A10 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, March 13, 1996

Nisga’a deal probed at forum

Crowd of 250 turns out to ask questions about agreement

SELF-GOVERNMENT
provisions of the Nisga’a
deal came under fire al a
public forum Tuesday night.

But provincial negotiators
tried to cali the crowd of
250, telling them many of
the deal’s components —
including a courl system and
police service — may not be
pul in place until it makes
economic sense to do so.

“The Nisza’a are looking
150 years, 200 years into the
future,’? said provincial ne-
gotiator Jack Ebbels.

“So some of thase provi-
sions may not be acted upon
for a long, long time.”

Essentially, Ebbels said, a
Nisga’a court will not have
any jurisdiction unless an
accused person agrees to be
tried by it, Anyone can elect
ta be tried under the provin-

cial court system instead.

The forum was a lirgely
polite affair with a wide
range of questions posed: to
the negotiating team. -

There was one heated mo-
ment when Nisga’a’ chief
Jacob Nyce began to make ‘a
speech and was shouicd
down by people demanding
he ask a. question.

For many ‘peopic il was

the. firstopportunity.- to. get.

their hands on the 120-page
document, examine it) in
detail, and ask about how it
may direetly affect them,
Les Watmough, speaking
on. behalf of the Trappers’
Association, asked whether
existing traplines would be
transferrable in perpeluily.
The answer was yes,
Norman Read asked what
will ‘restrict the Nisga’a

What’s sustainable?

WHEN WILL the Nisga’a be self-sustaining?

That’s the question city council asked of pravincial ne-
voliators ata session al cily hall last week.

“Only three provinees in Canada -~ Ontario, B.C. and

Alberta — are selt-sustaining,

gotiator Hugh Gordon.

” replied assistant chief ne-

The city is sell-sustaining, replied councilor David Hull,
noting that by law it is not permitted to runa deficit.

But Gordon said the city is still dependent on other
governments for other services.

“FT don’t think the cily would agree to provide health and

welfare without receiving huge transfers,’’

he said.

The hope, Gordon says, is that the Nisga’a will be better
able to create jobs and generate wealth in the Nass under a
treaty, and that over time they will become less dependent

on other governments.

The agreement-in-principle says that revenues the
Nisga’a Central Government receives — from taxing its
citizens, collecting stumpage or whatever — will be
deducted from transfer payments it would receive to opera-

te government services.

Asked why there’s such a long phase in period — cight
years to eliminate sales tax exemptions and 12 years to
eliminate the income tax exemption — Gordon said it was
a trade-off to make it politically saleable to the Nisga‘a.

Two-thirds of the Nisga’a live in urban areas like Ter-
race, Prince Rupert and Vancouver. They will see litte
benefit from the treaty, but will lose their tax-exempt

Status.

The Nisga’a off reserve see the loss of their exemption
and will probably not see much positive on the other side
unless they move back to the valley.””

Nass Camp owner backs Nisga’a’

THE OWNER of Nass Camp has piven the

Nisga’a his vote of support.

Bil Young — one of the non-native
businessmen with the most at stake in the
Nass — stood up at last Tuesday’s public
forum to defend his native neighbours in
the face of skepticism about accounting

practices.

One man had suggested there would be
no guarantee of accountability.

“They're going to come along and say
that we're broke,” said Bill Dawson, of
“Well how in the hell are we
going to know when they're ont of money

Kitimat.

and when they’re not?’’

Young, who was appointed to the Nisga’a
Valley Health Board by the Nispa’a, noted
that although other native proups have had
problems in that area, the Nisga'a have a

good record,

“All the books are audited by chartered

accountants,'” he said.

Treaty
costs
debated

COST-SHARING — squab-
bles between Ottawa and
Victoria already nearly
killed the Nisga’a deal be-
fore it was born.

Now a similar dispute is
brewing that could cause
more problems between
now and when the final
treaty is negotiated.

The deal includes provi-
sions for government ser-
vices — in education,
health, welfare, and a range
of other areas — to be pro-
vided in Nisga’a lands.

Money would be trans-
ferred from Ottawa and Vic-
toria to pay for those ser-
vices,

But assistant chief nepoti-
ator Hugh Gordon said how
that split will be calculated
has nol been determined.

