Indian Record December 1968

DIA co D Single Copies: 20 Cents VOL. XXXI, No. 10 WINNIPEG, DECEMBER 1968 JMerrp C!Cbrtstmas ~o <!&ur l\eabers Page 2 INDIAN RECORD DECEMBER 1968 A social organization on an Indian The reserve is 130 miles north of of responsibility, Mr. Cochrane an res rve is unbeneficial without th Winnipeg. swered to another question. co-operation and contribution of th Farming is the basic mployment ' Indian people as a rule think dif Indians, 135 members of a Unit d within the 75,000-acre reserve. But Church Women tour of P guis In f rently than the white soci ty . only 24 farmers cultivate 6,000 of punching a card and watching th dian Reserve, in Manitoba, were told the 40,000 arable acres of land, Mr. la t spring. time to quit ... They lived off th Cochrane said. land, long before the white man And few Indians are interested in Oth rs find casual employment in came to Canada . they were care uch groups unless they have steady the city such as construction worl<. free ... they are not equipped to do job and steady wages, said a resi The government will assist any these things." dent of the reserve on a panel set up farmer to get at least 400 acres of to answer questions from the Win land if he already has equipment and But that does not m ean they ar nipeg visitors. enough s ed to develop the land. not willing or capable to work. Every society - white as well as Indian - He was replying to a woman who An Indian must work a piece of has its "lazy, good-for-nothings, ' h asked whether the band would set land for four years and show con aid. up an art club, if the United Church siderable improvement in the land women helped supply materials. befor he can apply for a certificate The meeting with the 11 Indians of possession to the chief in counciL on the panel was held in the com Walter Cochrane, an Indian who i munity club of the reserve, as was a community education officer on th The department of Indian affairs will loan up to $50,000 to a farmer luncheon for the visiting guests. The reserve, told the visiting group social club was built from 1964 to 1967 at organization at the reserve included to further develop his land, but it will not provide the initial funds. a cost of $30,000 raised by the people a band council of five members, a of the reserve, except for a grant of youth club of 64 members, a com A young fellow has to get out $5,000 from the band council, and a munity club council and support and work (probably in Winnipeg) $3,200 centennial corporation grant. group of 15 member , a one-month and sav money on his own ... to old handicraft guild, and plans for a prove himself firs ," said Mr. Bear. youth group to study and preserve Indian culture. Employment seems to be the big gest problem at the reserve. Students ' A Boy Scout group failed a fe continue a high school education at years ago; there are no Girl Guides, Winnipeg public chools, and after and no Sunday school taught in any wards work in the city since there of the three Anglican churches on are no jobs for them at the reserve. the reserve," he aid. As well, adults who take upgrading A question posed to the Indians courses must come to the city to asked whether organizations such study and to work. as the scouts, guides or Sunday One solution to the problem would school designed to help youth learn be to bring industry to the reserve, to handle today's problems could be Mr. Cochrane said. incorporated into the school system. Building a clothing factory on the Tom Bear, a farmer on the reserve, reserve has been suggested. It would answered such classes would not b employ about 80 women to stitch possible before or after school hours, pre-cut clothes. But organizers were b cause many children already left having difficulty finding a "manu home at 8 a.m. to catch a school bus, facturer to make a committment," and only returned home at 5 p.m. he said. Although Indians don't have to The 24-room school at the reserv pay income taxes if they work on serves 600 white and Indian children the reserve, only 22 men of those from Peguis Reserve, Fisher Branch who have permanent jobs on Peguis Reserve and surrounding areas, from Reserve, don't pay income tax, said kindergarten to Grade 9. Mrs. Cochrane. Mrs. Walter Cochrane said th Her husband said the employment reserve lacked "social workers and problem on his reserve couldn't be people to donate their time to start compared to the problems in north such groups." ern reserves where there is no ' It's very hard for people who economy at all - "You cant grow haven't got steady employment and a thing.'' steady wages to spend time on such Yes, most Indian peopl will "stick things, ' said another member. to a job," and do have a fine sense INDIAN RECORD REV. G. LA VI OLETTE, O.M.I. 11 PI KANGI KUM," is the title Editor and Manager of a recent National Film Board 504 Scott Bldg., 272 Main St. Ph . 943-6071 Area Code 204 Winnipeg 1, Man. release on Indians. The film is Subscription Rate: $2.00 a Year one in a series "Challenge for Printed by Canadian Publishers Ltd., Winnipeg, Mon. Change." The above drawing is Authorized as Second Closs Moil, Post Office Dept., Ottowa, Canada, by t he Canadian artist John and for payment of postage in cosh. Gould. DECEMBER 1968 INDIAN RECORD Page 3 Youth Told To Define Own Ills, Then Act Canada's Indian must tart r cog To Mr. Chartrand, a form r oun "I don t think thi n c aril nizing th ir own problems instead of llor with th Indian and M ti o.' a cepting a difficulti what r Friend hip Centre, th logi al wa Indian r in th Canada of whit xp rts tell th m has to b to adjust conditions and adjust th tomorrow will ontinu to xist, Mr. correct d. Indian to contemporar ociety i : Chartrand aid "unl s th Indian Thi is th vi w of on of th ' . to r olv our difficulti them el d cid to do away with organizer of MANY, the Manibota among our elves and then to con th m .' A sociation of Native Youth. Th front th whit man and cr ate a - Winnipeg Tribun group was incorporat d in Winnip g m aningful dialogu . ' arli r thi fall and is th first on But pr nt Indian organization of it kind in Canada. ar largely outmod d for thi pur Nov. 9 we kend it h ld its fir t po , Mr. Chartrand aid. Man. Minister organizational conf r nc at th How v r, dialogue will com and Winnip g YMCA. Thirty d legate its result will b po itiv . from Indian and Metis y o u n g "For th tim b ing I would sa Fears Fed era I p ople' groups acros th provinc w hav to go into a kind of para attended. ti m from Canadian ociet . W mu t find our lves and mak sur 'W hav to d fin th thing w 're not lo ing our cultural id n Intentions that ar wrong with the Indian and tity. Metis in today's ociety ours lv "One w hav pre r d it th r ' Manitoba' H a 1 t h M i n i t r and then start working on the prob probably going to b a merg r with org John on la t month x- lems," Allan Chartrand, 22, MA Y th mainstr am of Canadian o- pr d cone rn ov r f d ral govern- vice-pr sident said in an int rview ci ty." m nt intention on M dicare. with th Winnipeg Tribun . What about militant Red Pow r In relation to how th program "Ther 's no point blaming h advocat s among Indians? will aff ct the nativ p oples, Dr. white man for our troubl s all th "Ther are orne, of cour . Thy John on i u d th following tat - time. Why not blam our elv ay viol nc i th onl way of get too?" ting yourself li ten d to th da Manitoba gov rnm nt con to b surpris d and amaz d CHRETIEN WINS TRUST inability of th f deral go - rnm nt to meet with the province in an effort to com to a clear un derstanding of th probl m of Indians' Suspicions Dispelled thos Indian peopl who are ither unable, or face insurmountabl dif Suspicion and mistrust among tional me ting schedul d t ntativ ly ficulties, in haring in the economic Manitoba's Indian 1 ader over r - for Winnipeg c. 9. and ocial advanc of Canadians. organization in the Indian Affair Chi f Courch n said lack of com W had, in cone rt with Alberta epartment were dispell d after munication with Ottawa had b n and Saskatchewan, arranged for a informal talk with Indian Affair a big problem with past administra m ting in Regina with the federal Minister Jean Chr ti n in Winnip g tions which go erned "from th 15th m i n i s t r of Indian Affair and ov.

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