Frank Calder

THE MAN whose name

was attached to a court case
which paved the: way for
land claims settlements will
be remembered at'a memo-
rial service tomorrow in Vic-
toria.

“ Nisga’a leader
Calder died in the provincial
capital Nov. 4. He was 91
and had been suffering from
the effects of cancer and Te-
cent surgery.

The Calder v. the Attor-
ney-General of B.C. case’s

_central. argument was that

the Nisga’a of the Nass

- Valley never did have their

claim to their land lawfully
extinguished.
It reached . the Supreme

Court of Canada which re- _
sulted in a 3-3 split decision,

by the justices in 1973. A
seventh justice ruled against

‘the Nisga’a on a technical-

ity but the case set in mo-

‘tion political and legal will

leading to treaties based on
aboriginal title in the years
ahead.

Calder’s name was on the .
case through his presidency.

of the Nisga’a Tribal Council
which he helped establish in
the 1950s. He was its presi-
dent from 1955 to 1974.

‘It was a revival of the

Nisga’a Land - Committee,

“formed in the early part of

- what the Nisga’ a called “the

- raised by Arthur and Louisa’

the 20th century to pursue

land question.”

“Born Aug. [3,° 1915, at
Nass Harbour Cannery‘ to
Job and Emily ‘Clark.

By way of tradition-

al adoption, Calder was

Calder.
Early on, he was present-
ed to the Nisga’a chief as

- the person who wouid solve

what they called “the im-
movable mountain” in refer-
ence to the land question. -
That meant attaining an
education and Calder was
sent south at the age of seven

to the Anglican church’s Co- ©

qualeetza residential school
in Sardis in the Fraser Val-
ley.

Returning home to fish
or work in the canneries,

Calder was the first native -

to study at Chilliwack High
School. He was also the first
native to be admitted to the
University of B.C. where he
graduated from the Angle

He was

IONA CAMPAGNOLO
Lieutenant-Governor,

- British Columbia
Frank Calder made history!
Throughout his long life, he
led the way toward greater
respect and understanding
between First Nations peo-
ples and society in general,
but it was his leadership as
an honoured Chief of Chiefs
of the Nisga’a First Nation

that Mr. Calder made an in-:

delible mark on the. future of

Canada.

As the first Member of -
the Legislature of his peo-

ple, Frank Calder took their

_ claims into the courts and

- Premier, British Columbia .

with an eventual. split deci-
sion of the Supreme Court in
the ‘Calder Case’ of 1973,

forced the issue back into.

the political domain for res-

Frank.

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, November 15, 2006 - AS

- Frank Calder.

Called the Chief of Chiefs of the Nisga’a, veteran
leader passes away in Victoria at age of 91.

can Theological College in
1946.

Three years later Calder
achieved another first, be-
ing the first trative person to
be elected to the provincial
legislature, representing the
riding of Atlin which took in:

" the Nass Valley.

He sat in the- legisla-.
ture for 26 years, first as a
member of the. Co-operative
Commonwealth Federation

(CCF) and then as.a mem- »

ber of the New. Democratic
Party when it was created to
take over from the CCF, —

Calder became a minister

without portfolio when Dave
Barrett took the NDP to vic-
tory in 1972. That was short
lived as he was dismissed in

1973 as a result of an inci-.

dentin a public place.
Calder left the NDP in
1975, joining the, Social
Credit party. He succeeded
in retaining the Atlin seat
in the provincial election
of that year as a Socred but

lost it to a New Democrat i in |

1979...

While 1 Calder had a career

as a provincial politician*he
and other Nisga’a leaders on

the Nisga’a Tribal Council -

advanced the land issue in a
methodical manner.

: Their court case was first
filed.in 1968, starting the:

long process leading toward
the 1973 precedent-setting
decision.

It wasn’t until 2000 that.
' the Nisga’a finally achieved.

‘a treaty with the federal and
provincial’ government, es-

tablishing self-government _
and resource. control in the

Nass Valley.

Calder was named Chief
of Chiefs by all four of the
Nisga’a clans as an honour
in 2000.

