« AB - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, January 21, 1998 Residential school legacy is one of ongoing despair Dear Sir: t : In the beginning there were scttlers, people ivith no land, and Indians {with lots of land, There was the Canadian government with the question of how to get this land without war. So came into being the so-called Indian problem. . With the various churches-as cohorts, the Ca- iadian government of the time developed the proposition that im arder to remove the land from under the feet of the Indians, the Indian’s cultural ties to the land would have to be severed. ¢ In order to accomplish this, Indian children Avould be taken from the parents as soon as pos- gible after weaning. the Indian children would then be placed in Canadian government- subsidized, church-run schools which they would call the Indian residential school. : The expressed Intent of these schools was to yemove from the children any and all aboriginal cultural indication by any means deemed neces- e eee CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD The Mail Bag sary. The Canadian government thereby placed the well-being of these children entirely at the mercy of the individuals who directed and staffed the residential schools. These children, in effect, have emerged as the First Nations adults of today. This plan of social dissection would prove to be an on-going catastrophe of immeasurable proportion for the First Nations people of Canada. In these schools some actions and attitudes perpetuated toward the children were so despicable, so emotionally and socially disrup- tive and so highly psychologically destructive in nature as to haunt, disrupt and indeed without question destroy, the lives and culture of First Nations people for generations to come. For many suicide was the only answer to the unending nightmare into which their lives had graduated, For the rest a legacy of violence, abuse and addictions and a generally disabling and dysfunctional lifestyle. For the most part this may be linked directly and indirectly to policy and procedure within the Canadian In- dian residential schools. Within present generations of Canadian First Nations people the extensive legacy of inherited pain and dysfunction continues. For many the healing process is dreadfully slow and brutally painful. Today there are still those who do not survive with their sanity, their freedom or their lives. Who apologizes to these people! Who ap- peases the dead! Who makes good those destroyed! ; Greg Robinson, Kitamaat Village Dear Sir: : Regarding the dismal outlook of the coho and chinook stocks il would seem the only logical Jhing to do is to close down the sport and com- ynercial sport sectors entirely, for both salt and fresh water. ‘ With the survival rate of hook and Hine released fish at 20 per cent, it does not take a genius to see that these fisheries kill five fish for every one landed. Imagine — 50,000 fish landed but 250,000 killed in the process, This seems to me to be a very irresponsible and care~ less way to fish. ’ T suggest that before sport fishers try to lay blame elsewhere for the lack of numbers retumn- Sports fishers must change. ing to the spawning beds, that they should get their own house in order first. Before you start crying about the decimation of your stocks take a long hard took at yourselves and the destruc- tive practices yon use. I suggest DFO ban the catch and release or non-retention method, If there are any sport openings at al] next year then the bag and pos- session limit should be one fish per day. If there are real conservation concerns then the fishery should be shut down in its entirety. The commercial fishery operators have come a tremendous way in harvesting the resource in a conservation minded manner, and it is about time and only fair for the sport and commercial sport sector to do the same. One need only look at the thousands of sport fishermen lining the banks of the Skeena, and the thousands of commercial sardine cans at Langara and other lodges on any given day to a Soggy store If WASN'T smoke that brought the fire depart- ment to Safeway last week, it was water. A broken sprinkler pipe flooded the front part of the building see where all the coho and chinook have gone. C. Mann, Prince Rupert, B.C. . with water. The store was closed for a short time while employees and firefighters mopped up. ecaa Ce ee eS dementia. ee Itis not a normal part of aging. The disease js fatal. wn aneanss eeeeee8e#%¢@ ¢@ serious mental deterioration. be affected. It affects both men