these
funds and have the amount reduced to a minimal sum as
has happened in the past, the NIB offered to distribute
this money evenly throughout the ten provinces.

Justice Berger and his Commission
was hired to consult with the Indian people across
Canada, and to present his recommendations to the
Minister’s office.

On 7 February 1980, we were told that
because of the limited time left in this fiscal year, there
would be a $25,000.00 ceiling on the Consultations
Money per province. B.C. would receive $25,000.00
to be spent no later than midnight, 31 March 1980.

After some serious thought and discussion, an Indian
Health Conference was planned to obtain as many ideas
as possible from everyone including the Youth and
Elders. The Berger Recommendations have been handed
over to the Minister of Health & Welfare, but is still being
translated into French and will only be available for the
National Commission Enquiry meeting in Calgary March
24-27,

All these ideas will contribute to a Position Paper on
Indian Health for British Columbia, postmarked 31
March 1980.

BELLA COOLA GRAVEYARDS

Bella Coola is still fighting to protect its various burial
grounds from logging.

Crown Zellerbach, a huge logging company that has a
plan to log out the entire valley of the Bella Coola people,
requested permission to remove coffins from one burial
ground in order to log the area. The Band said ‘‘no,”’
because the logging would mean the destruction of the
grounds.

Ed Moody, Band councillor at Bella Coola, reports
that the Band saw an initial logging plan of the company.
The plan calls for logging that would take out about one
million board feet of timber per year which would be
worth about $5-6 million. They have requested input into
approval of the plan.

Because the company is anxious to continue with its
plan, it has been pressuring the Band to settle the issue of
burial grounds. However, the Band plans to continue
fighting for the protection of the grounds. The Bella
Bella Band is working with Bella Coola in their issue.

INDIAN WORLD 36

ANGUS DAVIS CASE

In February 1978, the Majestic Wiley Construction
Company, acting on behalf of the Westcoast Transmis-
sion Co. Ltd., started construction of a pipeline which
ruined the traplines of Angus Davis, an Indian in the Fort
St. John area. The construction was undertaken without
the permit necessary by the National Energy Board.

Angus, with the UBCIC Task Force, has since taken
action against the company for the damages caused. The
case is to go to court sometime in April, although no date
has been set.

DELEGATION TO TRY FOR MORATORIUM ON
LOCAL SERVICES AGREEMENT

The smaller and less sophisticated Bands are very
worried about the political, legal and administrative
implications of the agreement. The more established and
well developed Bands are mainly concerned with
suggestions that the Agreement will ultimately lessen
benefits afforded by the Indian Act. Some Indian leaders
fear that it will, perhaps, eventually undermine the entire
Act itself. If this is the case, then the matter becomes a
serious concern to all Indian people across the land.

During the process of studying and discussing the
proposed Agreement with groups or individual Bands, it
became quite apparent that the DIA staff had not tried to
inform the Band organizations of every aspect of the
Agreement. Instead, they had adopted a process of
intimidation in many cases to entice some Bands (usually
the less informed) to come to an Agreement and signa |
document which would ultimately serve the interest of the
Department.

The Band organizations have not been totally critical
of the proposed agreement (negatively). The first
introduction of the document represented the advance of
local control for the Band councils. Many saw it as an
instrument for achieving the much needed autonomy for
the Bands. DIA suggests that about forty percent of the
Bands in the Province have signed an Agreement. The
Union is in the process of verifying this information.
Because so many Bands are seriously concerned, it is
highly unoikely that many more will sign. The Union
continues to advise all to be very cautious.

Being prompted by the concerns of many Bands, a
delegation from the Union is seeking audience with the
Ministry. The purpose of such a meeting is to urge the
Ministry for postponement or a moratorium on the
L.S.A. for at least one year. At the time this statement is
in printing, the delegation will be in Ottawa for these
purposes.

UP-DATE

HUNTING CASES
Francis Haines:

On March 12th, the Legal Task Force launched an
appeal on behalf of Francis Haines. His court victory of
November, 1978, that confirmed the rights of Chilcotin
Indians to hunt for food without a permit had been
reversed on February 12th. The Fish and Wildlife Branch
had appealed that first court decision and the County
Court Judge claimed that he couldn’t find enough proof

of Aboriginal hunting rights, and that he needed to have’

proof that Francis had himself been refused a sustenance
permit. In a case where sustenance permits were being
refused in general by the Alexis Creek Fish and Wildlife
Branch, the Judge said that Francis Haines’ remedy was
what is called ‘‘an administrative law remedy’’. That
means that Francis should have applied for a permit,
been refused and then taken legal action against the
Branch, appealing the refusal. The judge made no
Suggestion as to how the large family was to eat in the
meantime.

The appeal against this decision is expected to come to
court in a couple of months. In the meantime, Francis
must go back before Judge Barnett in Alexis Creek on
April Ist, 1980, to be sentenced.

Charlie Case:

On the same day, the Legal Task Force filed an Appeal
in the Charlie case. At the County Court in Victoria last
month, also on February 12th, the people of Saanich
were told that the Wildlife Act prohibited hunting of deer
out of season was stronger than the Freedom of Religion
clause in the Bill of Rights. Anderson Jack and George
Charlie had shot a deer out of season for traditional
religious ceremony, a peaceful and lawful practice and
were charged under the Wildlife Act.

These two cases, along with the Alkali one, have been
successful politically in causing the B.C. Government to
recognise Indian Special hunting rights and negotiate for
a change of policy. Legally, Indian Bands involved must
decide whether they want to appeal, because as the law
now stands two decisions are still on the books which are
against Indian hunting rights.

7 FISHING CASES
Lawrence Mackay was charged in August 1979 with
possession of fish during closure. The case came on for
trial March 5, 1980.
When the Advisors got to court they found out that the
prosecutor had dropped the charges.

FOUNTAIN BAND CHARGES

During a raid by Federal Fisheries at Fountain Band in
the summer, several Lillooet-area Indians were charged
with illegal fishing.

