Chief Stevenson said the Indian Act was essentially a deal with taxpayers. Every dollar entering the reserve from the government would have to be spent off reserve. Money could not circulate nor multiply among band members because no commerce,small business nor large could exist on reserve land by law. All money would benefit communities around the reserves to a much greater extent than what was actually received by native people. Peguis nor any reserve could ever evolve from a village into a town like another village in Canada. Economic development was stunted by design and wealth for the average First Nation person could only be built off reserve. A lot would change, but Peguis even today has a population of over 10,000 people but only 3,500 live on the reserve. Paraphrasing a conversation- Talking with Chief Louis Stevenson in 1981. A lot would change and somethings never change,demonstrations were the only way to move government back then. He was a person I had a lot of respect for.
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One other point I would like to make is that social change has moved forward over the last fifty years regarding feminism, reproductive choice and gay rights. These were all fundamentally opposite of past generations. What was accepted or forced on one generation would not be for forced on the next. Each generation would force change for the next.
The treaties of the past and what they have been interpreted to be in the present has created traps for First Nations people and governments. Feminists nor gays could be trapped by their history of victimization, they moved forward regardless rejecting the pain of their parents or their past selves. The time was right.They seize the day for the present. The time is right for First Nation people. This is a free country, choose freedom. First Nations people are trapped between the re-victimization of the past and that prevents any autonomous freedom of change, independent of government. Reconciliation seems like a well intention-ed goal, but real freedom comes when people release themselves and go into the future without the dependence of oppression. Oppression has become a familiar crutch. Louis Stevenson rejected the Indian Act. There are several generations in play and some cannot change. It is all good, people will often make radical change not for themselves but for their kids.
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Louis Stevenson was a former long time chief of Peguis First Nation (1981-2007)located 190 km north of Winnipeg. This Cree, Saulteau band of 10,000 is served by a highway. He became known for his controversial methods and publicity stunts to get the attention of political leaders in Ottawa to address the bands many social needs and champion human rights for native people.
Canadians may have been so unaware of the conditions on Indian Reserves at the time that a band office worker decided to design a flag that became the basis for the bands letterhead showing traditional aboriginal symbols because the office was getting too many phone calls inquiring about the band being a musical group.
Stevenson may be best know for inviting South African diplomat Glenn Babb to visit Peguis First Nation in 1987. South Africa was an apartheid country with a reputation for civil rights violations with regard to native people there. Babb actually toured the First Nation and drawing attention to living conditions and housing on the reserve. This visit was likely a first glimpse by world media to the appalling conditions First Nations faced in Canada.I covered this visit for the Winnipeg Free Press.
In 1984 he organized the largest demonstration march on the Manitoba Legislature I had ever seen working 27 years in Winnipeg. He bused in thousands of First Nations families rallying support for education funding. He was criticized by local media for paying protesters. But, these families were bused to the big city and they did not have the means to buy lunch or possibly bring back groceries at a reasonable price.
I would first meet Chief Louis as he was often called shorty after we was first elected, when I traveled to Peguis to take his portrait for a feature story. I had no reporter with me so I had the chance to meet and talk to the young leader. He was an up and coming leader, very sincere and progressive. He had ideas about the future and full knowledge of the past. He wanted to look into what was thought at the time an illegal transfer of his band from the valuable and ideal Selkirk area to the less than ideal area of Peguis in 1907.
The land claim would finally be settled in 2008 in the Peguis's band favor.
We would talk about the challenges of being a First Nations leader and it's dealings with Ottawa. I don't think he could fully imagine the enormous hill he would need to climb for the rest of his shortened life. At this stage he was personally quiet, matter of fact, but also an inspiring revolutionary force.
He would explain in thumbnail form one of the essential hindrances to First Nations people living on
reserves. His explanation was so simple even this white man could understand.
Chief Stevenson said the Indian Act was essentially a deal with taxpayers. Every dollar entering the reserve from the government would have to be spent off reserve. (Remote reserves would have a Hudson's Bay store). Money could not circulate nor multiply among band members because no commerce,small business nor large could exist on reserve land. All money would benefit communities around the reserves to a much greater extent that what was actually received by native people. Peguis nor any reserve could ever evolve from a village into a town like another village in Canada. Economic development was stunted by design and wealth for the average First Nation person could only be built off reserve. A lot would change, but Peguis even today has a population of over 10,000 people but only 3,500 live on the reserve.
He would defy the Indian Act by building a shopping mall and at the time peruse purchasing the Beaver Lumber store located off reserve. The lumber store was a place where Peguis would spend a lot of money.
The late 1970's and early 1980's were the time of demonstrations by aboriginal groups, Indian Affairs in Winnipeg were routinely occupied by First Nation protesters. Even the Manitoba Legislature was occupied with a peaceful protest that ended violently with native people thrown down the stone steps in the middle of the night. This was at a demo I was covering. The legislature had many doors, I and other media did not personally witness the sudden forced exit but I did see injured people on the steps and have no doubt about their account.
The development of organization of chiefs eventually evolved to air grievances in a more quiet and positive way and Stevenson was part of that process. This process would also establish another bureaucracy that would hire many full times First Nation people and establish band services, schools and services off reserve in Winnipeg. That would cut both ways.
The legacy of Chief Louis Stevenson would be the hard road of defiance and grudging change, 400 houses would be built, establishing commerce on the reserve, bringing hydro and running water and indoor plumbing,improved education, a drug abuse center and senior center , a shopping mall with a bank,hair salon, gift shop, sporting goods and RCMP station.
The second part of his life would be more controversial and would tarnish his personal story. I just know he lived during a time when the forces that existed in government and as a leader were crushing. He has his accomplishments and they were considerable, but the man I met in those early years was the right person at the right time and he changed the trajectory of First Nations life across Canada.
With regards to his meeting with Glenn Babb, he would say with everything he did, he always got something for his band in return from the government. Opinion by Ken Gigliotti
Topic: The Indian Act -An Explanation even This White Man Could Understand (Read 943 times)