Land Act protested on Earth Day

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Morew than 100 angry people attended a rally at the Harry Hayes Building in Calgary to protest the proposed Chartered Land Act,tgo be introduced in Parliament in June.

Natives from four southern Alberta reserves rallied outside the Indian Affairs Office on April 22, Earth Day, to denounce the proposed law which they fear will leave reserves looking like a patchwork quilt.

Sarah Potts, representing Coalition Against First Nations Genocide, told the crowd that an alarm went off when she first heard about the proposed legislation.

"Our land, our rights - everything is at stake," she said.

The coalition organized rallies across the country, choosing Earth Day to launch their protests and express concern that the leaddrs of the First Nations were not acting with the best interests of all Natives at heart.

The group wants Aboriginals to realize that if the legislation passes, it will not only result in taxation on Native land, but also a loss of treaty rights.

Roy Littlechief of the Blackfoot Nation condemned those First Nations leaders who supported the legislation, the first to be drafted by Indian leaders.

"We are going to lose our reserves if we don't come together," he said. "Something has to be done."

Members of the Tsuu Tina, Peigan, Stoneyh and Siksika reserves attended the protest. All of the speakers called for Native unity to stop the proposed federal land law, and asked protesters to sign the petition that was circulated.

"Our land is being taken away from us," said Vicki Crowchild, rally organizer and member of the Tsuu Tina Nation. "Today we stand together, otherwise we are going to be faced with termination."

Supporters of the proposed legislation, drafted by a B.C. group w\called the West Bank First Nations, say the act will expand treaty rights becaue it gives Natives authority over their land. They argue that the act would allow Natives to manage land themselves, without having to go through the Department of Indian Affairs.

Potts, who comes form Hobbema, north of Calgary, said, "I really feel we will lose our land if this legislation passes, just like in the United States." She was referring to similar land charter legislation in the U.S., which led to homelessness for many Aboriginal groups because they mismanaged funds. When the time came to repay loans taken out on mortgaged reserves, their lands were simply taken away.