ae RT CL ie A RY ot Mie ets Del Ma Ree ee

a: ; 8 a : — .TO THE TERRACE STANDARD

Free ride a myth |

- Dear Sirs

. Re: Letter titled “An unjustified Picture”? ~
in the Aug. 15, 1990 i issue,

Your letter encourages me to begin by saying
‘that I’m proud to. bea Nisga’a Indian, but em-
Darrassed to be a Canadian.

‘I’m appalled at your lack of knowledge about
Indians 1 in general, and your discriminatory at-
titude.

_ | First of all, taxes are not the concern of the
Native Indians, these are levied by the govern-
ment, and they spent these on a lot of other
things besides Indians. I pay taxes on the goods
that I purchase when E come to town to shop, as

do many of our people who patronize your local

businesses. If you don’t want us here, perhaps we
can take our business elsewhere where it is ap-
preciated,
As for your comments on the Post Secondary
‘sponsorship for eight years. This is entirely un-
true, Go to your local Indian Affairs branch and
find out what their policies are, and you will see
enn ctly how the government works, I'm not sur-
prised that they haven't countered this claim,
because they probably can’t decide which of their
many-employees are responsible for writing let-
ters of response to claims of this nature.
I graduated from UBC in 1980 after five years
of meager sponsorship, which went to pay for
* tuitibn and housing. My children were with me,
and I had to apply for a Canada Student Loan to
help me out, which I am Still paying for. Mind
you, I?m grateful for the sponsorship, but I can
still recall the’ struggles I experienced as a Native
Indian attending University. It was a struggle
against a system, and the hurdles after each suc-
cess ful year got more and more difficult to over-

The. attitude of the University population
sh ig have been-free of any prejudice. In reali-
ty, discrimination. was alive and well in the
enlightened, knowledgeable community which
trains people to be teachers, lawyers, doctors,
engineers, etc. Imagine how many people have
been influenced in these classrooms by some of
the educators who made negative comments
about Native Indians. Mind you, we witnessed
‘these in the years 1975-1980. Perhaps things have
changed since then?

The special training programs and oppor-
tunities do not necessarily lead to jobs, as you
can tell by the numbers of unemployed Native
Indian people in Canadian Society. Don't be so
naive! Some employers do. not’ have such
generous liberal views of Indians as some might
like to think.

I’m fed up with discrimination. and I'm
fighting it through my job as a teacher, and
through local yolunteer work. [ want my children
to live in a better atmosphere than the one I ex-
perienced, How many of your childreri have been
ridiculed or attacked on a public street? My two
innocent girls ages 4 and 9 were walking down
University Village with me one day on our way to
the library, when and. old non-Indian lady at-
tacked them verbally and grabbed my youngest, I
was appalled and thoroughly disgusted, I told
her to leave my children alone. She ranted and
raved about Indians and acted crazy. My
children were frightened and they can still
remember this incident to this day,

I am employed full time with good pay, but I
cannot get loans at banks, so [ get them at high
interest finance companies. Many of our people
get their loans from. these‘ places, I have no
qualms about speculating the reasons for this.

There are numerous prejudices that we en-
counter on a daily basis. The Native Indian

' Peoples in this country share the same ex-

periences even though. we live:in’ different pro-
vinces and are from different tribes. I’ve been to-
residential schools in Alberta and B.C. As a
result I’ve been working towards changing socie-
ty’s attitudes so that our children do not have to
suffer through the painful ordeals that we all ex-
perienced. The movement for change has been
quiet but painfully slow.

Our wealth is our culture, not money. Now we
have little of both, Our culture was taken away

from us at residential schools and our lands:

stolen by the ‘non-Indian government. ‘These
lands we are claiming belong to us and they were
supposed to be held in trust for us, but they were
‘sold and given away without our knowledge or

' consent. If we were rich with money we wouldn't

have the time or the inclination to put up road

blockades. ;
cont'd A8:

Blockades are no joke

~ pear sai | ‘

With reference to the letter.

"This game playing must
© itop” by BIll Homburg of
Terrace, B.C. in your August
: 15, 1990 newspaper.
+ | What ‘the’ Canadian
+ aboriginal people are doing is
‘not a laughing matter, and
‘ sitould not and is not taken
‘lightly. Someone sitting in
« Terrace can have a complete-
oly. different view on
-., blockades and issues concer-
“ning Canada’s Native In-
dlans. r

~. His comments on marxist,
leftist, red propaganda,
apartheld:and nalve conser-

oo: Vative governments, sounds
‘like the riligious colonialism

-and fanaticism which the
° missionssies used on the

a aborigianal people 100 years

3 go, |

\ They: came disguised as
|» savers’? and were successful
“in stripping the Native In-
~ dlans of their dignity and self

esteem. The Native Indian
* People: were “brainwashed'’
“into ‘believing {heir tradi-
, tions; culture and what (hey
- owned, was “‘heathenism’*.
-, When the Queen or other
iv digaitaries come to Canada,
. - the Native Indians are invited
. to epme out in thelr dancing
andi chiefs’ attire with thelr
a totem poles and made to put

_ > om /a. show as 3 Canadian
: culture,
|. The government of

ada tried to put the

; Native Indian people in its:

.. qloset one year. The Queen,
” when she was not greeted by

eltizens of our nation’.
A true chief who believes

in his traditions and culture

does not allow anyone to
wear his chiefs attire for any
reason, or touch it. This gar-
ment is sacred.

