douglas college’s Volume Number @ jl} be done by Nora Gillis Wearehere,and we're notgoing away. So why not learn toco-existin ce? This is the message that Betsy Senyk and James Andrew hope was broadcasted loud and clear during the First Nations Awareness Week here at Douglas College. Senyk and Andrew, who are active Council Members of the First Nations Association, were pleased with the March 15-18 event, in spite of a cancelled tation and a run-in with college administration. “It’s been hard, at times, to get people to even listen to our issues. The response we had from the Awareness Week was encouraging,” said Senyk. Senyk has received very little negativeresponse from studentsand faculty, butadministrationisanother matter: they almost cancelled the final day, claiming that drumming and singing on the Concourse were disrupting classes. Acc to Senyk, there was only one complaint actually made, by the instructor of an accounting class having an exam. First Nations students asked Elder Harry Lavalle to go with them when they met with administration to discuss the situation. An agreement was reached when the students offered to notify all classes that would be affected by drumming and singing, and arrange for alternate rooms for them, if they wished. Most heartening to Senyk was howstudents, staffand facultyrallied Goodbye, So Long, Farewell VOD ya autonomous student newspaper —- since 1976 We are not the left Wing Creeps you think we are! Pursuing a Spirit of Co-existence First Nations Awareness Week showed it can behind the First Nations students. Faculty members wrote letters in support and a petition to keep the drumming and singing collected almost 300 signatures. “It’s our tradition to open and closeour ceremonies with drummers and singers, and the point was made that for a couple of hundred years we, as First Nations people, have been very erous in extending respect to non-First Nations views, issues and religions, and we didn’t feel that asking for half an hour was asking too much.” The other problem during the week was the cancellation of the Mohawk Warriors’ presentation on Wednesday. Senyk cited a breakdown ii funding for transportation as the cause, and said plansare being made to bring them here at a future date. For Senyk, one of the highlights of the week was the support shown bynon-FirstNations people.Shesays her philosophy instructor, Kurt Preinsperg, is one example. “I went to to him to see if he would be willing to bring theclass in to see the Mohawk presentation, and I got more than I asked for. Not only was he willing to do that, buthe was also willing to incorporate our issues right into his curriculum. That just blew me away.” James Andrew says not many teachers are willing to do that, even inthe Anthropology department. He claims that even the Native Studies courses don’t really tell the whole story. The anthropology department took a step toward changing that by proposing the Cross-Cultural Workshops that were held during the week. Paul Biscop, the instructor who first suggested the workshops, saidhesaw themasa way of working toward eliminating stereotypes and breaking down misunderstanding. “If we gain understanding of our differences, we reduce the distance between us.” Unfortunately, notmany faculty members actually attended them. Biscop blamed scheduleconflictsand also said, “It was too late in the term for the whole thing. [The Awareness Week] should have been earlier in the semester.” Andrew said, “Workshops like that should be made mandatory for staff, administration and faculty, because when we bring up issues to them, they seemas though they don’t , care, and maybe that’s because they don’t understand.” Oneexampleisadministration’s lack of effortand supportin bringing a Services Co-ordinator to Douglas College. “The people upstairs have been obstructing that for 3 or 4 years. Douglas is probably the only post- secondary institution that doesn’t have any support for First Nations students,” said Andrew. “They've been giving us weak arguments like ‘Why should we do that? There’s no reservation in New Westminster.” Yet New Westminster School Board, after doing a First Nations Needs Assessment, has found sufficientreason tohireaFirstNations Services Co-ordinator to support students in elementary and secondary schools here. “Supportshouldn’tjust beat the elementary and secondary level. [It] can’t stop; it has to be continuous throughout. their education,” Andrew states. He estimates there are at least 100First Nations students atDou: College, including Inuit, Metis and non-Status students. For both Andrew and Senyk, March 31,1993 FREE the highlight of the week