_Native issues missing human side | TERRAC Bo o=-Debate surroun- ding” Miive ivsues is (oo often soustiticd. by power games, ~ polities and bureanetacy, says “an Edmonton professor. And that takes away the : human dimension of people - dealing with people, says David ‘Long, an assistant university professor. with The King’s Col- lege, a Christian liberal arts in- stitutiton. ‘Long’ § ‘philosophy is rooted "in the study of how Christian churches affected and influenc- ed native culture and society. What he found were institu- tions who assumed their values were superior to those of others. This assumption, combined with official government policy, has created the prablems of to- day. . What was — and is — lacking is acceptance of native peoples and an admission that one group often knows little of the experiences of another, says Long. *‘Acceptance has to precede understanding and support. Before any relationship can grow, there has to be that accep- tance,’’ he says. “It’s paternalism to say that we know the answer — that we know what's best for them.” ‘We need to accept each other and to grow together — to learn from them and from them to learn from us. It’s time for us to listen for awhile, not to translate things into our own terms, not to go out with pre-set policies and a pre-set agenda,”’ Long continued. Part of that listening comes from statements made by native leaders in the on-going process of constitutional and ‘other discussions. One sentence, from Assembly of First Nations leader Ovide Mercredi, particuarly caught Long's attention. “He said “We don’t need your support, what we need is to be accepted.’ I think that captures it right there.’”’ Long lays that kind of state- Terrace Standard, Wednesday, February 26, 1992 ~ Page A5 ment out against the debate over native self-government and the demands by governments that natives give them a defini- tion, He feels what too easily hap- pens “then is power broking _where politics and bureaucracy get in the way, Long said. **What strikes me is that 1 don’t hear Joe Clark or Brian Mulroney or Don Getty saying is that our system of govern- ment in Canada is self- governing and that we can’t decide to do it a different way,’ he said, ‘‘Whal native people a are say-: ing is ‘your government does} not work and that is:-part of why : 4 we don’t want “it’,” added | Long. : : Long spoke in. Terrace last : night as part of a northern lec- : ture tour which continues in} Smithers today, The King’s College in Ed- monton offers three-year degree programs, It is inter- denominational and one of its main backers is the Christian Reformed Church. ree ee ~ Uncertainty grips land claims By WILLIAM ‘VANDER ZALM ~ I have never opposed pro- viding: ‘available resources, in- - Chading land in some instances, to the various Indian bands in order that they could become not? only , self-sufficient but substantial contributors to the economic well-being of our pro- vince. ‘T believe this because, without finger pointing or laying blame, there-was a failure on the part of the first Europeans to arrive in this country to provide native people with the education and trade skills necessary to com- pete in the New World which ‘was rapidly developing then. * Most people today still believe that my position, one that. I have enunciated numerous times at various meetings throughout the pro- vince, is about what native peo- ple are. asking for. Of course, they are wrong. : The native people believe they have an inherent right to most of the land in this province. They have in fact claimed such ‘even though it is not held direct- ly “by title, indirectly through leasehold or use permit by many - individuals and companies as well as various levels of govern- ment. . Failing our ability to deliver such land, the natives want compensation. Not only is this the request 1 have heard many a time but also there appeays to be a rétusal by many to make any settlement reached. final and binding. It would appear they want to leave the door open for future generations to claim again. If you were one of many who has. long misunderstood the demands we face or one who has agreed with the position put forth by the New Democratic ‘Party without realizing all the implications. of that, then you have reason to feel frightened and insecure by it all. If you feel insecure, imagine William Vander Zalm the insecurity felt by those upon whom we count to invest in our province. No province in Canada is as affected by land claims as is British Columbia. Politicians and pressure groups elsewhere, all with their own agendas, can easily say what it is they think we ought to do. But the fact re- mains that this growing uncer- tainty could be one of the big- gest causes for economic tur- moil in this province for years to come. Consider the following and think about how it is you would feel if, you were that investor in Europe, United States, South America or Asia: © How would governments deal with your land in attempting to arrive at a settlement with the native Indian people? ® What will happen to roads, railroads, hydro rights-of-way, gas lines and other such in- frastructure that transgress land affected by land claims? ® What happens to the people in whole communities where land is being claimed.and where the suggestion is that following a successful outcome of such Wedaqne Indyetrial Bite LEGEND eer > Alvar,” "Along = : Ennai Rational hw my ; be Hyato, Powortne pacite, Haturul Ga ‘ . oped omens om @ . : f. QRUISMIDA rons uo * Site Location Groundwood Putp and Papar