Canada's Senate on First Nations claims: Straightgoods.com
 
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 10:28:21 -0600 (CST)

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from: http://www.straightgoods.ca/ViewFeature7.cfm?REF=39
Negotiation or confrontation

Senate Committee says there are only two choices for handling First Nations 
land claims.

Dateline: Friday, January 12, 2007

by Gerry St. Germain and Nick G Sibbeston

Oka, Ipperwash, Caledonia

Blockades, masked warriors, police snipers.

Why?

Canada's failure to address and resolve the legitimate claims of First 
Nations.

Imagine your new neighbour comes into your backyard and fences off half of 
it. Then he sells it to someone down the street. This new neighbour tells 
you he got a good deal but he won't say how much he got. Then, he says that 
he'll take care of the cash on your behalf, of course.

Maybe he even spends a little on himself.

You complain. He denies he did anything wrong.

What would you do?

Go to the proper authorities? Turns out that the authorities and their 
agencies work for him.

Sue him? He tells you that none of the lawyers can work for you he's got 
every one in town working for him. When he finally lets a lawyer work for 
you it turns out that he can afford five of them for every one you can afford.

Finally he says: Okay, I'm willing to discuss it. But first you have to 
prove I did something wrong. Oh, and I get to be the judge of whether 
you've proved it. And, if you do prove it, I get to set the rules about how 
we'll negotiate. I'll decide when we've reached a deal and I'll even get to 
determine how I'll pay the settlement out to you. Oh, and I hope you're in 
no rush because this is going to take about twenty or thirty years to settle.

Sounds crazy?

Welcome to the world of Indian Specific Claims. Specific Claims arose when 
Canada and its agents failed to live up to Canada's responsibilities in 
connection with First Nations' lands, monies and assets. In some cases 
Canada didn't give them the land they were promised in the treaties. In 
some cases, they got the land only to have it taken away again in a way 
that violated Canada's own rules. In other cases, federal employees 
actually stole Indian land, money or other assets.....

whole article at: http://www.straightgoods.ca/ViewFeature7.cfm?REF=39

Penney Kome, author and journalist
http://penneykome.ca
Editor, Straight Goods, http://straightgoods.com