FERSEARS ADAPTER STE Tipe | The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, September 25, 1996 - AS Land claim hearings start here Committee to gather public resp THERE’S BEEN a sllght schedul- ing change for the legislative com- miltes looking inte the implications of the tentative Nisga’a land claims deal. The select standing committce on aboriginal affairs will still be in the Nass Valley Sept, 30 and Oct. i but bas scheduled an all-day hearing for Terrace Oct. 2. That day was originally to have been divided into hearings in -Kilimat and here. Oct, 3 is still the day for hearings in Prince Rupert, The all-party select standing com- mittee on aboriginal affairs is tour- ing around the province to hear about land claims based on issues raised in the Nisga’s agreement in principle. It’s to report to the provincial goverment next year on key issues such as land, resources and self government surrounding land claims. The provincial government has said it will use whatever is brought up by the committee in the many land claims negotlations now tak- ing place across the province. The Terrace hearings will take place next Wednesday starting at 2 p-m. in Skeena Room 1 at the Ter- race Inn. The standing committee's Alison Braid-Skolski said hearings will last a5 long as necessary that day, adding there should be no problem for people who don’t get off work until 5 p.m. “There’s a real sensitivity to the needs of working people,’ she said. Written presentations can be un- limited in length, but oral presenta- tions are limited to 10 minutes, Briid-Skolski said. She said the committee is also as- king each speaker for a brief out- line of the subject matter of the presentation. Le onse to Nisga’a deal and B.C. treaty politics oy ; ey LOCALS TURNED out in early March for the one and only public meeting that's been held here to date on the contents of the Nisga’a agreement-in-principle. Now the whole province will have another op- portunity to talk about the deal and where they think land claims policy In 8.C. should be going. The select standing committee on aboriginal affairs begins its hearings in the Nass Valley Sept. 30 and then heads to Kilimat and Terrace on Oct. 2, People who aren't able to attend may be able to watch televised proceedings on Channel 10, The committee hearings are expected to be high profile as it includes Reform leader Jack Weisgerber and Liberal aboriginal affairs critic Mike De Jong, That will be used to group presentations on similar topics to- gether, she added, so that for exam- ple most of the fisheries submis- sions are heard at the same time. People who want to make presentations can call Alison Braid- Skolski at 604-356-6318 to book time for their submission. She said they also plan to have an open microphone session at the end of the scheduled submissions to hear from anyone else who wasn’t scheduled, For those not able to attend the northwest sessions, Channel 10 is planning to carry the ones held in Terrace, Channel 10 co-ordinator Maria McGowan said there’s a possibility of broadcasting the Terrace one live. Hazelton, Smithers, Burns Lake and Vanderhoof are also on the comniitice’s stop list between Oct. 28 and Oct, 30. The committee held its first meet- ing last week in Vancouver featur- ing a briefing on land claims his- lory by UBC professor Paul Ten- nant followed by a session on the tentative Nisga’a deal by Nisga’a, federal and provincial negotiators. It meets again in Vancouver Sept 27 before heading up north. The committee is made up of 12 members of the provincial Iegisla- ture and NDP MLA Jan Waddell of Vancouver is the chair. Also on the committee is NDP MLA Bill Goodacre from Smithers, Liberal aboriginal affairs critic Mike De Jong, Reform MLA Jack Weisgerber and Liberal MLA Geoff Plant who, in the 1980s, was a provincial government lawyer op- posing the Gitksan-Wet’suwet’en land claim in the Delgumuukw supreme court case. Although Weisgerber resigned as leader of the B.C. Reform party last week, that move does not change his membership on the select stand- ing committee, Nisga’a-Tsimshian overlap deal close AN AGREEMENT between two na- tive groups concerning the borders of their respective territories could be signed by November. The Nisga’a and the Tsimshian, who have common boundaries north of: Terrace and around the mouth of the Nass River north of Prince Rupert, met for two days last week. Nisga’a Tribal Council spokesman Nelson Leeson said the session resulted in the initialling of 2 docu- ment which is now being circulated groups. Wait for results, neg January target date for Nisga’a treaty ‘too fast’ THERE SHOULD be a pause in Nisga’a treaty negotiations at least until a study of iis impact on the area is complete, say some third-party observers, The topic came up at the Kitimat-Skeena & Regional Advisory Committee meeting last Thursday after provincial negotiators indicated § the Nisga’a and some government officials are § aiming to have a final Nisga’a treaty negotiated §j - by January. : Stewart representative Andy Burton said he thought that timeline might be too fast. A Nisga’a socio-economic impact study is now underway and is expected to be released in October or November. It's aimed at assessing the treaty’s probable effects on the northwest B& region. And a provincial goverment committce of MLAs is touring the province around the same time to gather public opinion on provincial land claims policy. Burton said a January compiction date might be too quick for negotiators to consider and act upon the findings of the study and the select | standing committee on aboriginal affairs. “We had always been told it would be about two years until a final treaty,”’ Burton said. “To me it seems totally impossible to do an economic impact analysis and try to finalize it {ihe treaty) at the same time,’’ he said. “You should at least have a few months to react.”’ But provincial negotiator Jack Ebbels says he docsn't believe the January target date can be met. ‘T don't believe that’s do-able,’’ he said. ‘‘I think a more realistic estimate might be June of a As for the two years figure, he said that would include both negotiating and then ratifying the treaty. Ratification can be a lengthy process in- volving much public education about the treaty and an eventual vote by the Nisga’a. “Are we going to get to vote,’”? asked Paddy Green. "Some would say you already did,’”’ Ebbels responded, . , It was the first time a regional advisory com- mittee on the Nisga’a negotiations was open to the public. The Kitimat-Skeena Regional Ad- visory Committee plans to meet again in Ter- trace Nov. 14. Wilhin four to six weeks negotlators expect to begin final treaty negotlations. What they're working on right now is renew- ing an interim measures agreement that expired with the ‘signing of an agreement-in-principle within the communities of the two it follows reconsideration of an un- derstanding initialled last month of how the two groups would agree t settle on their borders. < - “This time there’s ‘a strong reconi- mendation for acceptance by the com- munities,’* said Leeson of the efforts of senior Nisga’a and Tsimshian offi- cials last week. A settlement of the boundary ques- tion is important for native groups as overlaps. eres oo Nisga’a who ‘ments this spring. the federal and provincial govern- ments won't sign land claims treaties if there are any outstanding claim This: is particularly crucial for the last month. began detailed negotiations to ficsh out a tentative deal with the two govern- Leeson said a final agreement be- tween the Nisga’a and the Tsimshian will ensure there is recognition, tespect and benefits for both. Jack Ebbels Andy Burton ‘l don't believe that’s do- able. | think a more realistic estimate might be June of O77. 33 last February and pulling in place openness pro- visions for further negotiations. The interim measures deal guaranteed the Nisga’a would be consulted on any plans fer resource extraction within their traditional terri-_ tory while negotiations were underway. The new version, said provincial negotiator Trevor Proverbs, will be much the same, but focussed on the 2,000 square kilometres of Nisga’a core lands that will be part of the final . treaty — about cight per cent of the area originally claimed by the Nisga’a. A map reserve would be placed on altered In- dian Reserves and fee simple land sites that ihe Nisga’a will get jurisdiction over outside the core lands boundary. A draft of the new agreement was outlined, but does not yet have cabinet approval. Proverb said that could come within the next several weeks. He said negotiators are also beginning the pro- cess of granting the Nisga'a a commercial back- country recreation tenure — one of the provi- sions Included in the agrecment-in-principle. Accordingly, no other backcountry recreation tenures will be granted while that's being final- ized. - a mk There will also be no mineral. staking on Nisga’a lands for two years under the interim Nelson Leeson Incasures agreement. tiators told The openness protocol will guarantee open ac- . cess to main table and side table negotiations in ” future Nisga’a treaty talks, Proverb said. It may also mean televising of some meetings and the release of various documents as they’re tabled. It will also loosen up the restrictions that were on the negotiators about how they consulted other people, Proverb also outlined plans to hire a Nisga’a Resources Officer, including a budget of $148,000 for that person, an office and support. Among that officer’s duties, he said, will be monitoring mushroom picking on Nisga’a lands. A series of committees are being put In place to help guide the final treaty negotiations, Proverb said, Among them are: @ A wildlife management committee to monitor hunting activities and animal popula- tions. MA mapping committee to develop a legal description of Nisga’a lands, WA fee simple/Indian Reserves committee to determine which reserve boundaries should be adjusted and what the final boundaries will be for fee sinple land sites that the Nisga’a will get, @ A forestry committee to come up with an interim annual allowable cut for the area. Will also look at other transition measures, jobs, stumpage issues. WA fisheries committee that will draft the final harvest agreement and operational guidelines. Will also look at harvesting rights for bivalve shelfish. BA land titles commilitee to bring Nisga’a lands into the provincial land titles registry sys- tem. @ A regional district relations committee to determine how the Nisga’a government will in- teract with the Kitimat-Stikine Regional Dis- trict, BA Nisga’a highways commitice that will look at road responsibilities. Wi And other commitices including a fiscal ar- rangemeats commiltee, a water committee, and an implementation committee. On the issue of fisheries, Green queried why the province isn’t redrafting the fisheries com- ponent of the Nisga’a agreement-in-principle in light of two recent Supreme Court decisions that found natives don’t have an aboriginal right to . sell salmon. But the province has decided the cases don’t affect the planned course of B,C. treaty negotia- tions. “'T don't have any instructions as a result of those cases,”’ Ebbels