Fietz, Janet Interview 1

Abstract provided by the Gabriel Dumont Institute: Janet was interviewed on June 18, 1976 in La Ronge, Saskatchewan. Janet Fietz is a Métis woman from La Ronge who has been active in past years as a spokeswoman for the Aboriginal people of La Ronge. She attended the first Métis Association meeting held by Jim Brady in La Ronge in the late fifties. In this interview, she talks mainly about the conditions of Aboriginal people at the time of the CCF coming to power – how they earned a living, what the communities were like, etc. She describes Jim Brady and his activities aimed at organizing a Métis Association. She tells how he influenced people to have pride in themselves: They saw him as one of them, one of the Métis. She did not know Norris well. Janet discusses alcohol abuse, housing, food sources, discrimination against Métis people, work and wages received during the time period when she grew up.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Keywords: Political, Employment, Drugs and Alcohol, Healthcare, Integration & Mobility