ee

tie ar roe

Kim .Campbell: You should
be hearing something very
positive about the Nisga'a
land claim very soon. «

TERRACE — ‘Very positive’’
news should be coming from
Ottawa soon regarding the Nis-
ga’a comprehensive land claim, |
according to Kim Campbell,

Conservative MP for Vancouver

Centre and Minister of State for —
‘Indian Affairs

‘Campbell says there are still a

few things to be worked out and

she’s not sure exactly what form
the announcement will take,
but, “I think that all parties are

’ very satisfied. with what they’ve

done.”
'" Campbell - ‘made a ‘tour “of ;
northwest Native ‘communities ~

last week}: visiting band councils
‘and Native tribal councils in

order meet people and get first-

hand information on current
issues such as housing policies,
economic development and so-

“cial” policies. ‘It’s extremely

helpful for me to meet people

| personally — to see their com-
_.munities and to see first-hand

the things that they’re describ-
ing.” ‘explains Campbell. “It
just gives you a much better
ability to argue for things with

"your. colleagues.””

-On the land claim issue,
Campbell says, ‘1 can appreci-
ate the problems that bands
have, facing the long time it’s
taken to get the’ land claims
process going.””. ‘She explains
that the federal government has

“ Terrace Review — Wednesday, August 9, 1989 eS

a policy of dealing with only six
claims at a time. She says that in
the case of the B.C,'land claims
issue, a- “province containing 18
of the. A. jand-‘claims: in’ the «

7 ‘country, the six-at-a-time policy. »
7 will-take far: too! ‘long. aid: she’ =
‘wants it changed .

“7. would like: to. see: 5 that

| process speeded‘ up in the inter-

est of all. British Columbians
because it simply creates a great

- deal’of uncertainty —-it-creates

friction in communities.”’ |

One solution, according to
Campbell, may be to reach
agreement on the ‘issues com-
mon to all Native groups and
then work out sub-agreements
on individual claims. ‘‘That
would make better use of negoti-
ating time,”’ she says. ‘‘Because
I don’t think people want to

wait another century and.a half

to have these things done. It’s
great for lawyers and some other
people but it’s not very good. for
society.”’

“Campbell then described
“framework agreements’’ and
said. this is the basis of an
agreement with ‘the Nisga’a
which she says will be. resolved.

She ‘explains that a ‘framework.
‘agreement’ ‘is a~ptelude to an.

agreement in principle. Once
that stage is reached Ottawa will
then want the province to enter

the picture. She adds: the prov-

Premier . Bill Vander Zalm

says the province is ‘staying out
of land claims negotiations be-

cause that’s what the federal.

‘government wants. He says the
federal government will ask for
provincial participation only if a

‘settlement involves land or re-
sources under provincial juris-
diction. But there is another
reason for Vander Zalm’s
hands-off policy, as he ex-
plained during an interview in
Terrace last week.

“I'd prefer to stay out of it,”
says Vander Zalm. ‘“‘I think it
would only pull us in to the
extent where we would pay most
of the bill. It’s happened time
and time again to our province
so we don’t want to get into that

CATCH THE ACTION
Visit the Northern Motor Inn, for

+ nightly

entertainment. Come to -

where the ACTION is. - ayn |

3086 Hwy.

ince would be: welcomed at an
earlier stage, a situation she: says
would be “delightful”, ‘but: not -
one: ‘that’s. going | to. happen: BL
* think’: it’s very: reasonable.
them. “(the provincial : govern-
ment) to say we don’t ‘want tosit |

down: at the table ‘until, we-know |

“what's” expected of us,” “says:
“Campbell: ©

‘Having been a provincial poli-
tician, Campbell says she under-
Stands the B.C, position | ‘and.
agrees ‘that the “pall is in the
federal court. She says it’s up to

the federal government to make {

a proposal to the B.C. govern-
ment and believes that they will.
She adds though, ‘‘There is no
obligation on the federal gov-
ernment to resolve the claims
even though they may be the
ones that have the primary re-
sponsibility.”’

- For this reason, says Camp-
bell, provincial participation is a
must because they have jurisdic-
tion over most of the compo-
nents of a settlement — land,
“resources and private tenures,
“Unless,” she says, ‘you want
to see land claims settled totally
in terms of cash. But that’s not
what the Indian people want or
the best way of dealing with it.

The important issue is to get the —

province to the table and find
some means of making them fee

pleased to be at the table.”

fe

situation on this big an issue. It
would bail out the feds perhaps,

but it could. bankrupt | the prov-.

ince if we started to take. over
those negotiations.’* a
Vander Zalm adds, however,
that he doesn’t mind discussing
the land claims issues with Na-
tive groups. “We are in fact
working very effectively now to
meet with all the tribal councils
to deal with all the other issues
— economic development, edu-

cation and social services,”” says .

Vander Zalm. “‘And at the same
time, listen to what it is they
‘have to say about the land claim
issue in the hopes we.can at least .
bring them to the table.”

et aed Ses PAN Her oy oon bare ns

This Skeenaview. Employees Reunion entry won first prize
in the Vehicle Divisioniof the Riverboat Days parade.

Province stands pat on land claims ©

Vander Zalm and his Prem-
ier’s Advisory Council on Na-

tive Affairs visited the first of 32

groups in the province when he
talked to the Nisga’a in New
- Aiyansh, Following that meet-

ing; -he said that every. issue

discussed was connected to the
“land question”’ and that had
probably set the theme for. the
balance of the tour. “We would
prefer talking to them about
economic development possibil-
ities,’ says Vander Zalm, but,
“What 1 heard in the Nass
would mean they would basical-
ly have full contro! over, the land
and what it is that.i is done o on the
land. ih)

J :
em

“| Ret Cs Water -,
_ Safety Says: ~

WATCH FOR

HAZARDS:

BELOW

Don't be fooled if the
surface of the water
| appears smooth and safe.
There, may be rocks or
debris below. Watch for
depth changes in lakes
or oceans, Remember, a
safe diving area today
may not be safe.

tomorrow.

Tre Canaaan Red Crass Sovety ai ;

foeheecces 2 am enn tans nerene ac

eer ease os ae