WINDSPEAKER, August 15, 1986, PAGE 3
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r Wind speake August 15, 1986 Volume 4 No: Financial difficulties delay MAA assembly By Clint Buehler a number of meetings since financial bind." the situation came to light At the root of the Financial difficulties have last week. It reached the problem seems to be a forced the Metis Association conclusion that the assembly change in the terms of the of Alberta (MAA) to post- and election would have to MAA Housing Department's pone its 1986 annual be postponed at a meeting relationship with CMHC. assembly and election August 12. In the past the MAA indefinitely. George Bartlett, manager Housing Department The assembly had been of the Housing Department, received core funding for scheduled for August 22,23 resigned effective August administrative costs, plus a and 24, and the election for 31, but the MAA board fee for service for delivering six board members for suspended him indefinitely certain CMHC programs. September 8. last week. Accountant Lou Since, January 1, 1986, The financial difficulties Marta, who was on contract however, the core funding are the result of spending of with the MAA, had his has been eliminated and all an estimated $73,000 of contract cancelled. activity has been on a fee MAA core funds by the MAA President Sam for service basis, with the MAA Housing Department, Sinclair was reluctant to fees. which administers Canada discuss the situation with While the organizations Mortgage and Housing "Windspeaker." affected were funded up Corporation (CMHC) "The less said the better," front to assist them in repair and rural and Native Sinclair said. "[ don't like to making the transition, the housing programs. elaborate in the paper. We MAA was allowed some Photo by Rocky Woodward The MAA executive and have a lot of work to do money, but less than others, board was apparently not before we can make a and "never enough to do it Prison Protest aware of the situation until judgement." properly," Sinclair says. the bank began returning He did admit, however, According to an official Protesters walked to the Edmonton Maximum Penitentiary August 10 as cheques for insufficient that "we have a lot of statement from Sinclair, part of "Prison Justice Day" protesting the penal system, and in memory of funds. organizational restructuring prisoners who died while incarcerated. (See Pages 10 and 11). The MAA board has held to do so we don't get in a Continued Page 3 FMS unhappy with Crawford By Rocky Woodward The document was and democratic criteria for weeks ago. Our rationale prepared by the Federation membership in settlement was Crawford would pass it Federation of Metis in response to the conditions associations and for settle- on to Getty before our Settlements President prescribed in "A Resolution ment lands allocation to August meeting so we Randy Hardy is unhappy Concerning An Amendment individual members of wouldn't put Getty in an with the way a proposal to the Alberta Act," settlement associations. b) uncomfortable situation. regarding the background unanimously passed by the The composition of As it turned out, Crawford and principles for new Alberta Legislature on June democratic governing didn't brief him on it at all," legislation linking Metis 3, 1985. bodies for the management commented Hardy after his Aboriginal rights to a Hardy believes that with and governance of existing meeting with the premier. resolution concerning an the document, they have Metis Settlements. Elaborating on past amendment to the Alberta met the responsiblity "The premier was not history of the Metis, Hardy Act was handled by delegated by the Legislature aware of the brief. He knew said when the Metis first Municipal Affairs Minister to the Metis, in the passage that it was coming and we started out they had one Neil Crawford. of the resolution, that is; a) did give it to the minister of Hardy says the new To define and propose fair municipal affairs over two Continued Page 4 proposal was handed to Crawford approximately Photo by Val Kaufman three weeks ago so Premier Don Getty could familiarize Saddle Lake, merchants meet Winning Artist himself with it prior to their August 7 meeting. to try to resolve boycott It was the Federation's winner first hope to come to some sort Faye HeavyShield was of the $5,000 By Albert Crier and businesses against four people. prize in "Asum Mena," the art competition of agreement with the Indians is the major reason That was the last straw in by the Alberta Indian Arts and Crafts province at the meeting in sponsored The Saddle Lake First for the boycott of town a long history of bad Society. She is congratulated here by AIACS regard to the document Nations met with merchants