On March 20, three more of them went to court. Victor
Adolph, Jr. of Fountain Band was given a conditional
discharge. There will be no record in the books as long as
he ‘*keeps the peace’’ for six months.

Leslie Edmunds of the Cornwall Band received an
absolute discharge. He won’t have any record either. The
person who was hit the hardest was Roger Adolph of
Fountain Band, who was called guilty by the judge and
given a $300 fine.

As a result of the way the Federal Fisheries conducted a
raid on the Fountain Band fishing station last summer,
the Band has laid charges against the Fisheries.

On March 20, Band representatives went to court to see
if the charges—nine for trespassing on reserve land, six
for common assault and one for causing a disturbance by
using obscene language—would be accepted for court.
The Judge did accept them. Fountain Chief Victor
Adolph said no court date has been set.

OPTING OUT CLAUSE

The O.0.C. are the words to be put into the M.T.A.
for Indian control of Indian education, to be used by
those Bands that want control. |

We are moving forward. DIA agrees with all of the
wording on the opting out clause. All Bands received a
copy of these words in the mail in January 1980.

“DIA had us worried for a while; they said they were
going to change the opting-out clause. We said they coud
not change it if they had agreed to it on December 10,
1979. If they agreed then, what happened?

On February 6th, 1980 DIA sent us a letter saying they
wanted to take our words and put it into two separate
agreements or contracts.

We sat down with our Union lawyers to look at what
this means. Our lawyers said we would still get what
Indian people want in B.C., even if they do put it into
two separate papers.

So we sent a letter to DIA saying, we accept your offer
on condition, and only if all of our words and what they
mean are included in the two separate papers.

So we have an agreement in principle with DIA on the
opting out clause. An agreement in principle means that
we haven’t signed anything yet, but we agree on what we
are going to sign— Indian control.

Our next step after that is to make sure DIA signs these
words with the Provincial Government.

INDIAN WORLD 37

(a a I ag -

WHAT GOVERNMENT RE-

FUSED TO HEAR ON URANIUM

February 27th seemed just like any
other day at the office of the Royal
Commission into Uranium Mining
until the staff got a telephone call
telling them to listen to the radio for a
message which they might find inter-
esting, Gathered around the radio,
the staff and some of the participants
heard Premier Bill Bennett’s an-
nouncement of the end of the Inquiry
and a seven year moratorium on
uranium exploration and mining. A
few minutes later, the news reached
the UBCIC office. Dr. Bates, who
was in Australia examining uranium
mine sites at the time of the an-
nouncement, had only heard of the
announcement himself an hour
before everyone else. He refused to
comment when reached in Australia
by the CBC.

Like the decision on the West
Coast Oil Ports Inquiry, this an-
nouncement was completely
unexpected by public participants
who had devoted time and resources
to the process.

No Exploration or Mining of
Uranium for Seven Years

The decision means that there can
be no. exploration for or mining of
uranium in B.C. for the next seven
years, and the demands expressed by
the General Assembly of the UBCIC
last year have, therefore, been
partially met. This is a victory for the
Indian people of B.C. who have
struggled to prevent uranium mining
in the province.

Representatives of the Okanagan
and Osoyoos Bands, which were the
Bands most immediately threatened

by the possibility of uranium mining,
expressed their pleasure with the
government’s decision. However,
they also noted that it was only a 7
year delay and their struggle to
control an unwanted development of
uranium mining might have to be
resumed in seven years.

INDIAN WORLD 38

This struggle has been one in which
the Indian people have been joined by
many other groups. The reactions of
these groups has been varied.

Some of the environmental groups
saw the decision as a complete
victory. These groups not only
celebrated the government’s an-
nouncement—they celebrated the ter-
mination of the Inquiry itself. For
them the Inquiry was an
unsatisfactory process which did not
allow them to present their case
against uranium mining and
exploration openly. Others
complained that the Inquiry did not
allow complete examination of all
problems involving radioactivity.

“Some of the groups, the mining
companies and the mining
associations, like Norcen and the
B.C, Yukon Chamber of Mines, were
in no mood to celebrate either the
moratorium or the discontinuation of
the hearings.

Major Evidence Left Unheard

The UBCIC felt that the discontin-
uation of the hearings was a loss. The
Bates Commission did not hear the

major body of testimony in the areas
of public and worker health and en-
vironmental protection and would
therefore not be able to write a
complete, final report. As a result,
many problems from the wastes of
other non-uranium mines will be left
unresolved. Also, in seven years the
province may be in a worse position
to make a decision regarding uranium
mining than it is today because at
present, at least, there is a large
amount of public involvement. The
B.C. Medical Association, the
Confederation of Canadian Unions,
and the United Fishermen and Allied
Workers’ Union were in agreement
with the UBCIC., 3
Other Mining Dangers Ignored
by Moratorium

Many people in the communities
were upset because not continuing
with the hearings is going to have a
direct impact on them.

The people of Atlin are concerned
because of the molybdenum mine
which is currently being developed by
Placer in the Atlin area. The wastes
from this mine will have radiation

What will happen irfseven years once the ban on uranium mining ts lifted?

levels equal to or in excess of those
from a uranium mine and at present,
there are no standards in place to reg-
ulate that mine or its wastes. The
problem of radiation and wastes from
non-uranium mines where other
minerals are extracted is one which
could occur anywhere in B.C.,
causing a threat to drinking water,
fish or wildlife.
Evidence on Social Impact Left
Unheard

The Indian people experienced a
loss because there will not be a chance

to present evidence to the Bates Com-
mission on the social impact of mine
development on our communities.
UBCIC had intended to present
evidence on the consequences of a
large mine on the Atlin people’s
hunting, fishing or trapping based on
the evidence of a land use and
occupancy study. This was to have
been presented at a community
hearing in Atlin in the fall.

Other unexamined concerns are the
natural deposits of uranium or radia-
tion and the possible threats to

Abo ve: The people of Allin are also ‘worried about the molybdenum mine
being developed in their area.
Right: Indian people in the communities are directly affected by the
province’s decision not to continue with the uranium hearings.

