Native group plans battle over aboriginal rights

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A Native group in west-central Alberta is threatening to break Canadian laws to uphold aboriginal rights.

"We don't recognize the laws of Canada," said Metis Dan Martel, a representative of the Assembly of Aboriginal People (AAP).

"We're going to tell our people to go out and hunt again," he said, noting some aboriginal people in the Grand Cache area had their hunting rights taken away by the province in 1985.

Martel said he may assert what he believes is his aboriginal right to hunt at times other than those set out in Canadian law.

"I look at out Indian brothers. They can hunt. What can't I? They have a right to a land base. Why can't I?"

In a letter to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney dated Jan. 31, the group issued a declaration of resistance saying it "will resist any interference with our aboriginal rights by any government within Canada.

"Only by unanimous consent of the aboriginal peoples can changes be made to Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution."

"They've tried to sweep us out the back door and we're not going to be swept anymore," said Martel.

The group doesn't recognize Canadian law and members will assert what they believe are their rights, said Martel, who is also president of Local 44 of the Metis Association of Alberta.

Ottawa has abandoned its responsibility to aboriginal people by delegating its responsibility to the provincial government, according to the AAP, which has put the communities in a state of "political oppression," says the letter to Mulroney.

Martel said the group is particularly concerned about proposals in the Alberta Settlements Accord to place Alberta's Metis people under provincial control.

The accord resolves a long-standing lawsuit with the province.

That's contrary to Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution, which recognized Indian, Metis and Inuit people as being aboriginal with rights "recognized and affirmed" in the constitution, he said in a telephone interview from Edson.

"It's a sell-out of out futures )to be under provincial jurisdiction)," said Martel.

He said the AAP may join the Treaty Alliance of Aboriginal Nations, an alliance for mutual assistance, which represents close to 20 Indian bands across the country.

The AAP plans to hold meetings and to organize in communities across west-central Albert like Edson, Marlboro, Grand Cache and Hinton.

Lubicon Lake Chief Bernard Ominayak confirmed he'll be meeting in Ottawa later this month with Martel and others to discuss problems facing various aboriginal organizations "and how best to deal with those."

He said Lubicon lawyer James O'Reilly did give the group a legal opinion on what their rights are.

A copy of the letter and declaration has also been sent to the United Nations.

MAA president Larry Desmeules and Federation of Metis Settlements president Randy Hardy couldn't be reached for comment.