Business sacrificed to help community

Page 10

Elected president of the Neeyanan (Ours) Association at Peerless Lake about 12 months ago, John Cardinal says he had to give up a thriving slashing firm to concentrate on local development programs for his community.

At one time his slashing outfit was making $60,000 a year. Now the one-time trapper says he and his family live on welfare, because he decided to "step forwards" and do something for Peerless Lake.

"I'm ashamed sometimes for receiving assistance, but if I quit what would happen if no one stood up? So I'll take the risk and live on welfare until things improve here," says Cardinal.

What angers Cardinal the most is he remembers when welfare was unheard of at Peerless Lake.

Then in the mid-50s, with the arrival of missionaries in the area and with forestry roads built into isolated communities like Peerless Lake, it opened up the area to "white influences."

It also changed the traditional lifestyle Native people had been accustomed to since the early 1800s.

"At that time we trapped and fished for our food. People were spread out all over the district. But when the missionaries came, the government people followed and we began to rely more and more on welfare," Cardinal says.

With the arrival of the missionaries at Trout Lake, 17 km north of Peerless Lake, a small log schoolhouse was built. People were told they must move their families to Trout Lake so their children could receive an education.

"It was either Trout Lake or the residential school at Wabasca," Cardinal recalls.

"That's how Trout Lake and Peerless became settled and since that time we have depended on welfare and other handouts.

"People like Dave Starr have done many things to help the community and now I am working to change things here," he adds.

At least half the people at Peerless Lake are treaty Indians under the Bigstone Band at Wabasca. However, Cardinal says funding from Indian Affairs "never comes" because Peerless Lake is not treaty land.

He says Peerless Lake residents receive social assistance and health benefits from Indian Affairs, but funding for facilities to operate community services is another story.

"We have a 25-year land lease with Alberta Forestry Services and about 50 per cent of the people here are registered members of the Bigstone Band. But we can't get a housing program, because we're on leased land," explains Cardinal.

Because of the difficulty surrounding what they can and cannot receive from Indian Affairs, they have now taken a different route, he says.

"We have decided to work with the provincial government to try and obtain what we need."

There is a "desperate need" for people to be trained for various positions in the oilfield industry, he says, "because there is so much of it going on in this area."

Presently there are about seven people working in the oilfield industry but Cardinal maintains the majority of community members are on welfare.

But a group of people have banded together as the Peace Arch Committee to help Native people in the north find employment.

They plan to open an office at Red Earth, a central location for all the northern communities in the Peerless Lake area, but Cardinal says he has grown tired of seeing his people, including himself, on welfare, a reason he used for his dealing with the provincial government "now."

"There is no employment available for inexperienced people and trapping is out of the question. Something has to be done right away." Cardinal says.

He cites the lack of a nursing station at Peerless Lake, as an example the community is "behind the times."

"We receive social assistance and health benefits from Indian affairs, because we are treaty but we can't have a nursing station built here. When people get sick, they have to be flown out or travel all the way to Slave Lake (about 250 km) to receive medical attention.

"We need certain facilities built here so people can be better taken care of," insists Cardinal, who is also negotiating with the rovince to get an area administrator hired.

"We are trying to get one here for one year to do a community needs assessment.

"Then we will know what programs we need and where to obtain funding for them," Cardinal says, noting that negotiations with the province have so far been in his favor.

Cardinal admits he is tired because of long working hours and he realizes it is becoming hard on his wife and children.

However, he views the future of Peerless Lake as "hopeless" unless they do something now.

"All around us forest is being cut down for lumber product. Cutlines are everywhere and oil companies are everywhere.

"What is our future going to be like in a few years? We have been here a long time and my job as a community leader is to try and take care of the problems our community is faced with, today.

"We can't wait any longer."