At certain blockades set up
to try to save the land from
clear-cut logging, we find out
who Is with us and against
us. We lived with discrimina-

tion long enough not to care’

who is against ‘us.

The writer says ‘‘to. go
back and live off the land.”’
Qur grandparents and
parents taught us how to sur-
vive in the wilderness and live
off the land. We can do it.
Come with us to the clear-cut
logging areas in our moun-
tains where you are readily
sending us back and see for
yourself where the animals,
birds, fish, berries. and
medicine and other plant
foods used to be, and the
behavior of wildlife today,
They too, have no place to
go.
| Our drinking water and
rivers are polluied, but we
are not allowed to mention
these things. If we do, we are
made to look confused and
dumb and probably Listed In
a black book, and classed as
militant. This is where
treating them differently
comes in, Our older genera-
tion and some of us today,
were made to be embarrassed
and timid by Christianity, of
our race, tradition and
culture. :

The aboriginal people did

to keep us out of sight ‘and
out of mind, The Europeans :
forgot about the Native In-
dian People when they struck
gold, dropped their survey
Instruments and rushed to
the gold fields.

We were still here when
you all got back and some of
you came back broke. The
Jand today is stripped, we are
here, and we will still be here

. When everything is gone and

you will all go away with
your money for awhile. or
retire somewhere else. You

_ tell me, which one of us is the

mest greedy?

Do not criticize anyone
unless you have walked a
mile in their moccasins.

Signed,
M.G. Dalen
Cedarvale, B.C.

Dear sir:

As residents a
Hazelton area, we are deeply.

concerned over forestry and’ -

land use policies that involve
overcutting, clearcutting, use

of hazardous chemicals, «
damage to fish and wildlife . ....
~ habitat, and destruction of
the natural beauty ‘af: our.
own human habitat.:-, 6°

Because of the close ‘con
nection between environmen-
tal issues and the issues of the °

First Nations’ land title ac-
tion, we wish to express our |
support for the Native road.

blockades in this area and
throughout Canada.

of. the on

Terrace Standard, Wednesday, August 29, 1980 — Page A AS |

‘We understand the hard-

oe ships’ and upset caused by
. loss of income by loggers and
’ pther workers who have been
' affected by the blockades,
’ However, if the environmen-

tal deterioration that is tak-
ing place under present Jand

use policies is allowed to con-.
- tinue, a few years down the
> ‘road we-will all be faced not
~ ‘only with loss of income, but
“also with loss of the natural
' resources and environment

that make Canada unique,

We urge the government,
banks and forest industry to
start now to devise ways to
protect individual workers

*

LAND
CLAIMS |

The debate: f

continues

Support common cause -

“from hardship while chang- :

ing over tO a. more. sus-.
tainable economy.

. To address these concérns,
a Three Rivers Environmen-

tal Education Society is being

formed, and will hold.:a--
meeting on Sunday, Sept. 9.

For more information, peo-

ro

ela i a

ple are invited to phone

"842-5109,

Sincerely,

- . Geoff. ‘Watling, Brad Red- _
dekopp, Geneva Hagen, Al |
Don.
G.G.. McKeown, |

Brady, Jim Hagen,
Monet,
Robert Melvin, Robert Ar-

-thur, Carolyn, Himmelright, ;
Meshell] |
Melvin, Maggie Carew.

Caril Chasens,

Read and learn

Dear Sir:

In response to letters you
recently published from

' Mary. Holland, Jack Davis
. (MLA), Howard Ennis and
_ Bill Homburg: I suggest they

read more about ‘aboriginal

', Kights. With that in mind, I

offer’ the ‘following excerpt
‘from(Drumbeat) ‘by Boyce
Richardson. —_-

“The ghost of the former
governor of the colony of
B.C., Joseph Trutch, con-
tinties to materialize through
Statements of B.C.’s politi-
cians. Thus it was possible
for Allan Williams, the At-
torney General of the newly

elected Socred government,

to say in 1975, “Just because
a bunch of Indians wandered
up and down the Rocky
Mountain trench for a few
hundred years does not mean
they own it.”

In nearly 200 years of con- |

tact, Indian people have
learned more about the white
man, than the white man has

learned from the Indians.

The above statement conveys

both ignorance and contempt
for the original people of

The responsibility for
bridging this cultural ig-
norance lies partly with the
Indian people — we have
made efforts to do this. But
an equal and greater respon-
sibility fies with. the non-
Indian society, and its
leaders.

Indian people have
learned more about the
white man than the

- white man has learned

from the Indians.

