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Reflections on the Annual Manitoba Indian and Métis Conferences of the Early 1960s Toby MoranTz McGill University Beginning in 1954, the Welfare Council of Winnipeg organized annual conferences devoted to providing “an opportunity for people of Indian origin and those of non-Indian origin to join together in discussing problems of mutual concern” (Welfare Council of Greater Winnipeg1 1961:i). It thus brought together both status Indians and Metis of Manitoba, and Metis at that time, then included those Indians, such as women, who had married non-status Indians. This, of course, was three decades before Bill C-31 of 1985, which returned to these women their Indian status and bestowed it upon their children. These annual meetings continued, it seems, until 1968; fourteen in all were held. In this paper I look at the how these conferences functioned, who was involved, what programs were instituted in the communities, and what befell them. The intent is to convey the creativity and enthusiasm of both Natives and non-Natives regarding the development of the communities that lasted throughout much of the 1960s. However, the eventual bureaucratization seems to have dampened or even destroyed this spirit. This may be a bold statement to make since my knowledge of the workings of the Indian and Metis Annual Conferences was confined to a three-year period, 1961–1963. I left Winnipeg in 1963 and was unable to follow the ensuing developments first-hand. I have relied on secondary sources in formulating my conclusions, provisional as they are. Another objective of this paper is the discussion of these conferences which, to my knowledge, are referenced only once in the published literature and only in passing on a different topic (Sawchuk 1978:47). Most of the data are derived from the notes I took as a recording secretary of the three conferences, namely the Seventh through Ninth, and from the reports the conference organizers issued those years. These are 310 1. Hereinafter designated as WCGW. 311 The annual ManiToba indian and MéTis ConferenCes in my possession. It is very likely that a more complete record can be unearthed at the Province of Manitoba Archives. The format of the meetings usually followed a similar pattern from year to year with designated themes such as “Partners in Planning” (1961) and “Responsibility for the Future” (1962). The conference began in the evening with a keynote address. In 1961, Frank Calder, then an MLA in British Columbia, spoke to an audience of about 550 people2 (WCGW 1961:2; Community Welfare Planning Council3 1963:i). The following morning, the assembly listened to ten-minute presentations by the chiefs of the bands and representatives of the Metis communities. Many of the chiefs did not speak in English and other chiefs translated their words. In 1963, spokespeople from about thirty-nine bands and communities provided a report. Not all communities were represented for in 1961 there were fifty status Indians bands (Canada 1961:56:Table 2) and an indeterminate number of Metis communities in the Province. In a few cases, both a Chief and a Metis representative spoke from essentially the same community as at Norway House, Fairford, Fisher River, and others. I do not know how the bands or communities were selected but I believe it was by their choosing to attend, and I presume subsidies for transport were made available through Indian Affairs or an agency of the Manitoba government. However, at the 1963 meetings (CWPC 1963:19), Metis delegates complained that it was expensive for their communities to send delegates as the federal government was not providing assistance. The meetings were always held in February and it may be also that some delegates could not travel then to Winnipeg because of lack of transport. The afternoon of the first full day of the meeting and the next day were devoted to discussing issues in groups, culminating in a general assembly in the morning of the last day. Here reporting was made from each of the discussion groups; resolutions, which were many and categorized according to activity, were proposed and voted upon. However, standing committees met throughout the year to find ways to implement the resolutions and reported on their progress at the next annual meeting. The 1961 workshops 2. This was the attendance at the evening session, given for the 1963 Conference. 3. Hereafter CWPC. Note that the Community Welfare Planning Council was a renamed Welfare Council of Greater Winnipeg. [18.119.253.93] Project MUSE (2024-04...

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