Women's Group may restructure

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The national Native Women's Association of Canada may undergo massive reconstruction if a bid by acting president Jean Gleason gets delegate approval during an upcoming special assembly scheduled for March 18 ? 22 in Ottawa.

The assembly will also see the election of a new president and second vice-president who will each receive a two-year term. Three more executives will be elected at the August '88 assembly.

Gleason says the special assembly is being called to deal with outstanding business left over from the August assembly in New Brunswick which saw Alberta's Donna Weaselchild, a Blackfoot band member, elected national president. Weaselchild later stepped down from office.

"At that assembly we set up sub-committees and had meetings with our Elders who have been making recommendations on the restructuring," says Gleason who adds it is premature to discuss the recommendations before the assembly.

During the five-day assembly the association will conduct a series of workshops on a wide range of subjects, including self-government.

"We will be devoting two and a half days on self-determination and we have invited former Department of Indian Affairs official Walter Rudnicki to speak at the conference."

Gleason says the focus of the conference is to outline and reinforce the role of Aboriginal women in Native society. "One of these roles is our role in helping to construct an Indian charter of rights," she adds.

The five-day conference takes place March 18-22 at the Holiday Inn on Kent Street, Ottawa.