Non-Natives seldom consider treaties

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At best, the majority of non-Natives consider treaties solely a Native matter. For the most part, they don't consider them at all.

"I sense a feeling of, well, this is something of the past, something for the history books," University of Lethbridge professor Tony Hall told a forum on Treaty 7 April 4.

"They have difficulties in conceiving it as current."

The forum, part of Native Awareness Week activities, was held in city council chambers. It was sponsored by the U of L's Native American studies program.

"We can't say, 'that's done now, treaties are in the archives', said Hall. "To do that is an assault, an affront on the very constitution."

The importance of treaties can't be overstated, he said. Without them, the country must face that Canada was built on "theft and plundering, the taking of other people's resources."

The problem, said Blood reserve manager Wallace Many Fingers, lies with the government feeling the land was given to them by some divine act, and that it, in turn, was generous enough to give Natives a portion of it back.

Nothing in the treaty, however, said Natives gave up their right to self-government.

Many Fingers said the reason self-government was not included in recent constitutional talks is because the government hasn't yet defined what it actually is.

"What it means is, 'convince us you'll run your government like we do and we'll give you that right,' he said. But Natives can't become "white" overnight and most don't want to, said Many Fingers.

Treaty 7, which was signed Sept. 22, 1877 by chiefs of the Blood, Peigan, Sarcee and Stoney bands, has for more than a century been the basis of Native people's relations with the larger society, be it Lethbridge or southern Alberta.

The trouble is, said Leroy Little Bear, U of L Native American Studies professor, that Canada's educational system doesn't teach youth about these types of agreements.

"Without education, land claims and environmental issues will continue to haunt us", said the Blood Band member.

As an example, the community need look no further than between the RCMP and the Blood Band, he said. The RCMP's failure to recognize the connection between that relationship and treaty rights poses a major problem, said Little Bear, and bring question to the legitimacy of the inquiry's findings.

He said the RCMP was involved in Treaty 7 negotiations. That Natives felt the force was applying even-handed law was one of the deciding factors in their signing. "Now we look at the inquiry, the Rolf Inquiry", said Little Bear. "The RCMP didn't want to look at treaty questions. The treaty is the central aspect of that relationship. Their perception of the Blood is the treaty is not being respected."

While the Canadian government may fail to see that point, Little Bear said it has not been lost on others.

One of the reasons why Canada's attempts at placing sanctions on South Africa didn't work, he said, was the South African government told Canada to clean up its own problems first before criticizing apartheid, he said.

"Canada tires to portray this image of being a goody-two-shoes in the international community," he said. "But when it comes to the nitty-gritty, there is a dark side."

One of those dark notes is the government's argument at an international forum that Natives aren't people, so it wouldn't have to give them the same rights as other Canadians under the constitution, he said.