Cape Breton's Magazine

(Noel Marshall seems to be saying that the Grand Council lost power because they broke the chain of hereditary leadership.) Not only that, but the hereditary chain of being able to carry out your responsibili? ties . If you were Grand Captain you had a role to play. But Indian Act chiefs began to have a little clout, tied onto a string by federal government. And I believe the strategy of the federal government was that if they can break the chain, the Mic? macs can no longer claim that we have had that many chiefs from the time historical documentation began right up till now who worked for the cause of the Micmac through the Grand Council. From the mid '50s on, they started dealing with the different chiefs that they themselves have appointed. The thing that really broke the Grand Coun? cil was the establishment of the so-called Indian Act chief and councils. They began to rule. Everything that Grand Council said, the Government of Canada ignored. Be? cause they established a route whereby they can manipulate these different groups of people. The only work the government made was like the LIP projects • and these are handled by Indian Act-appointed chiefs and councils. And that's why nobody would listen to the Grand Council or the Grand Chief any more, because they couldn't of? fer them jobs or rations. The furbearing animals were all depleted. The Grand Coun? cil could no longer tell a group of people to go and live in an area--all of the area was occupied. They gave out laws under the Indian Act. We have 2000 here, so we're entitled to one chief and 10 councillors. But that's beside the point. The point I'm getting at is that because of this, the political clout of the Grand Council was eradicated. They give us money--fool's gold • under wel? fare. We cannot go out and work. I mean, we're well off. We get our food cheque eve? ry two weeks, we get our fuel, we get our lights paid for--but none of us work. None of us work. FEATURING THE WHEN TRAVELLING IN THE SYDNEY AREA, BE SURE TO STAY AT HOME DOUNIOUN 539-3700 Theatre Project WANDLYN INN FINE DINING AND WARM HOSPITALITY 100 KING'S ROAD, SYDNEY, NOVA SCOTIA 1-800-561-0000 (902) 539-3700