Portfolio).

organizations (for details, Energy and Resources

health.

Now that the Inquiry has been
terminated, the Commissioners have
been given until October 15th to write
an ‘interim report’ based on evidence
presented at the Inquiry to date and
based on written evidence which will
not be subject to any questioning.
The UBCIC and other participants
have been asked to prepare and
submit summary arguments by May
Ist.

Why Were the Hearings
Stopped?

The question now being asked is
why did the government discontinue
the hearings after having spent $2
million? Premier Bennett did not
mention this in his announcement so
there is only speculation. Some are
suggesting that the government was
afraid of the strictness of Bates’
recommendations, others say it was a
political move. based on_ the
widespread opposition to uranium
mining in the province.

Two things are clear, however, that
unless the moratorium is put into
legislation, it can be reversed at any
time. Secondly, in another seven
years, we may be involved in another
struggle against the unwanted
development of uranium mining. °®

INDIAN WORLD) 39

INDIAN TRAPPERS
FORUM

At a meeting of the Lakes, Williams Lake and Fort
St. John Districts in Fort St. John this month, delegates
called for a Province-wide meeting to deal with trapping
rights. They expressed a lot of concern about the
destruction of traplines by industrial developments and
with their conflict with farming and logging operations.
They also considered the possibility of forming an
organzation to protect the rights and the livelihood of
B.C. Indian Trappers. The meeting will be held during
the fourth week in June in the Williams Lake area.
Further details are being arranged.

B.C. Energy, Mines & Petroleum Resources Minister
announced on January 15, 1980 that oil and gas
exploration rights had been awarded to Canadian Hunter
Exploration Ltd.

This Calgary based oil company, a subsidiary of
Noranda Mines, Ltd., got 43 of 51 permit parcels

‘*The Nazko Band’s concern regarding the oil and gas
exploration is that the beginning of oil and gas
exploratory activities in underdeveloped areas of the
region represents further erosion of Indian rights. The
issuing of licences for the adjacent areas to reserve land
means development activity and possibly removal of
resources, prior to settlement of Aboriginal Rights in the
area of traditional Indian use. As with similar resource
extraction activity now underway, the situation must be
condemned as unethical. The responsibility lies with the
federal and provincial government for their refusal to
participate in a just settlement of Aboriginal rights in
B.C.

Furthermore, this exploratory activity will result in a
variety of disruptions to Indian communities and life
styles. The building of access roads into areas of
traditional Indian use, are an economic threat with the
disruptions of traplines and increased pressure on
hunting, fish and other resources. Once an area is
‘opened up”’ in this way, traditional uses of it are rapidly
eroded as one development activity follows the next. We
cannot see what benefits the company is offering to the
Band or to the Native people.’”’

OIL AND GAS COMPANY
MOVES INTO NECHAKO

covering approximately five million acres in the Nechako
Basin, west of Williams Lake.

The work program is defined as geological or
geophysical exploration and drilling. Canadian Hunter
plans to spend 27.5 million dollars here in the next five
years.

The Indian communities directly affected by the new
oil and gas exploration are: Anahim Band, Kluskus
Band, Nazko Band, Alexis Creek Band, Stone Band and
Nemiah Band. Outside of the Williams Lake area, the
Stallqou and Kitselas Bands are also affected.

The Caribou Tribal Council was not aware of the oil
and gas exploration until it was announced on January
15th. When the company learned that some of their
seismic lines would be passing by Indian reserve lands,
they immediately began arranging to meet with the
Indian Bands in the Williams Lake area.

On February 25, 1980 the Caribou Tribal Council held
a meeting to discuss the oil and gas exploration in their
traditional and aboriginal territory and to prepare for
their first meeting with Canadian Hunter the following
day. At the meeting Dennis Patrick, Chief of the Nazko
Band and UBCIC Vice President for the Northern
Region, made a statement on behalf of the Nazko Band.

INDIA WORLD 40

The Caribou Tribal Council closed the four hour
meeting by telling the company that they would have to
take the Company’s information and offers back to their
communities, and it will be the communities that make
the decisions. The Caribou Tribal Council as a whole will
meet with the company in future meetings and they will
get back to the Company when they were ready. The
company would have to wait to find out if the Bands will
allow the Company to put seismic lines through their
reserve lands or to allow any drilling on their reserves.

UPDATE

The Carrier and Chilcotin Indian Bands within and
outside the exploration boundaries have agreed to allow
Canadian Hunter Gas & Oil to explore for gas and oil.
They insist however that certain conditions must be
negotiated first to protect concerns such as fishing,
hunting and trapping.

The Band’s agreement to allow Canadian Hunter to go
ahead with exploration will only be in force up to the time
they discover gas and oil. Upon such discovery, further
negotiations will have to take place.

“Once oil is discovered we're going to deal with our
reason for existence, and dealing with our future. We
believe there is some sense in every man. There is only
one man that decides our future and we don’t think the
government can take the place of the Great Spirit.’’ ®

“

THE REBIRTH OF A GREAT

NATION

Prologue
The start of the end has begun, they have
launched the deadly neutron bombs.

Written by David Wilson (18), student in Okanagan
Indian Band Adult Education program.

In the distance I can see the deadly mushrooming
clouds of man’s destruction. | watch with great intensity
as these clouds come closer. I know the end is near as
everything goes dark. In this darkness I see a vision: a
man is drinking a strange liquid, then in a painful way he
dies. In the background I see thunder clouds rolling | over
the mountains. Through this thunder cloud comes a
coyote holding a baby out to me. I awake, not knowing
what this dream means, I am amazed to still be alive and
do not know who else is still alive, or if Iam the oniy one
left.

As I look around everything looks natural, Bot I et
that not far away there is' death and destruction all
around. I hope my people are still alive. We liye on a
North American Concentration Camp. Itisa Reservation
far from any city or town. As I walk about I find that

many of my people have survived. It would be impossible: -

to survive as individuals, but we have survived as a peogt pie
returning to many of our old ways of survival. 4

‘Every so often we are approached by one of th
different ones— people of another race, half crazed am
starved. These ones know ONY of the restaurant, a |

along with all the others who do not know their mothe t,
the earth. oe

Epilogue: |
I am getting old now—it is the year 2083
A.D. My dream has come true, we are now

a great unified people.
by Joe Hawk

Joe Hawk, 1999, A.D.

