Chronology Canada: Date 1985-04

date	event	tags	firsts
1985	Number of Local Spiritual Assemblies in Canada: 350 Incorporated Local Spiritual Assemblies: 159 Localities where Bahá'í reside: 1,500 Members: 2,100 [from a pamphlet, The Bahá'í Faith and its World Community published by the NSA of Canada]	Statistics; Canada
1985 28 Apr	The passing of Samson Knowlton in his eighty-third year. Samson and his wife Rosie, who died in 1981, were among the ﬁrst six members of the Piikani First Nation (Peigan Reserve), one of the three branches of the Blackfoot tribe, to proclaim their faith in Baha'u'llah. Their acceptance of the Faith in 1958 resulted from a visit to southern Alberta of the Hand of the Cause John Robarts. The Knowltons quickly became effective Bahá'í teachers, assisting in the formation in April 1961 of the ﬁrst Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the Peigan Reserve. Samson was also a member of the Band Council, and was instrumental in the passing of a resolution to permit Bahá'ís to visit and teach the Faith on the Peigan Reserve. He made many teaching trips throughout North America, fostering a spirit of harmony between native and non—native communities. In 1960, Samson accompanied Canada's ﬁrst native Senator, James Gladstone, a Blood Indian, to Ottawa to present to the federal Government a proposal urging it to extend to native people the right to vote in federal elections. (Note: On 31 March 1960, portions of Section 14(2) of the Canada Elections Act were repealed in order to grant the federal vote to status Indians. First Nations people could now vote without losing their Indian status.) He was also instrumental in having eliminated the 'permit system' which prevented First Nations people from leaving the reserve. [BW19p668-669] iiiii Rosie's Guest Book from 1960 to 1965 included the following names: Hasan Balyuzi, Agnes Harrison, Doug Crawford, Angus Cowan, Reg Wilson, Dorothy Francis, Harvey Iron Eagle, Henry Keg, Douglas Martin, Peggy Ross & many more. Other visitors were Ruhiyyih Khanum (21 May 1961) and Hooper Dunbar 24 July 1962). [The Distance Traversed a presentation by Bev Knowlton and Joan Young 2022]	In Memoriam; Sam Knowlton; Rosie Knowlton; Piikani First Nation (Peigan Reserve), AB
Try also a shorter date like 1985-0 or 1985 try also the main Chronology — 1985-04 or 1985-0 or 1985

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