Gordon said the issue will
have to be resolved before a
final treaty can be signed.

Last summer, talks broke
off after the feds and the
province were unable to
agree on a cost-sharing
agreement because of dif-
ferent’ estimates of bow
much stumpage revenue
B.C. would be giving up.

That was — eventually
resolved and talks resumed
in the fall,

‘Nass.

~Nisga’a. tot
‘sleclhead from the Nass also.

from selling off their land
and ending up and allowing
much of it io end up in other
ihan Nisga’a hands,

Ebbels said the Nisga’a in-
dicate they’re wary. of that
possibility,

“They want 10 avoid: a
repeal of the situation in
Alaska where First Nations
mortgaged all their settle-
ment lands away over a rel-
atively. short -
time.”

Negotiating, team. member
Patrick O'Rourke predicted
the Nisga’a: will be: placing
“extia hoops’ iv thé con:
stitution of the Nisga’a Cen-
tral Gavernment to prevent
that from happening.

There were no. answers
fortheoming to some ques-
lions, however, such as

queries about what will hap-.

pen.to logging contractors: in
the Nass.

Also raised as an ‘issue
was the implication of the
treaty Cor unionized workers
in the Nass. 7

Nisga’a Teachers Union
president’ ~ . Ravi “Gill
demanded to know whether
the Nisga’a Schoo! District
woould remain under ‘the
provincial “school district
system or whether it would
become separate — akin to
a charter school or private
school, — ;
A’ separate. system, he
said, could mean an erosion
of the collective bargaining
Tights of teachers in the

Ebbels admitted:he wasiv'l

- sure on that point.

Basic provincial labour re-
lations slandards will apply,
he said,

A - provision
_lake

for the
surplus

drew the ire of some.

“Why can’t we leave the
Steelhead, particularly the
summer ru asa protected
species,” said Kitimat resi-
dent Bill Dawson.

“! dont think there are any problems

with the accounting you're gelling from the

Nisga’a.’’

ment.

‘We're well-covercd, Well represented. -
And i'm proud to be a part of it,”* he said.
Young said he’s satisfied with the agrec-

**They’ve answered all the concems that |

have,’ he said. ‘‘I’m very happy with the

way this has turned out.”

Young said he wants to see people be-
come more open-minded about the Nisga’a.

“They're people up there. We've gol to.
get past this ‘we-they’ stuff"?

‘Tye found the people that I’ve been

dealing wilh to be hanourable. And if you'd

seen the way they work. -— and their

dedication to their cause — it’s admirable.
Negotiator Hugh Gordon said a Nisga’a

Central Government would be subject to all

the same accounting. practices and proce-

dures as any other ievel of government.

secs
Ly

&

kd oF see<. SS

period. -of

The negotiators also came
under fire from Trappers’
Association representative
Rob Seaton, who said the
amount of land that would
be managed as a new wild-
dite’ managenvent area was
very large.

After the meeling, many
people said they recognize
the land claim question must
be resolved, but said they

“Wvive reservations about any

agreement — that ~ doesn’t
inake everyone equal,

Vie Dean predicted the
deal will cntrench = die
ferences and lead lo more
inequality, more racism and
more tensions. ,

“The whale thing is
wrong. because it’s racist,”
he said.

“Ts nol like we were the
explorers who came here,’’
said 13-year-old. Thornhill
Jr Secondary student Carla
Gemeinhardl. ‘‘Why should
we have to pay for the mis-
takes everybody —_— else
made.”

Ebbels said that the per- |

ception among some that the
scitlement is . somehow
eoing to create a‘separate
state is out to lunch.

The Criminal Code and
Charter of Rights will apply
there as everywhere else in
the land.

And many Jaws — from
the Forest Practices Code to
environmental assessnsnt
rules — that don’t now app-
ly to native reserve land will
apply: to the Nisga’a lands
under the treaty,

More ‘pubiic mectings are

anticipated, but before that

will likely be the formal
Signing of the agreement-in-
principle = — expected to
lake place Mar. 22 in New
Ajyansh, .

Tt could be anywhere from
several weeks to a couple of
months before the restart of
formal negotiations to word
the final text of the treaty.

Bill Young

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