Sturgeon open to C-31s, claims chief

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The chief of the Sturgeon Lake band says Indians who have regained their status aren't being barred from joining the band.

Ronald Sunshine claimed he was misquoted in a recent newspaper story which said reinstated Indian weren't being permitted to join the Valleyview area reserve.

"They're not barred from the band. We're working together to get the situation resolved quickly."

But Sunshine said the band will not apply for the $30,000 to $40,000 per family in housing guaranteed by the federal government for reinstated Indians until he figures out exactly how many people he's dealing with and until more land is provided.

Sunshine said the band has commissioned a study to determine how many Natives want to move to the reserve and how much additional land will be needed.

Since Bill C-31 was passed in 1985 about 600 of Sturgeon Lake's 1,307 members have regained their status. About 100 families, who lost their status through marriage but regained it under Bill C-31, want to live on the reserve.

Darlene Desjarlais, a non-Native whose husband Randy has regained his status, said Sturgeon Lake is denying some reinstated Indians the right to love on the reserve.

"The chief thinks he can ignore us but we won't let them. We deserve all the same rights other band members have."

Shirley Plante, a Bill C-31 Indian, said money has been allocated for reinstated Indians by Ottawa and she wants Sunshine to use that money for its intended purpose.

Doris Ronnenberg, president of the Native Council of Canada (Alberta Division), said the chief is not "playing it straight." She said a recent land claim settlement provided land specifically for Sturgeon Lake's Bill C-31Indians.

Ronnenberg, who works closely with Bill C-31 Indians, added that all people reinstated through Bill C-31 were automatically added to the band list.

What list does Sunshine need to make? He knows exactly how many C-31s he's dealing with and he has the land to accommodate them, so what's the problem? He's simply not facing the legal realities of the situation."

Indian affairs spokesman Ken Kirby said enough land was allocated under the land claim to meet the needs of the C-31 Indians.

He said the department will investigate the group's remaining concerns about the band's approach to Bill C-31 Indians.