Letter to the Editor: The power inherent

Dear Editor:
In this time of renewed call for new treaties, treaty negotiations, and narrower interpretations of existing treaties, we, the First Nations peoples and First Nations leaders, should always remain mindful of the fact that the overall intent of the whole process has been and continues to be the acquisition of additional concessions to Aboriginal lands and resources and protection of the best interests of the non-Aboriginal population.

Before proceeding any further along this path, ask a few vital questions:
1. Do we need new treaties or do we just need to get our existing treaties acknowledged and reaffirmed by national and international levels of governments?

2. How can the elected leadership talk about new treaties when there's no clear understanding of existing treaties by the general membership and among political leaders?

3. Why can we not afford all the things that the non-Aboriginals are using to try to entice us to sign new treaties, if we maintain the ownership title to all our lands and resources?

The truth is that those who maintain title to the land and resources in demand will continue to derive benefit from those lands and resources for as long as they maintain title. Believe me, our land and resources are in demand. The non-Aboriginal population wouldn't be trying so hard to gain full control of what little else we have left otherwise.

We live in a global market, and as with any market, it's a matter of a guaranteed and sustainable supply and demand. This means that as long as we have the things that are in demand (land and resources) we can call the shots because there will always be somebody trying to take control and/or gain exclusive access to them.

Just because we are experiencing difficulty in getting our treaty rights recognized is no excuse to give up the fight. If we don't fight then we will truly be the defeated people who have nothing to look forward to, just waiting to die out.

The first fight over land and resources started long before 1492 with the arrival of Christopher Columbus. The fight started with the arrival of the Vikings in 1,000 AD in Newfoundland. Initially the Vikings were only interested in pillaging the new land of its material wealth (resources), but they eventually realized that it would be more profitable if they could gain full control of all the land and resources. This kind of mentality has never changed throughout history and is still the driving force behind the renewed call for new treaties.

Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese African slave traders, John Cabot, Hernan Cortes, Francisco Pizarro, Jacques Cartier, Roberval, the Jesuits, the British, and the Acadians, were all driven by this same greed/need. If it was not for this need of resource acquisition, we probably wouldn't have gotten invaded in such massive numbers.

I strongly recommend that before any further talks or treaty negotiations take place, take the time necessary to review the events of recorded and oral history to relearn the reason why these Europeans see the need for treaties with the North American Indians.

If we accept the lure of a few million recoverable dollars (from the exploitation of our lands and resources) at this early stage, to enter into new treaty negotiations, then what we are essentially saying is we are ready to sell out our treaty rights to all our lands and resources forever to which there will be no turning back. This also means that the lands and resources will be under the control of the non-Aboriginals and that we, and all of the generations to come, will be under total control and at the mercy of these people and their laws.

The worst that they can do to us now is to continue denying us our rightful entitlements, but at some stage in the future our people will be in a position to regain control of our lands and resources, as the non-Aboriginal population decreases and we finally get a chance at running the country.

We only need to be patient a little longer, prepare our younger people and always to remember that Mother Earth is not for sale at any costs.

Say "no" to additional land sales and surrenders, and to resource relinquishments and "yes" instead to land use and resource access agreements and to the protection and preservation of inherent Aboriginal and treaty rights and "yes" to our inherent responsibilities to protect Mother Earth.