"Natives Honor Erasmus"

Native groups from across the country gave gifts including blankets, a hunting rifle, paintings and a gnarled talking stick, given by Vancouver Island natives to signify Erasmus is a chief speaker.

"I'm extremely honored," Erasmus said when he finally got a chance to talk after 20 other speeches stretching over more than three hours.

"I'm just a bit embarrassed by the show of emotion and the generosity."

At his side were his parents, Florence and Fred, whose trip from Yellowknife was a surprise to Erasmus. Also there were his wife Sandra and brothers Ray and Bill, who leads the Dene Nation.

Georges Erasmus was remembered as child who always controlled the rules when he played Monopoly with his family.

Then he became a long-haired radical fighting for native rights in the north in the 1960s, led the Dene against the Mackenzie Valley pipeline in the 1970s and became a national leader in the 1980s who pushed native constitutional issues.

Speakers gave Erasmus much of the credit for current public support for natives and moves such the federal government's promise that aboriginal self-government will be addressed in proposals for constitutional change.

"We are now where we should have been a long time ago," said Erasmus.

"We have turned an important corner in this country. Canadians now realize that we must be involved. They have taken a big leap of faith in support of native people."