The Aboriginal Newspaper of British
Columbia & Yukon
Top News - October - 2003
Published October 13, 2003
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Persistence pays off for pilot
Land and resource rights unite
This is only a partial listing of the stories featured in the October 2003 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.
Foster agency office movedJoann McKinlay , Raven's Eye Writer, Vancouver
The Federation of Aboriginal Foster Parents (FAFP) celebrated its seventh annual general meeting in new offices on Sept. 20. Business of the day was signing deals to work with other organizations, electing a new board of directors and honouring foster parents.
The backdrop to the meeting was a provincial government social service system in the midst of a massive three-year reorganization, and the issue of high numbers of children in government care, with levels comparable to residential schools in their day.
Forty people attended, commented FAFP manager Leslie Nelson during a tour of the new offices the week after the meeting. The facilities include a full kitchen and meeting area that will be shared with other organizations. The FAFP moved in June.
One of the highlights of the meeting was honouring Margaret Webber with a lifetime membership to the organization. She is a foster mother from Kwakiutl First Nation who began fostering children when she was only 15. Over the next 71 years she raised 59 children, and today continues to provide care for four of her grandchildren, Nelson said.
An FAFP goal is interagency work, which develops "meaningful relationships with other agencies that support our efforts, and also shows us how to support the other agencies," according to Nelson. At the meeting, collaborative agreements were signed with Helga Stoppard, program manager of the Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society, and with George HoLem, president of the United Native Nations (UNN).
The mandate of the FAFP is very similar to the United Native Nations, commented HoLem. "The mandate of the Aboriginal Foster Parents is to ensure that, wherever possible, the children from our communities that are being apprehended and placed into foster care are placed in the homes where the environment is conducive to keeping them connected to their ancestry, to their cultural roots, and sensitive to all of the issues of being of Native ancestry, " he said.
UNN's family reunification program helps adults who were apprehended as children and placed into foster care to find out more about their family and their roots, HoLem explained. He added, "To watch the number of people come through that office with the big question 'who am I, where do I came from, what are my family ... it really weighs heavy on one's heart."
Politically, allying with other provincial agencies adds to FAFP representation and lobbying power, Nelson added. "We know that if the premier gets a phone call from our federation, it doesn't mean much, but if he gets a phone call from the First Nations Summit, it's something that they're going to lend an ear to a lot more."
As of April, according to government statistics, 27,000 Canadian children are in foster care- 9,582 in British Columbia. Of that number, 4,320, or 45 per cent, are Aboriginal.
The reasons why becomes a "complex answer," Nelson said.
A systematic destruction of the culture has resulted in a "multigenerational illness" that becomes more complex with each generation, Nelson continued. He mentioned a series of examples that destroyed the culture, such as banning potlatches, which "set the stage for alcohol and drug abuse." Without adequate healing, families end up with a distorted view of responsibility and children who are left without care.
The FAFP supports foster families and children. FAFP members are Aboriginal, while associate FAFP members are non-Aboriginal people interested in Aboriginal foster care. The organization offers training and support for parents and groups.
Nelson explained that as opposed to focusing on cultural rights, FAFP programs provide guidelines for foster parents that specify "an Aboriginal child has a right to Aboriginal culture." Specifically, a foster parent would ensure that a child is registered as a First Nation child and also registered with his band, Nelson explained. This gives Aboriginal children access to medical, dental or other services for which they are eligible, and may give them the opportunity to participate in cultural activities with their band.
Last year, FAFP "facilitated 25 workshops and attended many more," said Faye Poirier in her president's report. They also distributed information packages to more than 600 Aboriginal organizations.
One of the challenges for the FAFP last year was the search for an executive director. Poirer acted as interim executive director until Gary Mavis was hired in August.
Poirier, a foster mother herself, continues as president on the new board.
Provincially, October is proclaimed as Foster Family Appreciation Month. An FAFP spokesman indicated that, as a result of budget cuts, no details on events were available.
The ministry responsible for foster children, the Ministry for Children and Families, is adapting to a 23 per cent reduction in budget over three years, and a massive overhaul of services. The central offices for foster children were split into five regions, with the goal of local and more effective operations.
Another government goal is to transfer responsibility for Aboriginal children to Aboriginal services. A memorandum of understanding was signed Sept. 9, 2002, between Premier Gordon Campbell and Aboriginal leaders, in which they agreed to work together to reach that goal.
By July 2, 2003, 21 agencies had been delegated by the provincial authorities as Aboriginal child and family services agencies. For the urban Vancouver area, the designated agency is Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society.
On Oct. 1, Minister Gordon Hogg released a report by Sage Group Management Consultants that details changes to the ministry over the next two years. The ministry is creating an interim authority for children and family development services that is made up of the current chairs from 10 regional planning committees-five Aboriginal and five non-Aboriginal.
The Oct. 1 report stated Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal authorities will not be blended, but will continue as separate authorities. For example, if a prospective foster parent wishes information, the ministry Web site refers to two organizations, one Aboriginal (the FAFP) and one non-Aboriginal (the B.C. Federation of Foster Parent Associations).
