‘Treaty talks poised to resume as villages leave tribal council By JEFF NAGEL — FIVE TSIMSHIAN bands, including the Kitsumkalum and Kitselas near Terrace, are poised to resume treaty talks that were suspended amid internal turmoil last year. _ The five have split away from the old Tsimshian Trib- » al Council andformed a new negotiating -society. Joining | the two bands here are Met- lakatla, Kitasoo and Gitga’at (formerly Hartley Bay). Despite objections and threats of legal action from the tribal council; the B.C. Treaty Commission has ap- - proved the breakaway group of five’s plan to restart talks under the new organization, said commissioner Wilf Adam. He said festarting the : flow of money to support negotiations still depends on the five bands agreeing lo as- sume their share of the loan rung up by the Tsimshian i in treaty talks to this point. | The debt is close to $20 million, said:Gerald Wesley, the chief negotiator for the five bands. . ~ “ach of us as participat- ing Tsimshian first nations - are committing to take. re- sponsibility for our part of * the loan funding,” he said. The loans are expected to- eventually be repaid out of a final cash treaty settIement. The, Tsimshian were re- ceiving $2.3 million a year for treaty-related operations when they were negotiat- ing as seven united villages. Eighty per cent is to be re- * paid, while. 20 Per cent is a grant. ‘Wesley said main table treaty negotiations could re- sume as early:as February. The. remaining . Kw’alaams - and Kitkatla - will _ pursue treaty talks separately. _ two. _. Tsimshian villages —. Lax Gerald Wesley Wesley said the ‘Tsim- -shian hope to meve on after a difficult year of political ‘infighting, that culminated in the suspension of ‘treaty - talks last April 2. The treaty commission cut off the flow of moncy , that’ supported | Tsimshian treaty work. Having the seven very different cormmuniti¢s —ne- gotiate as one group had always) been. somewhat ‘tenuous since talks began in earnest in 1995, To provide maximum autonomy to each vil- lage, Tsimshian negotiators aimed to. conclude seven: highly customized treaties —at odds With the provincial and federal goal of reaching a single, efficient over-arch- ing Tsimshian treaty. “But unified treaty talks hit a brick wall. in 2002, when Lax Kw’alaams de- . ls cided it needed to go to court” a) pursuc its aboriginal right - “to fish. a Canada and B.C. fight, and was then barred from negotiations. then forced’ the band to -choose _ if ~ between ‘the-court case and . treaty talks; Lax Kw’alaams opted’ to continue the legal The band = then out of the tribal council, and Wesley said that set the stage for disputes among the villages over things like re- payment of treaty negotiat- ing loans and overlapping traditional territories. Metlakatla also withdrew carly in 2004. and the tribal ~ council, under president Bob Hill. suspended treaty talks. The divisions spilled out into the open that spring and a series of meetings through ‘the year were unable to heal >the rift. Wesley calls ita difficult, frustrating period. “We ‘should have been -able to resolve our’ differ- ences,” -he said. “We should never have come to the situ- ation we've been in over the GRAY DON SECURITY SYSTEMS pulled past year.” In the end, he said, some Tsimshian leaders could no longer meet together in the same room. . Had the dispute not oc- curred, Wesley says the ‘Tsimshian today would be much closer to an agree- | *ment-in- principle. , He says he had> hoped they would reach one in » 2005. Now he says that goal is 18 months to tWo years away, It’s “now critical the five communities now negoti- ate with unity and mutual respect, Wesley said, if they are to be treated seriously by the opposing federal and provincial negotiators, “Em making great efforts to be rational in our approach | sperson s. *s responsible for this, or. any other. crime me | ‘Crime ‘Stoppers would like to hear from you. ; 7 and that nobody is hurt any . more than, they have been already on our-side of .the table,” he said. - While the tribal council - continues lo operate as a po- litical body, the Kitselas and Kitsumkalum have. cut all. } tics, Wesley said. Adam says--the treaty commission is satisfied the five bands have the sup- port of their communities in pursuing a new negotiating structure and that the. tribal council no longer has the authority lo: oversee treaty talks. www.hawkairea Call your local travel agent NECHAKO | THEATRE wae ne chakothe atre come ‘Fen 95 The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - A7 PUBLIC NOTICE TDCSS | [Se A Special Meeting will be held Tuesday, - February 1, 2005 in order