Blackfoot reached cash deal

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The Blackfoot Band has reached a unique funding agreement with Ottawa.

The deal, which is the first of its kind in Alberta, will give $6.6 million to the southern Alberta band in 1989 under an Alternative Funding Arrangement (AFA) with the federal

government.

"This agreement is a stepping stone towards developing an Indian self-government framework before Dec. 1989," said Chief Strater Crowfoot.

"This agreement, which is for one year, allows the tribe to work thing through before a multi-year agreement is signed in April 1990," he said.

Indian Affairs spokesperson Elizabeth Turbayne said the Blackfoot tribe was being given as much authority as possible under current legislation.

"It establishes a new financial and administrative relationship between the tribe and the federal government. It is also an encouraging step for all Indian governments in Alberta,"

Turbayne said.

It's a sign Ottawa is committed to giving Indian governments increased control over their affairs, she claims.

The AFA gives the 3,700-member Blackfoot Tribe responsibility for social development, community services, band membership and economic development.

Since the program's inception about three years ago, 32 AFA agreements have been signed with a total value of more than $334 million.

Alberta is the last of the 10 provinces to sign an AFA with Ottawa, said Jim Fleury, Jr., acting program director for the province.

The agreement signed with the Blackfoot is "probably one of the larger one-year agreements.

"The Blackfoot Tribe is a very progressive tribe. They have a very responsible council and a very competent administration," Fleury said.

"The prospects are fairly good for a couple more AFA agreements (to be signed) this year," he said.

But Bigstone Chuckie Beaver said he's not interested.

"It would be a long time before we go into an AFA," he said.

Existing funding is not adequate, he said.

Beaver said he also doesn't like the strings attached to an Alternative Funding Arrangement. He'd prefer to be given a lump sum of money, which the band could decide how to

spend.

"We can establish our own policies and programs to develop our own people," he said.

University of Alberta Native studies professor Michael Asch said Ottawa and Natives strongly disagree on what type of self-government is acceptable.

The signing of an AFA "is a significant step but it's not a sure step towards self-government. Hopefully, it is," he said.

But there does seem to be a willingness by Natives to accept what the federal government is willing to offer within existing legislation, he said.

"The danger of not accepting what the federal government if offering is you still have the Indian Affairs regime, which everyone wants to get rid of," Asch said.

However, he said, it seems clear form Crowfoot's remarks that AFA's and similar arrangements are seen as steps towards self-government.

The danger of accepting Ottawa's offers is the federal government can cancel the programs, he said.

"They (the Blackfoot) have decided to take that chance," Asch said.