Other honours
being named to the Order
of Canada and to the Order
of B.C. He was also a Doc-
tor of Divinity, was granted
an honourary Doctorate
of Laws degree from the
University of Victoria, re-
ceived the Aboriginal Order
of Canada and was given a
national aboriginal lifetime
achievement award.

The University of Vic-
toria honourary degree was

granted in 2003, at the same_

time the university held a
symposium in recognition of
‘the 30th anniversary of the

include |

IN HIS capacity as a leader lobbying for a conclusion to the Nisga’a land claim, .
Frank Calder met with many senior political leaders. He's show here with Jean
Chretien and Pierre Trudeau. ”

FRANK CALDER, left, sits on a stage at the Nisga’a Lisims Government special as-
sembly this past May with Hubert Doolan. He was one of the Nisga’a leaders who,
along with Dr. Calder revived the Nisga’a land question in the 1950s: With them is

Nisga’a treaty was finally signed. -

- Joseph Gosnell who was president of the Nisga’a: ‘Tribal: Council j in 2000 when the

Supreme Court decision.

Joseph Gosnell, the pres-:

ident of the Nisga’a Tribal
Council in the years leading

up the 2000 treaty, first met’

Calder when both worked
at the now-gone Sunnyside
Cannery on the Skeena Riv:
er in the early 1950s.

“He was a ark-
able man,” said Gosnell of

‘Calder’s leadership and in-

fluence.”
“He may have been small

‘in size, but he was a giant

remark-:

of. a man,’ Gosnell said in’

referring to Calder’s short
Stature.

Gosnell said he and other
Nisga’a leaders relied.. on
Calder for advice as negotia-
tions intensified leading up
to the 2000 final treaty. .

'“He was very seldom

wrong,” Gosnell said of

Calder’s words of encour-

agement. a
-Gosnell also recalled

Calder’s particular greeting.
“Tt was ‘howdy, partner’

ever the ‘happy warrior’ |

olution and action.

As: lead lawyer of the -

“‘Nisga’a challenge, former
B. C. Justice Tom Berger
was quoted as saying at the

time: “sometimes ‘a loss can _
and so’

3.99

be as good as a win’,
it turned out to be. .

A decade later with the
inclusion in Canada’s Con-
stitution of Section 35 in
which aboriginal rights and
‘title were finally entrenched,
all Canadians saw the com-

“mencement of a new era of |
justice was evolving into be-.

ing, and is still in the process
of doing so. That is Frank
Calder’s epitaph.

Frank Calder’s triumph
came when the Nisga’a
‘Treaty was finally affirmed,
a quest he shared with all the
great Nisga’ a leaders over
the 113 years it took to come

_lona Campagnolo

to fruition.
I knew Frank Calder over

_ many years he was always

in the thick of debate and

Sometimes. in controversy,

but ever ‘the ‘happy warrior’,
finding his way through the

thickets of opposition with .

grace and a smile, ever ge-
nial in spite of difficulties
and often of hostilities.

His great spirit ‘will .
the -

remain. always with

Nisga’a people.

And for the rest of us, we
can only express our pro-

found thanks to Frank Calder —
- for his role in the attainment.

of a better, fairer and more
just. British Columbia and
Canada.

My sympathy is with his

widow Tamaki and their son

and the people of the Nisga’a

First Nation.
Lieutenant-Gover nor

._fona Campagnolo grew up ,

ited several Nass Valley vil-

| lages this past May. ,

‘His contribution was immeasurable’

GORDON CAMPBELL,

“All British Columbi-
ans join in mourning the
loss of one of B.C.’s most
distinguished aboriginal
leaders and a. great Brit-
ish Columbian, Dr. Frank
Calder. Over his lifetime,
Dr. Calder demonstrated an
unparalleled commitment to
the well-being of aboriginal
peoples and to the future of
this province.

“A pioneer of First Na-
tions’ land claims and mem-
ber of the Order of Canada
and the Order of B.C., Dr.

