‘Ordinary people’ — among top 20 percent The title of this movie, Ordinary People, is misleading. The family it is about, the Jarretts, are wealthier than four out of five U.S. families. - But their material wealth only sets off their human and spiritual pov- erty with greater contrast. - The elder son of the family has been killed in a boating accident. Instead of drawing them close to- gether in mutual consolation and support, this tragedy has emphasiz- ed the family members’ separate solitary worlds. Shortly after his brother’s death, the younger son tries to kill himself. The movie begins soon after he re- turns from a stay in hospital. The Jarretts are ordinary people — of their class. The father, Calvin (Donald Sutherland), is a tax law- yer. The mother, Beth (Mary Tyler Moore), is a housewife. The surviv- ing son, Conrad (Tim Hutton), is a high school senior. The family life of the Jarretts ex- emplifies the values of the manag- ing and professional strata. Mater- ial things are primary and even con- versations at the family dinner table revolve around places and things, rather than people and act- ivities. Their coldness, and their obsession with appearances, is shown not as unusual, but as the norm in their social circles. It is clear that had it not been for the accident, the Jarretts might have continued this way of life in- definitely. But the death puts too much stress upon the fragile strength of the mother. Played superbly and sympathet- ically by Mary Tyler Moore, Beth is strong in one trait alone, self-con- trol. Otherwise, she is an over-pro- tected woman who has never had to bear any difficulty or hardship. She has never had to give of herself, and cannot comfort Conrad, who trau- matically witnessed his brother’s death after trying to save him. Conrad eventually decides to see a psychiatrist, despite his mother’s opposition. Expressing true bour- geois individualism, Beth believes. that ‘‘intelligent people can work out their own problems.”’ The psychiatrist, Dr. Burger (Judd Hirsch), is a down-to-earth man. He passes up Conrad’s offer . to tell him about his dreams, “I want to know what’s bothering you while you’re awake.”” With Dr. ~ Burger’s help, Conrad finally learns to accept his feelings and to express them to others. Ordinary People lacks any class analysis. Yet it paints a critical picture of ruling class values and ~ the way of life of the rich. With these limitations, this is an absorbing, well-paced drama of» convincing characters set in an ac- curately-drawn milieu. It provides a fascinating picture of family dy- namics. There is much insight about the relations between parents and children which extends beyond - the boundaries of any particular group in society. For all of these reasons, this is a movie well worth seeing. —Marian Irving New work on Native land claims \ maps strategy for a just solution | NATIVE LAND CLAIMS: FOR A JUST SETTLEMENT, By Ben Swankey, Published by the Com- munist Party of Canada, Distribut- ed by Progress Books, $1.50. “Canada’s Native people are frustrated, bitter and angry’’ says Ben Swankey in his new pamphlet on Native land claims. The Con- stitution Express is only the most recent evidence that his statement _ is true. The fact that the current discussion on the constitution to- tally ignores the rights of Native peoples is a vivid reflection of generations of trampling on the rights of the original people of Canada. As much as one wel- comes the growing militancy of the Native people demanding their rights, one realizes that what is missing is visible, widespread support from all other Cana- dians Unfortunately it is true that many, if not most, Canadians are unaware of the struggles of the Native people. The media in time honored fashion helps to rein- force stereotypes or picks up on isolated ‘‘newsworthy’’ battles such as James Bay. Swankey has managed in this 50-page pamph- let to cover a surprising number of aspects of the problem, thus providing invaluable material to generate wider involvement. Starting with the most basic in- formation, he explains who the different groups are, how legal status differs, size of population in each group and what organiza- tions exist. Most people are prob- ably aware of the disgraceful con- ditions in which Native people live; Swankey provides the ap- palling statistics but he takes us one step further by showing why land claims are central to the struggle to change these condi- tions. Having been robbed of their territorial rights, the continued existence of the Native peoples as a distinct people is threatened. He shows how proper settlement of their claims would give the means to overcome the economic, social and political inequalities they now suffer. Readers will probably be sur- prised at the number of claims that have been made by different Native groups. As documented in this pamphlet the claims, and the accompanying struggles, have come from the Dene, the Mic- mac, Nishgas, Inuit, Yukon In- dians and many more from the - Maritimes to B.C. There are different kinds of \_ claims, involving differing legal and extra-legal battles. What is not surprising is to read that very few claims have been pressed with much success. In outlining government re- © sponse to the claims, Swankey shows that the motivation is clear- ly the development of natural re- sources. Not because Ottawa or the provincial governments are concerned about providing cheaper energy, about conserva- tion or opening up and develop- - ing the North, but because na- tural resources are an abundant source of profit for the multina- tional corporations. In Ottawa’s eyes nothing must come between potential profit and the monop- Stes — certainly not Native peo- ple. Swankey chronicles a horrible list of government responses to Native pressure, including the: more recent sophisticated tactics of undermining the effectiveness — of legal claims by instigating divi- sion, by using funding to exert ‘pressure, by long frustrating de- lays. This pamphlet is much more than a mere picture of the present — state of affairs. It analyzes the strategy and tactics of moving the struggle forward. First, by setting . out the demands made by the Na- tive peoples themselves, explain- ing why they are justified and sug- gesting ways to win these de- mands, Swankey emphasizes that | alongside the Native people’s struggle goes the struggle of all Canadian working people — be- cause the enemy is the same, a government which is manipulat- ed by and for the multinationals. Given the enormous power of this state-monopoly. alliance, people’s victories can only be won with united, carefully-aimed fire. In other words, the particular struggle of the Native people with the work of the trade unions, of women, immigrants, students, etc., is the struggle of all Cana- It is a sad commentary on the state of Canadian politics that, as the author states: ‘‘Among Ca- nadian political parties only the Communist Party has a clear-cut stand in support of this right of | the Native peoples.” The pamphlet contains a very interesting appendix of useful documents — an eye-opening let- ter from Justice Berger attached to the Report of the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry, which amounts to an indictment of pres- ent government policy; a brief outline of the International Con- ference on Discrimination against : ; | : : | Members of the Squamish band fic retrain I in North Van- | couver in June, 1975 demanding action to restore the land cut off : | their reserve by the 1916 McKenna-McBride Commission. ; | Indigenous Populations in the Americas held in Geneva, 1977, showing that the positions taken by Canadian Native people are in line with similar demands else- where in the world. And finally.a collection of facts and figures on the peoples of the north in the USSR, provide a con- . trasting picture which even the most diehard anti-Sovieteer would find hard to answer. Canada is engaged in a discus- sion on ‘‘our’’ Constitution based on proposals which exclude the people with aboriginal rights in - this country. As the Native people mobilize, as they call on their members to descend on Ottawa from across the country, itis up to all Canadians to support their protest. This pamphlet can make a ma- terial difference to that support. Few people could read Native Land Claims and not become an- - : ah not realize that it is time to —Maggie Bizzell sa — UKRAINSKA KNYHA (Global Imports) A 2677 East Hastings, Vancouver, B.C. 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