New DIAND minister promises action

Page 3

The Liberal government won't waste any time wrangling with the Constitution to achieve Native self-government, the new minister of Indian and Northern affairs said.

"We will act on the premise that the inherent right of self-government is an existing Aboriginal treaty right," Ron Irwin said. "That makes sense."

No other prime minister or provincial leader prior to Jean Chretien has had a deeper understanding of First Nations' issues, he said. Legal precedents like the Sparrow case, which dealt with resource rights, and the wording of section 35 in the Constitution mean the last nine years could have spent implementing self-government, not talking about it.

And any further work will have to involve consultation between the First Nations and Ottawa.

"There has to be a spirit of genuine partnership. There has to be mutual trust. But most importantly, we have to move."

Irwin was in Edmonton last month to address this year's session of the Oil and Gas Chiefs Conference. The minister spoke on several subjects, including the need for Native political autonomy, a solution for overcrowding on reserves and a Native justice system.

"I want to move on justice. I want to utilize the Elders."

Ottawa could model Canada's Native justice system on the one organized by the Chippewas in northern Michigan five years ago, he said. That system has 34 enforcement officers, its own judge and court.

Irwin also spoke on increasing trade and commerce such as aquaculture, the northern fur industry and reforestation as the foundations of future First Nations' economies. Bands should not, however, rely on casinos for income, he said, because it's not a viable, sustainable industry.

"If every First Nations put up a casino they would all go broke. For one thing, there are too many, and for another, the novelty is going to wear off."

The control of numbers is important and the First Nations must agree where and how many casinos there will be.