& - North Shore News - Friday, September 1, 2000

irst Natio

Fred Watchti
Contributing Writer

AFTER reading Ilana Mercer’s col-
umn, (Indian industry swindle) I
felt obliged to respond to some of
the unfounded allegations and innu-
endoes and try to provide your
readers with the facts surrounding
the main issues raised in her article.

The amount of taxpayers’ dollars budget
for current fiscal year is approximately $7 bil-
lion, (Blue Book of Estimates), not $8 billion
as reported by Mercer. Of this amount
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC)
administers $4.9 billion and other depart-
ments administer $2.] billion. INAC spends approximately
$4.1 billion on Indian programs and services, $500 million
“land claims settlements, $218 on northern affairs and $90 mil-
lion on administration. (Figures may not add due to round-
ing). Mercer's contention that Indians receive taxpayers dollars
that other Canadians do not receive is completely wrong. Both
First Nations (Indians) and other Canadians receive similar
programs and service funded by the taxpayer. First Nations,
because they are a federal responsibility (sec. 91 (24) Canada
Constitution), receive nearly all of their programs and service
_ from one source — the federal government, while other
Canadians receive their programs and service from three
sources — namely the municipal provincial and federal govern-
ments.
A study done in 1976 by the Department of Indian Affairs
- showed that other Canadians received annually on a per capita
basis from the three levels of government an average of $4,400
in programs and services. Status First Nations people received
annuaily on a per capita basis from the federal government for
similar programs and services an average of $2,100. Statistics
released in 1995 (reported to come from Statistics Canada)
show that on an annual per capita basis other Canadians
received an average of $11,700 while status First Nations per-
sons received $8,300. While the $8,300 represents an
improvement over the 1976 figure, status First Nations per-
‘sons still receive $3,400 per capita less than what other
Canadians receive.
=”. Included in Indian Affairs budget is $350 million to assist
the 610 bands (pop. 689,600 status Indians) to implement
community-healing programs designed to deal with problems
caused by the residential schools. Crimes committed against
individuals are being deale with in die courts. lt should come
as no surprise to anyone that there are so many First Nations
persons secking redress through the courts. After all the resi-
dential school system, consisting of 130 schools, was in place
for almost a 100 years and nearly every First Nations child
~~ (tens of thousands) right, across Canada from the age of six to
“16 had to attend. -- .. .- ;
“<The failure of Canada’s policy to assimilate First Nation
persons into Canadian society by forcing their children to
* attend residential schools is well known and the abuse many
. ‘children were subject to has been weli documented in several
©. studies. Sexual abuse, as the evidence is now showing, was
“more widespread than at first thought. A 1989 study spon- ..-
- sored by the Native Women’s Association (contained in the
.Royal Commissions report) found that eight out of 10 girls
. tader the age of cight had been sexually abused and 50 per ;
cent of the boys of the same age had been sexually molested.
 /Itis therefore completely irresponsible to characterize in
‘advance of any judicial determination that those First Nations
‘persons who are alleging wrong doing, and who are now seck-
Ang justice, according to Mercer, “as merely lining up to col-
- lect a residential school- bonanza.” If this issue is to ever

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receive closure the courts, and not the media,
is the place co resolve it.
The “therapist sofa” referred to in Mercer's
article should be reserved for those who lack
the moral and intellectual integrity to recog-
nize the serious nature of the injustices that
were perpetuated and who would characterize
the victims’ attempts to seek justice by deserib-
ing their effort as simply an exercise to extract
more funds from the public purse. Mercer
gees on to state that “all roads for natives lead
to the courts, especially when it comes to land
claims.” The reason for this is that up until
1990 there were no other avenues open to
them. From the date when England first
asserted sovereignty, First Nations repeatecty
asked the Crown to negotiate treaties, and
from 1858 to 1990 successive British Columbia governments
steadfastly refused. Not since 1858, when Governor Douglas
signed treaties with 13 First Nations on Vancouver Island, has
a British Columbia government agreed to negotiate treaties.
For those who do not know, it was the policy of the British
Crown to negetiate treaties with aboriginal people when
England colonized land in the Western Hemisphere. The
Royal Proclamation (1763) required colonial administrators to
treat with the aboriginal people for the purposes of peace and
friendship and to acquire land from them. While the intent of

icies set stage

the Royal Proclamation has been carried out in other parts of
Canada, British Columbia refused to do so until 1996, B.C.’s
failure to comply with the Royal Proclamation is why the tax-
payers are now faced with the staggering cost of settlement.

In B.C., despite First Nations’ pleas to aegotiate treaties,
the federal and provincial governments created the reserve sys-
tem. Existing Indian reserve lands are the products of recom-
mendations from successive joint commissions, individual com-
missioners and a Royal Commission during the period from
1871 to 1926. In that period 1,622 parcels and approximately
830,000 acres (considerably less land than the other numbered
treaties in Western Canada received) of land were cransferred
to Canada to be held in trust for the use and benefit of the
First Nations. The Royal Commission, at B.C.’s insistence, did
not deal with the issue of aboriginal tide and First Natiens
never did accept the reserve system as a final setcement of
their land claims. In order to ensure thac First Nations would
not litigate the land issue, Canada, in 1927, amended the
Indian Act to lawfully deny First Nations the right to raise
funds or retain professional advice to pursue their aboriginal
tide or rights. This amendment was repealed in 1951. Shortly
after, First Nations renewed their plea for treaty negotiation,
but both governments turned a deaf ear thereby causing them
to turn to the courts. . :
— Fred Walchli is former regional director general, DIAND,

B.C. and Alberta Regions, and former chief federal negotia-
tor, Nisga’a land claim

There's stilla few things
that need to be decided about —
the $75 vehicle levy. =

For instance, the $75 vehicle levy.

TransLink, in partnership with the

public, developed the Strategic

Transportation Plan to maintain

and build the transportation

network from Lions Bay to Langley.

The Plan reflects what people wanted in road
and transit system improvements. Delivering
on the Strategic Transportation Plan requires
additionai funding.

The public and TransLink explored funding:
options during public forumsbased on what
we've heard. TransLink has been reviewing all of
the funding optionsand the final decision on how
thelevy will bestructured has not been made.

" BRIDGES SEABUS -.

SKYTRAIN

- The options reviewed includea flat
vehicle levy,a variable fee based
on insurance classifications, vehicle ;
weights, fuel taxes, transit access -
fees, Federal or Provincial government support;
or any combination of these. ane
Now we need your input. Watch your

community paper September 9th and 10th,

2000, for your opportunity to rate the funding .

options and tell us what you think the fairest:
solution is to everyone in the region. For more
information on the funding options and the Plan:

+ visit www.translink.bc.ca or ,

+ call 444-5777

WEST COAST

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