Extinct' Band Elects Two Chiefs Days a Week
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Huichol healing u y , dance Volume 6 No 21' A group of Huichol Indians, from the state of Nayarit in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Western Mexico recently performed a healing dance for the residents of the Poundmakers/Nechi Alcohol Treatment Cen- tre in St. Albert. The Cree man to run Huichols are among the three most traditional tribes in Mexico and have retained the most to New York for intact pre -Columbian religion. The group uses song, dance and prayer to summon spiritual energy to heal the sick sacred bundle and are seen here mov- By Terry Lusty the bundle protected his ing to the beat of an Windspeaker Correspondent great -great grandfather upright log drum called whenever he went into bat- a tepu in the Huichol EDMONTON, Alta. tle and is "very sacred and language. The group is Jim Thunder wants his its ceremonial value is price- on its way to Quebec to great -great grandfather's less." His quest to have the pass on knowledge of sacred bundle back. And bundle removed from the their traditional dance, he's willing to run 4,400 km museum and returned to music, art and aboriginal from Edmonton to New him began nine years ago history to the Algon- York to get it. when he first dreamed quins, Mohawks and -.4 In order to put pressure about it. He didn't pay any Cree in that province. on New York's American attention to the first dream, - Photo by Dianne Melll Museum of Natural His- until a second dream came tory, which is holding the to him. bundle in a storage room, Since then "a number of Thunder plans to gain pub- supernatural events began licity by running for five to coincide with my life," months --32 km a day, five Thunder states. "These Extinct' band elects two chiefs days a week. He will begin dreams tell me that the By Mark McCallum raine Hope; Robert Vandel Many individual Native anything away from them." the marathon on Sept. 1. bundle longs for its people Windspeaker Staff Writer and Irene Rouchou. The people were enfranchised to He says they should aim The bundle he hopes to and its homeland." election of two chiefs was a gain the right to vote or join their efforts at federal lead- return from the United EDMONTON, Alta. The main part of the unanimous decision made the clergy or legal profes- ers who he feels States, belonged to Big have been bundle consists of a large Descendants of the by the 160 eligible voters sion. But, enfranchisement "ducking" the land base Bear, a famous chief who grizzly bearpaw backed "extinct" Michel Indian who split their votes of a whole band was issue for all reinstated Indi- died in 1888, shortly after with red stroud cloth which band elected two chiefs and between the two leaders, unheard of before the ans since Bill C -31 was his release from Stoney was worn over the chest like a council July 17 to help 80-80. enfranchisement of the passed in 1985. Mountain Many des- Penetentiary in a mantle and tied around them regain a reserve ceded Michel people. cendants have regained Manitoba. He'd been "At first we were going to the neck. The bundle, to the federal government Calihoo, who was 14 Indian status under the new imprisoned for his role in re -vote because of the tie, encased in nine calico cloth 30 years ago. years old at the time of the federal law and have been the 1885 Metis and Indian but the descendants are wrappings, also includes a The representatives plan last enfranchisement, called placed on an Alberta gen- resistance in the spread so far over the pro- Northwest, bit of sweetgrass and a to pressure the government it deliberate "cultural vince they thought it would geno- eral list. The government led by one of Canada's small plug of tobacco. for a land base by lobbying be in their cide" on the part of the has refused to give these most historical figures, Thunder states that the the media and leaders best interests to have dual chiefs," government. Enfranchise- people a land base. Louis Riel. bundle originally held other international and focussing says Ivan Stover, who helped ment was taken out of the According to Thunder, objects which have since attention on the details sur- organ- About 130 descendants ize Indian Act by the govern- disappeared but they are the elections held at have been reinstated and rounding the now defunct Calahoo, some ment in 1985. not of any importance band, says newly elected 50 km another 576 are waiting to co- northwest of Edmonton. Callihoo also feels "a compared to the bearpaw chief Robert hear responses from Ottawa Callihoo. majority of the band regarding itself which is where the true "I