to vote on the proposed bylaw amendments of Terrace & - District Community Services Society. | Time: 5:30 p.m. Place: Administration Office . Terrace & District Community Services Society #304-4546 Park Avenue ~ Terrace, B. Cc. = Workshops - Workshops - Workshops Do you need help writing a resume? Do you need help writing a cover letter? , D0 you need interviewing skills? Do you need basic computer skills? ‘ “Throughout January, interConnect will be putting on workshops Monday to Friday 1:00 pm - - 4:00 pm “Telephone to register 250 635 7995 ., InterConnect Training & Employment 4530 Lakelse Avenue, Terrace, BC: V8G 1P4_ : Canadi * . | ARS interConnect & Youth Opportunities are programs 6 oe of Terrace ’& District Community Services Society .' The Government of Canada has contributed funding to this initiative . + Images by Karlene is more than a salon. It’s a whole body experience. _. - Hi. My name is Leah-Ann. I’ve been . a stylist for 20 years, it’s all I ever ~ | wanted to be. Iam also one of the shop | comedians. I thrive on the: high energy and comaraderie. | 47 18-B Lazelle Avenue, “Terrace © 635-4997 = Leah- Ann : Crimestoppers offers a cash reward of up to $2,000.00 for information :| leading to the arrest and charges being taid against this or any other unsolved Crime. If you have any information call CRIME STOPPERS at 635- | - Shelter handing out lots of warm clothes THE COLD weather is tak- ing its toll on those less for- tunate, but the local men’s emergency shelter is helping out. a A lot of gloves, hats and scarves have been handed -out already, says shelter worker Blaine Stensgaard. The shelter is operated by the Ksan House Society and it recently received more money from the province to open up extra beds for the winter months. + - : “I’m not sure how many have been given out,” Stens- ; gaard of the gloves, hats and scarves. Clothing generally comes ' from comes community do- nations, but a specific $3,300 provincial grant in addition to the money for the beds is being used. About nine to 12 men currently frequent the shel- ter and more people are there during the day during cold weather periods. The shelter saw about nine people show up for its annual Christmas dinner, al- though staff prepared food for 50. “Nobody from the com- ° munity .came so in a way that’s a very. good thing, Stensgaard said. , “Everybody had some- where to go.” A room being refurbished . with a first nations theme in honour of residential school survivors is still scheduled to open at the end of the month, he said. Plans are underway for the shelter’s next big meal in February. '} TIPS, that's 635-8477. Callers will not be required to reveal their identity or -| testify in court. Crimestoppers does not subscribe to call display. | Call 635-15 SECURITY SYSTEMS LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED * Commercial & Residential Secutity * Data Cabling © Wireless Systems. © Electronic Services - © Access Control * 24 Hour Monitoring * Surveillance Cameras ® Specializing In Digital And ° Fire Alarms P.C. Based Camera Systems “24 Hour Property Protection” i “In The North For The North” 877-713-9588 250-638-6070 Fax: 250-638-6001 4443 Keith Avenue, Terrace, B.C. ELAN travel Now don’t forget our ongoing contest, you could-win two Air Canada: tickets to either; Honolulu,» | - Miami or Havana Cuba. It’s also-notyiog late to take advantage: of some’great early bird discounts::.} ) on winter sun package holidays. This is George Clark saying goodbye for:now and stay warm. Don't forget to enter cur 30th Anniversary contest eoaare | AIR CANADA KITIMAT ¢ 231 CITY CENTRE, 632-2135 TERRACE ¢ 4553 LAKELSE AVE. , 635-2281 ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION BRI Tr TERENCE welcomes all curlers to the... *Door Prizes -eRegular Prizes Silent Auction 04 Eeants . _eBanquest & 3-B’s Breakfast eEntry Fee: $200 per Team — Entry fees must be paid by: January 18, 2005__ Ph: 635-5825 or 635-5583" Legion, Br. 13 You can also call your travel agent or Air Canada at 1-888-247- Get great low fares to just about anywhere. Book now, sale ends January 19, 2005. | Book directly at aircanada.com ‘and earn one Aeroplan® Mile for every $3 spent on flights within Canada and to the USS. 2262. A ticket purchased through Air Canada Reservations will cost $5 more (taxes additional). » Save time! For all flights within Canada you can now check in at aircanada.com e For hotels,’ car deals,” and all your travel needs, go to aircanada.com _ AIR.CANADA @ | *Hotel and car deals are'provided by our travel partner, destina.ca. Hearing-impaired (TTY): 1-800-361 “8071, Tir Canada Jazz is a trademark of Air Canada.