Siddon uninformed, says Lennarson

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The adviser to the Lubicon Lake Indian band says the federal Indian affairs minister doesn't understand Native issues.

"As in the case with most that Siddon says, he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about," said Fred Lennarson, referring to Oct. 24 comments by Indian Affairs Minister Tom Siddon.

In the House of Commons Siddon said the "Lubicon demand is vastly in excess of the settlement which has been achieved with most other Native communities in Canada."

Siddon was responding to questions from Edmonton MP Ross Harvey who asked "when the government will give substance to the prime minister's words by starting to bargain in good faith with the Lubicons?"

On Oct. 23 Prime Minister Brian Mulroney told British Columbia Indian leaders he would make settlement of their claims a top priority.

In an interview from Ottawa, Harvey said the "Tories want to deny the Lubicon control over lands until all the resources are depleted, therefore denying the Lubicon of revenue."

Lennarson said the Lubicon are well within the parameters established by other settlements in Canada.

"Lubicon proposals are tailored to be in line, but the government is on an anti-Lubicon propaganda campaign. They (the government) just lie. There's no other work to describe what's going on."

Last year the government made the Lubicons a $45 million offer on a 246 square kilometer reserve, which the Lubicons rejected. Harvey said the offer "was another example of sham bargaining on behalf of the government. It was a pathetic offer."

Harvey said if the government does not begin "bargaining in good faith" with the Lubicons, there could be violence.

"The federal government is the main stumbling block for the Lubicon so there is a great provocation for violence."

The Lubicons, whose land claim has been outstanding for 50 years, want $167 million in economic compensation.