L.J.C. et M.1. VOL . XX, No . 7 WINNIPEG, CA NADA SEPTEMBER 1957 Few Changes In Federal Indian A\ Policy OTTAWA- The new Progressive Conservative govern­ ment hopes to protect and expand the civil rights of Indians, highly-placed sources say. But any change in federal In­ prepared to give them the same dian policy, these sources say, rights as other Canadians. would be mostly in detail. There This could be done in several is 'expected to be no basic altera­ ways. The Conservatives might tion in the long-term aim of inte­ revise the legal definition of an grating the Indian into Canadian Indian, which rules out descend- society on a basis equal to his (Continued on Page 2, Col. 3 ) fellow citizens. This policy aims ev,entually- in possibly 100 years or so- to Indian Painting bring the Indian into normal For Prime Minister Canadian society just as persons of any other origin are inte­ CALGARY, Alta.- Calgary grated. artist, Gerald Feathers, a Indians Object Blood Indian from Cards ton, Then there w ill be no more was presented to Prime Min­ federal Indian policy, no Indian affairs branch of the citiz€n ship ister John Diefenbaker by the department and no more Indian Indian Association of Alberta, reserva tions. July 13. This day still is a long way off The artist was also commis­ and there is resistance to the sioned by the Association to de­ policy among some Indians. But sign a scroll, paying tribute to officials say the changing tim es Mr. Diefenbak er for his inter est make this policy t e only prac­ in ndians, which wa .&: r eMe ted tical one over the lon g term. with the painting. One official said th e only Mr . F eath er s is currently em ­ change in it likely t o come from ployed as a dr aughtsman with th e Conservatives is that th ey Supertest P etroleums. H e lives will try to make th e policy more at Okotoks, and commutes. One acceptable to the Indians by day he hopes to r eturn t o the showing t hat the government is reser vation, and " just paint." Indian Senator May Be Named OTTAWA- Prime Minister Diefenbaker is considering the nomination of an Indian as the representative of Canada's Prime Minister Diefenbaker is greeted by an Alberto Chief. 150,000 natives in the Senate. Possible choices have been narrowed to three: Gilbert C. Monture, James Gladstone, and Andrew Paull. 140 Att1end Indian League Mr. Andrew Paull is the presi­ dent of the NAIB and has been a Conv'ention In Alberta staunch defender of the rights of Maurice McDougall, Elected P resident. Indians; he presented a noteable Hobbema, Alta.- The Cat holic Indian League of Canada brief at the joint committee hear­ ings of the Senate and the Com­ gathered in Convention at the R.C. Ermineskin Indian Resi­ mons in 1948, which led to the dential School at Hobbema, Alberta, on August 21 and 22, to revision of the Indian Act. Mr. discuss the problems of national importance for the Indi ans Paull has been a firm champion of Western Canada. for the cause of denominational Three Indian Chiefs, Harry monton, Hobbema. From Sask­ education. Janvier from Legoff, William He presented, at many occa­ atchewan: Green Lake, Meadow Morin from Winterburn, John Lake, Onion Lake, Duck Lake. sions, the pleas of the Indians of Gladue from Riviere-qui-Barre, Canada at the Department of Big River , White Fish L ake and a large number of Indian coun­ Lebret were present. Citizenship. A self-taught law­ cillors and approximately one yer, he has presided successfully hundred and thirty-five dele­ Bishop H. Routhier in many courts, ,especially in gates from all of Alberta, North­ Missionaries from many parts British Columbia. ern Saskatchewan, Manitoba and accompanied t he Indians and Mr. Gilbert C. Monture, a Ontario wer'e amongst those they discussed with them prob­ great-grandson of Capt. Joseph present. There were Indians lems of mutual interest. Andy Paull, of North Vancouver, Br ant, the famous chief of the from Hay Lakes, Slave Lake, M-ost Rev. Henri Routhier, wears full head-dress as president of Iroquois, r€tired in June 1956, t he North American Indian Brother­ Cold Lake, Legoff, Beaver Lake, O.M.I., Bishop of Grouar d Vica­ hood. He is one of three possible as chief of the mineral resources Saddle Lake, Brocket, Cluny, riate, McLennan; Very Rev. G. choices for the Senatorship represent­ division of the federal mines de- Winterburn, Rocky Mountain Michaud, O.M.I., P rovincial of ing Canada 's native population. (Continued on Page 2, Col. 2) House; Rivier e-qui Barre, Ed- (Conti nued on Page 2, Col. 4) 2 INDIAN RECORD September 1957 140 Attend GOy't Neglects (From Page 1, Col. 4) U. S. Indians, the Oblates of Alta.