UNION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA INDIAN CHIEFSCONSTITUTION EXPRESS440 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, B.C. VSB 1L

1

NOVEMBER 5,1980

THE CONSTITUTIO NTrudeau wants to go down in history as the man who made Canada anindependent Nation . He wants to bring the B .N .A . Act to Canada, s othat Canadian Governments don't have to ask the Queen everytime the ywant to change it .

This sounds fine, except that in the process our Indian Aborigina lRights stand to be wiped out . The history of the Liberal Party's goal forthe Indian people, Termination, leaves no doubt that this is deliberate .Indian Rights to lands, resources and self-determination are written int oDeclarations, Proclamations, Treaties and Agreements signed betwee nthe Queen and the Indian Nations . Section 91 (24) of the B .N.A . Actand the Indian Act deal with the Administration of those Agreements .Trudeau does not include those documents in the B .N .A . package . Ou rrights would not be protected in law.

At the same time Trudeau is introducing some new clauses that woul dfurther deprive people of their rights and freedoms .

THE CHARTER OFRIGHTS AND FREEDOMS

guarantees every individual equal rights . It does not recognise the rightsof groups of people . We would no longer be Bands, Tribes or Nations .We would each be classified as Canadian .

Under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, any non-Indian could poin tto Indian reserve lands, hunting rights, fishing rights, rights to n otaxation on reserve lands and houses, and so on, and holler "discrimina-tion" : why couldn't he have those things? The Charter of Rights andFreedoms would be the supreme law over any other law regardingIndian People . The documents that recognise those rights in law wouldhave become just museum pieces, with no effect in law . Section 24 ofTrudeau's resolution that guarantees " traditional rights and freedoms "would just refer to our cultural rights .

NO ROLE FOR INDIAN NATIONS IN FUTURECONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES

Another new clause that Trudeau has introduced would wipe out an yIndian involvement in future changes to the B .N .A . Act . We could wi nour demand to have the Royal Proclamation and Declarations, etc .patriated with the B .N .A . Act, and once in Canada, the Federal an dProvincial Governments could legislate them right out again .

PROVINCES RESPONSIBLE FORSERVICES TO RESERVES

Under the new formula for sharing out the country's revenue to pay fo rservices, Indian communities would be served by the Provincial Govern-ment, not the Federal Government . The recent victory over the Provincebrought about by our Indian Child Caravan would be worth nothing

CONSTITUTION EXPRESSTrudeau is very determined . He has railroaded his way through theHouse of Commons . He has not let the Provincial Premiers stop him .He has the machine for patriation in motion . He has established theproper Cabinet Committee to review his resolution, but it is stationar yand can only make recommendations . It cannot stop him . The deadlinefor this committee is December 9th . The resolution then goes back to theHouse of Commons for final passage. Trudeau has a confirmedmajority .

The only thing that could stop him now is another powerful machine :the Indian Constitution Express . The Constitution Express will take athousand Indian people from Vancouver to Ottawa to tell Trudeau andthe Canadian people that we will never stand for Termination of ou rIndian Aboriginal Rights . Thousands more will come on other trains, bybus and by air from across Canada to make sure this messahe is hear dloud and clear . Trudeau would be violating every Proclamation, Treatyand Declaration and Agreement that Indian Nations have signed in th elast 300 years .

Legal action has been started, but the courts are slow . Trudeau is count-ing on this to push through his resolution . We have to hold up theprocess in Ottawa . If there is no satisfaction in Ottawa, we must go t oNew York to demonstrate to the world that Trudeau has no regard fo rrights and freedoms in his country . This is a deadly serious mission.Unless we win this battle, everything that we believe in, everything tha twe have always fought so fiercely to defend, will be lost .

FARES : Because our status cards give us half fare, we hav ehired two trains . The cost per ticket is $200, return Vancouver Ottawa .

Children under five travel free .

For those taking trains from Prince Rupert, Prince George, Fort St .John, Penticton, etc . to join the Constitution Express, . these additionalfares will be extra .

Elders can take a plane, as the train journey is very long . Return fare t oToronto is $188 .00 . We will get a bus for Toronto/Ottawa . Some youn gpeople will be accompanying the Elders . The two trains will only take800 people . We will be hiring buses once the trains are full .

TICKETS FOR THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION EX -PRESS ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE UBCICOFFICE ONLY .Contact Penny Billy or Phyllis George at 684-0231, as soon as possibleto make reservations .

FOOD : There are only two dining cars on each train, wit hfacilities to feed less than 100 people. Cost of train meals is very high .BRING YOUR OWN FOOD for the three days on the train :dried meat and fish, bannock, fruit and vegetables, juice, etc

.

ON THE TRAIN: There will be workshops and strategysessions . We hope to be showing some films . There will be story time sfor the children . BRING YOUR OWN MUSIC : Drums ,guitars, and your songs . Bring things to keep you busy : it is a long ride .

ACCOMMODATION: We have already sent staff t oOttawa to work with all Indian organisations to find accommodatio nfor everyone . BRING YOUR OWN SLEEPING BAGSfor both the train and billeting .

INDIAN DRESSOur Elders have asked people to bring and wear Indian dress . The sing-ers and dancers of the Kwakwewlth Nation will be coming to Ottaw aand will be doing some fund-raising there .

