The Aboriginal Newspaper of British Columbia & Yukon Published September 18, 2000 Vanessa Jules dances at the Kamloopa powwow held August 18 to 20. Photo credit: Brad Crowfoot First Nations concerned with Alliance policies by Lee Toop Nisga'a treaty template won't fly in Sto:lo land by Gabriel Haythornthwaite Society works to improve health with tradition by Lee Toop Publisher pumps up pride by Tracey Jack Non-Native residents upset by Christopher Bolster and Jennifer Feinberg This is only a partial listing of the stories featured in the September, 2000 issue of Raven's Eye. If you are not receiving your own copy of Raven's Eye, then you have missed out on a lot. Click here for Raven's Eye subscription information. First Nations concerned with Alliance policies By Lee Toop Raven's Eye Writer MERRITT In the Nicola Valley and elsewhere, First Nations groups are expressing serious concern about the Aboriginal rights policies of the Canadian Alliance party. Nicola Tribal Association Chairman George Saddleman said the policies are aimed at removing the recognition of Native title in land claims and treaty processes. The policies of this party- the Reform party or this new party - really go against grain of First Nations thinking when it comes to making an agreement with the federal Crown, he said. "The kind of policy statements they're making don't lend to any kind of relationship with the First Nations people. They put us in a museum and leave us there." In the policy declaration dated January 2000 found on the Canadian Alliance website, the party states its commitment to individual freedom and equality is "the key principle from which we will approach Aboriginal affairs policy," and that Aboriginal self government will be a "delegated municipal level of government rather than a sovereign third order of government." The document also states that allocation of harvest rights to natural resources will not be race-based, and that "Aboriginal Canadians should have the same rights and responsibilities as all other Canadians." During his visit to Merritt recently, Day stated that equality for all Canadians, including Aboriginal people, was a key part of his party's stance. Saddleman, however, feels that equality is still a long way off. "When he talks equality, there's a lot of catching up to do," Saddleman stated. "Look at the World Health Organization discussion of where First Nations people in Canada stand. Three years ago we were 42nd on the world list; a report came out in January that said we were slipping down to 67th on the list. If he's talking equality, there's a long way to go to get First Nations people back on the track. Alliance's disagreement with the Supreme Court of Canada Delgamuukw decision that acknowledges First Nations' title to traditional lands could lead to lengthy court battles costing the taxpayers plenty, Saddleman said. "The Supreme Court is supposedly the highest judicial body in our constitutional system; if someone says they want to change the law, they have to do a lot more than just say those things," Saddleman said. "I don't know if that's what people are wanting. We didn't want to go to court in the first place. It'll take a lot of dollars and they'll be using federal dollars to do that, especially if they get into power." If the Alliance becomes the government, Saddleman believes there may be confrontations down the road. "If we have to go up against an opinion like Stockwell Day's, we're going to have to do something about it. I don't know how we'll do that until First Nations people come to some sort of understanding," he said. "I belong to the Interior Alliance, and they're saying 'No, this kind of policy talking is not doing anybody any good. It's just muddying up the water more than what's happening now.'" Nisga'a treaty template won't fly in Sto:lo land By Gabriel Haythornthwaite Guest Columnist More than 125 years after the first Sto:lo land claim petition, negotiations have barely begun between the Indigenous peoples of the Fraser River and the governments of British Columbia and Canada. The Sto:lo Nation, representing 17 bands, formally entered the BC Treaty Process (BCTP) in October 1995. Two months after the Sto:lo voted to continue with the process in a December 1996 referendum, the BC Treaty Commission announced that the Sto:lo treaty table was ready to enter Stage Three, in which a framework agreement for treaty negotiations is outlined. Three years later, little progress has been made. Only recently has there been any serious attempt to restart negotiations. At a main table session held in Chilliwack on May 26, the new chief provincial negotiator, Katherine Gordon, pledged both governments would engage in a new relationship with the Sto:lo upon the basis of "mutual respect and openness." However, these friendly words could not conceal the chasm of disagreement that blocks the signing of a treaty settlement. The key stumbling block is the substance of certainty sought in a future treaty. Similar to other Native participants in the BCTP, the Sto:lo oppose the government's promotion of a Nisga'a certainty model, whereby Natives relinquish any future claims to land and resources. At the May main table session, the Sto:lo chiefs' representative, Lester Ned, was adamant that the Sto:lo would not accept an extinguishment of their inherent rights. "We congratulate the Nisga'a for their treaty. But it is not a template for the Sto:lo people. We will not water down our Aboriginal rights just to get a treaty." Directly tied to the question of certainty is the status of lands and resources in Sto:lo territory. According to Grand Chief Clarence Pennier, the executive director of the Sto:lo Aboriginal Rights and Title department and an advisor to the negotiating team, the type of certainty desired by the Sto:lo would involve a retention of rights to their entire traditional territory with a negotiated agreement of where those rights could be exercised and in what fashion. This would require a clear delineation of jurisdiction over lands and resources, including areas of shared responsibility. Taxation and Native fishing and hunting rights are also contentious issues. In a personal interview, Pennier stressed that the Sto:lo are unlikely to give up the tax exemption rights extended to first peoples