In the past as the years went by, the children of mother

earth began coming together as a people, proud of their
_ancestors,,of the great wars and the way of the Indian
people. Now in the present time we have been scattered.

it has been seventy years since the world died.
As I think of this I can now see the meaning of my |

; dream. The man who had died from drinking the strange -
liquid was a symbol of my people, dying the slow death

that comes from the whiteman’s unjust society. The
thunder clouds rolling over the mountains were from the
nuclear war which sent death and destruction rolling over
our land. And the child and the coyote coming out of the
place of thunder and cloud meant we will push through
the death, destruction and holocaust of the war. The
baby is the rebirth of our people, the rebirth of a proud

_nation. And when the whiteman comes next from across

“ jaters, we will greet him as a person, not as a

eople will rule North America no more. For
we are the origirfal owners of this great land. As I look
back over the five fundred years which have been ruled
by the whitemen, I see ‘one thing they gave us that will
unify us as a great | of people. The one language
ate with each other and prosper as

ation by Greg Contois

INDIAN WORLD 41

At the Olympics this year he placed ninth. He is
in Europe now, competing in the remaining World
Cup events.

INDIAN WORLD 42

Joe, Addie and Gay Williams of Mount Currie have
recently received their Class | Instructor’s Certificate
from the Whistler Ski School. They’ve been skiing for
thirteen years and next winter they hope to go to. Banff :
to get their Class II Certificate. During the summer they
work on their Mount Currie family farm and save their
dollars.

—_ p44 w@ ar

Every Wednesday night ert isa
pow-wow practice at the Vancouver
Indian Centre for any Indian person
who’s not doing anything else that
night. There’s singing practice and
people practising their dancing and
free coffee all night. There’s
generally a good strong feeling here
at the Vancouver Indian Centre at
1855 Vine Street, Vancouver.

The Centre has also recently
taken over a hotel in downtown
Vancouver. Willie Chief is
managing this Indian run hotel at
396 Powell Street. Eight Indian
Centre staff, using Indian methods,
will be working there, For more
information call 681-8934.

Where’s the ey and laughter in OUR WORLD? Where’s our sense of humor? INDIAN WORLD hopes that some of the
good times will be recognized on these pages. But we need your help. We’ll give a genuine INDIAN WORLD T-shirt for
every story/picture used on these two pages. Don’t delay. Do it to-day. Deadline is the 15th of every month.

The weekend of March
8th and 9th was a big one
for sports fans and players.
The Provincial Women’s
Basketball playoffs took
place in Vernon, The results
in this tournament were &
that a Nanaimo team placed
first, Port Simpson placed
second and the Vernon Fal-
conettes placed third over
all.

At the Quilchena Braves,
lith Annual Moccasin
Hockey Tournament, the
- Cache Creek Truckers
(above) took the trophy.

ae ‘ i,
All Chiefs Conference
Ottawa, Ont.

April 27, 28 & 29

- Portfolio)

‘he r
WY ay, ot

_ (Por further information contact Indian Government

WEP pee hell ai,
Proto: Nicola Indian

Austin Sterling (left, Lorna Williams
of Mount Currie and Gertrude
Barney of Lillooet (standing on right)
spent two weeks at Mohawk College
in Ontario for a photography course.
‘“‘Anybody who thinks a jet-set In-
dian has it easy these days is not fillen
in,’’ writes Austin in ‘‘Nicola In-
dian,”’

‘‘Being 3,000 miles from
home with $1.75 in your pocket sure
took out all the glitter for this jet-set
Indian.’’

‘Photo: Lorna Williams

Coming of Age

A little frog inhales

(A bull to be, I assume was he)
His first croak on hand,
Deflates with a squeak

Red faced (if ever one can be)
He leaps into the creek

Embarrassed (if frogs can be). SL --
pS

Chief Saul Terry eS :

INDIAN WORLD 43

= Culling the Brood Herd

by George Saddleman —_

All the hard work done over the past short year will
show in our calf crop this spring. The careful planning in
the whole farm operation draws down to what we expect
from our supposedly healthy calves that our brood herd

produces.

Part of the planning involves producing good quality.

hay during the hot and rainy days last summer. The
nutrition of beef cattle is one of the very important parts
of maintaining your beef herd. Experience helps a great
deal about the type of feeding program you develop for
your brood cows, bulls, calves (yearlings), etc.
Bull program

Also you gain experience and knowledge about putting
together a bull program for the desired result that you
want in your calf crop, or future replacements for your
brood herd. Your bull program could be as elaborate as
you want it. The point is: pian your breeding program to

avoid inbreeding and poor selection of bulls.

INDIANS WORLD 44

Planned Breeding Season

Carefully plan your breeding season to have a
preselected time for your valuable calves to arrive. The
idea is to shorten your calving date to a shorter period
rather than starting in January and ending May. I should
add that your bulls should have a semen test prior to
breeding season to ensure that the brood herd will be in
calf for next spring. Have a select date for starting of —

'y breeding season and also a select date to end the breeding

season.

We must carefully maintain our brood herd. That
means culling out the old, dry, crippled and diseased

™ cows. The longer you keep these cull cows the more

expensive it will be to your pocket book and loss of
planning time for the farm operation. —
Calving Yards

Another plan we should carefully consider is our
calving yards, pens and pastures. Make sure you don’t
use the same pasture continuously: rotate each yard to
avoid diseases in calving programs. Depending on the size
of your operation, separate the heifers from the older
cows, because usually these calve first and give you more
problems than the older cows. .