Mill Prepared try Sowwes CIRRUS CONSULTANTS fee = AUGUST 1991 Fave 1 claim, the native people will in- stitute self government? * What is meant by government? * What happens if we need large cash outlays to provide the native bands in lieu of lands? * Would you risk money in a place with such uncertainty when there are so many other places in the world to invest? The problem is not people. It is not the native people per se, Most of them would be reasonably satisfied with a com- fortable home, a decent job, some security for times of sickness or old age, the oppar- tunity to start a business and employ people etc., etc. The problem is not the non- native person. They too would like to see all of that which the average native person would: wish for themselves and their families. The problem is the politi- cians, both native and non- native, all of whom’ seek power in one form or another. The biggest problem of all is that with greedy power-hungry native and non-native politi- cians, each with their own agen- da and much of it somewhat dishonest. There will still be talking about all of this 10 and 20 years from now, That too denies people the opportunity they are entitled to, including the opportunity to contribute and that too causes uncertainty. self- William Vander Zaim was |\ Premier af British Columbia from 1986 to 1991. During that time, ihe provin- ctal government established a separate ministry for native af- fairs and entered into, along with the federal government, negotiations fo settle the Nisga’a land claim, Mr. Vander Zalm_ has donated a fee for this article ta the lacal unit of the Canadian Cancer Society. Local By RANDY RODGER Environmental concerns have ‘a place but economical needs of the working layman also should be within the boundaries. - The Haisla band wants Oren- da’s progress stopped for fur- ther studies. Is not this the B.C.-based ‘company whose mill proposal is far cleaner: and. efficient than Eurocan or Repap's mill in this ‘area? This hi-tech mill can be a cleaner standard by which the others should be obligated to follow. -. -Orenda seems more logical . now. after the B.C. government passed new emission laws. We have to step forward in this area in economical develop- ment of a port and other in- _ dustry or there will be more unemployment -and other negative side effects to follow, | Lf any industrial companies should be protested against, it is TO STEWART CASSIAR . TO PRINCE RUPERT Wi ; e . po TERRACE HAZELTON KITWANGA SMITHERS aN (8) -» Gitksan - Wet'suwet'en Territories HOUSTON Territories 's B RNS GC LAKE TO PRINCE GEORGE MM toh batned 2180 LARGE AND CONTENTIOUS is the Gitksan and Wet ‘suwet'en claim to 54, 000 square. kiloretres of northwestern B.C. Although their claim was denied by the B.C. Supreme C Court last year, the, Gitksan and Wet 'suwetien are headed ta the appeal court this April. Excess profits should be used for new technologies to clean up industrial effluent and waste and for more intensive silviculture, not.in- vested in buying out other corporations or com- - petitors. Eurocan and Repap, who rape -off the local forests and launder profits off in distant cities, pro- vinces and lands while the local . people just scrape by and watch the wasteful logging practices. Protest should be pointed at the forest service. which is just another bureaucratic puppet service to the big boys, who seem to snub or ignore alternate wood utilization practices presented to them. I can show examples of set- tings logged by pulp and paper companies and you would not even. think they were logged. They were not — they were high graded for the saw logs and the pulp left on the hillsides to rot. These big corporations show a mega profit one year then a severe loss the next. Where has the previous profit gone? The ‘needs of the local eco- system and people should come first. Excess profits should be used for new technologies to clean up industrial effluent and waste and for more intensive silviculture, not invested in buy- ing out other corporations or competitors to build 4 monopo- ly or monies being sent out of the country. ] talked with and questioned wood for local use Orenda representatives. Although not all questions were answered there were some good positive prospects, They. said they can. utilize $-foot -long and three-inch diameter chunks of wood. They could thrive off the waste of these other companies as faras I am concerned, If they are cleaner and more efficient, they. should be the standard, If the others can’t conform or compete, then start taking away annual percentages of their AAC until they are on par. Or take away their TFLs and split them up. between the natives and other locals so, that the working forest can be ullliz- ed to its fullest, benefitting more in our area than a few far away. Randy Rodger is a faller and has lived in Terrace for 26 The Start is for people learning how fo read. Vandal Watch is new. It will help stop van- dals. People can call the telephone number. They can report van- dals. Their name will be kept secret. Vandal Watch will pay a reward if a vandal Watch out! is caught. Vandal Watch begins March 4. People can call the telephone number any time of the day. The chamber of com- merce started Vandal Watch. It got help from businesses and from the city. Food The food bank gave out 371 bags of food last week, That is 13 bags fess than in January. There were 244 forms filled out by people who wanted food. Last month, 249 forms were filled out. — The food: bank takes place again next month.