in treaties outside British Columbia. Nor will the Sto:lo agree to the confinement of a Native fishery within the Department of Fishery and Oceans licensing system. Referring to the recent Marshall decision, Pennier refuted the government position by asking, "why should we accept less in negotiations than our legal rights?" Aggravating the divide over treaty ssues are the problems with the negotiation process. Despite the rhetoric of mutual respect, the governments have insisted upon preconditions such as the non-negotiable status of privately owned land. The province's encouragement of development in contested areas has not helped to convince the Sto:lo that their best interests lie in negotiations. More explosive in consequence has been the government's sale of Crown land and the unilateral extension of park space in Sto:lo territory. The latter has provoked divisions within the Sto:lo Nation itself, as the recent inclusion of Ferry Island, adjacent to the Cheam band reserve, in a new Fraser River parks system has provoked that band's exit from the BCTP. The Cheam have blockaded access to the island, which they use for fishing, and have future plans to utilize the area's gravel resources. The governments' response to the Cheam action was to cancel an April meeting with the Sto:lo Nation. During the May main table meeting, the Cheam chief, June Quipp, stated her disgust at the governments' negotiating positions, saying that they verged on dictating what rights the government would allow the Sto:lo to have. The Sechelt band's rejection of a signed agreement-in-principle on May 31, has spurred the First Nations Summit to call for province-wide protests against the governments' negotiating stance in the BCTP. As part of this broader effort, the Sto:lo Nation has participated in these days of action, which took place on July 4 and August 8, by organizing a highway information line near Hope and a march in Chilliwack that targeted the offices of both the DFO and the Canadian Alliance MP Chuck Strahl. In commenting on the Sto:lo protests, Pennier noted that the need for community action flows from the deep flaws of the BCTP. These problems have made it necessary for the Sto:lo to keep their options open. "We are not putting all our eggs in this treaty basket." At the same time, Pennier emphasized the necessity of participating in the BCTP for as long as there are still avenues to explore within it. Even if the process fails to yield any rights, Pennier explained, the information gathering necessary to participate in the BCTP, i.e. to construct the validity of the Sto:lo claims, will be an asset for future generations. The fruits of this research has, in the last few weeks, been assembled and readied for publication in a historical atlas which is due to be published next year. Society works to improve health with tradition By Lee Toop Raven's Eye Writer MERRITT Traditional ways are often considered to be healing ways. Sharing those traditional ways is the focus of the folks who make up the Sc'wexmx Community Health Services Society, who draw from the wisdom of Elders and the serenity of the outdoors to promote health and wellness in First Nations communities around Merritt. The society, which provides services to the communities of Nooaitch, Shackan and Coldwater, operates three programs that deal with the spectrum of health issues with help from traditional support workers, a community health nurse and community health associates, as well as youth/recreation workers. "We follow medical services guidelines and try to promote a holistic approach to healing. We're trying to bring back the traditional ways of healing," explained Sc'wexmx administrator Larry Ormandy. The society works to promote, support and enhance good health; to ensure that primary care is central in the delivery and provision of health care services; to educate and evaluate levels of awareness of health issues in First Nations communities; and to promote and develope awareness and access to traditional healing and health methods. "Ultimately, what we hope to be able to do is have a totally holistic approach to healing, and focus on prevention," Ormandy said. "A big part of our budget right now is promotion in the communities. We use a lot of visual items to help educate on health issues." Traditional support workers Sharon Antoine and Joanne Lafferty spend much of their time working with community members and providing hands-on experience with the healing ways of their forefathers. "We usually do a lot of sweats, and we spend a lot of time in nature gathering foods and doing other things. It helps bring people back to a connectedness with nature," explained Antoine. "There are a lot of stories shared, especially by the Elders, who share the things that they remember from when they were younger, which gives us insight and inspiration. I find I'm able to go out and share that knowledge with the people who are interested in learning it. Being out in the back hills, I find people are much more open to sharing the things they need to share." For community health nurse Jackie Robinson and health associates Kathie Jumbo and Marilyn Parker, the focus is on health education and prevention, ranging from drug and alcohol concerns to healthy lifestyles for both the young and old. "We work closely with the traditional support workers and the youth workers, coordinating our efforts and sharing information," explained Parker. Programs operated by the community health team include pre-and post-natal education, including looking at the effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome with hopes of keeping women from drinking during pregnancy. They also operate alcohol and drug programs, education sessions on nutrition and lifestyles for health, and work with the Head Start program to get messages about nutrition and dental health to young school children. Other programs run all the way up to Grade 12 in the band's schools, Parker explained. Immunization clinics are also coordinated by the community health program, providing needed immunizations for the young, as well as flu shots and the Pneumovaccine to protect against pneumonias for the elderly. Diabetes screening is also available. For youth and recreation workers Vicki Moses and Lucille Henry, the job is to follow the