Bill C-115 gives bands more control -- Crowfoot

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Changes to the Indian Act giving bands more control over non-Native businesses on their land could be a boon to bands across the country, says Chief Strater Crowfoot of the Siksika Nation.

He said Bill C-115, which was passed in June 1988, has long-term benefits, because it now empowers Indian people to designate land for economic development while still maintaining control over it.

Crowfoot and the Siksika Nation were the first to take advantage of the bill, when in 1988 they announced they would commence working on a 135-acre commercial and industrial project on designated Indian land.

The project is underway and should be completed this year.

The bill allows Indian bands to tax non-Native businesses on designated Indian land and also protect those businesses from being taxed by the provincial government.

But Crowfoot says none of this would have come about if not for another chief's determination in British Columbia.

Chief Many Jewels of the Kamloops (Shuswap) Indian band was the main reason Bill C-115 came into being, he said.

Getting then Indian affairs minister Piette Cadieux to agree to the changes was no easy task for Many Jewels, who lobbied various ministers in Ottawa and traveled across Canada seeking support from Indian bands to have the act changed.

"We agreed with Chief Many Jewels and signed band council resolutions in support of the Kamloops' Indian people. He worked very hard," said Crowfoot.

Not only did Many Jewels receive unanimous support from Crowfoot and the people of the Siksika Nation, he also managed to convince over 60 other bands across Canada to support his bid to have the act changed.

Because of Many Jewels' determination to get changes to the Indian Act allowing for the implementation of Bill C-115, Indian bands across the country -- and especially in his home province of British Columbia -- now hold jurisdiction over designated Indian reserve land.

Chief Crowfoot said many Indian bands have surrendered land for different purposes. "We surrendered 325 acres for a summer resort and didn't have a problem with the provincial government saying it's now non-Indian land and then claiming jurisdiction over it for tax purposes."

However, in BC before the bill was passed, surrendering of Indian land was quite different.

"In BC once land was surrendered, it sort of lost Indian title and the province moved in and started collecting tax revenue from that surrendered land," Crowfoot explained.

Under Bill C-115 land is now designated, not surrendered. "Having surrendered land changed to designated land changed all that. Now when you designate land, it still maintains Indian title, ownership. This way the province cannot move in and start taxing businesses on the land. However, we can now begin setting up our own tax system for businesses located on designated land," said Crowfoot.