 |
Published November 13, 2000
Veteran George Horse, a member of the Elite Sapper Battalion,
a Canadian regiment of combat engineers that helped smash the
grip of Nazi Germany in World War II, survived the horrors of
the D-Day landing in Normandy on June 6, 1944 and was severely
wounded at the front in Holland in October 1944.
On his return from war, this Canadian Native veteran was discriminated
against by the very government and people he had risked his life
to protect, deprived of the land, full pension and benefits given
to returning non-Native soldiers. Horse is among the few remaining
Aboriginal veterans. His new fight is to see restoration of the
benefits and honors due his Aboriginal comrades.
Photo by Pam Sexsmith
|
|
||
|
Photo by Pam Sexsmith |
||
Aboriginal war vets still battling
by Paul BarnsleyKeep the circle strong
by Cheryl PettenProgram to help Métis in Saskatchewan heal
by Cheryl PettenThree lives saved from frigid waters
by Trina GobértWho controls the future of First Nations youth?
by Chris Tyrone Ross
Sage Youth ColumnistRemember your relatives
by Denis Okanee Angus
Sage ColumnistThis is only a partial list of the stories featured in the November, 2000 issue of Saskatchewan Sage. If you are not receiving your own copy of Saskatchewan Sage, then you have missed all this information.
Aboriginal
war vets still battling
By Paul Barnsley
Sage Writer
SASKATOON
Member chiefs of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations
unanimously approved a resolution in Saskatoon on Oct. 18 calling
for the recommencement of legal action against the government
of Canada regarding compensation for Native veterans.
Grand Chief Howard Anderson of the Saskatchewan First Nations
Veterans Association (SFNVA) asked the assembly to give him that
weapon, although he hopes he doesn't have to use it.
The SFNVA filed suit in the Saskatchewan Court of Queen's Bench
and in the Federal Court of Canada in December 1998. The federal
government offered to establish formal talks between the Assembly
of First Nations and federal officials-the National Round Table
on First Nations Veterans' Issues-if the SFNVA would put the
lawsuit on hold.
The veterans' accepted that proposal and the talks began. A study
was conducted under the round table process, which analyzed the
value of the benefits received by non-Native veterans that weren't
received by Native veterans.
Anderson said there appeared to be progress in the round table
talks until the session held from Sept. 25 to 29 in Ottawa. At
that point the government made the Native participants wonder
if they were wasting their time. Government officials at that
meeting said the round table talks were for information-gathering
only. When pressed to discuss the government's intention regarding
actual compensation, the government representatives refused,
Anderson told the chiefs' assembly in Saskatoon.
The resolution passed 46-0. The chiefs voted to support "the
continuation of the round table process, but only under terms
that support, rather than prevent or delay, discussions about
actual compensation."
The resolution also supports the idea of resuming court action
if it looks like the negotiations aren't going anywhere, and
it requests National Chief Matthew Coon Come to "make representations
at the highest levels in Canada and in the international community."
Anderson had harsh words for the national chief when he addressed
the chiefs.
"The AFN, that's another problem," he said. "Matthew
Coon Come, we're not getting anywhere with him. If he doesn't
want to help, I wish the hell he'd just tell us to get out."
The 77-year-old veteran called the $40,000 investment in veterans'
issues that the AFN has made "measly."
Grand Chief Anderson's comments caused a certain amount of dismay
in AFN circles. Officially, the national chief's office has not
received a copy of the FSIN resolution and so would not comment
on it.
But AFN staffers say Anderson is well-respected within the organization
and his comments hurt. They say there was no budget before for
veteran's issues and the $40,000 is a considerable jump up from
nothing in an organization that is frequently cash-strapped.
Also, Larry Whiteduck has been appointed as a full-time AFN employee
to work on only the veterans' file.
Jean Larose, the director of communications for the AFN, said
the federal election has slowed or stopped most government negotiations
and he can understand why the veterans are frustrated. But he
insists Coon Come is making the veterans issue a priority.
"He is already trying to push forward the issue of the veterans,"
he said. "He is already following up on it."
Anderson told Sage he put a number to the government to get them
talking and it worked to a degree. It was proposed that each
veteran be paid $50,000 as an interim payment. Many of the vets
are getting on in years; many have already passed away while
they waited for this process to be completed.
"That $50,000 figure was just to get them to the table,"
he said. "And it worked. But then they asked -not unreasonably-'If
we were going to pay this money out, who do we give it to?'"
Saskatchewan has completed the research required to identify
just who the veterans and their heirs are. Other regions are
still working on that task.
Meetings and conference calls involving the SFNVA, the ministry
of Indian Affairs, the Department of National Defence and the
ministry of Veterans' Affairs are expected to continue. A meeting
in Ottawa is scheduled for Nov. 11.
Larose points out that merchant marine members and wounded veterans
have made claims against the government that have been dealt
with, while the Native veterans' claims are stalled. He said
the national chief would like to know why.
Anderson told Sage that he believes the government is slow to
deal with his group because senior government officials have
bought into a stereotype.
"It's who we are more than anything else," he said.
"They don't want to give any more money to Indians."
By Cheryl Petten
Sage Writer
People across the country will be celebrating addiction-free
living Nov. 12 to 18, during the 13th annual National Addictions
Awareness Week.
The goal of National Addictions Awareness Week (NAAW), organized
by Nechi Training, Research & Health Promotions Institute,
is to provide information about and increase awareness of addiction
issues affecting people across Canada, while celebrating successes
in living addiction-free. Communities across the country are
invited to take part in the week by organizing local events and
activities related to addictions recovery and healthy lifestyles.