NATIVE, BLOCKADES have prompted mixed reactions from those

The Chiefs have strong im-
peratives for immediate ac-
tion. On each visit to their
territories they see the ac-
celerating rate of clear cut
logging, the widespread use
of chemical pesticide on
farms and forests, the water
pollution from open pit
mines and are well aware of
the threat posed by hydro-
electric dams in their salmon
rivers. At the same time,
their exercise of jurisdiction
of the territory and the river
fishing sites faces mounting
harassment from fisheries of-
ficers and conservation of-
ficers.

Most of all the chiefs are
anxious to ensure that the
future of their children and
grandchildren are not con-
sumed by alcohol, drugs,
violence, family breakdown
and a whole host of social ills
that affect societies denied
self determination and self-
respect.

The need for immediate
action has not blinded the
chiefs to the need for
thoughtful implementation.
Long before European col-
onization the Indian tribes’

shared histories. Although
each society, was distinct,

they shared a common view.

‘of how the world worked,
Our oral histories record a
dynamic culture with
humerous migrations

throughout the territory..

Each migrant .group :was:ex-:

- pected -to understand. and-

obey the laws of those who
had arrived previously, and
each added important new
elements to society and the
culture.

With this history in mind
we have watched with in-
terest the emergence of

‘Canadian Society over the

’ past 100 years. Nat only does _

it disrespect the society of the
people originally here, but it
forcibly prevents the Chiefs
from obeying their own laws.
They realize that a future
based on our own Jaws and
institutions will necessitate
informed negotiations with
the non-Indian people.

Who the Chiefs will
negotiate with and the
framework for those discus-
sions have not been deter-
mined. It is difficult to know
what the outcome of this will

be. We realize all people’

within Canada are bound
together in a complex, rapid-
ly changing world. We think
our traditions and the
cultures we have inherited
have much to say that is of
value to others as we all try
to deal with the forces of
change.

We know from bitter ex-
perience that others do not
know what is best for us. We
are in‘a fight we will never
give up. A fight to implement
the policies we know will
help us lift ourselves from
our present problems. We
hope for and welcome the
support of other people in
Canada in that struggle.’’

= the Native Indians during 2 == mot invent reserves. The ed ir social and economic systems . Thank you,
i visit to Canada, made 2 point Europeans saw the richness —_ USIng northwestern highways. But, judging fram the number oflet- —_ were interwoven with those Deborah Morrison-.
-"'@f mentioning the Aboriginal - of this land and they had to —_—‘ters from readers, they have also focused public attention on the © of the people around as, Hayward, ”
_, People of Canada as “Firat do something with the people = entiré question of land claims and aboriginal title, through. family ties and Kitimat, B.C, .
Dear Sir; ‘starting in high school. can label a fellow native Canadian racist from long ago.

Status Indians, with so many benefits, ;
demand so much — they demand land ©
and compensation from non-Indians for:
any profits made from living on the land, *
past, present and future. If ‘what's ours 3
is theirs and what's theirs is ours’ then”
we must demand that all benefits
previously received by Indians, including ie
payments for self. government-; and ©:
Department of Indians Affairs, be.
Meducted from ‘any of their: future at
* payments, All benefits must. ”

ry

or prejudice while staging ‘‘all Native In-
dian soccer tournaments” or sporting
baseball caps that read, “Thank God I'm
an Indian'’? ;
_ When crossing © the : US: /Canadian
border, we must pay duty: on: thé ‘ther-
‘chandise purchased — a’status native In-
dian does not. Native Indians are con-
cerned about stripping the land of its
resources while it is these: resources: that ..
put’bread on all our tables, = 2
Why is it you may ask, that we'v

When starting a business, native Cana-
_,dians must almost use everything owned
-@8 collateral to receive government fun-
ding for.a business, while native Indians
can obtaiti government grantsto begin a
business’ (if it is 51% owned by status.
native Indians) and the loan will be
‘forgotten’? if payments are made for a
certain amount of time.

To own a home, usually both husband
“and wife in a native Canadian family

In Webster's Dictionary, a definition
of native is; ‘*being the place or environ-
ment in which a person was born or a
| thing came into, being! ' one’, ‘Ss -native

at land. As someone. who'was born’ and
~ ralsed in Canada, I think of myself as a

native Canadian. Why is it then that a

native Canadian’ must pay for medical

plan coverage while “native Indians

receive not only free medical ‘and dental : ,
. for life, but also free prescriptions: and ©

- Optical costs? ‘-work..to’ pay the mortgage... and heard so very little.on these issues from’ — let them earn their equality’
A native Canadian must prove that he: housekeeping payments, whilé a status “the: non-Indians in'the.pagt? Ifthe os
or she has worked and pald taxes before” ‘native Indian can receive free land and government had formed an otganization . Sincerely, :
_ otte'ls eligible for a student loan, while . subsidized housing. called the “‘Department.of Non-native —_T. Riley. whe,
native Indians are paid to go to school, © Affairs,” we would. ‘have been’ heard __ S.Hazelton.

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Why is it that a status native. Indian

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