The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

-·- TE K.,AW EN N.A l<E " .. ....... , " "·:·· ' ,· .. -~·.· .. ·. ·.·.- ·· ·1·.,·. ·.·c.•.· .. ·.· .. ·,·.·.· .. ·. ·-··-· . ~------/ SIX N..6.JI_QJJ$ .. N_.~_yy ___ C8.E.PJT REPORTER January 29, 1969 / ---· -=- -_- -_- ------::::: -=------=--=- --_-_- _-_- -- r ---- --- - - - - - - - - - ...,__ - - --- - - - ---- ---------- -- - - - ?ublished at Ohsweken 1 Ontario, Cariada. Editors and Publishers A. and W~ Jamieson Authorized as seoond class mail, Post Office Department, Ottawa, and for Payment of Postage in Cash. -- - SIX NATIONS NE\'lS Local Indians Want Ottawa To Reaffirm Treaty Rights \ Six Nations Reserve representatives came home from a conference at Tororito with mixed emotionso The local representatives to the five-day conference included Mrs. Rena Hill, representative of the Six Nations and New Credit Reserves on the federal India11 ad- -~-----v'.l..S-Ory...commi ttee of Ontario and Chiefs Richard Isaac and Fred King . fr.om .the Six Nat-i0ns and New Credit Reserves, respectively. The conference was staged as preliminary studies for amendments to the Indian Act·. ~, _ Mrs. Hill told The Elcposi tor Saturday that the Six Nations tribes were disappointe,d that _ no local repr.esentati ve had been named by the government in the Ottawa convention' which will deal with malcing amendpients to the Indian Act. · She said the Six Nations council had sent a recommendation to the Toronto consul- tations resolving that the gover nment should retain the act but reaffirm all treaties which set out rights and privileges of the Indians. l!These treaties should be reaffirmed so we know where we stand," said Mrs. Hill. She also said the act will have to be flexible so all Indians can be covered and protected by their .,treaties. Mrs. Hill said she is also concerned about the government considering the National Brotherhood of Indians as repres entatives of Indians all across Canada. "The NBI is a western group , " said Mrs . Hill, "and it doesn't contain any repre- sentatives of eastern tribes~ Our real representation is the National Indian Advis- ory CounciL 11 Mrs. Hill said she was pleased to learn at the conference that the department of heal th and welfare is "footing t he bill" for the c·onve"rsion of Lady Wiilingdon Hospital at Ohsweken to a home -for elderly Indians. Chief Isaac said he hoped some good will come out of the week-long meeting. "Th~ Indian Act, like all acts 1 needs revfusing, 11 said Chief Isaac. "But I · don I t tJ:link too big of a change would be good. Moderate revisimns are what the act needs." Mrs. Hill said the Six Nations council will send a resolution to . the government seeking representation to the Ot tawa meetings which might be held in February. The conference got under way with a demonstration the first day by young people of the St. Regis Reserve which is located at Cornwall. Mrs. Hill said the other representatives voted to allow the St. Regis group to address the conference and the i emonstrations ended. "They were young people, but they expressed themselves very well," said Mrs. Hill. 11They explained their situation and asked that the Jay Treaty be honored," she added. Chief Frederick Plain of Sarnia 1 s Chippewa Indians pleaded with the Indian repre- sentatives to refuse approval of any changes in the act until the government "Acknowl- edges the existence of and inviolability of Indian treaties and rights." Chief Plain called the act the "wholesale violation" of Indian rights guaranteed in writing during the past 200 years. The Indian Act is viewed with mixed emotions on the reserves. Some Indians feel the Indian Act holds the Indians back and should be abol~shed. continued