IN

CHIEF OF the Tseil-waututh, Len George believes that self-sufficiency is the key to his peoples’ future.

AFFLUENCE@

Burrard leader hopeful

From page 36
community.

Over a 10-year period the Alkali
went from being 100 per cent al-
coholic to 99 per cent sober.They
did it on their own initiative.

George believes the theme of
taking control should be applied
to other native concerns and that
now is the time to do it. The Bur-
tard Band is in the middle of
compiling their social history in
order to stiengthen their case on
aboriginal! title in court.

The band has yet to pursue any
legal action regarding land claims,
but George now considers it to be
their number one priority. The

Burrard Band’s traditional claims
include the area from Point
Atkinson north to the foothills of
Mount Garibaldi.

Even when it comes to the theft
of the ancestoral land, George
isn’t resentful. In fact he has
trouble viewing land as a posses-
sion.

“How can you own land? It’s
like the wind and the water — it’s
there for everyone,’’ he says.

And while governments con-
tinue to drag their heels on
aboriginal issues, the courte —.-
insisting they deal with thin. It
gives George hope that justice for
his people will eventually prevail.

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37 - Sunday, July 15, 1990 - North Shore News

INFLUENCE

S OWN WORDS

Do you consider yourself a politi-
cian? ‘tf didn't consider myself
one at first, but 1 think it’s stick-
ing my head in the sand if [ don’:
say that 1 am.’

Apart from land claims, what are
your main priorities for the Bur-
tard Band? ‘‘We're trying to de-
velop, on the reserve, oppor-
tunities in small business that
would create employment for our
people. We also desperately need
a cultural centre for people to
gether. There’s no space right
now. And we're trying to get a
computer program gcing to make
our people computer literate.”’

What's your reaction to the way
the federal government handled
Meech Lake? ‘‘You can’t run a
government and talk to just the
people at the top. People
recognize across Canada that what
(Manitoba MLA) Elijah Harper
did was right. We all have to have
dialogue and not be afraid. Our
government is so afraid to deal
with native issues. But we're not
greedy. They figure if they settle
land claims Canadians will have to
give out billions of dollars, when

all we're trying to do is preserve
what's left for all nationalities —
not just natives.

“The sad thing is that the gov-
ernment spent millions of dollars
blocking us from Constitutional
talks when we could have had
them entrenched and settled right
at the beginning. It wouldn't have
cost anywhere near as much. In
the end, the system is the one to
blame. I can’t say even Brian
Mulroney is a free man. He's
confused.”’

How will the collapse of Meech
affect your people? ‘‘For Indian
people, it couldn't get any worse
than it’s already been. I know
there’s been threats te Indians
since Meech, but I really beiieve
that self-sufficiency is the key to
the future...In every community
there has to be some hope of
where to go. If people can’t
dream, what’s the use?”’

What’s your major concern on
the reserve? ‘‘Dealing with
unemployment, education, drugs
and alcohol and dysfunctional
families.”’

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