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Indian ProblemL.To Sot Aside Areas In North Where 1 Native* May Pursue Ancient •I Vocations New methods of dealing with Can-■jada’s increasing Indian problem were outlined in' the House of Commons by Hon. T. A. Crerar, minister of re-IIsources and superintendent general;of Indian affairs. jA program setting aside huge: areas in the north country where In-| dians may pursue their ancient voca-) tion of trapping and hunting undis-i i turbed by the white man is one of the projects now under way. jj It will also be the endeavor to edu-;I |cate Indians along lines enabling them to earn their living in their own ; environment and at work for which 1 they are adapted, rather than in• foccupations more natural to the ’ white race. IRt. Hon. R. B. Bennett, opposition leader, declaring he was proud of the ’ manner in which Canada had cared!Ifor her Indian wards, urged educa-: tional efforts along lines that would ensure the Indian an opportunity of supporting himself in the manner for which he was best adapted.Mr. Crerar said plans were already under way in the Northwest Territories to stock large areas with beaver and to restrict those areas to the use of Indians in an effort to revive the fur trade.Inroads by white trappers and hunters had almost destroyed the hunting and trapping by which Indians used to support themselves. !Other efforts to improve their lot would be to train Indians as guides | and forest workers, in woodcraft and beadwork, so authentic Indian craft ’ would be available for purchase by tourists. They were also being trainedIas guides and attendants in national j parks.In recent years Indian schools had trained young boys and girls in the' wrays of the white race. They were taught to use modern electrical appliances and to observe the amenitiesof modern life in the cities, the min-7ister said.! Indian scholars on leaving such schools returned, in the majority of I cases, to their reserves, where thisjknowledge was of no benefit to them, with the exception of what they had 1 learned of health and hygienic habits.Mr. Bennett suggested such school graduates often, on returning to thevreserves, found themselves at a disadvantage as compared with their contemporaries who had remained at home.In recent years, thanks to education and medical care furnished by the federal government in increasing measure, the Indian population had started to increase and was now approximately 118,000 for all Canada.The population was increasing at the rate of about l’i* per cent. A similar problem would eventually be found in respect to the Eskimos in the western Arctic, Mr. Crerar forecast.
Newspaper Details
Peace River Northern Gazette
Peace River, Alberta, CA
Fri, Jul 22, 1938
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
CA 16 Sep 2019
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