Time's running out

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Dear Editor:

As you are aware, the First Nations veterans of Canada received a letter of offer on June 21 from Rey D. Pagtakhan of Veterans Affairs Canada. The compensation package will pay up to $20,000 per veteran.

The reaction of the majority of First Nations veterans was that of disappointment and disbelief. After years of ongoing battles with the government to respond to the rights of First Nations veterans, the announcement was less than satisfactory.

The letter of offer was disappointing for many reasons. First, the government is claiming that they are not taking responsibility on the basis of liability, but merely on compassionate grounds. Secondly, not only is the amount unacceptable, but it also includes only those veterans or surviving spouses who passed away on or after Feb. 1, 2000, conveniently the day the national roundtable was launched. This range excludes all those veterans who passed on before the cut-off day.

These are only just a few of the many concerns that the First Nations veterans have discussed since the announcement was brought to their attention.

It has been a long struggle and battle with the government of Canada to acknowledge and recognize the participation of First Nations people during the wars. The meager amount of $20,000 per veteran is, to but it bluntly, a "slap in the face" to all First Nations veterans.

Unfortunately, we just cannot afford to wait any longer for a just settlement. Our brothers and their spouses are aging. Many are feeble and ill. The government of Canada has got us over a barrel urging us to accept the amount that was put on the table. What frustrates these veterans is that the government misspends billions of dollars in areas such as Public Works, Correctional Services, Human Resources, and other federal departments without any financial control. A portion of these misspent resources could have been applied to the offer given to the surviving veterans, or their spouses.

A. Tony Cote

Coordinator and Liaison Officer

Saskatchewan First Nations Veterans Association