| NATIONAL NEWS - July 2007
Canada celebrates historic TLE settlement agreement with Sturgeon Lake First Nation Sixty years of problems with Aboriginal land claims enough, Prentice says
At a ceremony June 19th, the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians, Chief Wesley Daniels of the Sturgeon Lake First Nation and the Honourable Lon Borgerson, Saskatchewan Minister of Regional Economic and Co-operative Development on behalf of the Honourable Maynard Sonntag, Saskatchewan Minister of First Nations and Métis Relations, signed a ceremonial document acknowledging a Treaty Land Entitlement (TLE) Settlement Agreement. After three years of tripartite negotiations and a successful First Nation ratification vote, this agreement provides the First Nation with a settlement amount of approximately $10.4 million for an outstanding TLE shortfall as well as the entitlement to purchase land. In addition, Canada will provide $620,501 for negotiation, ratification and acquisition costs. “This settlement shows that when all the parties – Canada, the First Nation and the Province – are committed, decisive success at the negotiation table is possible,” said Minister Prentice. “This settlement will bring economic benefits to the Sturgeon Lake First Nation and local communities as well as providing certainty for government, industry and non-Aboriginal Canadians.” Settling this claim enables the First Nation to invest directly in the province’s economy through the purchase of land and through future economic development opportunities. Under the Agreement, Sturgeon Lake First Nation is entitled to purchase up to 38,971 acres (15,588 hectares) of land, on a willing-seller/willing-buyer basis, to convert to reserve status. Chief Wesley Daniels stated that: “This is indeed a historic occasion for our people of the Sturgeon Lake First Nation. The settling of this Treaty Land Entitlement provides hope to our people that there is a spirit of continuity — the continuity of a people from the first Chief and leadership that signed the Treaty, to our ancestors and Elders who got us here, and forward to our children and grandchildren as well as to future generations who have the most to benefit from this agreement. We acknowledge the efforts of the negotiators, the Federal Minister of Indian Affairs Jim Prentice, the Provincial Minister Maynard Sonntag, and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Chief Lawrence Joseph on this special day.” “The successful negotiation of this agreement is a significant achievement for Sturgeon Lake First Nation, Saskatchewan and Canada,” Minister Lon Borgerson said. “In addition to satisfying the Province’s obligation to help Canada fulfill outstanding TLEs, this settlement charts a path to greater economic and social development opportunities for the First Nation and its members and contributes to Saskatchewan’s goal of building brighter futures for individuals, families and communities.” Negotiations between Canada, Saskatchewan and the First Nation began in June 2004, and a final agreement has now been achieved. The membership of the Sturgeon Lake First Nation ratified the agreement on January 25, 2007. 92% of those members who voted, voted to accept the settlement. Sixty years of problems with Aboriginal land claims enough, Prentice says Progress needs to be made on land claims after 60 years of the same problems, Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice said June 14th in an address to the Chiefs of Ontario conference in Sioux Lookout, ON. Two days after announcing a new approach to clearing a backlog of more than 800 claims, Prentice said he was partnering with the Assembly of First Nations in drafting a strategy with the prime minister’s support. Called Justice at Last, the plan calls for the appointment of Supreme Court judges to provide a truly independent tribunal, which will review land claim submissions. They will also have a budget of $250 million over 10 years compared to the $1.9 million committed by the previous administration. Prentice acknowledged the seven-year timeframe for simply responding to a claim was “unacceptable,” as was a 20-year period for resolving a submission. “The intolerable slow pace of specific claims is common knowledge,” he said, referring to outstanding grievances that sparked recent confrontations at the Ontario communities of Caledonia and the Bay of Quinte. While the national and regional chiefs have called for peaceful demonstrations, the chief from the Bay of Quinte said the mood of his young band members was “volatile” after years of frustration. In an effort to diffuse these tensions, Prentice says he would like to see a three-year period of negotiations before communities can call for the intervention of the tribunal. After spending 10 years with the federal commission in charge of resolving such issues, Prentice said he was aware of how these matters could drag on. Treaty 9 Grand Chief Stan Beardy was encouraged by the message but remained cautious. “I don’t know if there’s enough time,” he said, noting the ambitious goal of having the plan in place by the end of the year. “What if there’s a change in government?” Not all members of his audience were convinced. Tania Cameron is a band manager at Dalles First Nation near Kenora, ON, and an NDP candidate in the upcoming election. She warned against heightened expectations, in the wake of a long history of broken promises. “There’s a part of me, as a First Nations leader, who wonders ‘Is this really going to happen?’” she said after the speech. “This sounds good, but in the overall picture, this is not a lot. It’s still a dismal picture,” she said, noting the lack of support for Aboriginal communities in the spring budget. The Fourth Annual Adoption Celebration, sponsored by Four Directions Foster Parent Association and Calgary and Area Child and Family Services Authority was held on Saturday, May 26th at the Marlborough Park Community Centre in Calgary. Fourteen families and twenty-one children were involved in the traditional ceremony that honored the adoptive family, celebrated the joyous occasion and welcomed the newly created family into the community. In First Nations communities there are customary practices for determining who will assume responsibility for the children if their parents are unable to do so. Generally, the responsibility and privilege rests with the extended family who gladly open their homes and hearts to their children. Often times another family from the band will welcome the Creator’s gift and raise the child as if born to them. Increasingly, Elders and social services authorities will look beyond child’s band to other First Nation communities for loving homes and many times to families in the greater community who demonstrate a commitment to maintaining the child’s culture. Sometimes children join their family through Private Guardianship. All these categories of families were represented at the Adoption Celebration, but the focus was on the happy children who opened gifts, frolicked with each other, enjoyed the feast and gleefully ran about the hall that was festooned with balloons and traditional decorations. Entertainment was plentiful. Bear Claw band along with Chantelle Either kept toes tapping and hearts yearning with their music during the feast. Hoop dancers, Metis dancers, square dancers and junior jiggers set the hall vibrating with their amazing footwork and dazzling regalia, while adult jiggers impressed the audience with their agility and intensity. The festive atmosphere was complimented by the solemnity of the Grand Entrance and the Starblanket Ceremony. The Grand Entrance was a communal affair lead by the Elders, celebrities and adoptive families eventually joined by all the guests. On the other hand the Starblanket Ceremony was a private ceremony witnessed by the community. Each family had a special prayer and blessing delivered by an Elder of their choice while being wrapped in a Starblanket to symbolize unity, safety and comfort within a family that is also a member of the community. The community recognition, acceptance and welcome extended to the adoptive families was clearly demonstrated by the interest shown by the people in attendance. More than a hundred guests shared this special ceremony with loved ones and numerous community members volunteered their services to make the event memorable. “The adoption ceremony is our way of embracing our Aboriginal children through adoption,” states Matha Semeniuk, Board of Directors, Four Directions Foster Parent Association. “I have a great passion for adoption and I think this Starblanket Ceremony places a golden seal of approval from the community on adoption.” Semeniuk’s eloquence is echoed in the simple words of one of the children who said, “This is a good day because I have a family and I get presents.” Similar sentiments were offered by the Fred Anderson, Director of Aboriginal Initiatives who on behalf of the Minister of Children’s Services, addressed the need for loving homes for Aboriginal children. The day ended with a round dance and prayer after which happy children and proud parents noisily headed for home, demonstrating once again that adoption benefits the child, the family and the community. If you are interested in expanding your family through adoption please call Calgary and Area Child and Family Services, Native Services Multi Services Team at (403) 297-3840. |
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