Gray reminisces about the CNFC

25 years of affiliation

Page 13

I met 68 year-old Delia Gray, who was born near Wabasca, at a Canadian Native Friendship Centre Christmas party last year. We spoke privately in one of the upstairs offices where she proudly stated in her convincing manner, "I've been affiliated with the friendship centre coming up to 25 years."

As Gray recalled the original site of the centre, I noticed a slight lisp in her voice when she said, "It was an old house on 108th and 102nd Avenue, in February 1962, I think. We used to have fun in that place. Then we outgrew that one and found this place through George Pruden. We bought it and we've been here since.

"Now they're talking about a new building, but I don't know. A new building may never be the same. I'll be happy to see it, but there's the closeness here. And, uhm..."

she paused for a few seconds to gather her thoughts and said, "this is a place I cannot leave. It's a place where people come for help, friendship, dancing, and singing. This is the only place I can come to speak Cree at. My husband passed away and my children don't speak Cree, so I have no one to converse with. But, I come to the centre for that.

"You always run into people here that you don't see anywhere else. I'll put it that way," said Gray, trying to explain what the friendship centre means to her. "This is a meeting place, she continued, "tawow."

"Do you speak Cree?"

"No, not really," I answered.

Delia was involved with other organizations such as the John Howard Society, the Catholic Women's League and the Imperial Order for Daughters of the Empire. But Gray says the only places she's active at currently is the friendship centre and the Legion, which presented her with a medal for services in 1986.

"People will say, what are you doing at the Legion? They drink there.' I don't have to drink. I drink tea. They're still good people even if they do. They fought in the front lines for our country...for us. We have to stop and think about that, and give them credit, "said Gray, opening her mind on a range of other subjects.

"The last few years at different times I bought my Metis Association (of Alberta) membership card, but now I don't bother. I never hear from them. But., I read about them. They keep going," she said quietly. "They need younger people, I guess."

"Sometimes young people say, ' what have Native organizations done for us?' But that's not the point. It's not one-sided, and what you do for them is more important," advised Gray.

Her face grew more serious now. She said, "when we see our own blood, our people climbing up the step ladder quickly, don't pull them down.

"You know," sighed Gray, "I'm not pointing fingers at anyone specifically, but I have seen that. There are some that will help, but there are some where it's the other way around. There's a lot of envy in our blood...you just have to keep going."