Bill C-31 an imposition according to band survey

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Even though Alberta Indian Bands lead the way in submitting membership codes under Bill C-31, several have voiced exception to this imposition, maintaining they, not the government, have the right to determine their own membership.

In a recent survey of 11 Alberta bands by Windspeaker, spokes-persons for the bands note that the Department of Indian Affairs (DIA) up until late June, had been arbitrarily reinstating members to band lists. The members have not been added by bands, but by government.

Some bands do not hesitate in voicing their disapproval of the reinstatements through DIA, rather than the bands themselves. In north eastern Alberta, Cold Lake, Heart Lake, Beaver Lake and Kehewin have expressed the opinion their respective bands should determine membership.

Beaver Lake councillor Ron Lameman says, "We have protested every reinstatement" by DIA. He contends that the approval of new or former members onto the band lists should be up to the general reserve population.

"It's not something that can be approved by another government," said Lameman. "It has to come from the people as has been our tradition," he argues.

In Lameman's view, it is the people at large who should have the say regarding membership. "They are the ones who are going to say, yes, this person can be reinstated or 'no, this person can't be reinstated'. I think that's what you call true Indian government, with no pre-conditions."

The Beaver Lake Band is not alone in its thinking.

Chief Gordon Gadwa of the Kehewin Reserve also feels his band has the right to install members according to their own traditions and the provisions of the treaties. That is why his band has not applied to Ottawa for formal approval of its membership code.

Heart Lake and Cold Lake follow the same line of thought, as do many other bands in Alberta and Saskatchewan which fall under Treaty 6.

The Treaty 6 Coalition has been well-known for its determined stand and strong opposition to Bill C-31 and the membership code issue.

As of May 31, the number of requests (nationally) for reinstatement as Status Indians in accordance with Bill C-31 was 90,051. Close to 9,000 of 24,708 newly registered Indians were deemed eligible for immediate inclusion as Status Indian.

Another 26,000 were being processed and an additional 33,000 registrations were pending review.

In Alberta, there were 2,721 registrations with 1,004 of those being added to existing band lists.

Although many reserves are quite concerned about the possibility of over crowding and depletion of their resources and an escalation of services due to the reinstatement of former members or the inclusion of new members, Heart Lake is something of a "lone wolf" in this respect.

Chief Eugene Monias has indicated Heart Lake welcomes the thought of adding to its small population, especially those who may contribute to the betterment of the community.

Barb Louis, who works on membership for the Samson band at Hobbema, was asked by Windspeaker to spell out some of the specifics of their membership code.

She was reluctant to divulge particulars because "it's really difficult . . . the code has not been approved and what I tell you and what you may print may be entirely different after we receive word that we (may) have to make certain changes."