Chiefs give DIAND earful
Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Jun 01/01) - The Indian Act is a racist and outdated piece of legislation that should be scrapped, some Dene chiefs told a representative of the Department of Indian Affairs.
The statements came during a presentation by Daniel Watson, director of aboriginal and territorial relations for the department, at the Dene Nation Leadership Assembly in Fort Providence Wednesday.
Dettah Chief Richard Edjericon blasted DIAND's desire to update the act.
"It's the year 2001 and our lives are still dictated to us (by the act)," said Edjericon.
"It tells me how to live, how to send my kids to school," he said.
"If anything it should be done away with ... and now you want to bring it to us and ask us (about it)."
Edjericon said the department itself is useless and maintained only to give people jobs.
"With the cost of running DIAND I could fix my roads and provide housing," said Edjericon.
Edjericon said First Nations peoples have treaty rights to govern their relationship with the federal government.
Watson admitted the act is nearing the end of its life. He said DIAND Minister Robert Nault wanted to update it for the interim, until land-claims and self-government negotiations finish.
"The government of Canada agrees (the act) shouldn't apply to First Nations," he said.
"(The consultation process) does nothing to take away from the fact we are trying to bring an end to the act," said Watson.
Other chiefs were not so quick to reject the consultation process.
Dogrib Grand Chief Joe Rabesca said revisions to the act could work in the favour of First Nations.
But he said if any of it comes into conflict with his region's land-claim negotiations, he wouldn't touch it.
"Maybe it's good, we don't know," said Rabesca.
"If (Nault) wants to do something for the North that's fine," he said.
Aklavik Chief Charlie Furlong said the consultation could be used as a tool to educate the rest of Canada on the slew of injustices First Nations have faced and still face.
"We can educate the opposition, unions, rednecks, that Canada has been unfair to us," said Furlong.
"They opened a can of worms, let's play the game," he said.
Dene National Chief Bill Erasmus suggested the consultations be renamed information sessions.
He also said the Assembly of First Nations suggested boycotting the whole process.
In a separate interview Watson said Nault merely wanted to get feedback on the direction to take in updating the act.
