Understanding unity package essential

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Ottawa will ask Canadians to vote on the national unity package Oct. 26 in a national referendum.

The federal government is looking for a simple answer - either a yes or a no.

But the process people will have to follow to arrive at one of those two words is long

and complicated.

And it is not being made easier by the doom-sayers who want your vote. On

one side, people like Prime Minister Brian Mulroney say defeating the accord will spell the end of Canada. Opponents claim ratifying the accord is a life sentence that will doom the country to years of ineffective and expensive government.

It's tough being threatened like that all the time. Now is not the time to scare people into a decision. It is the time for calm and careful thought.

The Native community stands to gain a great deal from this package. Entrenching the inherent right means Ottawa has to negotiate self-government. No more getting around to talks when it feels like it. The self-government package also avoids the sticky question of pre-determining what powers the new governments will have. The emphasis

is on negotiation, which gives each First Nation a real stake in determining its own future.

And the package recognizes the long-ignored rights of the Metis and off-reserve people. This is a flexible package that leaves lots of room for the communities to pursue their own identities.

There are, however, people who oppose this deal. Alberta's treaty chiefs are refusing to recognize the deal. They say the process does not reflect their special nation-to-nation relationship with the federal government because current and future negotiations are open to provincial governments.

While the chiefs' position deserves respect, it should not be taken as grounds for

a wholesale rejection of the package. Alberta's treaty organizations should be supported

if they want to work outside the constitutional framework. That's what being self-determining is all about.

But let's leave room for people who do not benefit from treaties to choose the constitutional route to self-government if that is what they want.

Unfortunately, when members of First Nations communities vote for or against the unity deal, they won't be for or against the self-government agreement alone. They will be asked to pass judgment on a host of constitutional issues ranging from Senate reform to federal-provincial relations.

The importance of many of these issues will vary from community to community, individual to individual. Some issues will directly affect the future of First Nations government outside the deal on the inherent right. For example, the provinces will gain control over natural resources under the proposed unity deal. It is unclear how this will play out in the re-creation of self-government.

Does provincial control mean Native communities will not be able to appeal development decisions to a higher authority? Does it mean Ottawa will no longer have a say in controversial projects such as Alberta's Oldman River dam? What role will Native communities have in planning resource development that is bound to affect their communities?

These are the kinds of questions that need to be answered before people can reasonably be expected to vote responsibly on Oct. 26.

The government of Canada has opened a toll-free telephone line for people who have questions about the constitution. National, regional and community leaders are making themselves available to answer questions.

Windspeaker suggests you make use of these opportunities to learn more about this deal. Learn from the people who support and oppose the deal before making a

decision.

Everybody may well be fed up with all this constitutional talk. But now is not the time to get cynical. Get informed and vote carefully. If we all do that, the whole mess might actually go away for awhile.