Be prepared before your brood herds start to calve:
have the basic tools and veterinary medical supplies on
hand. Draw up a routine check for watching your brood ~
herd.
Calving

Here experience plays a very important role in the
actual calving that heifers or older cows go through. By
quick evaluation, stage of presentation and previous
experience, one knows if the animal needs help in calving,
bY yourself or a veterinarian. Sometimes experience says
to go to bed for a rest or have a long coffee break, then
come back to make a last minute check to see if all’s well.

Keep Up-To-Date on Calving Information

One should always read and take in new developments
about calving: people never stop learning about things. If
the opportunity arises, question your local veterinarian
about problems, new techniques, and short day courses
on calving.

— te,

= AT;
Tee,
i
,

som rr Aone eae
be ey

The more time you invest on informing yourself, the

larger the returns. °
- INDIAN 4H PROGRAMS
The Western Indian Agriculture Corporation

(W.I.A.C.) hopes to help set up Indian 4H programs on
Bands across the province.

The proposed plan is to add an Indian perspective to
the provincial 4H programs. This would mean not only
sponsoring such activities as horticulture, sewing,
photography, outdoor living, first aid and learning about
animals, but also Indian-oriented activities. These could
include cultural activities such as carving, beading,
making traditional clothes, tanning and others.

All activities of the 4H programs are geared to develop-
ing responsibility, maturity and initiative in young people
Tanging in age from nine to 19 years. For such an
Indian-oriented program to be set up, two things are
needed. One is adult 4H leaders who would be
responsible for the overall organization of the activities,
The other need is for sponsors which would provide
training, materials and money. Some possible sponsors
could be, W.I.A.C., DIA, the UBCIC, Band Councils or
communities.

Those Bands or individuals interested in an Indian 4H
program at their Band may contact local W.I.A.C. field-
workers for more information.

~WIAC Workshops

April-May 1980

Date Area Type of Workshop Fieldman
April | Enderby, Vernon Home gardens Cecil Louis
April 2 Westbank Home gardens Cecil Louis
April 3 Penticton Home gardens Cecil Louis
April 4 Keremeos, Oliver Home gardens Cecil Louis
April 7,8 Tobacco Plains Farm Management Dan Gravelle
April9 Tobacco Plains Home Gardens Dan Gravelle
April 15 Stoney Creek Land clearing, Seeding Jimmy Quaw
April 16 Stoney Creek Gardening Jimmy Quaw
April 17 Stoney Creek Preg. Testing Jimmy Quaw
April 21-2-3 WIAC Office Financial Management

for Fieldmen
May 6 Cranbrook Small animals & Poultry Dan Gravelle
May 13 Ft. St. John Land clearing Angus Dickie
May 14-15 Ft. St. John Seeding, Gardening, Angus Dickie

Preg. testing
May 13-15 WIAC Office Extension Education Dr. Gary

Workshop, Method of Dickenson

Presentation of Material
for more Effective Delivery
(WIAC Fieldmen)

Machinery Maintenance Course

The Western Indian Agriculture Corp. (W.I.A.C.)
sponsored a farm machinery maintenance course for
Spallumcheen Band members. The course ran from

Photo: Faron Jones

January 15-February 15 with five persons completing it.
The course was designed with emphasis placed.on the
amount of money that can be saved when machinery is
properly maintained throughout the year and how much
longer machinery can last with constant maintenance.

During the first week, Band members learned basic
mechanics through the use of lectures and
demonstrations. Then, for the remaining time they went
to the practical side of the course. The students worked
on various farm machinery and learned about operating
maintenance, diagnosing problems and repairing major
faults.

W.I.A.C. reported that the course will be condensed
into a 5-day workshop. Before a workshop can be held,
two weeks to a month’s notice is requested. For more
information contact your local W.I.A.C. fieldworker.

ISDIAS WORLD 45

Regulating the Forests
the Indian Way

Many Indian people throughout B.C., whether it be in
Band Council meetings, District meetings, or even in
discussion amongst themselves, have voiced their
concerns over the management of Indian timber on their
Indian reserves. A lot of these individuals probably have
successfully entered into forestry operations such as
logging, milling or reforestation both on and off Indian
reserves. With this in mind I think it is fair to say that we
have come to a cross-road and that we should seriously
look at the situation concerning Indian authority and
control of Indian timber and management.

indian Timber Regulations

The Indian Timber Regulations were.enacted as an
Order-In-Council in 1954 by the authority of Section 57
of the Indian Act and have been amended only to a
limited extent since that date. The three District foresters
in the B.C. region continue to make Indian timber
business transactions for Indian Bands on the basis of
policies that are twenty-six years old. These set of rules

regulate the harvesting sale and disposal of timber within

Indian reserves and surrendered lands. In short these
geouions are very limited in scope and are generally
inadequate as a basis for regulating i activities,

Permit for Indian Use

_ The first manner of disposing Indian ribet is the
Permit for Indian Use. Permits to cut timber without
paying stumpage or royalties may be issued to a Band for
Band purposes, or to a member or a group of members of
a Band to cut timber and fuel wood for his or their.
individual use. Permits to sell timber are also available —

inder the Regulations. Such permits may be issued to'a
Band or a member or a group of members of the Dand
for a period of one year. Stumpage or royalties must be

paid on such timber unless such payments are waived asa __

measure of relief to the permit holder. ‘Timber cut under |
this permit must be measured by a licenced scaler or by —
some other person appointed for the task to determine
stumpage or royalties which are payable and the timber
cannot be ‘*manufactured’’ until it has been measured.

and all stumpage or royalties have been paid unless

consent is obtained ftom the Assistant Deputy Minister. -
The final form of rights available under the Regula:
tions is e “licence”? which is available to an¥person

rion ‘is: being administered. So if Band has an’
economically viable logging company, because of these
R tions, that logging outfit can’t log its own Band’s
timber. Licences are available where timber has been.
ed or réleased to the Crown or without a

Z der where the Assistant Deputy Minister ice : et

| a member of the Band on whose behalf: the

i ti ‘F

that the sale of the timber is in the interest of the Band
and the Band Council consents. Licences are to be issued
after advertising except where stumpage or royalties
payable on the timber will not exceed $2,500.00. So if the
Department determines that your Band’s Indian timber i is
less than $2,500.00 in timber stand value it poses a
question as to whether the Department makes the right
decision as to who is allocated the right to cut.

