Yellowknife (Dec 08/03) - Bruce Valpy, managing editor of Northern News Services, has been pressuring the territorial government about school fees for a number of years.

Bruce Valpy - NNSL file photo

Valpy was one of the first people alerted that his treaty rights children would no longer be required to pay the fees in a letter from Minister Ootes Nov. 28. Ootes enclosed a copy of the directive with that correspondence.

News North -- When did you start corresponding with the government about the school fee issue?

Bruce Valpy -- For almost two years I've been exchanging letters with the territorial Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Jim Antoine, and finally, the territorial department of Education. Neither of the first two could show me how the school district or the territorial government had the legal right to overrule federal treaties. I knew they didn't have such authority.

NN -- Why did you become involved?

BV -- Three of my children are Treaty 8 and one is not. I resented that the rights of my Treaty children were being ignored. Dene rights aren't my problem. It's the law and property rights I want upheld.

I've paid many thousands of dollars in school taxes over the years and that's fine because I'm not Dene. But my children's mother brought certain land rights to my family and children. Yellowknife Catholic schools failed to recognize that fact by charging my children these fees.

NN -- When did you receive notice of the new directive?

BV -- I received the definitive answer last week (Nov. 28). I was very proud of the Department of Education. They were prompt and did the right thing by sending out the directive to stop charging such fees to treaty students. Now it's up to the school boards to fix their error.

NN -- Any closing comments?

BV -- The board should take care to stop sending letters requesting payment to the parents of treaty students. My children were pressured to pay up as recently as Oct. 1, 2003. The teachers and staff I've had contact with at Yellowknife Catholic schools were excellent.

It's the administration that had the facts wrong.