-Sask.; Very I Rev. I. Touri~ny , O.M.I. , Provin­ cial of the Oblates of Manitoba; Prelate Charges Rev. G. M. Latour, Principal of the R. C. Ermineskin I.R.S. in NOTRE DAME, Ind.- " To­ Next week we1ve got to get organized! Hobbema; Rev. O. Robidoux, Principal of the R .C. Indian High day, we have 400,000 Indians Now that the summer vacations are over , we trust that a drive burdened by constant econ­ for subscriptions to the INDIAN RECORD will be organized across School in Lebret; Rev. E. Ber­ omic pressure, Federal neglect Canada. net-Rolland, Principal of the We aim at finding one thousand new subscriptions this fall. R.C. R,s. in Duck Lake, Sask.; and utter disregard for their While many mission centers are doing their fair shar,e towards Rev. R. S. Gagnon, Principal of nati ve tribal culture," charges the INDIAN RECORD, there are yet too many schools and missions the R.C. I.R.S . in Onion Lake; Msgr. Bernard A. Cullen, dir­ which have not yet subscribed to the only Catholic publication for and a large number of other ector general of the Mar­ the Indians of Canada. missionaries in field work among Subscriptions are $1.00 a y.ear and should be mailed to the the Indians were in attendance. quette League for Catholic INDIAN RECORD, 6119 McDermot Ave., Winnipeg 2, Manitoba. Indian Missions, in the cur­ Among the most important ren t issue of The Ave Maria, subJects discussed were t hat of y Higher Education for Indian national Catholic wee k 1 Firms Exploiting B.C. children. The assembly was magazine published here. unanimously in favor of the Describing the Indians as "the establishment by the Indian poorest and sickest racial group Should Train Indians Department of Regional High in the United States," Msgr. Cul­ A suggestion that big companies coming into B.C. to Schools and Vocational Schools len declares that if the problem develop natural resources be asked by the government to for the Indians. Due to the con­ is to be solved, 'the Federal Gov­ take a hand in training of Indians was made by T. W. S. stantly increasing number of ernment must face up to its obli­ Parsons, commissioner for many years of the now defunct boys and girls wishing to con­ gations. B.C. Provincial Police, when he spoke to Victoria section, tinue their studies, it was felt that the present policy of the "We do not doubt the sincerity B.C. Historical Association. of any official," he says, but in Indian Affairs Branch of sending general "the traditional policy Mr. 'Parsons said: " If the "earth, pupils to non-Indian Schools 3. nd the fullness thereof, is for Few C"hanges could not cope with present has been one of shortsightedness, (From Page 1, Col. 2 ) inefficiency, and plain stingi­ :tIl people, why not, when cop­ necessities nor does it encourage ness." cessions are sought, see to it that ants of Indians who accepted many who would go on with Education is the gr'eatest need the concessionaires provide an script for their land in Canada's their studies but feel that in cer­ of the Indian today, according to 3. nnual contribution especially early days. tain schools discrimina tion is Led "by Northern Affairs Min­ Msgr. Cullen, and he says that ~ armarked for the furtherance being met with. ister Harkness, the Conserva­ " The Federal Government must of vocational training best suited Election of Officers tives in opposition last year lead the way in providing the ~ o the interests of the Indians Provincial officers for the Indian with education, medical Hving within the periphery of vigorously criticized this section of t he Indian Act after a group Catholic Indian League of Cana­ care and the assurance t hat his those concessions. da elected were: Mr. Maurice historical tribal culture w ill not of Indians on the oil-rich Hob­ "Few mining, oil, lumber or bema reservation of Alberta MacDougall (Brocket) , as pr'esi­ be destroyed." One way of help­ Jther industrial interests could dent; Thorny Cardinal (Saddle ing the Indian, he believes, tried to h ave some fellow reserve "Jossibly object to this. On the dwellers disfranchised to r educe Lake I.R.) , vice-president; and would be the instit ution of Mrs. Jo e Potts (Hobbema ) , ; ontrary, they would just jump the number sharing oil royal­ "Some type of well-managed 3.t the opportunity." secretary-treasurer . Point Four aid program . " ties. The attempt failed in th e The h istory of many Indian courts. The representatives of the The Catholic Church, he points tribes, and the contributions they Urged Appeal Right League in each zone in Alberta out, has about 1,000 priests and have made to B.C., was outlined Justice Minister Fulton, who are: Mr.