Gov't rescinds notice of land sale

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Grande Cache, AB.

Residents in four Native housing co-operatives are breathing a sigh of relief after the provincial government rescinded a tax notice this week, effectively ending the possibility

their land could be sold.

On Aug. 28, residents in Susa Creek, Joachim Enterprises, Grand Cache Lake Enterprises and Muskee Sepee were informed that tax notices sent out on Aug. 11 had been

rescinded by the provincial government.

Residents were informed they has until Sept. 15 to pay and estimated $12,000 on property taxes or have their land auctioned off at that date. Most of the residents in the

communities are unable to pay taxes because they are on social assistance, according to spokesman Dave MacPhee last week.

Now residents apparently have received assurances from municipal affairs officials that an agreement can be worked out and selling of the land is not under consideration.

"The land will not be sold or put up for sale," said Roy Brudell, spokesman for the regional Valleyview office of Alberta Municipal Affairs last week.

Brudell said it's a yearly occurrence that whenever property taxes are not paid, land is automatically put up for a tax sale.

"They were notified of a sale. But since then, we've removed it from a tax sales and we're now dealing with the circumstances," said Brudell who met with residents this week.

He indicated that the two sides have settled a few issues and believe a compromise can be reached. Brudell said outstanding taxes don't always have to be settled with a cash

receipt.

In addition, he said the amount owing when divided amongst members in the co-operatives on an annual basis does not "add up to very much."

But Tony Mandamin, lawyer for the residents, says residents shouldn't have to pay anything because the land is legally owned by the housing cooperatives and enterprises.

"But there's no money generated from the land, so the co-ops and enterprises don't have any money. Individual members may go out and work and have income but it's their

income. It's not Grande Cache people who owe taxes, it's the legal entities. But they have no income," he pointed out.

Mandamin said residents instructed him to contact the Municipal Affairs department to make clear their position of paying taxes since a majority of residents do not believe they

should be paying taxes because they consider themselves treaty Indians.

Natives in the area want band status under Treaty 8, signed in 1899, which forgot to include the people of the Grande Cache area.

In 1972, when the co-operatives were formed, 4,150 acres were given to the people residing in the area. But because of their special status, it was agreed that if the land was

sold, it would be held in trust.

In addition, members were given a five-year exemption for property taxes which the government extended for another five years.

Because of the special circumstances facing Native people in the area, Mandamin believes someone should have stopped the tax notices from going out this year.

"Somebody made a difficult situation extremely unclear...they should have responded in a different way," he said.

Mandamin says as far as he knows this is the first time the lands in the area were put up for sale. Although in previous years tax notices had been sent.

Cliff Supernault, executive director for Alberta Native Affairs, says he believes an agreement can be worked out with the residents over the next year.

Brudell agrees that the issue of whether Grande Cache Natives should be paying taxes has changed to the question of whether they should pay at all because of their

decision to apply for treaty status with the federal government.