lead of the community health associates and promote health in the younger set while providing them with good role models. The two run various education and recreation programs, introducing the young members of the communities to traditional games and more contemporary activities, making use of facilities in band schools and around the area. All the workers spend most of their time actually working in the communities, Ormandy said, which brings them closer to the people they serve. In the next year, the society is likely to be adding a Home and Community Care program that will add another four to six people to their staff, serving clients requiring nursing and after-surgery care in their homes, Ormandy noted. "It's always growing. It has to if we want to meet the needs of the community," he said. Publisher pumps up pride By Tracey Jack Raven's Eye Writer PENTICTON Spandex, sweat and determination - the three essential ingredients needed to earn status as an official Ironman athlete. On Aug. 27, as many as 1,700 competitors from more than 20 countries gathered in Penticton to test their physical abilities in the world renowned Subaru Ironman Canada Triathlon, a race consisting of swimming 2.5 miles, biking 112 miles and running a grueling marathon of 26.6 miles. Competitors have up to 17 hours to finish the race to gain recognition as an Ironman, a feat accomplished by 39-year-old Greg Young-Ing, a single parent and Cree from Northern Manitoba. This was Young-Ing's second year in the event, an opportunity he took "to test myself for the ultimate physical endurance challenge. "Because I live in Penticton, I had watched for six years the Ironman competition. I got tired of watching and decided it was my turn to compete." Young-Ing, the managing editor of Theytus Books, Canada's first Native owned and operated publishing house, began training for the Ironman by entering smaller running marathons. Young-Ing trained about 16 hours per week for more than three years. Young-Ing emphasized the most challenging task was juggling his work, parenting his six-year-old daughter Nimpkish and squeezing in the training. But the effort was important. "I wanted to show my daughter that you can do anything if you work at it." Young-Ing remarked that although the Ironman is true test of physical excellence, "it has been very useful psychologically in other aspects of my life. By enduring physical pain, it has allowed me to see other situations that are uncomfortable and difficult as tolerable." Young-Ing first completed the Ironman Canada in 1999 with a time of 14:20. This year he shaved off almost an hour with a time of 13:50. Young-Ing said he would have accomplished a faster time but his bike broke down twice and Mother Nature's blowing winds slowed him down considerably. His wish for the future is to see more Aboriginal faces in the competition. Young-Ing said Aboriginal people have an edge in this fast growing sport because they have the history behind them that shows they were excellent endurance athletes. Obstacles that face Aboriginal people is thinking they can't do it or do not have the money for the proper training equipment, he said. If those barriers were removed, Young-Ing bets there would be a lot more Aboriginal faces crossing the finish line. This year's winner, Peter Reid, a 31-year-old resident of Victoria, completed the triathlon in 8:29 hours, taking home more than $12,000 in cash, as well as many other prizes. Non-Native residents upset By Christopher Bolster and Jennifer Feinberg Raven's Eye Writers CHILLIWACK A blockade near Cultus Lake was narrowly averted at the last minute when the long weekend protest planned by the Sto:lo Nation and Soowahlie First Nation was postponed. The prospect of being cut off from town left some Cultus Lake residents and merchants reacting angrily over being used as pawns in the struggle for treaty talks. "We're very appreciative that the Sto:lo have recognized the roadblock creates problems for Cultus Lake residents and that they have sought other ways to solve this dispute," says Ruth Midzain, Cultus Lake Park board spokesperson. "We are very relieved about the news." A press release put out by the Sto:lo Nation Friday afternoon said that members of the public who counted on an enjoyable weekend at Cultus Lake would not be inconvenienced this time, but it emphasized that no promises were being made about the future. "We are adamant that both Victoria and Ottawa must live up to their commitment to treaty negotiations," says Chief Lester Ned of the Sto:lo Nation. The blockade was one of several across B.C. planned to underscore growing frustrations by Native leaders over the lack of progress at the treaty tables in the province. "Both the federal and provincial governments must understand that tensions over the slow pace of treaty talks are rapidly mounting in our community. Our people are not prepared to resign themselves to a life of powerlessness and poverty, as natural resources from our territory are carted off to enrich the lives of others," Chief Ned said. Several Cultus Lake residents had planned to stage a counter protest after receiving notice about the blockade, said resident Marilyn Laursen. "I've often said to friends that somebody should blockade the people who are putting up roadblocks. We were planning to do the same thing they were going to do to us," she explained. "This was going to happen in my own backyard and I'm tired of being an apathetic Canadian." The idea was to block access to the public highway system from the Soowahlie reserve sometime during the long weekend. "I don't know much about the treaty talks," she admitted, "but I refuse to be held hostage in my own home by a political forum that should remain in the political arena." The Sto:lo and Soowahlie picked the busiest weekend of the year in Cultus Lake to threaten the public with a roadblock, she added. It would have had a huge economic impact on the merchants and residents of the community, said Ms. Laursen. First Nations Summit spokesman Edward John suggested that residents who are unhappy with Native blockades should shift their focus to government for answers. "The various levels of government who are stalling and not allowing progress to be made at the treaty talk level should be made accountable," he said.