Old habits die hard

Page 4

It was little more than a month ago when Christos Sirros, Quebec's minister responsible for Aboriginal affairs, was enthusiastically praising a new-found co-operation between the province and the Mohawk community. All parties agreed to put aside their myriad disagreements in favor of discussion and negotiation.

Talks were to focus on policing, self-government, and taxation. The hope was to have a framework for discussions fleshed out by the end of May.

Most of us cocked an eyebrow in cynical disbelief. 'I'll believe it when I see it,' we were heard to say. It's tough to break the habit of a lifetime of dissension.

These past few weeks have proved the cynics out. On May 9 Quebec revoked 12 Mohawk service-station permits to sell gasoline. Further, the province threatened to fine any company $25,000 that supplied the unlicensed stations with fuel. Quebec Premier Daniel Johnson said the Mohawks owed $3.8 million in gasoline taxes on sales to non-Native customers. As far as he was concerned, the Mohawks wouldn't get another drop of gasoline until the debt was paid, he told reporters.

Mohawks, on the other hand, insist the Federal Indian Act exempts them from paying provincial taxes on goods and services sold - even to non-Natives. They don't believe they must act as agents of the government and collect taxes on products sold on the reserve.

So, what happened to discussion and negotiation?

Phillip Jacobs, a Kahnawake band councillor, said the Mohawks made attempts to meet with Quebec authorities and still want to meet to discuss the issue, but the government chose to act rather than negotiate. Action, it seems, speaks louder than words, especially to the Quebec voting public, said Jacobs.

Johnson is up for re-election in the fall and may be trying to play the tough guy, fanning the flame of anti-Mohawk sentiment in order to garner votes, he said. Jacob is worried that service-station owners are only the first to fall victim to the province's strong arm tactics.

Quebec's embargo on gasoline products to Mohawk service-stations screams out that the provincial government's commitment to reconciliation with the Mohawk community is just cheap talk.

This propensity for speaking out of both sides of its face is endemic of all of the Quebec government's dealings with all of Quebec's Aboriginal peoples. Witness the callous handling of the concerns of the James Bay Cree over the flooding of their traditional lands and displace ment of their peoples in the name of economic development. Put aside the abysmally ignorant handling of the 1990 Oka crisis and focus on more recent violations of Innu land. The Sainte-Marguerite hydro-project is bound to lead to a social and political crisis of unprecedented proportions.

The government believes Natives and their land are at the province's disposal to misuse and abuse, will not listen to the concerns or opinions of Canada's First People and arrogantly pushes them beyond distraction. They yell out about Quebec sovereignty then yelp when Native self-government is mentioned.

Well, the Mohawks are considering a little pushing of their own. Supported by Federal Minister of Indian Affairs Ron Irwin, the Mohawks may just decide to seek a court injunction against the provincial government that would allow the service station owners to resume operations. This would force Quebec back to discussions as a means to resolve the dispute.

And if Quebec should separate from the nation, they mustn't be surprised if all the First Nations stay behind. Keeping our lands and natural resources along with us.