was the opening ceremonies, because of the opportunity to publicly honor the Native War Veterans. These men fought for Canada, and wererewarded bybeingstripped of their status, treaty rights, lands and livestock, according to Senyk. “It was extremely important to be able to honor them. They are our Elders, they are our warriors. When we present them with the warrior , it not only honors them: it honors the warriors that have gone before, the warriors we have today and the warriors who will follow.” Senyk hopes that the spirit kindled during First Nations Awareness Week will continue to Ww. “What follows next will be interesting: will we just talk the talk, . or actually walk the walk?” Senyk says that one thing is for sure: “Asa First Nations person, I’m not going to settle for just being a token Indian.” PHOTO NADINE HANDLEY | Help Recovering Women Help Themselves people don’t understand that.” Centre here in New Westminster. Local Alcohol and Drug Recovery House ' Continues Fundraising Efforts "by Nora Gillis The women of Westminster _ Housearen’tresting on their laurels. They spent this past month fighting to save their home from closed down. : Bob Stall of the Province _championed their cause in his | column, and the resulting publicity | pushed the provincial government _ into promising interim funding to _ the recovery house. But they’re not stopping there. Staff and residents are going | ahead with a fundraising dinner/ dance, among other things, in their search for continued and ongoing support. Grace Wood, administrator of Westminster House, says she can’t relax yet. “We're looking for ongoing _ funding to release us from the stress of not knowing whether we'll stay Run by the non-profit Julien Society, Westminster Houseisaclean and sober refuge for female addicts seeking recovery. It’s more thanjusta place to live. Residents take part in an intensive of rehabilitation designed tohelpthem learn how tolive without alcohol or drugs and to become productive members of society. Since opening in 1985, the house has been self-supporting through the proceeds from weekly bingos. But recently its bingo license was cut by almost25%, leaving staffand residents fighting to keep the house going. The Julien Society applied for funding from the Alcohol and branch of the Ministry of Health, but was turned down. “These are people’s lives we're dealing with,” said Wood. “A lot of This is where Bob Stall came in. The column he wrote onthe plight of therecovery ee from the public, heal cecil and government witicis including the premier ia ge Funding has been granted foran interim period of 4 months, in a cooperative effort by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Services and Anita Hagen’s office. But administrator Grace Wood won't rest easy until the house has reliable ongoing funds. She says the society has sent out over 100 letters requesting funding from c te sponsors such as MacMillan Bloedel and the breweries. They havealsoapplied tohavea casino and are planning car washes, bake sales and anything else theycan think of to raise funds. “I wouldconsiderit[supporting Westminster House] an intelligent use of funds,” said Colin Steele, addictions counsellor and Acting Director at Maple Cottage Detox Steelehasreferredmany women to the recovery house d the 5 years he has worked at Maple Cottage. "It's more than just a place to live" Rosemay Stanfield, a worker at Pender Detox in Vancouver, says thereisa shortage of beds for women in the Lower Mainland, and the loss of Westminster House would make it that much harder for women who are trying to stay clean. Steele agreed, “Definitely, we need to support these houses so that clients have somewhere to go after Detox.” Jon Contorines, the health ministry official who originally rejected the house’s plea for funds, refused to talk tothe Other Press, He referred us to the ministry's communications office in Victoria, who were unavailable for comment. The women of Westminster Houseare grateful forall the support they’ve received, both ver and financial. But they’realsohoping that those whocan afford to will dig even deeper. As for the rest of us: we could buy a ticket for dinner and dancing, or show up at the casino, or get our cars washed—maybe even do all of them. Every little bit helps. The dance will be on Saturday, April 10, at the Legion No.48 at 3249 Kingsway, Vancouver. It is a clean and sober event, and will feature a buffet dinner and a live band from 9 p-m. till 1 a.m. Tickets are $10 per person or $15 per couple. For tickets or further information, call 524-5633. Or drop by the Other Press in Room 1020 where some tickets are available.