Calder’s life was marked -

by a series: of firsts: the first

status Indian admitted to the

University of British Co-
lumbia; the first aboriginal
person to be elected to the
Legislature, where he served
with distinction for 26 years;
the first aboriginal person to
enter the Canadian Parlia-
‘ment and first to be appoint-

. eda Minister of the Crown.

“A tireless champion of

- equality for aboriginal peo-

ples, Dr. Calder founded the
Nisga’a Tribal Council, the
first established in B.C., and
served as its president for 20
years. Later, he was named

Chief of Chiefs, a singular
honour accorded him by all
four Nisga’a clans.

“Dr. Calder worked dili-
gently to create a better life
for aboriginal peoples, help-

ing to build a new relation- »
* aboriginal ~
_and non-aboriginal peoples

ship, between

based on trust, mutual re-

spect and reconciliation.
“His contribution to Brit-

ish Columbia was immea-

surable; his loss is deeply - }
felt by British Columbians © §

everywhere. To his family
and his community we of-
fer our sincerest condolen-

or)

ces.

Gordon Campbell .

“Calder

‘Calder’s

or ‘hey, partner.” That was
his personal greeting.” *

Nelson Leeson, the presi-
dent of the Nisga’a Lisims

Government which replaced.

the old tribal council, said
Calder fought for justice for
the Nisga’a. :

“We will be discussing

his legacy for generations to _

come,” said Leeson.
Calder is survived by his

ick. ,

a

Overcame
big burden

By FRANK HOWARD
Former MLA
When Dr. saan

was elect-. -
ed as an
MLA® in
1949 he
was eS- »
sentially:
‘a strang-
er in a
strange
land. Na- |
tive peo-- |

ple had been denied the right
to vote until that year.. Mr.’

Frank Howard

background would have had
no experience in the world
of politics. —

The burden upon him at
that time was huge. Regard-.

less of his unfamiliarity with

legislative matters, he suc-
ceeded.

‘He. was able to bring to
‘the general public an en-
lightenment about the ‘his-
tory of native people. He

- also served his constituents

in Adin with distinction.
I’m personally sorry that

he has gone from this world,

but to me he will always .
live. He will live in my
memory. as a devoted and
conscientious human being
who never lost sight of his

-goals and objectives.

When [ was a candidate
at the 1952 provincial elec-
tion, Mr. Calder ‘introduced
me to the history, hopes, and
aspirations of native people.
I have always been deeply

‘grateful for that education.

wife, Tamaki, and son Er- -

family and tribal -

eS AS
. a!
The Mail Bag
Clean up the lot.
Dear Sir:

Going, going, gone. Shell has removed all their signs
etc. and Gino has sold off the rest of the equipment. It’s
too bad we are losing the only full time-service station and
someone that knew how to please his customers, whatever
their problem. x

Now I would like too know. what is going. happen to
‘the lot when the garage is taken down, Will Shell be:able
‘to just put a fence around the Jot or will the powers that be

will they leave it for the next victim.
,fence without cleaning up the mess and ‘it remains unus-

done and maybe we could use the lot for benches for tour-

ists or town people fo use.
~ James Piper, Terrace, B. c.

- Oil and nature don’t mix.

-Dear Sir: .
In an Oct. 25, 2006 Terrace Standard advertisement,
Enbridge Gateway Pipelines Inc., through its association

mitment to preserve and sustain the precious. balance at

ui

and protect fresh. water ecosystems.

touched watersheds and crossing in excess of 870 streams.
The potential damage to fish, wildlife and their habitats is

The two initiatives are a contradiction. Wild.and natural
places usually lose when they collide with development
and the ambition to: make money.

Making connections |

Dear Sir:

Marianne Brorup Weston’s recent letter about the. avail-

major centres for health care services.

40 Start the’. NH Connections’ low-cost bus service: Now
that the bus service is running, we're: working onthe ac-

_ More‘ inforrnation’is available ‘on ‘our ‘Webpage, “FY?
PERLINK www.northernhealth.ca/nhconnections:-wwwi
northernhealth.ca/nhconnections, under the heading of
‘Accommodation Options.’ The Inn at False Creek’s phone
number is 1-800-663-8474.

tels and inns across the region for low-cost. medical travel
rates and expect to be able to make announcements on this
soon. This isn’t always easy to do as more economic ac-

tivity leads to greater demand for hotel rooms, but. we are
continuing to develop options. .

details to regional media as soon as we're able.

