Getty reaffirms commitment

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The matter of outright ownership of 1.3 million acres of land which constitute the eight Metis settlements of Alberta has again surfaced in the Alberta legislature.

Last Friday, (March 20) a Metis delegation led by Randy Hardy of the Federation of Metis Settlements met with Premier Don Getty at his office. The object of the meting was to try and nail down not just the reaffirmation of former premier Lougheed's commitment to reach an accommodation on the Metis land question, but to also establish a target date for when the province would act on securing and protecting the settlement lands.

"Basically," said Hardy, "what the premier said was that they are committed to the whole process."

In June of 1985, Lougheed introduced a resolution that received unanimous support. It committed the province to revising the '1938 Metis Population Betterment Act' in such a way that it would grant the settlement lands to the Metis.

A session of the House met earlier Friday and solicitor general Ken Rostad informed the Honourable members that discussions have been occurring between the government and the settlements since 1985. AT that time, Lougheed introduced his resolution that would see the Alberta Act amended and that would grant the existing settlement lands to its occupants, the Metis.

The proposed change to the 'Alberta Act' would also include the incorporation of a governing body and the establishment of membership criteria for the settlements.

In addressing the Legislation, Rostad stated tin their discussions with the federation, "we have agreed in principle on fair and democratic criteria for settlement membership and land allocation and on unique and appropriate governing bodies-and remain committed to reaching an accommodation." The transfer of lands he said, is an initiative "unique in Canada."

Rostad blamed the change in government (leadership) for delaying the matter. When questioned about a time frame, he said that no actual time table had been set but, "I'm hoping that it's accomplished by this time in 1988, that it's all resolved." He also stated that Premier Getty is "going to respond to Randy with an estimated date which he hasn't divulged to any of us."

Hardy, in a press conference following their meeting with Getty in the afternoon informed Windspeaker that, "he (Getty) reassured us that he will do his utmost to respond to our concerns prior to the First Ministers' Conference." That response, he says, is to come in the form of a letter from Getty with a targeted dated identified that would see Resolution 18 enshrined in the Alberta Act to protect Metis lands for Metis people.

A major difficulty in resolving the issue has been the government's unwillingness to accept the Metis' desire to have jurisdiction not only over lands but also the streams, lake beds, road allowances and other resources.

This "territorial integrity" is something which Rostad says, "we (government) have some concerns with."

Hardy calls the Metis' rights to lands an "inherent right" which accrued from the Manitoba Act of 1870, an act that recognized the special status of the Metis.

Ray Martin, leader of the Official Opposition claims that his NDP party "look forward to a speedy resolution of this matter that has dragged out."

He informed the House in their morning session that the Metis "would have wanted the legislation introduced before the First Ministers' Conference." If that were done he continued it, "could have been a showcase for all over Canada. I think that their ear is that after the FMC there will not be the same political will to entrench their rights in the Constitution."