by Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services
NNSL (DEC 06/96) - The Assembly of First Nations has had it with Ron Irwin.
Dene Nation Chief Bill Erasmus said it is the process by which the amendments are being introduced, more than the contents of the amendments, that is troubling aboriginal leaders.
"The idea might not be bad, but they're doing it without our involvement," said Erasmus Tuesday.
"If there's going to be amendments I'd like to know how they're going to apply to Treaty 8 and 11 and the modern treaties."
He said it is his understanding the amendments could be pushed before cabinet as early as next week.
Irwin wrote First Nations leaders two letters inviting their comments on the proposed changes.
In the second letter, dated Sept. 17, Irwin writes drafting of the amendments had begun, but adds, "I want to clearly state that the package is not yet final."
That was not good enough for National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Ovide Mercredi.
On Tuesday Mercredi fired a letter to Prime Minister Jean Chretien calling for the amendments to be halted.
Mercredi noted that Irwin was going ahead with the changes in spite of the fact that 85 per cent of First Nations have rejected them.
He ends the letter by requesting the Prime Minister meet with him and other First Nations leaders as soon as possible to discuss the matter.
Erasmus, who chaired the meeting at which the resolution calling for Irwin's removal was approved, said Mercredi has the full support of the Dene Nation.
The amendments, he said, fly in the face of the holistic approach recommended by the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples.
Irwin's lukewarm response to the 4,000 page report did not endear him to any aboriginal leaders.
Upon its release he noted DIAND had already started implementing recommendations contained in it, and expressed doubt about the government's ability to follow the commission's recommendation to increase spending on aboriginal peoples issues by a billion dollars annually.
Federal response to the report falls mainly within the purvey of Irwin's department.
Erasmus noted that though some progress has been made, "we're still year's behind where we should be." He said the Treaty 8 and 11 land claims served as good examples. Negotiations began in 1973 and have yet to be concluded.
Mercredi said his greatest fear was that the report would be shelved. He predicted dire consequences, including militant action, if that were to happen.
The resolution calling for the removal of Irwin was approved by the Assembly of First Nations Confederacy at a Nov. 26 meeting in Ottawa.
The resolution accuses Irwin of:
The resolution continues, "The Confederacy of Nations expresses a complete lack of confidence in Minister Irwin's willingness or ability to fulfil his duties and...demands that the Prime Minister remove Ron Irwin as Minister of Indian Affairs for his complete failure to demonstrate good will, competence or trust in his activities as Minister to date."
The last straw in the tenuous relationship between the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and First Nations leaders appears to be amendments Irwin (right) is proposing to the Indian Act.