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Many members of the Metis Association of Alberta (MAA) may not be permitted to vote in the upcoming elections scheduled for September 1 if membership lists are not submitted to the electoral office in Edmonton in the next two weeks.

"We have given the locals until August 10 to submit their lists otherwise there won't be a polling station set up in their local," says Chief Electoral Officer John Sinclair.

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Test your Indian know-how

It's quiz time again! Grab you paper and pencil and test your knowledge o the itty-bitty happenings in the world of Native affairs. All the questions are multiple-choice and remember ? neatness does not count.

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The Indian Association of Alberta is still seeking an "urban Indian" representative, who will address the concerns of Treaty Indians not living on reserves.

IAA President Gregg Smith says the organization and its newly elected board members have not had enough time to select the representative after a two-day monthly board meeting in July.

The appointee will observe IAA activities which include urban issues as a non-voting board member. The decision to include a "urban Indian" representative was made in a resolution on the last day of the IAA annual assembly.

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A protest concert called the "Last Stand of the Lubicon Lake Indian Band" featuring well-known Native activist and singer Buffy Saint Marie will take place in Calgary this fall.

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Heavy funding slashes cultimating in a huge deficit have forced the Indian Association to lay off employees.

When the lay-offs become effective July 31, IAA employee Helen Gladue's position will be terminated.

Contacted at the IAA Enoch office, Gladue said, "I have no bad feelings. My job in the financial department enabled me to see what was happening. I knew the IAA has been looking at a deficit for the past two years."

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Frank Ward seldom lets a year slip by without making the trip to Lac Ste. Anne even though it used to take him three days to travel to the pilgrimage.

"I used to come by wagon and a team of two horses," recalled the 72-year old Cree elder, originally born in St. Paul. "I had all kinds of jobs all over the place, but I always tried to make it to Pilgrimage from wherever I was . . . Saddle Lake, Lac La Biche or up north."

Sitting outside his small tent in front of a flickering fire, Ward was eager to reminisce about the first pilgrimages he attended.

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A bitter feud which surfaced during a Zone 4 Regional meeting in April, and which has been angrily waged between various factions during the past two months, has culminated in a lawsuit filed by the Regional Council against other members of the council and Zone 2 vice president, August Collins.

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He came to sing . . .and sing he did while winning the hearts of many fans during his taping on the Native Nashville North show last June.

Herb Desjarlais has been singing and playing most of his life, ever since a baby sitter taught him three chords on the guitar with a laugh, he says the first song he learned was "wooden heart."

Born and raised in High Prairie, Alberta, Desjarlais comes from a large Metis family of 11 children. The family moved to British Columbia in the late 50's while he was still a young boy and still "practicing the guitar."

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Addictions director

Kicking the nasty habit

Ruth: Have you ever smoked cigarettes?

Maggie: Yes, I have smoked for the past six years and previous to that I smoked or I didn't smoke for two years and I smoked for ten years before that.

Ruth: Were you addicted?

Maggie: I like to smoke. I was addicted. It was a habit. I think there were a combination of things I was addicted to. There was certain rituals tied into what I was doing.

Ruth: How did you know you were addicted?

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EDITORIAL

The apparent "disintegration" of the Saskatchewan Metis Association may well set an example to Alberta's Association if infighting, alleged dishonesty and accusations continue to run rampant amongst leaders and members.

A good, long, hard look must be taken at the candidates in the upcoming election. A faultless method of selecting the leaders must be utilized. Most importantly, the ethics of the elected individuals must be rooted in a firm commitment to serve the electorate only and leave personal goals aside.