But Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Ron Irwin (left) says many of the recommendations contained in the massive, expensive report have already been implemented.
"This is no time to waffle. This is no time to be cute. This is your last chance," said national chief of the Assembly of First Nations Ovide Mercredi Thursday.
Mercredi uttered the warning Thursday just prior to the release of the commission's massive five-volume, 4,000-page report on the state of aboriginal affairs in Canada.
Co-chaired by former Assembly of First Nations Chief George Erasmus and Quebec judge Rene Dussault, the commission was spawned by violence.
It was struck following the highly publicized standoff between Mohawks and the Quebec police and Canadian Army at Oka, Que., in 1991.
And the seven member commission warned that the government could face renewed violence if its recommendations weren't acted on.
"Aboriginal people have made it clear, in words and deeds, that they will no longer sit quietly by, waiting for their grievances to be heard and their rights restored," the commission wrote.
"Despite their long history of peacefulness, some leaders fear that violence is in the wind."
Originally scheduled to be completed two years ago, the report came in at a total cost of $51.2 million.
The price tag, said Mercredi, is insignificant next to the human suffering the report addresses.
"Quite frankly, I'm tired of hearing this is the costliest commission of all.... "On a per-capita basis the cost of this report is less than a twooney -- that's not a lot for each Canadian to pay to find solutions to these problems.
"This report represents the best chance we have had in this century to offer hope to our people," he said.
The report contains 440 recommendations, among them:
- increasing government spending on aboriginal programs by between $1.5 billion and $2 billion over the next 20 years
- a royal proclamation, to be promulgated by the Queen and Parliament, recognizing the injustices inflicted on aboriginals
- the creation of a House of First Peoples within the Canadian parliamentary system
- a veto for aboriginals on constitutional amendments that directly effect them
- explicit recognition of the inherent right to self government
Indian Affairs Minister Ron Irwin said many of the recommendations in the report are already being acted on, including negotiations on self-government.
He was non-committal on what action the government would take on the report. However, he did say that the kind of money the report was asking for would be very difficult to find in a tough economic climate.
And Irwin sounded sceptical about the commission's arguement that the lot of aboriginals will save money down the road on welfare and social envelope costs.
"If you come at it and say 'If you put all these billions in, things will be better, we'll all get to heaven" -- it doesn't work," he said.
Irwin said he needs to take some time to read the report.
(With files from CP)
Recommendations
The following are some highlights from the Commission's 4,000-page report:
- The Queen and Parliament should issue a royal proclamation acknowledging mistakes of the past and committing governments to a new relationship.
- The creation of an aboriginal parliament, to be known as the House of First Peoples.
- The creation of an independent lands and treaties tribunal to decide on land claims, and to ensure that treaty negotiations are conducted and financed fairly.
- The Metis should be provided with an adequate land base.
- Government spending of $1.5-billion to $2-billion annually for 20 years to improve aboriginal housing, health, education and employment.
- Two new federal departments to replace the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs. The new departments would be called the Aboriginal Relations Department and the Indian and Inuit Services Department.
- The Canadian Human Rights Commission be authorized to inquire into the relocation of aboriginal communities and to recommend remedies to address the negative effects of relocations.
- Federal, provincial and territorial governments commit themselves to training 10,000 aboriginal professionals in health and social services.
- The commission believes its recommendations, if implemented, can reduce the social and economic gap between aboriginals and non-aboriginals by 50 per cent over 20 years.