OIB Clarence Louie announced Friday at a fundraising dinner he plans to write an autobiography. (Keith Lacey photo)
The man who has garnered national and international accolades and praise for turning the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) into Canada’s most economically diverse and successful First Nation has finally agreed to tell his life story.
Speaking at a fundraising salmon dinner last Friday evening at the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre, Clarence Louie told a crowd of 120 he is in the process of writing his autobiography with the assistance of renowned Canadian journalist and author Roy McGregor.
“I’m going to write a book,” said Louie, as many in the audience gasped when he made the announcement.
Louie said the inspiration for agreeing to write his autobiography came from a little girl he met several months ago, who simply asked him why he hadn’t taken the time to write a book about his remarkable tenure as the long-time Chief of the OIB.
Louie, who has been the Chief of the OIB for 30 years, said he approached McGregor after reading McGregor’s acclaimed autobiography of First Nation leader Billy Diamond, who led his Cree First Nation to incredible economic success in northern Quebec in the 1970s and 1980s with the development of massive hydro-electric dam projects.
“I talked with Roy … and he said I will help you write your book,” said Louie.
A tentative title for the book will be, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” or something along those lines, said Louie.
The book will include details about his childhood growing up in Oliver, how he succeeded despite being a less than stellar high school student, his journey through university and how he first joined the OIB council and how eventually became Chief and turned a First Nation with huge unemployment into an economically diverse juggernaut, said Louie.
“There will be some Oliver stories, some Osoyoos stories and some OIB stories,” he said. “I will talk about the OIB journey … and how we got to where we are now.”
McGregor is currently in the process of writing the book and he expects it to be released some time in 2018, said Louie.
Louie, who travels across Canada and around the world as a guest speaker to business and First Nation leaders, announced his book deal more than an hour into a 70-minute speech.
As he has done in the past, Louie talked about how there will not be “true reconciliation” between First Nations and the provincial and federal governments until “land that was stolen” from First Nation people is returned.
“To me, reconciliation has to start with the land,” said Louie.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held a town hall forum in Kelowna last week, which he couldn’t attend. But if he would have been able to speak with Trudeau, he would told him restoring reserve lands to the levels they were when original treaties were signed more than 100 years ago should be top priority, said Louie.
It’s “nice to see” municipal, provincial and federal government leaders acknowledging they are holding meetings on First Nation land and flying First Nation flags on provincial and federal buildings, but it’s not nearly enough, he said.
“These things are baby steps,” said Louie. “We should be way beyond baby steps.”
The original OIB reserve was 36,000 acres and has been reduced to 32,000 and that is unacceptable, said Louie.
“Our original reserve was 36,000 acres … but it didn’t take long, almost before the ink dried, that it was changed,” he said. “Reconciliation should be far beyond taking baby steps.
“We’re not getting back to the major reasons why so many First Nations are poor. If you want to talk reconciliation with me … it’s about the land. That’s where true reconciliation must begin … with the injustices of talking away the old reserves.”
Louie started his speech stating how the OIB council has enjoyed a longstanding and productive business relationship with municipal leaders with the Town of Osoyoos and Town of Oliver for several decades and how much he’s enjoyed working with various mayors and councillors over the past 30 years.
Louie said he realized a long time ago that a beneficial business relationship between his council and members and non-native business leaders was the key to economic success.
He often buys gasoline at local stations in Oliver and Osoyoos instead of on OIB land because it’s the right thing to do, said Louie.
“We want non-native people to be our customers,” he said. “We have to give back and be their customers … that’s what we should be doing as OIB members.
“We have to get back to the two-way business relationship that was started hundreds of years ago (during the fur trade).”
Louie thanked all of the business owners who attended the fundraising dinner for their support and for being open and willing to work with the OIB over the years.
“Thank you to all of our business partners who are here this evening,” he said. “Some of you have come a long way to be here.
“We have created a lot of jobs on this rez (reserve) and that’s why these business people come here.”
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
