Post by blackcrowheart on Oct 3, 2007 13:52:48 GMT -5
Mohawks call cash offer 'slap in the face'
Richard Brennan
OTTAWA BUREAU
OTTAWA–Mohawk leaders are dismissing a federal government offer to give the Six Nations $125 million to settle a land dispute in southwestern Ontario.
One Mohawk protester has called it a slap in the face.
"Land and money are tied together," Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice told reporters yesterday.
"The ability I have under the policy is to advance money, and the money can of course be used to secure land, and that land can be converted to reserve status. ... I think the response of the First Nation was quite respectful."
Not quite.
"I see it as a slap in the face. ... I find it very insulting that they think our people can be bought," said native protester Steve Powless, who wants land, not money – even if that land wasn't originally aboriginal territory.
The federal and provincial governments are hoping the cash offer, which would be held in trust, is enough to end the controversial 15-month-old occupation of a former housing development in the historic town of Caledonia along the Grand River.
It didn't take Mohawk leaders long to decide the offer wasn't enough.
"It's a token," said Chief Allen MacNaughton. "It's nowhere near what we want or what we've expected, but it does open the door for talks."
Prentice said the offer was put on the table Wednesday in Caledonia during negotiations, which have dragged on for nearly as long as the occupation.
"There was an offer put on the table yesterday in Caledonia, an offer of approximately $125 million to resolve four of the historic claims of the Six Nations," he said.
The populous Six Nations reserve near Brantford has**/ filed 29 land claims with Ottawa since 1980. One was settled in 1985 with CN Rail.
NDP MP Jean Crowder (Nanaimo-Cowichan) accused the government of cynically putting money on the table just before the release of the Mr. Justice Sidney Linden's Ipperwash inquiry report, which noted the "single biggest source of frustration, distrust and ill-feeling" among natives is "our failure to deal in a just and expeditious way with breaches of treaty and other obligations to the First Nations.
"These guys (the Conservative government) don't do anything without some agenda behind it," Crowder said.
He added the federal government has promised for decades to clear up land claims.
"We've seen that time after time after time where money is promised. Even in Ipperwash the land was promised to be returned 50 years ago. ... Here we are in 2007 it's not returned."
Ontario Natural Resources Minister David Ramsay, who is responsible for aboriginal affairs, said he was "very happy to see the federal government come forward with a very substantive offer like that."
"I think that really opens up negotiations in regards to those particular land claims," Ramsay said.
"It shows the federal government is very serious about this and wants to resolve these (claims), I know Minister Prentice wants to resolve these and now the proof is in the pudding with that offer."
Prentice said the millions of dollars would be closely controlled.
"In terms of the Six Nations negotiation there are as often as many as 80 people in the room from the First Nation ... so these are all people with whom we are working but I can assure you that any settlement will ensure that the dollars are paid in trust and that they are responsibly handled for the future in the best interests of the community," he told reporters.
Richard Brennan
OTTAWA BUREAU
OTTAWA–Mohawk leaders are dismissing a federal government offer to give the Six Nations $125 million to settle a land dispute in southwestern Ontario.
One Mohawk protester has called it a slap in the face.
"Land and money are tied together," Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice told reporters yesterday.
"The ability I have under the policy is to advance money, and the money can of course be used to secure land, and that land can be converted to reserve status. ... I think the response of the First Nation was quite respectful."
Not quite.
"I see it as a slap in the face. ... I find it very insulting that they think our people can be bought," said native protester Steve Powless, who wants land, not money – even if that land wasn't originally aboriginal territory.
The federal and provincial governments are hoping the cash offer, which would be held in trust, is enough to end the controversial 15-month-old occupation of a former housing development in the historic town of Caledonia along the Grand River.
It didn't take Mohawk leaders long to decide the offer wasn't enough.
"It's a token," said Chief Allen MacNaughton. "It's nowhere near what we want or what we've expected, but it does open the door for talks."
Prentice said the offer was put on the table Wednesday in Caledonia during negotiations, which have dragged on for nearly as long as the occupation.
"There was an offer put on the table yesterday in Caledonia, an offer of approximately $125 million to resolve four of the historic claims of the Six Nations," he said.
The populous Six Nations reserve near Brantford has**/ filed 29 land claims with Ottawa since 1980. One was settled in 1985 with CN Rail.
NDP MP Jean Crowder (Nanaimo-Cowichan) accused the government of cynically putting money on the table just before the release of the Mr. Justice Sidney Linden's Ipperwash inquiry report, which noted the "single biggest source of frustration, distrust and ill-feeling" among natives is "our failure to deal in a just and expeditious way with breaches of treaty and other obligations to the First Nations.
"These guys (the Conservative government) don't do anything without some agenda behind it," Crowder said.
He added the federal government has promised for decades to clear up land claims.
"We've seen that time after time after time where money is promised. Even in Ipperwash the land was promised to be returned 50 years ago. ... Here we are in 2007 it's not returned."
Ontario Natural Resources Minister David Ramsay, who is responsible for aboriginal affairs, said he was "very happy to see the federal government come forward with a very substantive offer like that."
"I think that really opens up negotiations in regards to those particular land claims," Ramsay said.
"It shows the federal government is very serious about this and wants to resolve these (claims), I know Minister Prentice wants to resolve these and now the proof is in the pudding with that offer."
Prentice said the millions of dollars would be closely controlled.
"In terms of the Six Nations negotiation there are as often as many as 80 people in the room from the First Nation ... so these are all people with whom we are working but I can assure you that any settlement will ensure that the dollars are paid in trust and that they are responsibly handled for the future in the best interests of the community," he told reporters.