Nations all on same page

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The leaders of the three provincial First Nations political organizations in British Columbia signed on the dotted line on March 18 and now, for the first time in recent memory, they're all working together to take on the provincial and federal governments on issues of concern.

The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC), the First Nations Summit and the British Columbia branch of the Assembly of First Nations signed an accord in Richmond after two days of meetings.

Eleven days later, at the beginning of a national special chiefs' assembly in Vancouver, chiefs from across Canada recognized the B.C. chiefs' move towards unity.

"Over 170 leaders gathered," said Shawn Atleo, Assembly of First Nations' British Columbia regional chief, of the March 18 meeting. "The last time such a gathering was held, from what I'm told, was in the winter of 1969. It's not something that I remember well because I was two."

He said the chiefs signed a "leadership accord that puts down in writing how we see ourselves moving forward."

Atleo invited the other two signatories to speak on the accord as well. As they made their way to the microphone at the front of the room, the B.C. vice-chief said "We're not shying away from the fact that periodically we approach things differently. In fact we're confronting it the way our ancestors instructed us. It's going to continue to be difficult to pursue the objectives that we have for our people and for our children and for the generations yet to come. What we concluded was agreement that it's going to be difficult but it's going to be more difficult if we don't find a way to work together."

Chief Doug Kelly, representing the Summit, said the chiefs have united "to breathe some life into the Supreme Court of Canada decisions in Haida and Taku."

He said the chiefs have been pushing provincial government and resource industry officials to respond to those decisions-and to the 1997 Delgamuukw decision-which called on government and industry to engage in meaningful consultation before licensing or harvesting resources on First Nation lands.

"One of the things in British Columbia that I've come to realize is that if we as leaders don't compel government to act on those decisions, nothing changes," he said. "I'm sure, like you, we expected the world to change after Delgamuukw. I'm certain that we all expected change. Upon reflection of the years since then, we realize there's been no change. It's business as usual."

The UBCIC president, Chief Stewart Phillip, is probably the most unlikely participant in the accord, given his organization's history of taking a harder line approach on rights and title issue than the other two organizations. He said events have forced the chiefs to form a common front.

"In my mind, the thing that has brought us together is the same thing that is always bringing us together and that is history," Phillip said. "In 1969, First Nations people across this country were under dire threat of being legislated out of existence. Once again we face a threat from the governments of Canada and British Columbia and the situation in our communities is worsening on a daily basis. It's an undeniable fact that our communities are in crisis and that's what brought us together."

He criticized the federal government for what he called its "assimilationist agenda" and attacked "the arrogance" of the provincial government.

Phillip also took note of the fact that some observers have questioned his alignment with chiefs who, they believe, favor working with government officials rather than confronting them.

"It was interesting that in the immediate aftermath of the signing of the leadership accord that the critical pundits in their ivory towers condemned the signing. There were indications that we're all going to end up at the bottom of a buffalo jump, that we're all going to end up in the same cot as the government. In one of the communications I saw e were being warned that the government never changes their spots," he said. "So the first thing I did when I got up this morning was I checked my spots. I'm very happy to say that they're still there."

Then he reassured those who might be wondering if he had softened his approach.

"I don't think for a moment that the government has changed its agenda," he said. "Now we're going to know the strategies and activities of each of the other organizations and we'll be able to work in a more strategic fashion.