}

Hungry bears get shot |

Dear Sir:.

it so they cant get into there.

shots into a bear make sure ‘its. dead but come on, it only
takes one bullet. I hope I’m never hungry in Terrace. ~

An uncertain future

Dear Sir:

sad day for Terrace, the end of an era. This super modern
mill was auctioned off for peanuts, what a shame, what a

and could not get rid of it soon enough.

industry. Even the second generation of these early i immi-
_grants were able to do the same thing. .

cutting the lifeline of this operation. Mind you, the lumber
pert will be operating which will be the gateway to China

with a huge market waiting to be served.

them at all:

have closed already and others are in the process of doing
so. A once thriving town will face an uncertain future.
Ortrud Buschmann,, Terrace, B. Cc. -

About the Mail Bag

- The Terrace Standard welcomes letters. Our address.
is 3210 Clinton St., Terrace, B.C. V8G 5R2. You can:

terracestandard.com. No. attachments, please. Name,

address and phone number required for verification.

make sure that all. contaminated ground is cleaned up or

able. I think the city should make sure that the clean up is

Jim Culp, Terrace, B.C.

_ On behalf of Northern Health, I'd like to respond to

: We'll put information on our website and provide the

I would like to thank people for writing in . about the
bears being shot. Does anyone wonder why they are com-.
ing in so close to the town? How about the-fact that for -
years they were: going to the dump, as part of their-food
chain. Putting that barbaric fence around the dump, makes

Ken Dawson, Terrace, B. c.

This mill provided. jobs for many people, ever since:
the early fifties when immigrants came from all over the.
world, found employment in this mill and in the logging _

Many people will have to leave this once. thriving town
to find employment elsewhere, which is a terrible shame -
as they have lived here for most of their lives. Many stores

Other service stations that have left town just put-up a

with the Nature Conservancy of Canada, “stated its com-. -

play within BC’s fresh water ecosystem“. Enbridge is at- |
tempting to, legitimize its. standing in the movement to save .

_. This company is proposing to: construct a 20” conden.”
-sate pipeline and a'36” oil. pipeline between. Edmonton.
-and Kitimat through hundreds of kilometres of wild, un-

overwhelming. Enbridge’s expertise is to market, ship and .
make money from oil, not to save fresh water ecosystems. -

ability” of hotel rooms for people who have to travel for
specialized medical. services. Northern Health, through the . |:
‘NH Connections program, is working to make low-cost
hotel accommodations available to patients: who’ travel to :

The first priority for the. NH Connections | program’ was: as

‘commodation issue. In ;downtown Vancouver, the Inn at ‘«...
False Creek has offered very good: rates'for-people who. -
are in Vancouver for medical appointments. Thathotelisa
few blocks from St. Paul’s Hospital, and is close to transit ’ -
routes in Vancouver. It is also the Vancouver stop for the -
NH Connections bus service.

We are also working to make. arrangements with ho- —

Sean Hardiman, Northern Health,
Prince George, B. Cc. ce

. Where’s the next.stop? Easy { food i in ‘town on trees and -
all around. Then they pay with their lives because they are. -
hungry. And that’s not done very well either. Ten to. 15-

The day they had the. auction at the, mill was a a very \ |

‘crime. It seems that.the city’s politicians jumped the gun m.

Then the government took the timber licences: away a
from the mill and the logging industry:came to a grinding —
halt: Taking the timber licences away from the mill is like

market has not been very good for some time, but things .
will change in time. In a few years, the port in ‘Prince Ru- ©

‘So why did our town politicians jump the gun? They
should have protested the taking away of the timber li-..
cence. One would think it is their job-to protect the town. . -
and to ensure employment, otherwise why do we need ::

fax us at 250-638-8432 or e-mail its at newsroom@ ~~

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