businesses, said councillor relations between St. Paul Lee Willier (left). (See 12 titled "By Means of President Pages and from the nearby town of St. John Shirt. and Saddle Lake, declared 13). Conference and Negotia- tions We Ensure Our Paul August 12 to discuss "There are a lot of Chief Houle at a protest Rights." the poor relations between reasons for the boycott, but rally held in St. Paul a few the two communities that everything put together is days after the bingo bust. sparked an economic the poor attitude of the "We thought that the boycott by Saddle Lake town towards Indians, " said boycott was over the bingo INSIDE against the town. Shirt. raid, but the reasons are THIS WEEK Chief Eugene Houle and Saddle Lake initiated a much deeper than that," three band councillors from boycott of town businesses said Paul Langevin, pres- The Olympic Organizing Committee for the 1988 Winter Olympics' Saddle Lake met with 12 on July 29, after a raid by ident of the St. Paul Calgary has named Sykes Powderface as its Native liaison. See Page merchants from St. Paul in the St. Paul detachment of Chamber of Commerce. a first attempt to resolve the RCMP on a bingo game The town merchants The B.C. Arrows have successfully defended their Canadian Native differences between the being held at the Saddle went to Saddle Fastball Championship. Lake to See Page 18. reserve and the town. Lake complex. learn of the reasons behind Poor relations because The RCMP charged that the boycott, Langevin said. Lawrence Willie, f Page ble of a negative attitude the bingo game was being shown by St. Paul residents held illegally and arrested Continued Page 3 PAGE 2 August 15, 1986, WINDSPEARER Fishing important to B.C. Indians By Terry Lusty renowned Hazelton area In legal terms, it is called which houses the K'san "entrapment" and the SKEENA, B.C. -A com- School. The school gained application of this method mon thread that prevails international prominence continues only serving to among all of Canada's over the years as a primary further frustrate the people Indian tribes is the contin- breeding ground for many and creating undue hardship uance of harvesting the Indian artisans, especially for those whose right it is to gifts of the Creator. From carvers. harvest the animal kingdom. coast to coast, Indian One area along the "On the one hand, people maintain the practice Skeena River is that of the some residents want ECONOMIC BOOST of hunting, fishing and canyon. gathering fora livelihood. In Historically, the canyon to preserve the fish The Indians of the interior of British is noted for its salmon for Band members Moricetown have little else Columbia, time refuses to fishing where local Natives to sustain them. "A few stand still as Indian caught them with dip nets, only while others trap and others operate communities uphold a gaff hooks, harpoons and argue to `allow heavy equipment, log, or heritage long past in the basket traps. The harvesting sports fishermen work in sawmills," she says world of the dominant of fish at Moricetown is no but, by and large, they society. small matter and the results in we could make depend on fishing. The custom of fishing for are sometimes fatal. Over money to develop Wilson went on to explain a living has endured over the past several years, at explain the conundrum countless centuries despite this particular site, three the canyon area.' " that faces the community the lure of modern, people are said to have met as far as fishing is concerned. sophisticated technology. an untimely death at the On the one hand, some In the northemly reaches hands of the swirling, residents want to preserve of Alberta and other frothing fingers of the the fish for Band members provinces, Indians are still canyon's waters where only while others argue to engaged in hunting and fishermen defy the odds "allow sports fishermen in trapping while fishing is just and continue the ways of so we could make money to a sometimes preoccupation. their ancestors. develop the canyon area.' Not so in the interior and Photo by Terry Lusty The development she coastal communities of DANGEROUS JOB spoke of is that of camping B.C. There, fishing and tourist facilities in the Predominates and hunting Approximately one in 10 anchor. Holding a long pole been caught, they are Indians such as the selling canyon. The campground takes a back seat. Indians rely upon the to which a gaff hook is packed home where they of their fish. which is close to completion seasonal migrations of firmly attached, they wait are frozen, dried, or What really irritates Mrs. will contain about 45 sites FISH IMPORTANT various fish species which with the patience of moun- smoked and stored away Wilson is the manner by and is to be "fully serviced they harvest.