Persistence pays off for pilot
David Wiwchar, Raven's Eye Writer, Tseshaht
After 30 years of work and schooling, Tseshaht's Wally Watts attained his lofty dream Sept. 8, which was no easy task considering the size of it.
Watts reached the pinnacle of his profession last month when he achieved the captaincy of a 747-400 jumbo jet, the largest commercial airplane in the world.
"It's the top of the ladder. There's nowhere else to go now," said Watts. "At United we have 7,500 pilots and only 225 747-400 captains. It's the biggest plane and pays the most," he said.
For Watts, the dream started more than 32 years ago when he watched a plane land at the old grass airstrip near the Somass River estuary.
"I was 12 years old and rode my bike down there to watch the little, tiny airplanes. I thought they were really cool, and I started getting into airplanes. When I was 15, I took my first flying lesson, and Indian Affairs paid for my flight school course."
One day, while flying over Port Alberni in the tiny Cessna 150 two-seater trainer, Watts looked up and saw a huge plane thousands of feet above him. He asked his Alberni Flying Club instructor about the jet and was told it was a four-engine 747 on its way to Asia.
"I said 'someday I'm going to fly that plane'. He said 'you'll never get there. You'll never, ever do it. They only hire one out of every 5,000 pilots that apply. Nobody ever becomes a 747 captain.' He said that he had applied to the airlines and 'they wouldn't hire me, so there's no way they'll hire you.' I said 'someday I'll do it.' I want to find him now and tell him I finally made a 747 captain. Now I'll be flying over to the Far East like that plane was," said Watts.
After completing training, Watts joined Austin Airlines in 1981, flying to various First Nations and Inuit communities around northern Ontario and Quebec.
He became a co-pilot on a DC-9 freight airliner for Airborne Express.
In 1984, he joined United Airlines as a second officer flight engineer on a 727, then became second officer on a DC-10.
Watts then was a co-pilot first officer on a B-737, B-727, B-767, B-747, and became a captain on a 737, Airbus 320, DC-10, 757, 767, and finally a B747.
Now after three decades as a commercial pilot, he is captain of a 747-400 jumbo jet.
The Boeing 747-400 was built for intercontinental travel. It can carry 568 people on its passenger model, or haul more than 120 tons in its cargo model for a distance greater than 13,000 km at a speed of 912 km/h. At 231 feet long and 211 feet wide, the 747-400 is almost as long as, and significantly wider than, a football field.
Only days after graduating from a 30-day training-course on the 747-400, Wally Watts was flying to Hong Kong with 375 passengers on board.
"I'll be flying all around the world: China, South America, Europe," said Watts. "Lately I've been flying troops to Kuwait and Iraq," he said.
Watts has been at United Airlines for 20 years, and being only 44, has another 16 years before retirement.
Now he wants to see others attain their goals.
"I still haven't met a Native American pilot in all my years of flying," said Watts.
"When I first walked into the United Airlines pilot's lounge in 1984, everyone stopped and looked at me because they were all white guys. Now there are more black pilots and female pilots, but there are still no brown pilots. I'd sure like to see more First Nations airlines pilots."
Although racism can still be an obstacle for First Nations people trying to enter into professional careers, determination can sometimes lead to triumph.
"It took me two years to find a job," said Wally. "I'd be hired for a job over the phone, and I'd drive up there and they'd see me and wouldn't hire me. It's really hard to get an airline job.
You have to keep applying. When I applied for United Airlines I applied every two weeks and would call them and harass them to hire me. Finally they interviewed me. When I was interviewed I was really prepared for the job; I studied for the test they give you, and I was in really good shape, working out every day," he said. "When you set your goal, you have to follow through with it. Don't give up. A lot of people, like my flight instructor from Port Alberni, gave up being an airline pilot, but I never gave up."
Now, 29 years after looking up and seeing one of the first Boeing 747 jumbo jets flying overhead, Watts is where he said he would be, living his dream.
Land and resource rights uniteRaven's Eye Staff
KELOWNA-The Okanagan Nation Alliance and supporters have thrown an olive branch to the provincial government to smooth the way for negotiations over forestry and land use issues. At the same time, the organizations have made it clear that First Nations will not be left out of decisions affecting prime resources on their lands.
Chief George Saddleman, chair of the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA), was unequivocal: "We seek reconciliation with the provincial Crown, but it is time for First Nations to take our rightful place in decision-making about forestry and land use in our territories.
A joint strategy meeting was convened in Kelowna by the ONA in mid-September for the purpose of cementing support and a united response among First Nations dealing with new provincial forestry laws and initiatives. Other participants in the first of several meetings planned included the Northwest Tribal Treaty Nations and the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs.
They agreed to use their combined legal, financial and political clout to protect land and resources and to implement their Aboriginal title and treaty rights.
The collaboration comes in the face of imminent provincial amendments to the Forestry Act and range use laws that will restrict First Nations' access to tenure and revenue-sharing and that infringe or negate Aboriginal title and treaty rights.
"The Kelowna meeting should be a wake-up call," said Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs. "Only the Indian people of B.C. can provide the certainty that the provincial Crown and resource industries need. Until proper accommodation occurs, neither businesses nor their investors will have the certainty they need."
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