on federal help: for status Indians “who want -education beyond - high school was effectively cur-.. tailed by an announcement "March 20 from the Department _.. Of Indian affairs stating that funding for post-secondary | education programs has been frozen. at 1988 levels. Native people across Canada reacted in . protest, and - one’ of the» demonstrations was held in Ter- race, - oe! - More than 200 students, ‘parents and aboriginal leaders gathered in George Little Park . on the morning of March 22. To ‘the thump of drums played by . Kitsumkalum Band members, several native leaders from around the region took the podium in the Bandshell and ad- dressed protesters from Terrace, Aiyansh, Kitamaat Village, the’ Prince Rupert area and the Queen Charlotte Islands. The Post-Secondary Student Assistance Program. for status ‘. Indians began in 1973 and by 1981 was providing $25 million in aid to native students going to college and university. . Cost of the program had escalated to $93 million by 1987, and last year, according to the Depart- . Ment of Indian and Northern Affairs which administers the program, it- was up. to $130 million. The. March 20 an-. houncement will effectively act _ 48a cutback because the funding has been frozen but: post- . secondary education costs will tise. The program helped 15,000 “students last year, but -with higher costs the - number - of students given aid will be -re- ‘duced, - April 1. oo! Welcoming remarks were made by Mel Bevan, Kitselas Band chief and vice-president of the Tsimpsean. Tribal Council, Bevan said the new policy is in-’ - dicative that. the federal gover- ment’ “does not consider Native people part of Canada... (this program) is seen as a. funding burden” instead of an -investment”’, . Bevan’s remarks were echoed by those who followed him in addressing the gathering. They -Tepeatedly emphasized that they. are not.a burden on the tax- payer, : Nelson Leason from Green- ville shouted, ‘‘We challenge them to assess the amount of taxes we pay, and then say we’re a burden.’’ Leason said educa- tion is the only way out of) poverty for Indians, and he call- ed’ the DIA’s policy short- ~~ Cheque __Natives protest freeze on ed _ WERRACE — Any expansion of . wut that costs. mge—wEN ee ————- _Of-the post-secondary assistance ont program are more than offset in fax Terrace, The policy comes into effect _ 0 1 year — $24.00 CJ Money Order sighted, pointing out that costs the long term by enabling natives to be self-sufficient con- : .tributors to Canadian society. ' Rod Robinson, ‘the ‘executive director for the Nisga’a Tribal Council, expressed disappoint- ‘ment in the federal government | [ and stated that he and parents and authorities within the tribal council have spent. years en- _ cOuraging their young people to go beyond high school. ‘“‘We have-told them that education is ‘the key to unlocking many op- portunities. We will soon have self-government, we need train-— ed people.” ‘Robinson went on to deny . that native people burden the economy, saying that with land claims not yet settled, “‘others - benefit from the land and resources... We are not a@ burden, we are paying,’® Robin- son noted that a recent study in- dicates that people from the Nass Valley spend $12: million annually on retail- purchases in He concluded. by asking for help from the non-Native com- munity in reversing the DIA policy decision. ‘“We all have to live together,”’ he said, Led -by the drummers from the Kitsumkalum Band, the demonstrators left the park and marched down Lakelse Ave. to ‘the Department of. Indian and ‘Northern Affairs office in the: Almarlin Building on Eby St. The entire group intended to stage a sit-in in the office, but they discovered when they arriv- ed that the office was locked. — Richard Turcotte, the district AY D hk J NORTHERN MOTOR =INN= BOB COLD BEERS IRE | | = Hundreds of native leaders, students an Terrace last week as part o post-secondary education ucation :— th = | Terrace Review — Wednesday, March 29, 1989.3... aid fund ae ee Department of Indian Affairs office on Eby St. - manager for the Terrace DIA of- fice who took up the post only three weeks ago, said he had locked up the office on direct and unequivocal orders from Ottawa. The central office for the department had anticipated the protest action and given | blanket directives for all offices “across the country'to. close up. Kitamaat Band chief Gerald Amos addressed the assembly outside the DIA office, saying, ‘We're locked out, and that’s CATCH THE ACTION. Visit the Northern Motor Inn, for nightly entertainment. Come to where the ACTION is. . - 3086 Hwy. 16 East 635-6375 7 ‘Subscription Order Form: | CJ]. 2 years — $45.00 O Master Card a ; : Card No. Please send a subscription to: expiry Dole . q _ . a Address Mail or bring this form to: Terrace Review 7 So . 43335 Greig Avenue, Phone — Postel Code - ‘Terrace, B.C., V8G IMT Seniors in Terrace and District $12.00 ; Seniors out of Terrace and Olstrict $15.00 CI Vise symbolic because we're also locked out Of the decision- making process,’? The new policy not only limits the amount of money spent on the program but also imposes stricter limitations on qualifica- tions. Prior to the demonstra- tion Juanita Parnell, education coordinator for'the North Coast Tribal Council, claimed, ‘The government wants to limit our ability to be self-sufficient,’ At the end of the demonstra- tion, Richard Turcotte met with about a half-dozen leaders in his office. Turcotte reportedly told them he would express their con- - cerns to the regional director, who would then carry those con- cerns to the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, Pierre Cadieux. COME AND VISIT OUR ACCESS * Habitat Protection * Fisheries Biologist * Waste Management ¢ Consumer Taxation Branch Combining the services of: Opening April 3, ¢ Conservation Officer Service NEW CENTRE 1989: ¢ Postal Services Branch es ¢ Employment Standards Branch... a * Liquor Control and Licencing Branch ° Safety Engineering Services Division © Government Agent Office { Opening April 17, 1989: ¢ Regional Motor Vehicle Office «sits | _* Motor Licence Office a ALL RELOCATED TO B.C. ACCESS CENTRE 3220 Eby TERRACE. - Phone 638-3200 _. Ministry of Regional Development Hon. Elwood N. Veitch, Minister ¢ Regional Development Liaison Officer LZ eee nae Oe, SE le ee oe Laiillenbitteess: A a ae ee A haweg Ae crane aac Sin Sia ae aa tl Rtg dinatlarterer ate Se