Treaty talks stalled for question

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The First Nations Summit appears to be in a holding pattern due to uncertainties over the impact of the provincial Liberal government's upcoming referendum, or popular vote, on treaty negotiating principles. The referendum was a major topic among Summit chiefs at a meeting held in North Vancouver on Nov. 30. After two days of discussion, the chiefs met with B.C.'s Minister Responsible for Treaty Negotiations, Geoff Plant.

If they were expecting some earth-shaking concession from Plant on treaty negotiations, they were disappointed. After expressing their collective concerns, the chiefs listened as Plant repeated the B.C. Liberal line that helped to get it elected, including its commitment to the referendum.

"The objective is to get a clearer mandate for the province's negotiators," said Plant. "My hope is that will make treaties easier to achieve."

Coincidentally, as if to underscore the difficulties inherent in negotiating treaties between the diverse number of First Nations in B.C., it was announced the same day that the Sliammon First Nation in Powell River narrowly rejected an agreement-in-principle that had been initialed last February with federal and B.C. treaty negotiators. It was reported the 900-member band voted 51 per cent to scrap the deal and go back to the treaty table. Under the agreement, the Sliammon would receive about $24 million, 5,000 hectares of land, self-government and the usual 12-year continued exemption from income taxes. Sliammon Chief Bruce Point says Native people are concerned about large tracts of land being left out of the package.

Perhaps not so coincidentally, the same afternoon the Summit met with Plant, the provincial government committee charged with designing the referendum released a recommendation that the B.C. government should issue a statement of regret to Aboriginal people for past injustices before asking British Columbians to endorse a 16-question referendum by mail-in ballot.

The reaction was swift and somewhat predictable.

"I think it's a colossal waste of time and money," Summit task group member Bill Wilson said. "We think this is a morally repugnant exercise that is dredging up racism around the province. We would urge all citizens to boycott it."

Wilson went on to say that while creative solutions are required to settle land claim treaties, the referendum questions take away negotiating powers.

"The questions may seem innocuous, but all of them put together with a 'yes' would simply dictate that the province continue with business as usual. It's a sham. It's morally repugnant and I'm disgusted."

Some media commentators noted the survey questions were "ridiculous" and "a series of mild farces." The Vancouver Sun said it was "a waste of time and money." The Victoria Times-Colonist called it "a careful withdrawal from the extremism hinted at when the Liberals first adopted their referendum policy a few years ago."

The $9 million referendum, which is expected to be completed before May of next year, appears merely to be a soft-soap version of what critics once feared would be a nasty instrument to destroy treaty negotiations.

In the meantime, treaty negotiations remain at a standstill.

In other Summit business, Matthew Coon Come, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), addressed the assembled chiefs concerning the new federal legislative initiative on First Nations governance. The ultimate goal of this initiative is to amend or revise the Indian Act. Coon Come said the initiative is aimed at three areas of the Act: accountability, elections and governance. It was noted during the discussion that Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault is already on record as maintaining this new legislation will not be optional.

"It will be imposed on First Nations, regardless," remarked one chief.

AFN vice chief Satsan, Herb George, posed the question to the delegates whether the AFN should enter discussions with the Department of Indian Affairs to prvide formal input into the governance act. After some discussion, the chiefs passed a resolution endorsing the AFN's participation in the revision process.

The Nov. 30 meeting also saw the chiefs pass a resolution by consensus supporting the Neskonlith Indian Band in its dispute against Sun Peaks Resort Corporation over development near Kamloops.