PAA

Red Robinson

TERRACE _ ‘The & provincia

government: must. ‘recognize
aboriginal ‘titlé, to’ lands. :and
resources in. B.C, in: ordér. to
begin negotiations toward’ settl-
ing outstanding ‘claims, say: two

northwest native spokesmen,|.

-Rod | Robinson .. from. ;,the

‘Nisga’a Tribal Council and. Don
Ryan from’ thé Gitksan'. and:
Wet'suwet'en in, Hazelton, ‘said -

recognition of -title.i is the‘only
base. from: ‘which negotiations

‘The two were ‘commentifig on. .

recommendations ‘made. to the
provincial : ‘cabinet ‘from ‘the:
from. the: premiet's- council ‘of
native affairs. .:— -

‘Those: “recommendations in-

clude ~ having the - province
establish a policy to’ settle land

‘claims and to take part in settle- - .
“ment talks: underway ‘between

the “federal governmient. and
natives, . a
Up. until now): the. ‘province

has..denied the: existence: Of.

_ aboriginal title and say’ that if it -

did exist, it was eliminated: when
B.C. joined Coiifederation.:,: »

- . But the council’s recommen:
dations and an accompanying
‘progress . report: don't : “0, far
enough in saying “that * ‘title to
-iland and resources does “exist,

say Robinson and: ‘Ryan ae

‘The door isn’t shuts - It’s

" open just a little bit and now we

want the federal: govertiment

and the provincial government
to negotiate with us,"’ sald
Robinson.

He and Ryan referred to the
recent Supreme Court of
Canada decision revolving
around the charging of lower
-mainland native Ron Sparrow.
for fishing when he was not sup.
posed to. - .

The court. found that fishing

is an existing aboriginal right
but did not go on to define

aboriginal rights in other areas,

Robinson said the decision in-
dicates that aboriginal rights,
“which include title to lands and
resources, do exist and. so
should cause the province to
recognize that.

' "We now want t the! ‘province
to comply with: the -Sparrow ’-
decision and we ‘will: negotiate: -
on that basis,”’ said Robinson. ..
Ryan called the Sparrow deci-:”
sion a continuation, of legal rub:
ings that -all point. ‘to. native:
rights and title never. having: °
been extinguished. = =
’. “That's the key issue for US. ‘

Aboriginal rights are in the‘con-

stitution. The province approv-
ed that accord. The courts are:
saying that provincial govern--
ments never had jurisdiction’
over native rights," he said. |:
The native affairs council's:
report also referred to the ‘Spar-

cont'd A2

July sun could |
set new record

TERRACE — If you thought
the bottle of sunscreen emptied
quickly last month, you'd be
right,

Although the final figures are
‘still being tallied, July appears
to have been the sunniest on
record,

Environment Canada
weather office spokesman
Adrian Van de Mosselaer said
251.7 hours of sunshine were
recorded as of last’ Thursday.
And with another high pressure

" system that built into the region

over. the weekend, he said it’s
* likely Terrace will break the all-
time record for rays.

The number to beat is 315.3

in, he predicted Terrace would
set a new July. sun record,
Average hours of sunshine for
July is 174.7 hours.

The great weather has proven
itself'in other ways, too. Nor-
mal rainfall for July is 56.6
millimetres in Terrace. But Van
de Mosselaer said this year
we've had only 16.8 mm —
most of which fellon the first of
the month. °

The monthly average high
temperature is 21,3: degrees
Celsius, but this July the city
averaged 24,1, “Low
temperatures | and mean
temperatures were both nearly
two degrees above the month's
average, Van de Mosselacr add-
ed.

Unique e park deal
wanted at canyon

TERRACE — The Kitselas
band wants to sign an agree-
ment it says wil] be the first of
its kind with the federal govern-
ment to restore and preserve a
historic site.

The site is the Kitselas Ca-
nyon through which the Skeena
River flows east of Terrace.

It was the home of the
Kitselas and because of the
geography, allowed them to
control trading up and down the
river in days when travel by
water was the only method of
transportation,

“We're dealing with Parks
Canada right now for an ar-
chaelogical assessment of the
area,” said band manager Wilf
McKenzie last week. ‘There has
been work there before but it
has only scratched the surface.’*

The agreement, he said,
would see Parks Canada involv-
ed in restoration of the location
but have ownership stay with
the band. .

“It would be the first of its
kind in Canada for a national
historic site. Parks Canada
usually owns those locations,”
said McKenzie.

He and band chief Mel Bevan
say complete development will
probably take 10 years.

It involves display buildings,
trails on which old village and
other locations will be marked
and river and fishing tours.

‘We already getting requests
from Europe to take tours of
the canyon,” said McKenzie in
adding the first of those are
scheduled for 1992,

The band is also developing a
subdivision, called Gitaus, in
the canyon area. -

That'll be complemented by
retail and other commercial
enterprises.

‘Long weekend |
means a. change —

TERRACE x: The. ‘long -
wees nd. coming tip in.
ti guilzation: OF ink

"Deadlines: for: classified. and.
display advertising are also. 5

iy p.m., Thursday, Aug. 1."

‘Qur office is closed Saturday,

' Aug. 4 and.on Monday; Aug. 6, |
but opens again at 8 a.m., Tues-

day; Aug i
“BAC. Day is the
aye aemtory holidays

effective in. ;

west of the :