BC First Nations leaders rejecting reconcilliation
“There is a sense that everything is unravelling quickly,” Chief Phillip said in an interview. He said it is clear there is no support within native communities for the proposed changes, and it is time for natives to come up with an alternative.
~snip~
Like Chief Phillip, Grand Chief Ed John of the First Nation Summit expressed disappointment last March when the Premier decided he would not introduce a Recognition Act before the May election because of demands for more consultation.
Wednesday, Chief John said the plan is not dead but it is in trouble because of the native communities' “absolute mistrust of the government and its intentions.”
He called on the government to salvage the efforts by matching the words of the Recognition proposal with action: For example, he said, the province could abandon its appeal of the Tsilhqot'in land claims ruling that found a band has aboriginal title to a broad swath of land in the Chilcotin.
BC politics just got a lot more interesting with the AFN National Chief being from BC. Definitely a power shift is in play.
Arthur Manuel: Beware of B.C.'s proposed Recognition and
Reconciliation Act
By Arthur Manuel
Georgia Straight, July 23, 2009, Commentary
http://www.straight.com/article-241616/beware-reconciliation-act
"Premier Gordon Campbell is trying to use the proposed British Columbia Recognition and Reconciliation Act to overcome the economic uncertainty that B.C. has been experiencing since the Supreme Court of Canada recognized aboriginal title. Aboriginal title is an exclusive property right of indigenous peoples. This is the Achilles’ heel of B.C., as the provincially created property rights, like fee simple or forestry tenures and mining leases, are put in question because they fail to take into account aboriginal title.
Aboriginal title could even operate to oust provincial control over lands and resources, so what the province is really seeking through the proposed act is recognition of Crown title by indigenous peoples.
The much advertised recognition of aboriginal title is contingent upon recognition of provincial Crown title in return. This position has historically been rejected by indigenous peoples insisting that their relationship is with the federal Crown and not with lower levels of government. The Gordon Campbell strategy is to plug the “First Nations leadership council”—consisting of the executives of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations, the First Nations Summit, and the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs—into existing provincial government business schemes. The result will be benefit-sharing agreements under existing provincial resource law. This will undermine aboriginal title and indigenous efforts to protect the environment from increased resource exploitation."
http://no2010.com/node/1035
Remind, is Manuel saying here that the AFN should have no say in this matter?
I do not believe he is saying that AFN should have no say.
re: AFN 'Representation'
"Canada needs the fully informed and freely provided consent of the people of an Indigenous community. And this is why the approach of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is so terribly flawed..The head of a Lobby group even though titled "national chief" has no inherent constitutional powers to negotiate for the Indigneous nations. And being elected by Indian Act chiefs does not convey any power other than strictly for purposes of the AFN organization.." Janice Switlo former in house counsel DIA/Justice
http://www.switlo.com/opinion.php?selected=104
"The AFN says it represents all first nations people regardless of residence. Does it really? Who decided that the AFN represents all Indigenous people anyways? The people? Or the individuals who set up the AFN? If the AFN is recognizing voting rights under Canada's Indian Act it is betraying our inherent right to self-determination because Canada's Indian Act was imposed upon us against our wishes. The AFN's top down decision making sounds like the same way Canada decided that we were Canadians without asking us. We had no say in it. How would they feel if the US decided that all Canadians were US citizens? Our representatives must be chosen by our legitimate governments not by the governments imposed upon us by Canada." Mohawk Nation News:
http://mohawknationnews.com/news/singlenews.php?lang=en&layout=mnn&categ...
"Our representatives must be chosen by our legitimate governments not by the governments imposed upon us by Canada."
This is what is so positive about Shawn Atleo, he is a hereditary Chief, and recognized as part of their system of governance and not one brought to the Nuu-Chah-Nulth, and the People, by federal government imposition and election.
I do not believe he is saying that AFN should have no say.
Sorry, my question should have been more specific. From your OP article:
The people have made it very clear that the First Nations leadership council and the federal Indian Act chiefs and councils are not the proper title and rights holders and have no right to negotiate about aboriginal title with Campbell.
The Union of BC Chiefs, which includes the Chiefs from the Leadership council, is rejecting Gordo's Recognition and Reconcilliation law. I am not sure what is not clear about that.