think most Canadians The Michel applications of reserve, once members at that time were reinstatement. "power" of the bundle lies. will agree that we deserve to spread across 25,600 acres ill- prepared to face society In 1934, an American be compensated," says Cal - on the south bank of the ...many of them ended up in The election of the co- anthropologist, David lihoo, adding they have Sturgeon River near the the Fort Saskatchewan jail chiefs and council may pose Mandlebaum, was conduct- plenty of documentation to tiny community of Cala- or on welfare..." problems for the descend- ing research on Cree history prove a number of Michel hoo. The Michels, origi- Callihoo is against notions ants because the Indian Act and culture in Saskatche- band members were coerced nally of the Iroquois Indian to recover the original land requires that a band must wan on behalf of the off the reserve. "They were band in central Canada site of the Michel reserve have a reserve before such museum. While there, he forced to live in tarpaper near Brantford, Ont., because he believes they representatives would be was approached by Horse shacks." became the first Indian should avoid legl battles recognized. Child, the youngest son of Callihoo and Gilbert band in the nation to collec- with people now living in Ken Williams of the Big Bear, to keep the bundle Anderson were elected co- tively surrender all of their the area, once occupied by Department of Indian so it would be safe. Accord- chiefs and will head a seven - Indian rights and land to Michel band members. Affairs says the descend- ing to Mandlebaum when member band council made the federal government "We don't want to pick a ants are "not a legal band ... he was interviewed by up of Frank, George, Joyce through voluntary enfran- fight with our neighbors because they are members Windspeaker shortly before and James Calihoo; Lor- chisement in 1928 and 1958. and we don't want to take of the Alberta general list." passing away last year, a traditional transfer occurred which did not involve any INSIDE THIS WEEK exchange of money as pay- ment for the item. Aborigines The story of An esti- give Fine Day, a noted and crowds at Jesus Christ is mated 10,000 the Klondike told the Native respected war chief in 1885, gather faith- exhibition a Nt- way in beauti- fully once said, "The bundle will once tle taste of ful stained - be again to the spiritually powerful their unique glass windows shores of Lac always and its strength will Australian cul- at Hobbema Ste. Anne. See never die." ture. See page church. See pages 12 and In a formal three-page 22. page 15. 13. letter to the trustees and staff of the museum, Continued Page 2 PAGE 2, July 29, 1988, WINDSPEAKER CLOSE TO HOME RCMP lays assault charges against Chief Fox By Patrick Michell vincial court on Aug. 15 The Blood tribe's execu- 6.02.01 which states a per- Windspeaker Correspondent after allegedly assaulting a tive director, Wallace son is uneligible to run for Native special RCMP Manyfingers, who would chief or council if that per- BLOOD RESERVE, Alta. constable. not comment on whether or son "has been convicted of A Blood chief, who Jerry Simmonds, a staff not Chief Fox would be allowed an indictable offense during forced an inquiry into sgt. with the Cardston to run for chief, said the a 3 year period prior to the deaths on the Blood reserve RCMP, said Fox was Blood tribe's band bylaws date of a Blood tribe elec- in southern Alberta, has charged following an inci- will be "followed to the let- tion in which he might be a been charge with physically dent between two RCMP ter". He added that the candidate." assaulting an RCMP officer. officers and the passenger tribe will be issuing a public None of the seven Blood If convicted, Chief Roy of a car which had been statement to be released councillors were available Fox may not be able to run pulled over on Highway 2 sometime next week. for comment prior to press for chief in an upcoming north of Standoff for a rou- Blood tribe lawyer, time. Band office staff November election. tine check. Also charged at Eugene Creighton, was informed Windspeaker all Chief Roy Fox is to the time was the driver of unavailable to comment on seven were on holiday for appear in Cardston's pro- the car. the Blood Band bylaw no. the month of July. ACROSS OUR LAND Leg hold traps heat trapping issue Anti- trapping tactics called `negative propoganda' By Susan Enge Last year, over a hundred demning Britain's proposed "That submarine con- Windspeaker Correspondent hunters, trappers and poli- fur labelling legislation was tract alone was worth $8 bil- ticians flew to London, unanimously supported.