C-31 women protest

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More than thirty women took to the streets of Cold Lake in a march to end discrimination on Friday, May 21, sharing the day with National Aboriginal Day.

The march was organized by Gina Russell and Agnes Gendron. Both are members of the Cold Lake First Nations Band, and both feel discriminated against as Bill C-31 people.

"Gina and I decided to have a march. We wanted the public to know what was happening to us. Nothing has changed for us since Bill C-31," Gendron said.

Gendron said that once C-31 had been passed, she thought her rights would be given back to her, and she would be allowed back into her traditional community.

"Our understanding was that we got full treaty rights back including being able to live on reserve, being a community member, and being able to vote,

Gendron said the present Cold Lake First Nations chief and every other chief since 1985 has maintained that they are not treaty Indians just because they married non-status people.

"We can't even pick up our treaty cheques on the reserve. We go, stand in line and are refused," she said.

So Gendron and Russell decided to walk a straight line down the middle of Cold Lake in order to create awareness to their plight and that of other Bill C-31 people. Russell said these people need to have their voices heard before they lose their community ties all together. As many as 500 women could be struggling with the same issues across the country, estimated Russell.

"Some of the women were re-instated under Bill C-31, and the band has nothing to do with them. I married non-status in 1987, after the bill was passed, and I'm being discriminated against, said Russell.

The discrimination has also touched her children. Russell has two sons who were born before she was married.

"They were wiped off the band record along with me," she said, "I can't vote for chief and council or live on the reserve, even though I'm related to close to 90 per cent of the people on the reserve."

At the march, attended by almost three dozen women, banners were raised and voices rang out.

Marcher Doreen Larson held a sign proclaiming "Remember the grandmothers, remember the grandfathers."

"I'm here because I am being discriminated against," she said. "I married a non-Native person. My children and I have been banished from the band. Our grandmothers and grandfathers were full-blooded Native people, but that doesn't seem to matter."

Gendron said she hopes the march will gain momentum and eventually land in the federal government's laps.

"It is not our fault we lost our treaty rights. It was forced upon us. We want the government to know that. We will not stand back and take this discrimination or abuse from anyone."

If change is to come, it is up to the women to initiate change by speaking up and by not tolerating actions that foster discrimination, said Gendron. "All women everywhere need to stand up for one another. We have that obligation and responsibility."

Already, one level of government has heard the cry for help started by the rally.

"We all must work towards equality - equality in gender and equality in race. I believe society will be a better place to live if we eliminate discrimination," said Cold Lake town councillor Fran Jordan.

When reached for comment, Cold Lake First Nation Chief Francis Scanie confirmed that women covered under Bill C-31 are not accepted on the reserve. He refused any further comment.

Mike Sidon with the Department of Indian Affairs confirmed that the women are not able to pick up their treaty money at the band office. Instead, Indian Affairs has an office off-reserve where the cheques are issued.

The organizers of this year's march said there is an underlying message to their campaign, and it's one that will carry on to the next march.

"This is the beginning. We are women and let's be proud of who we are," said Russell.

Gendron said she hopes to see more people out for the march next year if it has to be held again.

"We were disappointed with the urn out this year, but we were happy for the ones that came out. They were scared, but they still came out," she said. "If things aren't any better by next year, we will march again."