|
Drawing world attention
Dene hoping UN visit will spur federal government by Richard Gleeson
NNSL (Feb 18/98) - Dene leaders and elders spent three days last week describing to a United Nations representative the gap between the spirit in which treaties were signed and the interpretation of those treaties by the federal government.
UN special rapporteur Miguel Alfonso-Martinez came to the Feb. 9-11 meeting
at the Hay River Reserve at the invitation of the Deh Cho First Nations. He
is preparing a report for the UN on treaties signed with indigenous peoples
around the world.
The Deh Cho First Nations invited leaders and elders from North and
South Slave communities to speak at the meeting.
"It was important that people relay their experience," said Dene
Nation National Chief Bill Erasmus at a press conference Friday in
Yellowknife.
"Canada quite clearly has asked people to surrender their rights
through treaty negotiations, and we think it's important for the world to
know that."
Erasmus was referring to the "extinguishment" clause that compelled
aboriginal signatories to surrender rights to traditional lands and the
resources they held. Until recently, the federal government has insisted
the extinguishment clause be part of all treaties.
Deh Cho First Nations Grand Chief Mike Nadli explained the reason
for inviting Alfonso-Martinez.
"Canada typically wants to keep these matters internal ... the
reality, though, is our treaties are international instruments."
One of the messages elders and leaders expressed to
Alfonso-Martinez was treaties were peace-and-friendship arrangements rather
than land surrenders.
Akaitcho Grand Chief Felix Lockhart, addressing the meeting,
referred to Treaty 8 as a "co-existence document."
"Co-existence ... means different nations living in peace with one
another," said Lockhart. "The Dene maintain, as they always have, that
Treaty 8 is a treaty of peace and friendship between sovereign states."
|