36 - Sunday, July 15. 1990 - North Shore News LEN GEORGE, the youngest son 9f the late Chief Dan George, is chief of the 200-member Burrard Indian Band. Says George: ‘‘I live by the philosophy that there has to be healing for us all in order to have any kind of future."’ SHOP THE FLYERS > sunday * Pharmasave Shoppers * Zellers Drug Mart * SuperValu Save-On-Foods Safeway > wednesday * Woolco Save-On-Foods *¥. Franks if you miss any of these flyers call North Shore News Distribution 986-1337 * delivered to selected areas only 2INFLUENCE Len George works herd for his people ALTHOUGH HE was born to the role, Len George’s ear- ly years were, to put it mildly, inauspicious for a man who was later to become the leader of his people. “For the first part of my life 1 hated being an Indian." says George, ‘‘] hated everything. But it didn’t get me very far."* Those days of self-loathing are long past. Like his late father Dan George, George is now chief of the Tseil- waututh (*people of the Inlet’), the Burrard Indian Band. Prior to that he, like his late ereat father, fought long and hard to break aboriginal stereotypes through the stage and the silver screen, For George, 43, trading in the footiights for reality has meant having to face an imposing battery of social ills that plague most Ca- nadian reserves. Surprisingly, it hasn't made him bitter. “We have to get rid of our beast of burden some time. Indi- vidual white people aren't to ‘CATCH THE SAVINGS By EVELYN JACOB News Reporter blame for the injustices to natives, the system is to be blamed."' George says gently in a telephone interview, pausing often to reflect on his words. A father of four, George is an Indian existentialist, sharing Sar- tre’s belief that man is the master of his own fate thereby defining his life by his actions. “Ive always said the hunt has to be cleaned. We're the ones who contribute to the system. We're the ones who make it work or not work. Canadian natives have to take their responsibility back. As long as [ live in a dream world that someone will do everything for me | may as well go back to drinking.”” he says with emotion. fm Quicksnap Japan Camera Centre 3 Pk 135-24 (100) Color Print Film Not tha: the chief is blind to the injustices scalt to aboriginals in this country. He is keenly aware that native rights have been large- ly ignored. that calls for self- government have been consistently stifled. But in the casz of self-govern- ment as is the case with almost everything that relates to aboriginals. George believes native people must take control of their own fate i order for things to change. “'Self-government,’’ he says, ‘isn’t something you apply for. It's the work you do to get it. The more vou work on it, the more selt-sufficient you become.” In his moving documentary film, Honour of All, which chronicles the people of the Alkali Lake’s heart-wrenching battle and eventual triumph over alcoholism, George demonstrated how self- sufficiency benefited an entire See Burrard Page 37 Ey The “QUICK’ way to take pictures. 24 exposure 35 mm film & lens *Prints in just 1 hour *Reprints in just 20 minutes °Enlargements up to 41"x14” Slide processing Prints from slides Passport photos in 5 minutes CAPILANO MALL 987-0780 LYNN VALLEY CENTRE 984-0100 1 hour photofinishing at ali 170 !ocations coast to coast.