INTERVIEW; CLIFFORD FREEMAN

Page 8

After a press conference held at the Chinese Multi-Cultural Centre in Edmonton April 9, "Windspeaker" had the opportunity to talk with the vice-president for Treaty 8 of the Indian Association of Alberta, Clifford Freeman.

The press conference called in regard to the recent results of Project Can 85, also published in the Edmonton Journal. Project Can was based on a survey by University of Lethbridge socialologoist Dr. Reginald Bibby, taken across Canada, which pinpointed certain minority groups on a percentage basis regading racist attitudes towards them.

WINDSPEAKER: WHY WAS THIS PRESS CONFERENCE CALLED?

FREEMAN: This particular press conference was called because of the study that was completed called Can 85 Survey.

The survey basically points out that the prairie provinces have the highest percentage of racist problems. But I viewed it as the prairie provinces admitting more openly that there is a racist problem as opposed to the project saying that the biggest problem is a racist problem.

Out of this particular press conference I have challenged the provincial government to start taking some action in terms of trying to alleviate these kinds of problems.

WINDSPEAKER: SUCH AS?

FREEMAN: I have suggested that funding should go to cultural groups that are being affected by the racist attitude so they can plan their own media campaign.

Attitudes towards Indian people in terms of self-determination; the fact that we now have protection in the Canadian Constitution and are still being taken to court.

We feel that even in the government itself there are racism problems in how they look at a group of people, people who are the first people and who have rights in terms of governing themselves. Yet those rights are not being recognized and we are now being constantly harassed in court, moreso by the provincial government.

Such things as hunting, fishing and trapping rights. They are constantly pushing Indian people into the welfare system, which seems to be the only area that they allow us to go to.

If we try to exercise our rights that are in the Constitution and guaranteed, then they still take us to court, it becomes a bigger problem. Our own governments have to recognize their own constitution regarding Indian people so they can move ahead and towards their own self-determination.

WINDSPEAKER: IN WHAT WAY IS THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBLE?

FREEMAN: Most of the policies that the federal government put in place such as fisheries, are developed in Alberta, by the Alberta government. In turn, these policies are taken to the federal government and passed by them.

In essence the policies we face now are created by the Alberta government and the transfer agreement which gives jurisdiction to the provincial government, strengthens their agreement against us.

Although we have a Treaty agreement with the federal government, they tend to ignore those policies that the federal government has put in place, in terms of fishery.

They have now restricted us to a domestic license and I strongly feel Indian people understood the treaty to mean that they would be allowed to barter and carry on bartering as a treaty right.

Now they have put together policies in place that try to take away that particular right. So now we are constantly fighting court cases because a lot of our elder people who are raising 10 and 15 children have to go out and fish, and then barter the fish and then end up in court because of that. It is a big problem that we have to continue fighting in court.

I do not like taking these particular cases to court but we are in a situation now where we are at a disadvantage. We are the ones being taken to court. We would just as soon it be a political solution because then it would be a lot less expensive for the public as well as for the Indian people who have to fight these cases. To top if all off, many of our people are now on welfare.

WINDSPEAKER: YOU MADE MENTION THAT THE MEDIA MUST TAKE MORE RESPONSIBLE POSITION WHEN ADDRESSING ISSUES BOTH NATIVES AND IN GENERAL, REGARDING ETHNIC MINORITIES. CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THIS?

FREEMAN: We are looking for fair play in terms of the coverage that Indian people are receiving from the media. Many stories that come out are usually not very well researched. They just paint a picture up on whatever disaster it may be at the time. What is left out is the actual reasons why an accident happens. There is no real solution from the stories that come out such as trying to avoid these types of disasters.

We would like the media to pay more attention as to why a particular situation happened or came about, and why the Indians are struggling in these situations as opposed to simply saying, well there are the Indians, getting in trouble again.

It seems to be an easy way of putting a story together, but we would like to see the media do a lot more research, follow up on issues that come up, such as Peerless Lake.

There is a prime example. The media painted a picture that said, there is the Indian again, drinking solvents and having alcohol problems. I think it is very important for the media to do a good follow-up articles on why the problem is there and show some of the solutions.

They should pressure government more to provide preventive programs instead of waiting for disasters to happen.

WINDSPEAKER: IN THIS DO YOU MEAN THE NATIVE MEDIA ALSO?

FREEMAN: Yes.