AFN knocks land claims policy

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OTTAWA - The federal government's modifications to the existing comprehensive land claims policy are a grave disappointment and an insult to the first nations, says the national chief of the Assembly of first Nations (AFN).

Georges Erasmus reacted angrily to the recent announcement of a long awaited policy change which he expected would bring up-to-date an archaic approach to federal relations with Indian nations. "The protection of our cultures and the economic sell being of our peoples depend on our ability to benefit from our lands, resources and our political control over them. As a minimum we expected the government, after admitting its policies have not kept up with events, would have up-graded the policy so that we would be able to enter into truly comprehensive relations with Canada.

"Instead, it now offers a process in which our benefit from the development of our land and resources is deliberately limited although we are the original and rightful owners.

"That is like telling a landlord that he is allowed to rent his house for a few years but once he's made a certain amount of money, he can't make any more. No Canadian would stand for that and we can't stand for it either," said Erasmus.

"Taxpayers and the government are as tired as we are of our endless cycle of dependency on the federal government for our existence, and the capping of resource revenues sharing will not help us to end the welfare syndrome."

"The economic benefits to Canadians, or a broad policy which recognizes our exclusive ownership of our lands and resources are indisputable. This announcement, however, would stifle incentive for Aboriginal people to develop their resources when they have a cap or limit staring them in the face.

"Rather than show the leadership we expected, the federal government has retreated by making the constitutional protection of self-government dependent on the whims of recalcitrant provincial governments at the next First Ministers' Conference (FMC) on Aboriginal rights. The federal government obviously cares a lot more for what some of the the provincial governments think than for the legitimate political rights of our nations.

"The Aboriginal people have consistently said in the constitutional process that the basic elements of land, resources and jurisdiction be properly recognized, protected and enforced. The federal government had better come up with a much stronger indication that it finally supports our minimum requirements leading to the FMC."