4 Terrace Review — Wednesday, July 4, 1990

and....

by Michael Kelly

When he was a young boy on the
Kitwancool reserve, Glenn
Williams was fascinated by the
totem poles outside his grand-
father’s house. He went there
every week to listen to his grand-
father explain what they were and
what they meant. As he grew, so
did his understanding of the totem
poles and their meaning.

Williams, now chief councillor
for his band, attempted to explain
that meaning to a group of about
50 native leaders, politicians, busi-
nessmen and bureaucrats who
gathered in Terrace June 16 for a
city-sponsored conference on com-
prehensive land claims. It was the
first locally-organized conference
of its kind in B.C.

"Totem poles are the forefront of
our community, they identified the
chiefs, their lands, their territory,
their places. They tell us who we
are and what land we hold,"
Williams said. He explained that
ownership of the land carries a.
burden of responsibility for the
chief: to defend it against damage
and encroachment by others, to
assert and maintain that ownership
by vigilance and action.

"People wonder why we’re so
aggressive," he said, referring to.
actions of the Kitwancool chiefs
and other member tribes of the
Gitksan Wet’suwet’an Tribal
Council like the recent blockades
of logging roads and sawmills.
"It’s because the land belongs to
us. There are a lot of complicat-
ions, with third parties, the federal
and provincial governments, and
nothing will compel them to sit

down (and negotiate). That’s why
we have launched the court case
(suing the B.C. government to
establish title to the territory).
Uniil it is settled, we will continue
to act, and your interests as third
parties are at risk.

"My view is that we just have to
do it. Set an integrated plan for
your territory, do it, and if the
government doesn’t like it, let
them come after us. We, the
chiefs, are the status quo. We have
to protect and defend our land."

Williams was one of numerous
native representatives who force-
fully aired their views on the land
ownership question. The confer-
ence also heard from Skeena Cel-
lulose forests manager Pat Ogawa,
provincial nalive ‘affairs minister
Jack Weisgerber, a member of the
Fisheries Council of B.C., artist
Roy Vickers and constitutional
lawyer Harry Slade. Terrace mayor
Jack Talstra opened the conference
by noting that "we're living in the
heart of the situation but we don’t
know what’s happening", a refer-
ence to the lack of information
available on the progress of land
claim negotiations being conducted
between native groups and the
federal government.

At the end of the day the native

position, if nothing else, was quite

of the pie — and that’s a tough

clear.

Kitsumkalum band chief council-
lor Cliff Bolton reminded the
group that his band has been
involved in many Terrace ventures
over the years, including member-
ship on city council’s tourism and
economic advisory commission.
The band now operates a motel, -
river tours and an angling guide |
service, a recreational vehicle park,
two craft shops and a rock quarry.
There are, however, some special
problems that native businesses
face.

Normal channels of financing t© do It.
aren’t available to on-reserve busi-
nesses. Ventures put together by
the band council necd approval
from Indian Affairs to go ahead, a
process that is convoluted and
ofien fails. To get the Kalum
Motel, he said, "We had to hire a
lawyer and threaten to sue them...
some bands aren't that aggressive
— and what happens to them?"

Bolton said there are also prob-
lems getting the rest of the com-
munity to accept native economic
ventures. "We try to fit in but
there’s a lack of understanding, we
seem to be at odds with local
businesses. We’ve tried to work
hand-in-hand with them, but the
problems continue. Our attitude is
that we’re going to take our share

GLENN WILLIAMS; My view is, we just have FRANK CALDER: We know how It feels to be
| left out and not fairly treated.

one.
"We as natives have to change
our position, not just be there

when somebody needs some Indian Jack WEISGERBER; The federal government * saan !
dancing. We're going to set the fas to give us an idea of how large the Issue HARRY SLADE; Aboriginal rights are legal
whole thing up.” is. | rights with binding precedents in law.

Pat Ogawa, speaking for Repap,
summed up the concems of indust-
ry. "We are facing so much uncert-
ainty: the land claims, higher stum-
page, more responsibilities trans-
ferred from the provincial govern-
ment to the forest companies.

"We must look after the forest,
reinvest in plants, train and employ
people. Yet we face uncertainty.
Our financial backers are con-
cerned.

"Let's seltle so that industry is no
longer the ham in the sandwich. .
Industry can’t resolve this issue.
Our plea to everyone here is,
*Let’s get on with it and find a
solution’."

Weisgerber reiterated the pro-
vince’s position that aboriginal title
to the land does not exist. And if it
does, it’s up to the federal govern-
ment to deal with it, He said the
provincial government is dealing
with some uncertainties of its own.
on the issue.

"The federal government has to
give us an idea of how large the
land claims issue is, and how they
expect us to participate... We will
continue to talk, to press Ottawa,
we're convinced it’s a reasonable
thing to ask. It’s their responsibil-
ity to tell all of us what Is
expected."

Weisgerber's expectation is that
the federal government would

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