New minister announces major policy shift

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Aboriginal leaders say a federal cabinet minister's speech during Treaty 4 commemorations in Fort Qu'Appelle may mean a new relationship between Canada's Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. In a speech delivered during the opening ceremonies for the National Treaty Gathering on the morning of September 15, Minister of Indian Affairs Robert Nault said he wants the federal government to move towards treaty implementation as a way of defining its relationship with First Nations. Aboriginal leaders, especially in Saskatchewan, have long campaigned for recognition of treaty rights. They maintain that treaties such as Treaty 4 recognized them as separate nations and treaties promised Native peoples such things as education, health care and hunting, fishing and mineral rights. They have long believed that the Department of Indian Affairs and its bureaucratic predecessors were created to, and have acted in ways which would, defeat the treaty process.

Nault, who was appointed minister in a cabinet shuffle in August, said the time has come for treaty implementation. Chiefs and other leaders see this as a drastic change from positions taken by previous ministers.

"It's now time for action and what I would like to do is to implement the treaties, implement the governments' intent," said Nault, who is also MP for Kenora-Rainy River. "I would like to implement those treaties in order to bring benefits to communities, benefits to people."

The remarks were made during an off-the-cuff speech to about 300 Elders, veterans, chiefs and other conference participants.

"We can come together to put together those kinds of policies that will make things work, respect, remembering and honoring our commitments under the treaty," he said. "I don't think there is much more room for analyzing, much more room for studies, much more room for people to sit in rooms and try and figure out what Aboriginal people are all about."

Nault's speech drew polite applause from the audience. He left Fort Qu'Appelle early that afternoon after a private meeting with some of the area chiefs. He was unavailable for comment after the meeting.

In a speech the next day, National Chief Phil Fontaine said Nault "has convinced a number of us that he's committed and he's prepared to bring about the change we've been advocating about for some time."

"If he is committed to giving full effect to our treaties, then we're in a position to make some significant headway," Fontaine added. "We need to ensure government will honor its legal obligations to First Nations people."

Fontaine was scheduled to attend the opening session with Nault, but was unable to attend.

Another Aboriginal leader who saw positive signs from the minister's speech was Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Grand Chief Perry Bellegarde.

"We feel that he (Nault) has an open mind and we're optimistic about his comments, said Bellegarde, a member of the Little Black Bear First Nation.

"He talked about treaty implementation with a two-pronged approach. (Treaty implementation) is important to us. There are legitimate grievances, outstanding issues, and that's very important," he added. "He also talked about the other approach - the economic development and self sufficiency, and that's very important as well." Treaty 4 was signed between federal government representatives and Native leaders in Fort Qu'Appelle on September 15, 1874. The treaty provided land, respect for cultural traditions and economic life for Aboriginal people who took the treaty.

Native leaders today say the chiefs were acting as representatives of sovereign nations when they signed the document. Instead, Native peoples came under increasingly restrictive control of Indian agents through the federal Indian Act. At one time the act made it illegal for people to leave the reserve without the agent's permission or to practice their religious customs. Almost all political, economic and social decisions were subject to the Indian agents approval.

While much of that restrictive legislation within the Indian Act has been amended over the years, and chiefs and council have much more control over political, economic and other on-reserve matters, most Aboriginal leaders favor the eventual elimination of the Indian Act, replacing it with relationships outlined in treaties such as Treaty 4. Whatever Nault says about treaty implementation, his proposals will have to go to the federal cabinet before becoming federal government policy, said File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council Representative President Ron Crowe.

"I think the minister is sincere when he says he would like to see treaty implementation take place," said Crowe. "I think he needs the support and help of the chiefs and leadership to develop that method. "We've heard similar messages in years past. Most ministers have accepted that there are treaty obligations and provisions. But we've yet to see an actual clear demonstration of that implementation."

If the federal government is moving away from the Indian Act and moving towards treaty implementation, the effort will require the goodwill needed for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples to live in harmony, said Chief Irwin Starblanket of the Star Blanket First Nations.

"I think there's a trend, nationally, at a political level to renew, have a better relationship with First Nations across Canada. Especially in Saskatchewan there's an effort to address the inadequacies, the wrong doing, that had been done in the past with a view to improving that relationship, through the treaty relationship. Over the past 10 years or so there has been a serious attempt to address the problems of the past. There's a lot of good people out there that want to live in harmony - it's government that are in a kind of backward position right now, not willing to fulfill treaty obligations."

In addition to serving as Star Blanket chief, Starblanket also sits on the Treaty 4 Governance Committee.

Treaty Commissione David Arnot also repeated the call for treaty implementation.

"The treaties are the fundamental political arrangement between the First Nations and the government of Canada," he said in a speech at the National Treaty Gathering on September 15. "In order to understand the spirit and intent of what was discussed, what was negotiated, we have to understand what the treaty relationship is all about. Treaties are a bridge to the future. Understanding and implementing the treaty relationship is the key to resolving the flawed relationship between the First Nations and other Canadians." The National Treaty Gathering, hosted by the AFN, was held in Fort Qu'Appelle in conjunction with other activities during the Treaty 4 gathering.

In Fort Qu'Appelle on September 18 for the Treaty 4 parade, Regina Qu'Appelle MP Lorne Nystrom also expressed cautious optimism about the speech.

"The time has come to act in terms in making sure we have a system of self government supported by Aboriginal people and the country at large. I'm pleased to see that at least he's moving in that direction," the veteran NDP member said.

Prime Minister Chretien will leave politics soon, predicts Nystrom, and he may want to leave treaty recognition as one of his legacies. "The government will have a Throne Speech October 12 and if they're serious about this we'll see something in the Throne Speech. If it's not in the Throne Speech, this (Nault's speech) is all words."