When world-renowned First Nations Chief and community leader Clarence Louie spoke in a packed theatre at the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology last Thursday, he stressed the need for his people to become business minded.
Louie is the chief executive officer of the Osoyoos Indian Band, which is the operator of Nk’Mip, a joint venture with Vincor Canada, a wine producer.
He said despite many people’s impression that First Nations are given everything for free, the government hasn’t done a good job with relations.
“There are a lot of reasons why the First Nations people are at the bottom of socioeconomic status. A lot of that thinking, with [Canada’s first Prime Minister John A. Macdonald] saying he wants to get rid of tribalism and wants assimilation, still exists. I think even today, some segments of society say ‘We have an Indian problem.'”
Louie travels the world as a public speaker and during his journeys, he asks cab drivers to give him their honest opinion about what they think of First Nations people.
“I tell them I’ll tip them better if they are honest with me,” he said. “I tell them there is nothing they can say that I’ll be ashamed of being First Nations. I’m too proud a First Nations person to let someone make me ashamed… The cab drivers tell me that Indians get everything for free and the government pays our people not to work.”
But First Nations are forced to grow up in poverty, which can often generate these perceptions, he said.
To move past any tension, he explained, First Nations need to work closely with non-First Nations for economic benefit.
See next Thursday’s issue for Part 2
