Heart Lake welcomes/rejects Bill C-31er's

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Although the Heart Lake band says it is in favor of Bill C-31 and the return of reinstated Indians, it has rejected all reinstatement requests received to date.

"They just didn't fit," said band councillor Rose Monias, of the two people who applied for instatement to the band but were turned down.

"We're not saying you automatically have a home if you're a reinstated person. You have to prove that you belong to our reserve first," stressed Monias, who is also a member of a selection committee that reviews reinstatement claims to the band.

Explaining the process used to determine whether a reinstatement claim is legitimate, Monias pointed out applicants have to prove they have blood ties to the reserve.

She added women, who lost their Treaty rights after marrying non-band members, and their children are the only people eligible to return.

Applicants have to be on a membership code approved by the government and they have to pass the reserve's membership residence bylaws too, said Monias.

Although only two people have applied for reinstatement to the band, Indian Affairs membership clerk Irene Desaulniers says Ottawa has received 27 Heart Lake reinstatement applications and have approved seven.

The Indian Association of Alberta (IAA) is continuing to take its tough stand against Bill C-31 because they say the government refuses to comply with requests from bands.

IAA President Gregg Smith stated, "We've never had a problem with reinstatement of members. However, we've always made it known to the government that in order to do this, there is a need for more land and resources to deal with new members. And, there is also a need for bands to control membership lists."

Officials of the Tribal Chiefs Association, which affiliates seven bands in northern Alberta including Heart Lake, could not be reached for comment.