Timber Licenses

Timber licences are issued for a atin of one year and
are renewable. Ground rent must be paid each year ata
rate of $0.20 per acre with a minimum fee being $40. 00
and a security deposit must be kept in place. Stumpage or
royalties are payable and again the timber must have been
measured by a licenced scaler or by some other person
appointed for the task and all stumpage and royalties
must have been paid before the timber can. be
manufactured at a mill unless consent has been obtained
from the Assistant Deputy Minister. Licencees must pa
certain fire ees costs and limited conservation
costs.

The Indian Dipiber Regulations as pecseals,
constituted are a poor vehicle for the management of
Indian timber lands, They must be expanded greatly to
deal with important questions such as reforestation re-
quirements. ‘Furthermore, they must be amended to
provide greater clarity and to comport with the realities
of the forest industry. |

| ‘Ideas for Amending Indian Timber renditions

Firstly, it would be appropriate to give Band Councils

j the authority and control over the Indian timber and the
management of Indian timber. One can argue that Band
Councils can get all the authority and control over
forestry matters but it will be somewhat useless since

» much of the Indian timber on Indian reserves is depleted.
“There are a number of ways one can look at this. idea.
Secondly, there should be provision where the Depart-
-..ment may obtain timber quotas from the provincial
- government for the Indian Bands in B.C. I know this
_- poses the question of land claims and may be detrimental
__ to the whole question of land claims but that remains to

a oe be seen. You must remember that we are dealing with the

ig federal and provincial governments and today we are
‘actually making proposals to these governments to
_ conduct forestry oriented economic development
- activities. The purpose of the timber quotas is to make up
for the depletion of the forestry resources we have
today. With the increase in our forestry land base and
coupled with our increase in authority and control I
would think we are making headway towards indepen-
dence through the route of economic development. .

"Dicane contact UBCIC Forestry staff for your ideas on
| recommendations for amendments to the Regulations.

bes ie

F
¥

va
“ae hd
Te ‘
|

‘

7a]

Ze.) aces
ie ety ; ‘

ee ae

> WR DSc ec oo
ee re ——

As expected: the reaction and views of participants
were varied and most interesting. The discussions were
‘spontaneous and very informative. They contributed to
sound basis for the technical advisors and project
coordinator to develop some recommendations for a
program which would best serve the needs of most Bands
in the Province.

To those newly exposed to the whole process of band
management and administration, the project is regarded
as a welcome guide. To those fairly well established, it is
found to be an enhancement to their abilities to manage
adequately. Then, there are the so called old hats who
reacted to the proposed program with some opposition.
This faction saw the program as something similar to
many imposed by outside agencies which were complete
failures, failures because there was usually little or no
Indian input, and usually introduced with an intimidating
theme.

After somewhat heated but meaningful interaction the
group came to a consensus that the project (with its long
term objectives) is entirely feasible and could be
immensely successful. However, it was strongly felt that
this would be possible only with limitless participation of
Indian Bands and undertaken by a representative Indian
organization like the Union.

Indian Expertise in Environment Management

During the discussions, some rather interesting illus-
trations were made. It was asserted that Indians were
probably among the best managers in society, especially
when they are managing affairs within environments
familiar to them.

Financial Management

It was agreed that in many instances the Indian has
failed drastically in one aspect of management, and that
is financial administration. Participants were reminded
that the world’s most successful financiers were jumping
out of windows or committing suicide by some other
means during the depression in the 1930’s. But you
seldom heard of Indians dying of starvation in back

______Effective Band management is an integral part of Indian Government

ion si. ciation and fe? ogi. the ig
erent eLiaining Project were introduced
tatives at a seminar held at the Union office recently.

Reasons for Poor Management

It also became apparent that there are many Band
organizations failing in management for a number of
reasons, the most common being the inadequacies in the
DIA educational systems; the lack-of initiative within
Band organizations to develop systems suitable to their
needs. The lack of proper preparation in transferring
responsibilities to Bands from DIA has become an
obvious cause more recently.

Through this process (Band Training Seminars) a
major part of the difficulties and alleged causes have
surfaced and the solutions seem to be in sight. The Bands
collectively would do well to support an effort to bring
about a permanent solution.
~The coordinators are convinced that the objectives set
out in the project are attainable. The goals are based on
information obtained from studies involving numerous
Bands and with a consciousness of the views of Indian
Bands presently. Being guided by these goals the Union
has embarked on a rather ambitious project (Band
Management: Training).

With the completio of ‘‘Seminar Leader” training,
field workers are now assigned to various regions in the
Province for the purpose of conducting seminars with
groups of or individual Bands. The same personnel shall
be available to provide additional information and
assistance on the following: Band Community Planning,
Budget Preparation and Maintenance, Financial
Controls and Reporting and Selection and Effective Use
of Auditors.

These training sessions shall continue indefinitely as
long as there is demonstrated need.

INDIAS WORLD 47

‘A PROFILE OF EAST

East Moberley Lake is a community
of about 100 people located 18 miles
from Chetwynd in northeastern B.C.
The Band Council is being forced into
time-consuming battles with the
Department of Indian Affairs in order
to protect the way of life still being
enjoyed by the people of East
Moberley Lake. This month, Band
Manager, Amy Gautier, shares her

community with us.

We're the only reserve in this area
that’s close to town. We’re eighteen
miles out so we don’t really consider
ourselves isolated.

We used to have a lot of problems
with non-Indian people coming onto
the reserve, but it’s getting better now.
I’m against having anybody up here,
especially the white people because if
anything had happened, the respon-
sibility would fall right back to the
Band members. If I see white people
come on the reserve, especially young
girls, just to have a place to stay, I tell
them to go back to their parents and
not to get involved in the reserve.

