Flooded graveyard a symbol of disregard for culture, traditions

Page 4

The flooded graves at the old Cheslatta reserve in northern British Columbia are only the tip of the damage created by a government's negligence of Native land rights. They are a deep insult resting on top of a very deep injury.

The sight of the quiet white houses tilting into the waters of Cheslatta Lake is also highly symbolic. What are cemeteries if not a place where the living remember those who went before, a monument to a community's history and the culture handed down over generations?

But Native history and culture has never been highly valued in Canadian history. And in the 1950s, when Alcan was building dams to support its aluminum smelter in Kitimat, the concerns of a handful of Indians on small reserves could stand in the way

of massive development.

The Cheslatta people were forced to move on short notice with previous little compensation and much personal loss. Band members say the relocation was the start

of family disintegration and alcohol abuse in their community.

Like the graves, much of what they had to call their own was washed away.

With this history in mind, Ottawa agreed to negotiate a specific land claim in 1987. But the government's offers were minimal and talks ground to a halt in 1990. Since then there has been little movement towards an agreement.

It's hard to imagine how Ottawa cannot negotiate under the circumstances. The band has produced volumes of research, citing a litany of abuses by government and spectacular allegations of forgery on the original land surrender documents.

And then there are the graves. No single image could so easily portray the historical wrongs visited on the people, the utter disregard for culture and tradition.

To their credit, the Cheslatta people have developed a plan to restore their community and their connections with the past. The plan calls for the restoration of Cheslatta Lake and the identification of historical sites and nature walks for recreation purposes.

Ottawa should perhaps follow this lead. The government should stop counting

its beans and get back to the table and negotiate a real deal. Then it should throw its support behind the band's redevelopment plans. And if at all possible, Alcan should

be dragged along for the ride, maybe even pay some of the costs.

This much is owed to the Cheslatta people, who were independent and self-sustaining before Alcan came to its town. Alcan has seen the benefits of flooding Cheslatta land in its profit lines. The provincial and federal governments have seen the benefits in increased tax revenues. Now it's the Cheslatta people's turn.