Indian Association of Alberta facts for kids

The Indian Association of Alberta is an organization that works for the rights of First Nations people across Alberta. It was started by John Callihoo and John Laurie in 1939. The group grew out of another organization called the League of Indians in Western Canada.

How the Association Started and Grew

In the past, First Nations groups in Alberta weren't always working together closely. The Indian Act of 1927 was a law that made it hard for Indigenous people in Canada to form political groups. It also made it difficult for them to practice their traditional cultures and languages.

Forming the League of Indians of Alberta

Despite these challenges, some Cree and Stoney people from central Alberta created the League of Indians of Alberta (LIA) in 1933. John Callihoo, who was the president, helped change the LIA into the Indian Association of Alberta (IAA) in 1939. The new group wasn't very active during the war years. It mainly represented First Nations people from central Alberta.

Uniting Different Nations

In 1943, Chris Shade and other Indigenous people from southwestern Alberta started their own group. This was called the Blood Indian Local Association. John Callihoo met with them, hoping they would join the IAA. They agreed on many things, but the Blood people still felt some tension towards what they called the "Cree Association."

Over the next few years, the IAA managed to reach more people. It helped unite different First Nations groups in Alberta. James Gladstone, who was Cree by birth, worked to improve the relationship between his adopted Blood tribe and the IAA.

In 1946, the Blood people formed two local IAA groups. They sent eight representatives to the IAA meeting in Hobbema. Gladstone spoke for the Blood groups. He presented eight ideas about education, ranching, and land ownership. He showed he could help bring the different nations together. Because of this, he was chosen as a director of the IAA.

Challenges and Leadership

Differences between nations appeared again in the mid-1950s. Blackfoot leader Clarence McHugh and Cree leader Albert Lightning each served a year as president. James Gladstone helped bring order back to the IAA. He also helped the association grow further into northern Alberta. He served as president from 1950 to 1953 and again from 1956 to 1957.

Through leaders like James Gladstone, John Laurie, and Malcolm Norris, the IAA became much more active. They worked hard to influence the provincial and federal governments. They also gained public support. The IAA played a part in new laws that gave financial support to Indigenous people. They also helped with other social improvements. They became involved in planning new laws when the federal government created a special committee in 1946. This committee looked into ways to update the Indian Act.

Protecting Rights and Treaties

Representatives from the IAA went to the committee meetings. They proposed many ideas to protect treaty rights, improve education, and provide social help. They disagreed with two ideas that government representatives and some other Indigenous groups supported.

Voting Rights and Land Ownership

Most First Nations people in Alberta did not want to be given the right to vote in federal elections. They worried it would mean losing their special status and tax exemptions. They also did not want their reserve land divided into smaller pieces. For many years, they had used common reserve land for ranching.

The updated Indian Act of 1951 did not divide their lands. It also did not give them the federal vote. The Act no longer supported forcing Indigenous people to give up their culture. However, it did not have specific rules to protect their unique cultures. The new Act fixed three-quarters of the IAA's concerns about the first draft of the Bill. This included giving more power to Indian band councils. Still, government officials continued to treat each band as if they were not ready for responsibility.

Protecting Special Status

The new Indian Act also reduced the number of Indigenous people who qualified for special status. In 1956, some members of the Samson Cree band living in Hobbema were removed from their status because of this change. A court decision reversed this in 1957. However, worries about the special status of Indigenous people continued.

The IAA pushed for more changes to the Indian Act. They wanted to make sure their treaty rights were secure. In 1959, another special committee was formed, with James Gladstone as a co-chair.

Prime Minister John Diefenbaker had appointed Gladstone to the Canadian Senate in 1958. This showed that his government was more willing to work for the interests of Indigenous people. However, the 1951 Indian Act stayed in place until it was updated in 1985.

Fighting for Self-Determination

The IAA became active in federal politics again in 1969. This was when the Liberal government released its White Paper Policy. The White Paper suggested ways to bring Indigenous people into the main Canadian society. These ideas included transferring control of reserves to the provinces. It also meant Indigenous people would lose their special status.

The IAA strongly opposed these ideas. In 1970, they released their own plan called Citizens Plus. Because of this strong opposition, the government finally dropped the White Paper in 1971.

For many years, the IAA and other Indigenous groups had pushed for Indigenous and treaty rights to be protected in the Canadian Constitution. In 1980, Prime Minister Trudeau announced plans to bring the constitution to Canada from Britain. He also planned to add a Charter of Rights and Freedoms to it. Indigenous groups across Canada fought to include their rights in the Charter.

The IAA organized a large demonstration on the Alberta Legislature grounds. Over 6,000 Indigenous people from all over Alberta attended. The new Charter recognized only "existing" Indigenous and treaty rights. But it allowed for these rights to be discussed and changed later. Several meetings about the constitution failed to make these rights clearer. This included the Meech Lake Accord, signed in 1987. However, the IAA and other Indigenous groups helped to defeat the Accord in 1990.

Past Presidents

• John (Johnny) Callihoo
• Clarence McHugh
• Albert Lightning
• James Gladstone (1950-1953, 1956–1957)
• Harold Cardinal
• Eugene Steinhauer
• Mel H. Buffalo
• Marilyn Buffalo (2012-?)