National Aboriginal
Achievement Awards
COVER:
Thomas
Prince
Canada's
Forgotten Aboriginal War Hero
NATIONAL ABORIGINAL
ACHIEVMENT AWARDS:
Dr. Freda Ahenakew
Mariano Aupilardjuk
Roman
Bittman
Dr Harold Cardinal
Dr. Lindsay Crowshoe
Tomson Highway
Fred House
Zacharias Kunuk
Richard Nerysoo
Lance Relland
Nicholas Sibbeston
Mary Thomas
Dolly Watts
BUSINESS:
Bankers Call Shots
A bank is calling the
financial shots on one of Manitoba's largest First Nations
CULTURE:
Debate
Rages Over Native Alcoholism
Gwishalaayt
The Spirit
Wraps Around You
EDUCATION:
Agreement Solidifies Ties Between Valley Schools and First Nations
Education Critical to Moving Forward
Education is Failing Aboriginal Students
MODERN TREATIES:
Atlantic
Chiefs Demand Action on Template Agreements
...the
Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nation Chiefs are demanding a meeting
with DFO minister Herb Dhaliwa...
Cash-strapped Tribal Police Winding Down Operations
First Nations communities
in Cape Breton will no longer be policed by their own...
HUMOUR:
Support Your Local Native
OBITUARY:
Chief Simon Baker
POLITICS:
One
Dead Indian
Referendum
Circus Coming Soon to Your Town
20,000 Survivors of Residential Schools to Seek Compensation
Fred House
Community Development
Fred
House has spent his lifetime giving voice to a people that were formerly
among Canada's most disenfranchised - non-status Indians.
A brilliant Métis leader, House also helped ensure his people were not
ignored, forgotten and disenfranchised all over again when Prime Minister
Pierre Elliott Trudeau and the provincial premiers repatriated the Canadian
Constitution 20 years ago.
The rights of Canada's Métis are now constitutionally enshrined and other
battles for recognition can continue. House was once described as a "born
leader, fighting for those who can't speak for themselves and one who
never ever gives up." This description fits him well.
He served as President of the B.C. Association of Non-Status Indians in
the turbulent 1970s and formed Coyote Credit Union which provides small
business loans and investments for Aboriginal entrepreneurs.
House founded a construction company and heavy equipment contracting co-operative
that employed hundreds. He fought long and hard to convince government
officials that Métis and non-status Indians desperately needed access
to social housing by bringing attention to the deplorable housing crisis
in Northern B.C. in the 70s. House established a province-wide network
of court workers to assist Aboriginal people before the courts.
This tireless advocate for Métis rights has taken his people's case directly
to every Prime Minister since John Diefenbaker. He once boldly approached
Trudeau as the Prime Minister's car idled on Parliament Hill and demanded
a meeting between the late Prime Minister and Métis leaders. He got it.
House remains plain-spoken to this day and will never retreat when he
believes his cause is just.