Sinclair moves on - President's lobbying days not over yet

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"Pardon me, Thou bleeding piece of earth, that I am meek and gentle with these butchers." ? by Shakespeare

A poster that shows a once beautiful forest destroyed by a logging company's machines, and bearing the above words, hangs on the wall of Sam Sinclair's office.

The man who's been the president of the Metis Association of Alberta (MAA) for eight years is turning his thoughts from politics to land preservation. The post symbolizes the direction he will take upon leaving his position in September.

"I can remember, like it was yesterday . . . my grandmother used to hold our hands when we walked with her . . . she put her hands towards the trees and sky and told us this is our land. If we take care of it, it will take care of us," recalls Sinclair. "How true . . . too bad the whiteman wasn't listening."

These days Sinclair talks about "sitting down with the proper people and finding solutions" to stopping the destruction of Alberta' natural resources. He would like to be a consultant "for private industry and the government ? because the government is involved in making legislation (regarding environmental issues)."

"Forests need to be preserved," he stresses, adding that the careless use of insecticides really bothers him. "The run-off gets into lakes and creeks. Our people are fishing in this water and drinking it and getting sick."

If anyone can make the government and private industry listen to the idea of protecting the land from a Native perspective, it could well be Sinclair. He is a determined and dedicated man. Though some will say there have been times when he should have taken a firmer stand on political issues as MAA president, few will doubt he has fought hard to better the lives of Metis people.

Sinclair has been determined and competitive in all facets of his life. Even when digging ditches, "I was always watching how the next guy was doing and trying to beat him." He became the middleweight boxing champion on the Pacific Command in the Canadian army and, also won the middleweight title in Europe after the war in 1945.

When he was 12-years old, Sinclair got an inkling he would some day be a leader. "There was a Half Breed Association in Slave Lake in 1938 that I had to go to because my dad couldn't make it. He told me just to sit there and not say anything and then report back to him. I remember the guest speaker was Peter Tompkins and the president was Pat Courtoreille. They were talking about trapping and I noticed how the people looked up to these leaders . . . and how the leaders listened patiently to all the people's concerns. I said to my cousin right then that someday I wanted to be one of those leaders."

But, many events were to occur before he would realize his dream; experiences that would mold him for a leadership route.

"For one thing, the army helped to discipline me and teach me to respect people. Young people don't really have discipline like that or respect their elders. In my day you couldn't even step in front of an elder or it was disrespectful."

In later years Sinclair took a number of jobs in which he began as a labourer and ended up a manager. He feels this "working up through the ranks" is important to a leader.

"Leadership in Aboriginal positions does not come automatically. I've been in charge of people. People should go through the stages of leadership. There's no place for people who've just come off the street ? they just become political casualties.

Sinclair says experience taught him to take a common sense and cool approach to the decision making process. "People have a tendency to fly off the handle and make decisions. I'm not in that category. I'm also willing to listen to advice. No one can be a know-it-all."

This common sense approach has seen Sinclair through the many changes of the MAA through the years. He has helped to take from a "social club" type of organization to one based on a sophisticated political system. He has one from being an all-powerful president who could make independent decisions to being a "team member" who handles issues with a board of directors.

This board has not always stood behind Sinclair on important issues. In 1986, when the Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation switched from a sustaining grant to a fee-for-services system, Sinclair was held largely responsible for a resulting $150,000 deficit. Sinclair was subject of a vote of non-confidence by the board and this jeopardized his position as MAA president. However, the vote was defeated and Sinclair finished his term of office.

"We had to cut staff to recover the deficit. And we did gain it all back within 14 months . . . I think the deficit was no single man's responsibility," Sinclair states, adding that the housing manager and accountant at the time should have had a better communication system with him.

If 1986 was a low point in Sinclair's reign as president, there are many high points to counterbalance this.

In 1982 he negotiated with the federal government to secure 300 houses under the Metis Urban Housing program, worth approximately $20 million. He also helped to gain funds for economic development projects that are just now coming to fruition.

"There is an $8.3 million tourism and small business grant that's rumoured to come through this year and we have $510,000 which goes directly to administration in the regional offices," Sinclair explains. He points out this money will be put to good use in establishing such things as offices and manpower to encourage research into new economic ventures and services for Metis people.

With the influx of new monies and possible dissolution of the MAA due to lack of unity among its members, does Sinclair feel this is a critical time for his departure from the association?

He admits the next few years are going to be important, but states matter-of-factly that he's tired and along with weekend work has gone for years without a holiday.

He does't hide the fact that he enjoyed trips overseas that came with his job as president, but points out these were working holidays. He's been to Australia, New Zealand, and Europe as a Metis representative, and returned five weeks ago from Peru, where he attended "World Council of Indigenous People" meetings.

He enjoyed the fast pace of his work and says the last eight year went "awfully fast," but at the same time bemoans the fact it seemed his work was never done.

"I started some things, but couldn't finish them. I think one thing that weakens our accomplishment is we are always looking for the proper resources so we can do something about education, child care and cultural issues. I've had some reliable sources, but I've often had a lack of help to do things," Sinclair says.

He believes that resource people and improved communications are an area which the newly elected president will have to improve upon if the association is to become more unified. He is also willing to work with the new president to overcome rifts between locals and members.

But the new president will have to wait for a month to ask Sinclair about his ideas. "When I leave here I'm going hunting," Sinclair says, indicating he'll use the time to rest up and forget about politics.

"But, I'll be back and ready to work by the first of November," he says with enthusiasm.