Toughen up on firearms talks

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First Nations chiefs at the Confederacy of Nations on May 9 told Assembly of First Nations executive that more urgency needs to be injected into discussions about federal firearms legislation and how it affects Native people and their right to hunt.

Discussions between the AFN and Justice Canada continue though June 30, the date when an amnesty allowing unregistered Native gun owners to purchase ammunition will expire, fast approaches.

Bill Erasmus, AFN vice chief for the Northwest Territories, holds the firearms portfolio. He was grilled by several chiefs after he made his report on recent developments.

The vice-chief said he was involved in negotiations with Maryantonett Flumian, the chief executive officer of the Canadian Firearms Centre. Erasmus said he hoped to have a temporary arrangement in place before the end of June so Native gun owners could continue to purchase ammunition without registering. He said his committee had suggested that status cards be accepted as valid firearms licenses but the government said no. But he added that Flumian has agreed that there should be a First Nations' approach.

"We're still talking," he said. "A First Nation license system should be designed. We should have our own license, our own chief firearms officer. We're trying to do that by the end of June."

He said the federal Cabinet can amend the act without going to Parliament for approval and changes that will take the special needs of First Nations people into account could be ready by fall of this year.

Yet Erasmus' remarks were not well received by the chiefs.

Greg Ahenakew, the first vice chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) said his organization has had enough of talking about possible solutions.

"What do you expect to achieve?" he asked Erasmus. "We've had discussions, too, and I've yet to see anything substantive. We've become criminals merely by exercising our rights. Between now and June 30 we will file a statement of claim."

Remarks by other leaders suggest there could be several lawsuits filed in the next few weeks. First Nation leaders see the right to hunt as a basic treaty and Aboriginal right and they see the government's attempt to regulate their use of guns and ammunition as an infringement of that right - or worse.

Over and over, Erasmus was told that the grassroots people were anxious and frustrated by the uncertainty of the situation. He was told that police have charged Native hunters or confiscated firearms in different regions of the country and that nobody knows where they stand.

"RCMP in this province don't know what the hell is going on," Dan Wilson, chair of the British Columbia Okanagan Alliance, told the vice-chief.

"The people are worried," Shuswap Tribal Council Chairman Art Manuel said. "They're worried about their guns. They're worried about their trucks. They're worried about putting food on the table. Some of the people are on social assistance. They'll go hungry if they can't hunt."

Erasmus explained that he was fighting against powerful people.

"Canada is purporting to have authority over us," he said. "They continue to use that every chance they get."

He said he believed the right case had to be developed before it would be wise to initiate court action, adding that similar court actions against provincial and territorial governments have been unsuccessful.

All Nations Party makes small dent in Liberals' armor

Brian Lin, Raven's Eye Writer, Victoria

The May 16 provincial election ended in the biggest landslide in British Columbia's political history, with the Liberals taking 76 of the 79 seats in legislature and 57.5 per cent of the popular vote. As the NDP struggles for official party status with only three seats and just over 20 per cent of voter support, Aboriginal political leaders are looking at the preliminary results and trying to gauge the Aboriginal impact in this election.

The All Nations Party managed to bag more than 3,000 votes, withparty leader Don Moses getting 1,000-plus votes in his Yale-Lillooet riding.

"We would have been happier if [all six candidates] had each got at least 1,000 or a couple thousand votes," said Moses, "but you've got to start somewhere."

Moses said it was a tough time to run for any political party, except for the Liberals.

"We faced a very angry election. The voters wanted to get rid of the NDP," said Moses. "We were facing a tidal wave of change."

But the campaign may have been even harder on the first-time contender in the B.C. political realm. Limited resources now leave the party in debt after a difficult campaign. The All Nations Party had hoped to recruit 12 candidates, but was only able to find six, the last of which being Theresa Tait-Day in Bulkley Valley-Stikine, who was endorsed by the party less than two weeks before election day.

"A lot of people were very pessimistic and verbally critical of our initiative," said Moses, "but no one could criticize our policy or objectives. We're happy with the effort we put in, given the money and time we had."

First Nations Summit co-chair Bill Wilson agrees that the landslide makes it difficult to judge whether any trends are developing from this election.

The issue at hand is that the Aboriginal vote may be more volatile than expected. The Aboriginal people are as diverse in their voting patterns as non-Indian people, and given their relatively small population, the only way to make a difference is for them to all vote the same fashion. Much like the way the Green Party has diverted the already weakening support for the NDP, votes by Aboriginal people to non-Aboriginal candidates cost many Aboriginal candidates their seats in the legislature.

Despite the fact that no Aboriginal candidates got elected this time, Wilson is seeing the Aboriginal vote making an impact in certain ridings.

"I think the success of Jenny Kwan in the east end [of Vancouver] is the indication of the kind of organization that prodced a large Aboriginal turn out," said Wilson.

He believes that many Aboriginal people in the area voted for Jenny Kwan instead of the Liberal's Aboriginal candidate Gail Sparrow simply because Kwan has a much stronger platform regarding Aboriginal issues.

"Our goal is to try and get people to register, to get them out to vote and get involved," Wilson added.

That is what Pat Burns, Elections BC's Aboriginal liaison officer strove to achieve. A final recount by Elections BC was under way on May 29 as well as the counting of all absentee and alternative absentee ballots. Official reports on exactly how many Aboriginal voters cast their ballots in this election won't be out for a couple more weeks. Burns said she's optimistic, because a lot more absentee ballots were used this year than is usual, many of which are likely from Aboriginal voters on reserves and from hard-to-reach places in the province.

Burns, who will leave her post at the end of May, said she is honored to have been a part of this initiative to mobilize Aboriginal people in exercising their voting right, "but I also know there is still a lot of apathy and active resistance out there," Burns said. "However, I do believe we set the stage for next time."

Wilson is also hopeful of the final statistics report.

"If the number of Aboriginal votes goes up in every riding, regardless of who won the riding," said Wilson, "to me that would be a victory." But he's not so optimistic about Campbell's overwhelming mandate and his attitude towards the Aboriginal community. "I still think [the referendum] is a stupid idea," said Wilson. "If he goes through with it, it demonstrates a certain lack of sensitivity to our issues."

Moses thinks the Aboriginal communities are in for a tough time. "[Campbell] has made up his mind that Aboriginal issues have to be dealt with in the interest of the government only," said Moses. "I think there's going to be more problems and divisions between the government and First Ntions."

The only way Aboriginal people can earn the respect they deserve in politics, Moses feels, is by participating and voicing their opinions.

"People have to realize that if they don't get involved in politics they are going to get treated like we're being treated today. We have to be more aggressive and encourage the young people to vote. It's a big job," said Moses.