Elder says culture could break crime cycle

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The RCMP and other Native service organizations must make the effort to educate themselves on Native life and culture if the vicious cycle of poverty and imprisonment is to be broken says Elder Eddie Bellerose.

"When I was a little boy the RCMP was a noble man, a man of protection, a man who looked after Indian people on reserves," said Bellerose, 64, speaking to Native Elders, and other delegates at the All-Chiefs Conference held at the Alexander reserve, Oct. 28 ? 29.

Bellerose directed his comments at Native Counselling Services and the RCMP after guest speakers for the two organizations, Chester Cunningham and Corporal Tony Mahon had finished their presentations on youth and prison and crime prevention.

Bellerose stressed that Native Elders are only being used for documentary purposes and are not used enough by Native organizations and other agencies to implement Native culture.

"Some people try to pretend that they understand Native culture and they speak for us in the whiteman's world, but they really don't understand what our culture is. We need to make them understand, especially in prison," said Bellerose who was disturbed that after three years of teaching Indian culture at the Drumheller Institution, funding has now been cut off.

Bellerose used a young man in prison as an example of the need for agencies and Native organizations that exist to help people in prison and once released from prison, "to take a hard look at how to help them," with an emphasis on youth.

"I remember one young person who said he didn't want to go back to his reserve. 'When I go back to the reserve nobody wants to look at me, nobody wants to accept me. The only place that I belong is in here.' So we got a tough thing to do. It is not just a one man solution and maybe my accusation will not help. But I would hope it helps to open your eyes," he said.

He stressed that there is a lot to be done and just sitting down for a couple of hours talking about youth in jails is not enough.

"It will take a week to understand what incarceration is and probably another week to plan what solutions are and should be. It's touchy. I have been in the institutions and I know."

Bellerose commented that it was frustrating to go into the prisons to teach about culture, then see a person released, back inside the prison again. Calling the prisoners "our children" when referring to them he stressed the need to teach them Indian culture properly. "Because right now we wonder why our children are this way. So we have to try and guide them, and teach them somehow," he said adding true Elders should teach and not the pretenders.

Speaking of the RCMP's role in the community and their push for unity and cooperation between Native people and the RCMP, Bellerose stated that he had offered to teach the RCMP about Native culture "and you choose professionals."

Indian Affairs and the churches have failed Indian people and now the RCMP are failing because "there were too many mistakes made in the past," he said.

"You must sit with us and learn the Indian culture. We must hold these meetings and bring out our feelings if we are to have trust. These feelings must be brought out because now it is not just the RCMP that have a problem it is also us. We realize this."

Mahon answered that it is the RCMP K-Division's intention to have all their rural detachments talking and meeting with Native people for better understanding and unity.