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AFN chief says resist regional settlements

Author

Debora Lockyer, Windspeaker Staff Writer, The Pas Manitoba

Volume

12

Issue

2

Year

1994

Page 1

Grand Chief Phil Fontaine expects he'll have a fight on his hands to see Native self-government replace Indian Affairs in Manitoba, and his first opponent may be Assembly of First Nations Grand Chief Ovide Mercredi.

The dust had little time to settle in The Pas, where the Opaskwayak Cree Nation hosted the Manitoba chiefs in ground-breaking talks on self-government April 19-21. Mercredi told treaty representatives in Saskatchewan Natives must resist regional settlements on self-government.

Mercredi said the Liberal government should fulfil campaign promises by consulting Native groups on treaties and self-government at a national forum. The consequences of regional deals would be a weakened bargaining position of First Nations, he said.

Manitoba First Nations took a tentative first step toward self-determination during the three-day general assembly in The Pas when they signed an agreement with Indian Affairs Minister Ron Irwin which begins the dismantling of DIAND.

The Memorandum of Understanding signed April 20 "provides the level of comfort required by the Chiefs to know that Canada is committed to ending 150 years of injustice," said Fontaine.

"I am here not to influence your decision in any way but only to pledge my commitment to work with you," said Irwin in his presentation to the assembly. The Memorandum of Understanding will be used to guide future negotiations of the process of dismantling the department.

The assembly focused its attention on a discussion paper, penned by former Indian Affairs deputy minister Don Goodwin, which lays out a series of steps through which the department would be dismantled and self-government implemented.

During the first steps, First Nations learn regional programs and services from the inside, said Fontaine. Once they know how the programs work and how money is allocated, then they can begin to address concerns they have about those programs.

The following steps would see a transfer of jurisdiction, designing the structures that would implement self-government.

There is a three-year time frame set out to dismantle Indian Affairs and take on the responsibility of self-government. It is important to learn from history and to realize that a long process is detrimental to native interests, Fontaine said.

At the end of the three days of self-government talks, Fontaine expressed satisfaction with the discussions.

"People were saying, 'Look, we may disagree on some points but overall there is very strong support for what we're trying to do. We're united in trying to pursue this goal."

The biggest concern among the chiefs was the assurance the process will be community-driven.

"Everything we do must be taken home so that the voice of our people at home will be heard and the will of our people will be expressed," said Fontaine.

A second special assembly of the Manitoba chiefs will be held within the next few months. They will attempt to seek consensus on how to proceed with the dismantling.