46 per cent of Indian families earn less than $1,000 a year; the national average is $6,142. 50 per cent of Indian children fail to reach Form 3, 61 per cent fail Form 4, 97 per cent fail to reach Form 6, and there are now only 150 in University across Canada. If they were admitted on a basis proportionate to white students, there would be 2,600. In Saskatchewan, where they comprise 3 per cent of the population, they comprise 80 per cent of the female prisoners in institutions (jail). Yet despite this degradation, the Gallup Poll revealed in 1968 that only one in three Canadians felt that our national attitude to the Indians required change. And despite these figures, the Department of Indian Affairs in Ottawa plans to phase itself out of existence in five years time. Few programmes keyed to aiding Indians alone are in existence. The attitude is one of ‘official’ non-discrimination treatment for the two races. Do special problems not require special treatment? This is the acute problem of Canada's Indian people today. It is a depressing picture, and one that is reflected in almost all of Western Canada's Indian communities. There are exceptions to the above, those who have made good against staggering odds. I wish that I could say that the successful, well-educated Indian was typical of his people. It would not be true. It may take yet another generation before education is totally accepted as being desirable by the Indian people, and repercussions are felt within the communities. The Napi Friendship Association is one of 27 centres across Canada designed to help the Indian people overcome some of the immediate problems. Many centres are in the cities and provide aid to Indian families from rural areas to relocate in the strange environment of the metropolis. Our Association, working with Indian people on their home reservation, handles a variety of different programmes all designed to promote communication and understanding between natives and non-natives. We do not believe that the Indian needs the white man to control his affairs, provide him with welfare, and make all the decisions for him. This has been the case for far too long. We do believe the Indian needs aid — encouragement and occasional assistance in controlling his own affairs, and in building today's Reservations into tomorrow's country townships. It needs understanding by the outside white folk that each Indian is an individual — and the judgement should not be made on any other basis. The Indian needs friendship — that which crumbles the race barrier, and unites the people with common interests. All this and more we can do, with no strings attached. To one who has looked at the racial harmony in New Zealand, the problems that are now facing red and white Canadians is one of gigantic proportions, without a solution in sight. To face the future with optimism is not easy to do, and yet with patience and work, the answers to problems may fall into place. We hope they do. We look forward to the day, when we can successfully phase ourselves out of existence. Twelve of the 16 Board Members for the Napi Friendship Association, pictured at a meeting on the Peigan Reserve, Alberta, Canada