DISCIPLINE : Against such an action as this, the Govern-ment can only hope to make us look bad . We cannot tolerate anyalcohol or drugs . This is a very very serious journey that we are under -taking, to defend our existence as Indian people . Our security men wil lbe going through strict physical and spiritual training .

Trudeau has challenged the Indian people to prove that we have ou rown rights and freedoms and these have meaning for us . We must sho whim in the courts and we must show him to his face . We must take asmany Indian people to Ottawa as we possibly can .

.

SCHEDULE

CONSTITUTION EXPRESSMonday, November 24th The first half of the Constitution Express,

Train #104, leaves Vancouver for Ottaw aat 8 p .m . via Calgary and Regina .The second half of the Constitution Ex-press, Train #102, leaves Vancouver fo rOttawa at 9 :45 p.m . via Edmonton an dSaskatoon.

Wednesday, November 26th Half of the Constitution Express (Trai n#102) arrives in Winnipeg at 17—25 p .m .The other half of the Express (Train #104 )is scheduled to arrive one hour later at18 :25 p .m . Here in Winnipeg the two train swill join into one . The Constitution Expres swill continue its journey to Ottawa at 20 :1 5p .m .

Friday, November 28th

Constitution Express finally arrives i nOttawa at 9 :30 a .m .

Saturday, November 29th Workshop Sessions are scheduled in prep-aration for the All-Chiefs Conference .

Sunday, November 30th Monday, Decembe r1st & Tuesday, December 2n d

Second All-Chiefs Conference

Wednesday, December 3rd Thursday ,December 4th & Friday, December 5t h

Workshop sessions to follow-up and pre -pare for International Lobby if necessary .

Saturday, December 6th

Constitution Express arrives in New Yor kin afternoon

Monday, December 8th & International Lobby .Tuesday, December 9t h

Wednesday, December 10th Participants of the Constitution Expres shead home .

CONSTITUTION EXPRESSSTOPS AND PICK-UPS

November 24th

Train #104 goes throug hEdmonton and Saskatoon .

Vancouver

20 .00 hour sNew Westminster

20 .5 5Matsqui

21 .4 9Chilliwack

22 .20Hope

23 .0 5

November 25thBoston Bar

00 .5 5Lytton

'01 .5 5Ashcroft (CN)

03 .3 0Kamloops

arrives

05 .1 0

leaves

05 .4 0Clearwater

07 .30Vavenby

07 .5 5Avola

08 .50Jasper (Alta .) arrives

15 .1 0

leaves

15 .40Edmonton (Alta .)

21 .2 5

November 26t hSaskatoon

07 .20

Winnipeg

Train #102 goes throug hCalgary and Regina .

Vancouver

21 .45New Westminster

22 .45Mission

23 .25

November 25t hAgassiz

00 .03Yale

00 .5 0North Bend

02 .1 0Ashcroft (CP)

04 .3 5Kamloops

arrives

06 .1 0

leaves

06 .25Salmon Arm

08.25Sicamous

09 .05Revelstoke

arrives

10 .3 5

leaves

11 .05Golden

15 .1 5Field

16.45Banff

18 .2 5Calgary

arrives

20.3 5

leaves

21 .2 0Regina

08 .4 5

Join Train s

ACTION !

POLITICAL ACTION

Every Chief and Council, Band organisation or group should telex o rwrite to the Cabinet Committee established to look at Trudeau' s resolu-

tion . This Committee is the only formal way we can make our strongfeelings known to the House of Commons . It reports back to Trudeau

on December 8th . Once this Committee is dissolved then there is no wa yto have direct involvement in stopping patriation of the Constitution .

This Committee must hear our demand that our Indian AboriginalRights must be firmly entrenched in the Canadian Constitution . TheCommittee must pay the fare to Ottawa of those whose case the yconsider should be heard. This is the only public hearing being given o nTrudeau's resolution .

Write or telex :Mr . Sandy Birch ,Clerk, Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Common son the Revision of the Canadian Constitution ,Parliament Buildings ,Ottawa, Ontario

JOIN THE CONSTITUTION EXPRESS !

The Constitution Express will take thousands of Indian people to Ottaw ademonstrate to the Canadian Government, Canadian people, that wenot accept termination of Indian rights .

If it's not successful in Ottawa, the Constitution Express will go t o NewYork to demonstrate to the United Nations that our Treaties, Declarations ,etc ., are being violated .

Fund-raising will be needed to get Band people to Ottawa . Billboards cdeclare our position . To gain support, we will have to educate the noIndian population of our rights and concerns .

Buffy St . Marie will be giving a benefit concert December 15th at theOrpheum.

LEGAL ACTIO NJoin the court action launched by B.C . Bands to stop Trudeau from actingbeyond his powers in trying to wipe out Indian rights .

Support the court action to be launched in Europe to ensure that GreatBritain stands by the Proclamations, Treaties, etc ., which protect IndianNations .

Individual people, as well as Bands, can join court actions .

More detailed information is being sent to all the Chiefs of Canada .

OUR FUTURE AS INDIAN PEOPLE IS NOW ON THE LINE .