No Capital for Housing Forces
Members into Towns

Our Band list is 179 and 100 live on
the reserve. There are 21 houses being
lived in right now. And Housing is one
of our problem areas. A lot of our
people have to move into town because
there is no housing here. The DIA will
only give the Band $12,500 for a house
and the Band has to make up the rest of

the total cost. We’ve had four people,

on our housing list for the past four
years and none of them has gotten a
house yet. The only real thing we ever
had was renovations and there are
other people asking for houses, too,
but we just don’t have the capital. But
hopefully we’ll have three or four
houses this year. We’ ve made arrange-
ments to trade off logs from our

INDIAN WORLD 48

ser. 8 tle
3 ce
- oS Ae

— ae
rs

=i —— -

_MOBERLEY L LAKE

Band manager Amy Gauthier of the East Moberley

i ae
_—— a ee, ae
_ ‘ "

Pe ls
Poe eee oe _* rat
é »- et “ie tae / wy Fi
Ss. eee, oP Ee : a Rahal Tay Cee ,
"
I

Weare rea nee but she Waals O00, the flow of ec ple ni
‘into the area to work on the rigs. aa ets

reserve to a company in Hudson Hope
in return for lumber for houses-to be
built on this reserve. This will cut down
the cost.

And people can’t afford the houses
most of the time because there’s no
employment here. There are slashing
and falling jobs during the spring
break-up, but once that’s over there
won’t be work until the beginning of
June. In between that, our welfare
rate gets pretty high. And the Indian

people don’t get jobs from all the (oil) _

rigs coming in.

Department Interferes with
Band Programs

We’ve just recently taken control of
our own social assistance program.
There are only five families that are
really in need of social assistance right
now and one single person. We try to

keep our people away from social
assistance as much as we can. It’snota
very good feeling to be on welfare, so
that’s why we only give it out when it’s:
really needed. Even though we have
our own program, the reports we dogo
in to the Department and then they
question everything. They let us have
our own programs but they won’t stay
away from our affairs.

One of the things that makes it hard
in this district is that the Department
always promises us programs but then
they never follow through with the
funds. And once you’ve got your own
program going they’ll come in to
interfere and stop the good things
you've got going for your Band.

Like with our social assistance pro-
gram, the Department is going to
review it at the end of this month.
Every April Ist they review their

= a EEE

programs, and this year ‘they said
maybe you won't get your program
back. They say our Band has a slim
chance of getting our program back
now that they have their own social
worker. We’re going to fight them on
that.

Forcing the L.S.A.

They’re trying to force us to sign a
Local Services Agreement, even
though we told them we need time to
study the whole thing. But they’ve
given us a deadline of March 28th.

Most Families Depend on
Hunting and Trapping

Trapping is a big part of our life up

here. Most of the families, even the
kids, trap. We depend on fur-bearing
animals. Even when a person can’t
find work they go out into the bush for
acertain length of time and make their
living on trapping. There’s not many
people who have to go into town to buy
their own meat because of hunting and
_ trapping. Trapping helps keep us off
welfare during the off-seasons when
there is no other work.

In the summertime our people find
jobs, they go guiding, they go to work.
Life is a lot better in the summertime

_after the spring break-up. Some of the
women go trapping, and all the women

More houses need to be built on the reserve. Some people nave been wailing
Jor housing as long as four years.

go berry-picking in the summer. They
make a living selling moccasins,

' mucklucks and moose-hide jackets.

But there are too many people
coming in here now. I especially worry
about our old people. And I worry
about the young girls. There’s a lot of
people who are aware of what’s going
to happen in the future, but alot don’t
realize just how hard it’s going to be on

Hunting, trapping and berry-picking — these are some of the things the land

still provides for the people of East Moberley Lake Band. =

the people of this reserve: the young
people, theold people. ...

Too Many People Moving In

In the next couple of years I’d like to
see all the rigs move out, all the
contractors, all the seismic lines to
move out. Just leave the local people
alone. The people around here can
survive a lot better without having all

_ these seismic lines being put into our

areas.

The local people don’t accomplish
anything for the rigs coming in because
they don’t get jobs, especially the
Indian people. Even the white people
around here, they’re not happy about
the whole thing. Uphere it’s just sucha
change, especially with the north-east
coal and the scrubbing plant, the
Grizzly Valley Pipeline and all the
people coming in.

I hope that things will get better
soon. And not worse.

I'm pretty proud of this Band. I’m
pretty proud of the people for the
culture they still hold, °

INDIANS WORLD 49

BOOK REVIEW

York, Thomas. We, the Wilderness. Toronto: McGraw-
Hill Ryerson Limited, 1973. 171 p. by Bess Brown

We, the Wilderness, a novel by Thomas York, takes
place at an Indian village called Nanootkish. This village
is situated along the central coast of British Columbia.
The story centres around a small group of individuals in
Nanootkish.

The mood most prevalent throughout the book is one
of isolation, not only in terms of being physically isolated
but also of being isolated emotionally from everyone else
in the village. With this feeling of isolation is also the
terrible sense of hopelessness which the characters
display, whether it be about their own lives or the lives of
the people who surround them.

By examining two of the characters, Dean and Dr.
Sharp, this’ feeling of hopelessness will become
increasingly clear. The one aspect that binds the people of
Nanootkish together is that they aren’t getting much
enjoyment out of life, either personally or professionally.
Dean, a young man in his early twenties, has a very
negative view of life. During one particularly difficult
period in his life, he speaks of drowning, not only
physically but also emotionally. ‘‘It’s like that when you
live your whole life on the ocean, and half the people you
have ever known have drowned, most of them twice:
drowned the mind first with liquor, then fallen overboard
to drown the body.’’ (p. 15) Dean dies a short time later
of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

' Dr. Sharp is presented as a rather troubled individual,
who is attempting to come to terms with the actions of his
father, who was a missionary-doctor at Nanootkish
before him. The younger Dr. Sharp is becoming very
disillusioned about the man he once thought was the
ultimate in goodness. Instead he sees a man who appears
to typify the missionary mentality, that was so prevalent
during the early and mid-nineteen hundreds. The old Dr.
Sharp apparently thrived on the power and the glory
bestowed upon him by the Indian people. Was he there to
help the Indians or to help himself?

