6, 1992

Deep Cove Regatta

68 pages

as 2

Office, Editorial 985-21

PRIME MINISTER Brian Mulroney and Premier Mike

Harcourt will attend 2

treaty-signing ceremony Monday

at the Squamish Nation Capilano reserve in North Van-

couver.

A day-long ceremony, to be at- tended by about 1,500 people, in- cluding federal indian Affairs Minister Tom Siddon, B.C. Aboriginal Affairs Minister An- drew Petter, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Ovide Mercredi and native repre- sentatives from throughout the province, will celebrate the signing of an agreement to set up a B.C.

By Michael Becker News Reporter

Treaty Commission.

Said Capilano-Howe Sound Tory MP Mary Collins, ‘‘The treaty commission is tripartite — federal, provincial and the native bands themselves. It will be the

a

QUVER

‘aus

first step in the process towards the settling of land claims."

Said Squamish Chief Joe Mathias, ‘‘It’s what we call a made-in-B.C. approach. Because of the many tribal councils and First Nations it was necessary to design something that would be acceptable for British Columbia. Any other models to this point never did work.”

Creation of the commission was one of the major recommenda- tions made in a report released last year by the B.C. Claims Task Force.

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WEDNESDAY |

Monique Mees at Catriona Jeffries

Now spotlight: 27

The treaty commission will in- clude a chairman and four com- missioners.

The commissioners will be ap- pointed to two-year terms. Two will be selected by natives, one will be appointed by the federal government and one will be chosen by the B.C. government.

Among those signing the tripar- tite agreement will be Mulroney, Harcourt, First Nations Summit members Squamish Chief Joe Mathias, Chief Edward John of the Carrier-Sekani Tribal Council} and Miles Richardson of the Council of the Haida Nation.

SE RE Beane

WIND FILLS the spinnakers of sailboats during the Deep Cove Regatta off Dollar- ton on Sunday. More than 30 sailboats in four different classes took part in the

Deep Cove Yacht Club-sponsored competition.

Twenty-one major claims for tribal territories covering the pro- vince were subject to comprehen- sive claims and negotiations as of 1990.

Said Mathias, ‘‘This is designed specifically to move it along.’’

The Squamish have not tabled a claims document to either the provincial or federal government. “We're not too far from doing that. We’re undertaking our nec- essary research work in putting that package together. Once the commission is set up, that’s the vehicle we'll be going to,”’ Mathias said.

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OOR ON THE NORTH SHORE SINCE 1969