responded, ti. CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD The Mail B Get help now Dear Sir: I attended the Sept. 16 meeting regarding the amal- gamating of the Terrace and Kitimat school districts. I commend the Kitimat audience for the way they ex- plained the current situation, and I was deeply dis- appointed and embarrassed for the two Terrace com- mittee members, Mrs. Spooner and Mr. Pousette, plus the two support members who were present None of the four people stood up and answered any questions directed at them, instead the questions seemed to be answered by the Kitimat committee members. Mr. Christiensen should have been in at- tendance as well, to be put on the hot seat, Why, after six meetings, have only three items out of 25, been dealt with and agreed upon? If the committee members can’t get thelr act together, get help. I under- stand help has been offered, why don't you get it With the election of trustees coming very soon, I would have thought it would be to their benefit to be as up front with the public as possible, regarding all meet- ing and items. We need answers now. Mrs. L. Sorensen, Terrace, B.C. For the children? Dear Sir: T attended the meeting to discuss the amalgamation of the Kitimat and Terrace schoo! districts. I haped to learn how wis would benefit norlhwest children. What I did learn was that Kitimat parents were very unhappy with the proposal, that the various staff were also very unhappy. I have since learned from anyone else with whom J have spoken, including our MLA, s former teacher and president of the teachers union, that there is no local support for the amalgamation. Does it benefit the children? That is the only criteria to Use a8 & Measurement. It appears that the number of kilometres between school board offices is the main criteria! I hope that reassures the parents of the districts involved. At the meeting parents were concerned they would Dot have instant recourse to their elected representative. I would guess that this is highly probable. Their trustee would have to be out around our huge district learning how to accommodate such diverse problems as how to introduce American curricula for U.S. students into Stewart schools. How to supply topnotch education to the isolated, cight-pupil Meziadin school, How to ac- commodate snd incorporate all the language groups — Tsimshian, Nisga'a, Gibcsan, Wet'suwet’en, Canrrier, Kitsumkalum, Haisla, etc. — some of whom are not compatible or interchangeable 1s well as the diverse other language groups of our region. All this in addition to the delicate and agonizing de- cisions regarding the disciplining of students, the prob- lems involved with staff of all kinds. Neither of owe neighbouring districts, Prince Rupert or Smithers, are being disrupted. Both retain their uniqueness and smallness. Only huge District 88 is,to grow larger. Could it be District 88 is so efficient? .. Savings in money? By reducing the spending on spe- cial education? One child in Stewart, one in Kitimat can be combined with cheaper funding? Eliminate the two administrators and add three supervisors? Cut out two tnistees in Kitimat? Any one who thinks that the office will be shut in Kitimat is dreaming or that the slack in the administrative staffs will not be filled. The district is just too big. Whatever happened to closer to home. Does Victoria really know best? Nancy Orr, Terrace, B.C, No closed meetings An open letter to: Stewart Christensen, Chair Terrace Amalgamation Transition Team School District 88 Dear Sir: At the direction of the executive of the Terrace Dis- trict Teachers’ Union, I make the following response to your offer of a closed door meeting with us to hear our positions on amalgamation. We are declining your offer. As stated by Terrace District Teachers’ Union representatives at the public meeting on Sept. 16, our desire is to meet, with other representatives im attendance, to present our positions to the Terrace transition team. We believe that public business should be conducted publicly. The Terrace District Teachers’ Union would like to make jis views a matter of public record. This is expe- cially important given that the (ransition team will be making recommendations 10 a new board of trustees which has yet to be elected. We would like prospective new trustees to be aware of the positions of the Terrace District Teachers’ Union prior to the campaign for school board elections. We are disappointed in the position taken by the board and repeat our request for an open meeting. Frank Rowe, President, Terrace District Teachers’ Union Yes to skateboarders Dear Sir: I think it's a very good idea to have a skate board park built for our youth. They’ve been waiting a long time for this. Now they no longer need to move around from place to place, looking for iresh pavement The reason they are drawn to these freshly paved areas is, of course, smooth going, but also less painful should they wipe out. It’s a sport they love and they should be given the op- portunity to voice their own ideas for more recreational hangouts etc. instead of on the streets. People seem to forget what it was like growing up. Ym a mother and remember only too well how I wished that my children had places to go. They are so often looked upon as trouble. Maybe if we showed more trust and support toward them, they wouldn’t feel so resentful and alienated. They are part of our.community, so they should be made to feel so. I also speak for my grandson who will soon be of age to enjoy such recreation facilities. I’m sure they will be proud of this park, a place to call their own, So, go guys and have fun! , Sylvia Ele, '. Terrace, B.C,