The characters in We, the Wilderness are presented in
such a way that one doesn’t feel very sympathetic
towards them, in spite of their apparent troubles. In fact
the reader feels somewhat angered by their inability or
unwillingness to cope with life.

This book would almost certainly leave its readers with
a negative and unfavourable view of life on a reserve. The
most disturbing facet of the book, however, is that it is in
fact based on life in Bella Bella, B.C. as perceived by the
author, Thomas York. Many of the characters are easily
recognizable, only their names have been changed.

INDIAN WORLD 50

The reader is left Sie Mest of te
people in Bella Bella. The author suggests that there are
fishermen who aren’t as con¢erned with the amount of
fish they get as Be are withthe amount of weeks they

put in. It appea i najor concern is putting in
enough weeks to hile ployment Insurance during
the winter. One also gets the impression that the non-
Indian people in the v geare doing the Indian people a
big favour by being theré “regardless of whether or not
they are actually helping the Indians.

Death is one of the major subjects of the book. York
compares it to a stage production: there are a certain
number of players and they are very adept at their roles.
The Pentecostal Church and its followers are an itricate
part of this production. They aré portrayed as religious
zealots, who wait impatiently for the next death to occur.
It is somewhat strange that the United Church is rarely
mentioned, and when it is the minister portrayed is not
York, who was the United Church minister at the time.

Though life on a reserve, in this case Bella Bella, is by
no means perfect, it is in no way as bad as it has been
depicted by York. Like many small towns or villages,
Bella Bella has gone through some difficult transitional
periods. The people have, however, gotten through these
periods with relatively few scars and have in fact achieved
a measure of success, both economically and more
importantly the social conditions which were somewhat
lacking in earlier years, have improved greatly.

One wonders if this book was born out of a
disillusioned individual’s inability to cope with the
sometimes harsh realities of dealing with the lives of
people who in no way share the values and beliefs which
he not only grew up with but believed in,

This book is not recommended as it presents a totally
negative and one-sided picture of life on a reserve. If one
were to accept York’s view, one would believe that the
Indian people have enjoyed very little in the way of
success or happiness, which definitely isnotthecase.  °¢

In Memory of
Aillee Prince.

Aak’azdli Reserve in Fort St. James
who died only a week ago. She was
our Mother. As you know Nick
Prince and me are brother and sister.

during her life very scary experiences
and even went through three months
of starvation when an act of Charity
was called for. Her family—mother,
father and a baby and herself took
this trip across B.C. on foot during a
winter. One of her life story it was
and it is now ready for the printers.
My mom was the head of our clan
‘‘Lisilyoo.”’ She was our good
councillor, our Guide, our protector.
She taught me everything I know and
can do all the different kinds of work
we Indians are skilled af. She had

All of us in and around Fort St.
| James are going to miss her. Very
Se eee Sho SI -F al set i. much. I only regret that I did not tape
— all the stories she told when she was
alive. So if you have Elders who are
very valuable in your villages, please
do not hesitate to put down on paper
their stories and counselling. This you
can use in cultural training in your
schools. It’s very important. Respect
your Elders and go to them for
anything you want to _ know,
especially when in doubt of some
decision. You’ll find it’s the wisest
thing to do. Thank you.

Your sister

Francesca Antoine

INDIAN WORLD 51

FROM: UNION OF B.C. INDIAN CHIEFS
440 WEST HASTINGS ST.
VANCOUVER, B.C. V6B 1L1

THIS MONTH:

One problem on reserves that has touched every Indian
in B.C. is alcohol. We all have a friend or a relative who’s
had a drinking problem. With the help of people across
the Province INDIAN WORLD takes a look at how
people have fought back and won. We thank all of those
who so generously contributed their personal experiences,
views and hopes for our ALCOHOL SUPPLEMENT.

The Lillooet Trials are over: there were major victories
for Indian Fishing (see page 4). Leslie Edmunds and Vic
Adolph Jr. were there and sent pictures. In this month’s
**T Think’’, page 14, Joe Bartleman of Tsartlip forcefully
presents his views on the Treaty Fishing Rights on
Vancouver Island.

Fransisca Antoine of Necoslie Band sent in a warm
article about her mother and also her picture, Our Cover
this month, She talks about the importance of recording
the stories of the Elders before they are gone from us (see

page 51).

During the time of Residential Schools there were few
children left on reserve, On page 35, Xavier Eugene of
the Shuswap Band talks about being a parent again. The
parents in Mount Currie have built up their own school
and curriculum, taking control of Indian education. The
School sent in their story and Johnny Abrahams sent in
the pictures (page 33).

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4207

thd ome

classe
Vancouver B.C.

In the short story “‘The Rebirth of a Great Nation”’,
David Wilson of Okanagan envisions how the Indians in
the future will once again control this land (page 1).

Lynne Jorgesen, Editor of Nicola Indian, sent in a
report of the Lower Nicola Band's Ready Mix Cement
Company merging to bring more economic advantages to
the Band. The community profile of East Moberley Band
shows another Band striving for self-reliance. Amy
Gauthier, Band Manager there, spent a day to discuss the
problems involved and also sent pictures for the story on
page 48.

This month INDIAN WORLD has started a new
monthly section to the magazine: the People Pages (42
and 43): interesting, humorous, satisfying stories and
pictures about the good things that happen. Please feel
free to send in your pictures and stories. Now that the
weather is getting warmer, festivals and celebrations will
soon get in full swing. Rodeos will also be starting soon.
Burt Williams of Mount Currie is a champion bull rider
and sent in a picture. Addy, Joe and Gay Williams sent in
a picture after they had received their ski instructor’s
certificate. On these pages too is a picture of the Shuswap
Spartenettes in action from Richard Manuel.

Thanks to Gry John, a Seton Lake Nation Singer, for
sending us his story on the Seton Lake Pow-wow and to
Myrna Thevarge for her pictures of the Fountain Band's
Salmon Potlatch. Thanks to everyone who contributed to
make this spring issue one of hope.

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