Metis Nation: GNWT violating treaty rights
Territorial government began taxing traditional use cabins after devolution
Meagan Leonard
Northern News Services
Monday, April 13, 2015
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Property taxation of cabins on traditional land is a violation of aboriginal rights in the Northwest Territories, Metis Nation says.
In a March 25 news release Metis Nation president Garry Bailey stated the territorial government started taxing the cabins used for traditional hunting purposes since devolution came into effect a little over a year ago.
"Since their very existence in our territory in 1889, the federal government never charged our people land taxes for our cabins," he stated in the release.
"I am appalled that the GNWT only took two months to start attacking our traditional practices by issuing tax notices to our people for their traditional use cabins - where we continue to practice and teach our customs and traditions to our youth."
The release goes on to say the taxation violates section three of the Property Assessment and Taxation Act which reads, "Nothing in this Act shall be interpreted so as to affect aboriginal rights."
In an e-mail to News/North, cabinet spokesperson Shaun Dean said there is no existing aboriginal right that provides an exemption from property tax, but the GNWT is willing to discuss an exemption during the process of negotiating land and resource agreements.
"Some existing land claims in the NWT provide for limited property tax exemptions for non-commercial cabins on settlement lands," he said. "This is something the GNWT has said it is willing to address."
Dean said the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs confirmed the taxation is not a new phenomenon.
"They have been assessing and levying property taxes for many years so it is not a recent thing," he said, adding the GNWT encourages Metis Nation to address the matter during land claim negotiations and exemptions can't be made before then.
"Territorial laws respecting property taxation continue to apply and must be administered fairly for all," he stated.
Bailey could not be reached for comment by press time.