In recognition of this being the Year of the Unity of Nations,
this year's opening event will be different from previous years.
Over 80 cultural groups have been invited to take part in a march,
carrying flags and waving banners, and celebrating community
healing. As well, a representative of each province has also
been invited to walk in the march in Edmonton, carrying with
him his province's flag.
Last year, more than 1,000 communities took part in National
Addictions Awareness Week.
Based on the number of requests for NAAW packages received so
far, Darlene Auger, program coordinator for the week, expects
this year's participation could be double that. Auger believes
one of the reasons involvement will be greater is because of
invitations sent out to organizations that have participated
in the past, but haven't been involved in the last few years.
"We sent them letters asking them to come back to the campaign
and join the circle again," Auger said.
Since NAAW first began as a national initiative, the focus of
the week has grown and expanded, Auger explained.
We're moving beyond sobriety . . . we're moving beyond the healing
of self, and beyond the healing of families and we're moving
now into the healing of communities," Auger said.
Another new feature of this year's NAAW will be a theme contest,
giving youth from across Canada a chance to come up with a theme
for next year's NAAW activities.
Since 1997, the theme of NAAW has been "It takes a whole
community to raise a child." This year will be the last
year for that theme to be used.
"We've been using that logo for the last four years, and
it's time for a change," Auger said."
The contest is open to youth groups, clubs or schools. Entries
will be accepted from groups consisting of at least five people,
with participants ranging in age from eight to 18. To take part
in the contest, each group must organize an event or activity
for this year's NAAW, coming up with a theme for their activity.
The group coming up with the winning theme will win $1,000, with
the entry coming in second receiving $500 and the third place
finisher receiving $250.
Although this will be the last year for the "It takes a
whole community to raise a child" theme, NAAW will continue
to use its main theme, "Keep the Circle Strong."
For more information about this year's NAAW, or Theme Contest
2000, contact Nechi Institute at 780-460-4304 or 1-800-459-1884.
You can also access NAAW information, order promotional items
or register to participate in NAAW on the web at http://www.visions.ab.ca
Program to help Métis in Saskatchewan heal
By Cheryl Petten
Sage Writer
SASKATOON
A new program has been launched in Saskatchewan designed to
support the healing of Métis survivors of residential
schools.
The "Speaking Out- Listening For Healing Project" is
a joint project between the Métis Addictions Council of
Saskatchewan Inc., the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan and
Re-evaluation Counselling International, with funding provided
through the Aboriginal Healing Foundation.
The project will run for three years, working to establish community-based
supports for Métis survivors of residential schools.
The four goals of the project are to organize Métis healing
gatherings for survivors and their families, to train survivors
to become peer counsellors for other survivors in their communities,
to build community support networks within the Métis Nation
of Saskatchewan, and to train other groups that are already working
in support of survivors to join in helping with the healing process
for Métis survivors.
Darren Tait is the project team leader with the Métis
Addictions Council of Saskatchewan, the organization charged
with managing the healing project. Tait said the project originally
got going when a number of community members decided to try to
take advantage of funding available from the Aboriginal Healing
Foundation to develop a sustainable program designed to address
the needs of Métis survivors of residential schools and
their families.
James Froh is executive director of the addictions council. He
explained the project was initiated in part because of the common
misperception that Métis people were not affected by residential
schools. With very few Métis organizations actually applying
for funding through the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, this was
a good time to apply, Froh explained.
"We thought it was a challenge to us in Saskatchewan to
look at where our survivors are and their descendants and do
what we could do to give them a hand in their own healing,"
Froh said.
As Tait explained, a work plan has been developed to help in
meeting the project goals, with an ultimate aim of having support
programs in each of the participating communities by the end
of the three-year project.
"It's basically an intensive peer counselling process that
will be implemented," Tait said.
Through the project, workers will be allocated to each of the
12 divisions within the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan,
with a number of workers in each area to be decided based on
the number of Métis people living in the area, the number
of survivors in the area and the amount of community interest
in the project. Tait expects the process of recruiting potential
workers in each area will take place late this year and early
next year. Once the workers are hired, they will then begin their
training, learning the necessary counselling skills.
Once workers are trained, the next step will be to organize community
gatherings and establish community working groups and community
support groups, Tait said.
As well, Froh added, 12 gatherings are being planned throughout
the province in the spring to bring together Métis survivors
and their families. Froh also hopes project staff can spend the
summer attending Métis gatherings and cultural events,
holding ceremonies and remembering and honoring those that did
not survive the residential schools, as well as focusing on those
who did.
Froh hopes that, through the project, the council will hear more
first-hand stories from Métis survivors from across the
province, to get a "real picture about what it was like
for Métis kids" in the residential schools and orphanages.
He stressed, however, that the main focus of the project would
not be on "digging up stories," but on survivors, their
families, and their healing.
The "Speaking Out-Listening For Healing Project" fits
in well with the mandate of the Métis Addictions Council,
Froh explained.
"The Métis addictions [Council] mandate is basically
to reduce and eventually eliminate the harmful effects of alcohol
and other drugs. And as well, it's to work with communities and
families in getting themselves back, individuals, families, maybe
even nations. In other words, really helping people to have .
. . lives that we were intended to live, the way we were given
by the Creator to live. So I think it fits right in there,"
Froh said. "A lot of people that are survivors have struggled
with addictions or addictive behaviors. Certainly compulsive
or obsessive behaviors. And I think it fits right in line with
what we already do."