Page 17 - 1st Anthology 2011

Now I think I have to go to court to keep my land or what’s left of it. The land I have left,
well there’s a hundred acres up west that’s been put into hay. We leased it to a white

farmer. He takes what he gets out of the place. He looks after our cattle during the winter.
That’s the kind of deals I make and I don’t cheat the white farmers or he doesn’t do the
same back. He’s always been a good man.

These interviews should focus on people who helped the community and the Chiefs of
the past. I know Big Belly was the last Chief before I got to know what exactly what a
Chief means. After Big Belly it was Big Plume, Joe Big Plume. I knew Joe Big Plume, I
know how he ran the reserve, and he was a good Chief.

Chief Joe Big Plume went to Dunbow School, it was a school in Midnapore. There was Joe
Big Plume and George Crane and some of the other old men. They all went to Dunbow
School. They went there to learn trades. Some of the trades were carpentry and anything
to do with building. I don’t think they went to go learn English, English words that make
you laugh. Learning English makes you laugh or it either makes you mad.

Anyway Joe Big Plume went to that school and when he was finished there, he was sworn

in as the Chief. He wasn’t educated like how the Chief and council are today. Everything
is different from today, compared to long ago.

Joe Big Plume was a good Chief. He didn’t have that education from what they have
today. To say hard work in English, well you’re not working unless you go out there and
work with the people and to see what they want. That’s the kind of Chief he was, and he
also used to go around and visit everybody. People would welcome or invite him into
their homes, and they would feed him. Then he talks about things that are going on in

the reserve. He asks the people what’s their thoughts about the things that are going on
in the reserve. Then they would have band meetings with the Chief and one councilor.
The councilor was Jim Starlight, and at that time he was the Band Scout. I think he was
the policeman for the reserve.

This one time at a band meeting people wanted Chief and Council to just go with eight
councilors because twelve was just too many. They were stepping on each other’s toes,
because one wanted to go this way, and the other one way. It causes a lot of conflict

amongst them.

I don’t know how many policemen we have now. I have never been bothered by them.
The only one I can depend on now is Warren Crowchild. I think he’s in the police
department. I’m not too sure but I have to find out. He’s the only person that gets things
done. Even though he the gets threatened I know he won’t back down.

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