and women. — s ¢@ oom ee ks a a Alzheimer Disease is the leading cause of dementia - a set of symptoms that includes loss of memory, judgment and -. reasoning, and changes in mood and ‘behaviour, Sometimes, people fail to recognize that these symptoms indicate that something is wrong. They may mistakenly assume that such behaviour is a normal part of aging - it isn't. Or symptoms may develop gradually and go unnoticed | for a long time. ‘ It is important to see your doctor when you recognize these ‘| symptoms as they may be due to other treatable conditions. If the diagnosis is Alzheimer Disease, help is available. To help you know what warnings signs to look for, the Alzheimer ‘| Society has developed a checklist of ‘| common symptams (some of them may apply to other forms of demen- tia). Review the list - if you notice several symptoms, the person with the symptoms should see a doctor for a complete examination. 10 WARNING SIGNS 1. Memory loss that affects day- -to- day function. oe eh 88 8 es Pare) ara ys ee a Alzheimers Av THE FAcTS e Alzheimer Disease is a neurological disease affecting the brain. It is the most common type of irreversible Alzheimer Disease is one of the four leading causes of death amongst the elderly Over.35,000 British Columbians are. affected by Alzheimer Disease related. dementias. PéOfle in their forties, fifties and oltier: aré affected by Alzheimer. Disease:®. . The disease occurs more frequently'as people get older. oP ES One in 20 people over 65 years have Alzheimer Disease. One in four people over 85 years have Alzheimer Disease. Alois Alzheimer, a German physician, first described it as a'disease of the brain causing memory loss and ee Five to ten percent of the cases are believed to be due to genetic factors. There is no known cause or cure, is IT ALZHEIMER DISEASE? 2. Diffi culty performing familiar tasks. 3. Problems with language. 4, Disorientation of time and place. 5. Poor or decreased judgment. 6. Problems with abstract thinking. 7. Misplacing things. 8, Changes in mood or behaviour. 9. Changes in personality. 10. Loss of Initiative. WHAT CAUSES ALZHEIMER DISEASE? Several factors, alone or in combi- nation, may cause Alzheimer Disease. These include: changes in the brain; environmental toxins (such as chemicals, heavy metals); genetic factors. At the present time, the cause or causes of the disease are unknown. HOW CAN ALZHEIMER DISEASE BE PREVENTED? At this time, there are no recommended steps that one can take to decrease the risk of acquir- ing Alzheimer Disease. HOW CAN ALZHEIMER DISEASE BE TREATED? There are a number of medications which are undergoing testing. Currently, however, there are n medications or other treatments e Alzheimer Disease is progressive. As memory loss increases, changes may also appear in personality, language, mood, judgment and behaviour. Concentration, speech and physical coordination may 2 also” which will stop the disease process, although some, . -mMedications appear o slow the pro- gression of the disease. HOW DOES ALZHEIMER DISEASE AFFECT A PERSON’S ABILITY TO FUNCTION? Like all dementias, Alzheimer Disease affects the brain. The brain controls everything we think, feelor § do. As a result, Alzheimer Disease affects everything someone thinks, feels or does. At the present time, it is estimated that over 32,000 people in British Columbia (over 253,000 pecple in Canada) have some form of irreversible dementia. Of these, it is estimated that 64% have Alzheimer Disease. These numbers are expected to triple by the year 2031. For more information contact the Alzheimer Society of B.C, #20 - 601 West Cordova St., Vancouver, B.C. V6B 1G1 Phone: (604) 681-6530 (Lower Mainland) 1-800-667-3742 (Outside Lower Mainland) Fax: (604) 669-6907 E-mail: alz@mindlink.bc.ca. Terrace Home Support Services, Home Support Program at 635-5135. Senior's Counselor, North West Community Hea Marti Lorriman at 635-9090. Ith Services, (Health Unit), 638-2200. areness ‘(4617 cin Phone: 635-6347 ) wdabes pe 4708 Keith Ave. 4741 Lakelse Ave. 635-5333 635-4948 Terrace BG McEwan ey 5004 Hwy 16 West 635-4941 — 4650 Lakelse Ave 638-0371 Automotive Fuel Conversions & Service ewes Netiral Cnt 4904 Hwy 16 West 635-6617 4652 Lazelle Ave 635-4997 SHOPPERS == DRUG MART as 4635 Lakelse Ave | 635-7261 COMMUNITY RESOURCES Terrace Alzheimer Support Group, Aveline McConnell at 798-2581, Sandra Horbachewsky at 638-0223, Marlene Norman at 635-4955.- ] DUETS he Mes “Aizhelmer Society of B.C., Skeeria Region, Mona Hazel, Regional Representative, 1-800-900-2288 or 1-250-627- 77448,