Off-reserve group draws fire from agencies

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A new Native group in Edmonton is seeking government backing to secure treaty programs for urban Indians, placing it directly at odds with existing Native agencies designed to provide the same services.

"We're not trying to step on anyone's toes," said Ray Desjardin, president of the three-month-old Edmonton First Nations Council, "But we need to ensure that people respect our culture and our differences...even if we have to do it ourselves."

More than 30 people turned up for the group's first general meeting, where Desjardin announced the group will lobby the government for funds to address issues in Edmonton.

Desjardin said urban Indians should be receiving the same benefits as those living on reserve, like housing, education and health services. He was highly critical of existing agencies and service groups for urban Natives and said they are not following through on their plans.

"The Metis Nation (of Alberta) takes are of the Metis," Desjardin said. "Who takes care of the Indian? Everybody says they speak on our behalf, but nobody does anything for us."

But leaders of other organizations representing off-reserve Natives are equally critical of Desjardin and the council. And they claim there are already enough Native service groups operating in the city.

"It seems there are a lot of groups coming out of the woodworking trying to duplicate existing services," said Lloyd Sutton, director of the Canadian Native Friendship Centre. Bashing existing agencies is not the proper answer."

Sutton agreed that the city's programs are not keeping pace with the growing demands of Edmonton's Native population.

But he insisted that Native service agencies in the city are struggling to keep their heads above water.

"Times are tough," he said. "I admit that we're no operating like we should be. But that's going to change."

Laurent Roy, the director of Edmonton's Aboriginal Representative Committee, said the concerns of the urban Indian are being dealt with by his municipal organization. And although this year-old program isn't designed to focus exclusively on Indian issues, Roy said the city is attempting to treat the same problems which concern the Council. "We're broad based," he said. "Things take time."

Doris Ronnenberg, president of the Native Council of Canada's Alberta wing said her organization already has a group in place to deal with Edmonton issues.

She said that the Native council's Edmonton affiliate has been slow off the mark to get government to recognize Indian rights. But she added urban Natives have to do some pushing of their own--not, however, against the interests of other Native groups.

"We've done a lot of hard work to get this thing going," Ronnenberg said. "But the (real) work has got to come from the people themselves.