Example set in Sask.

Page 6

EDITORIAL

The apparent "disintegration" of the Saskatchewan Metis Association may well set an example to Alberta's Association if infighting, alleged dishonesty and accusations continue to run rampant amongst leaders and members.

A good, long, hard look must be taken at the candidates in the upcoming election. A faultless method of selecting the leaders must be utilized. Most importantly, the ethics of the elected individuals must be rooted in a firm commitment to serve the electorate only and leave personal goals aside.

If all this is done, perhaps the question of how to ensure the accountability of officials in the association will not need to be answered. Neither will the search for a method to remove those whose performance is unsatisfactory or questionable be required.

With responsible elected leaders, perhaps the conflicts of the past can be largely rectified and the slate wiped clean. There is strength in unity and it will be found if everyone pulls together.

The giving and taking

Everyone agrees that the $106 million pledge to establish the South Moresby region of the Queen Charlotte Island as a national park is a high price to pay, but well worth it. At the ceremony, in which the 145,000 hectare area was signed over by the B.C. government, no Haida representation could be seen because they were conducting a potlatch ceremony in a reserve village. Interestingly enough, the ancient ceremony they were holding, was once punishable by imprisonment in Canada.

The Haida were probably thankful for the South Moresby decision, but still mindful of all the government has taken away from them, now, as well as in the past.

More support called for

Mainstream journalistic headlines were filled this week with the story of government ward Joe Samson, whose body was found (after an alleged beating) in a water treatment settling pond near Grande Prairie.

The unfortunate Samson had been dropped from Alberta Social Services care when he turned 18 and had managed to survive a year on his own before he died.

The story was sensationalistic, due to the gruesome details behind Samson's demise, and gave the impression such incidents are isolated.

Unfortunately, we'd all have to agree, the death is just one of such tragedies that often occur. Samson was just an example in a stream of young people who fall by the wayside when set free from care and left on their own.

Some kind of support should be set up for these kids when they are let loose. They are often unprepared for the rough world out there. AS well, studies have shown that emotional and psychological difficulties are suffered by many wards ? many who are moved around from foster home to foster home and often abused.

If the government is going to turn over the responsibility of native child welfare to natives themselves, then we must be sure to provide some kind of support for wards after they turn 18 ? we just can't turn them out.

Our job is, of course, to do as much as we can to keep them out of the system in the first place. This may call for changes in the child welfare act itself, which we can lobby for. Also, each on his own can strengthen family ties and rediscover how important the family is, and was, to our ancestors.