Elders meet at Alexis

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A request made at a conference in Sturgeon Lake by Treaty Eight Elders saw a second Elder Conference hosted this time by Treaty Six Elders held on the Alexis Reserve, July 29-30.

Elders from various reserves in Alberta are holding their conferences to discuss new and old projects, programs and concerns facing them on their reserves.

Vice president for Treaty 6, Percy Potts, although showing his concern regarding the Neilson Task Force report, the National Indian Brotherhood and a lack of communications among the different Native organizations, still had a high regard for the Elders who were meeting from across Canada.

"I never thought while I was walking on the roads of this reserve that I would be

in a room with so much wisdom accumulated over the years. It makes me feel good just to be here with you," commented Potts.

Informing the Elders on the latest developments of the Neilson Task Force and the implications of Bill C-31, President of the Indian Association of Alberta, Greg Smith, also stressed his concern over Child Welfare. It is a concern of the IAA that many of these children are being moved across the provinces.

Many of the Elders at the conference kept the various leaders on their toes by posing questions and offering solutions. It was noticed that their humour was always abundant, while at the same time, they showed their seriousness regarding each topic.

Chairman for the Elders Conference, John Samson said, "what the Elders are trying to do is get their leaders of this province to work together on national issues."

An Elder from the Alexis Reserve, Nancy Potts, who attended the conference believes that the young leaders are now realizing that the Elders are "the backbone of leadership."

"They are finding out that the Elders are important to their leadership and that

they are the best cultural politicians you can find," Nancy said.

During the two day event a feast was prepared for the Elders and visitors. Everything was cooked outdoors which showed that the Elders were blending modern

day conference work with their traditional way.

"I used to live in a teepee. I'd get up in the morning hearing all the different sounds of the birds and the whispering of the wind through the trees. When you walk on the path and enjoy all the natural things like flowers, trees and running water, that's one thing we miss today. We don't even see the sun going down and the sun coming up. We don't hear the crackling of fire and chopping wood,"' said Nancy Potts while sharing a bit of her wisdom.

It was an enjoyable two days which gave a person an idea of the strength of the Elders and the importance of listening to them.

At the close of the conference it was agreed that Treaty 7, should be approached to host the next Elders Conference. A date has not been set. Times and dates will be published in Windspeaker, once it is set.