A6 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, July 20, 1994 Overlap outlook brighter - TWO NATIVE GROUPS are ac- ' ting upbeat about the possibility of resolving their land claim overlap. The Nisga’a claim 25,000 square kilometres centred on the Nass River valley. But the Gitanyow (formerly Kitwancool) land. claim extends north of Kitwanga td Meziadin and into the upper Nass valley, taking in some two-thirds of the area also claimed by the Nisga’a. Several years of talks between the two have failed to resolve ownership of the disputed tezri- tory. But Art Collins, speaker for ihe Gitanyow hereditary chiefs, was optimistic last week about prospects for a deal. “There’s a. tremendous mood among all the people involved right now,’’ Collins said. ‘*I think we're going to be able to resolve Legal system panned A REPORT on legal services to © native people calls for the hiring of more legal aid lawyers in Ter- race. Marion Buller — a native law- yer hired to review. how well the justice system serves natives — concluded that more resources must be allocated in areas heavily used by natives. Specifically in Terrace that means the Legal Services Society should immediately hire more staff at the Lax Ghels Community Law Centre. Buller’s report is a stitiging in- dictment of how the justice sys- tem treats natives. “B.C, 's legal system — as it af- fects aboriginal people — is a failure,’ says Builer. “As I travelled the province, I found a bureaucratic quagmire stewing in the ugly built-in racism that is an echo of Cana- da’s colonial past.” “When people feel they are forced to plead guilty and are pushed through the system, when they do not understand what is” going on in a court, when their lawyers do not return telephone calls ~~ they are not receiving adequate service,”’ To natives, says Buller, justice is ‘cold, callous and often in- comprehensible,’ Buller takes particular aim at northern circuit courts — which periodically travel to Temote points like Telegraph Creek and Iskut “Bordering on farei- cal, circuit courts no fonger serve the needs of aboriginal people.” “The circuit court has degencrated into a kind of travell- ing road show that supports many of the players in Canada’s ‘law business’ — to the tune of mil- lions of dollars annually. *’ There is litile time for lawyers to prepare the cases or interview witnesses, says Buller. “Obsolete, mechanistic, and bordering on farcical, circuit courts no longer serve the needs of aboriginal people,’’ Buller says. “Tn cruel irony, circuit courts have literally become to many aboriginal people a travesty of justice.’’ Buller calls for an evaluation of the circuit court system, and for recruitment of native justices of ihe peace In remote communities. Those justices of the peace would handle first appearances, bail hearings, and ttial-date fixing in communities served by circuit court. The report also calls for circuit court lawyers and prosecutors to arrive early lo adequately prepare cases and witnesses, and to travel to reserves to interview native clients, Buller's report does, however, endorse initiatives tike Unlocking Aboriginal Justice, a program op- erated by the Gitksan and Wet’suwet'en in Hazelton Under that alternative justice program, a native offender pleads guilty and then participates in tra- ditional Justice ceremonies — such as shame feasts, “The final result is a person who has dealt with the cause of their improper behaviour and a _feturn to harmony in the com- munity,”* Buller sald, “The (Gitksan) program‘ has had excellent results." it this year.” Collins said one possibility he hopes will be closely considered is that the two groups would stop worrying about trying to immedi- ately resolve the precise owner- ship of the land, Instead, he added, the two groups could agree to jaint con- trol of resources in the disputed territory. “‘We may be looking at some- thing like an economic alliance, which would give us political autonomy but a standardized working armangment,”’ Collins suggested, Joining forces with the Nisga’a to make land-use decisions about a larger area might also be more efficient than operating sepa- rately, he said, Collins indicated there is now more political will on the part of Grocery liem* *Excludes tobacco and prescriptions wai the Gitanyow to reach an agree- ment with the Nisga’a. Nisga’a Tribal Council spokes- man Harry Nyce said there haven't been any formal talks lately, but said the Nisga’a would welcome any progress towards resolving the situation. “Tt certainly sounds good,” Nyce said of Collins’ comments. “Something on that order is a lot better than what we have now — right now we don’t’ have any- thing.’ Resolving the overlap would Temove a key obstacle to 2 final settlement of the Nisga’a claim. Another important hurdle was cleared last month when federal and provincial negotiators agreed to a deal that sets out how much each level of government will pay for the costs of settling land claims. Name Your Own Coupon “gyoo | Your Ow *8° Savings ona "25 Min. Family Order Poe oe en do Name Your Own Coupon Grocery ltiem* *Excludes tobacco Hand prescriptions Nyce indicated progress is also being made at the bargaining table with the federal and provin- cial governmenis. All three sides are meeting this week in Kincolith, Nyce said, where federal and provincial offi- cials are expected to present a new offer to the Nisga’a Nyce said he wasn’t sure what to expect or how significant the new proposal would be, ’ “They did delay these negotia- tions for a week,” he said, ‘They wanted more time to prepare the papers we're going to be looking at,’’ There has been no public in- dication of the progress of talks since Nisga’a Tribal Council president Joe Gosnell condemned provincial negotiators in April for offering the Nisga’a only three per cent of the area they claim. OFF Rematch time MARK IT on the calendar: Thursday, July 28, 8:30 p.m. oulside city hall. That’s when mayor Jack Tal- Stra hopes (o even the score with Prince Rupert counterpart John Kuz. Stil smarting from his defeat in the olive spitting contest at Seafest, Talstra has challenged Kuz to a rematch in the Over- waitea Buggy Relay, part of Riverboat Days opening night. Such is his confidence, he’s also extended the invitation lo all other northwestern mayors I's a tvo-member team event, The passenger In the buggy has to call out instruc- tions to the pusher who will be blindfolded, That would be hard enough following even a straight line, but this course involves a jink around the traffic island at the comer of Eby and Lakelse. During the course of the race pusher and rider also change positions or partners twice, Although Overwaitea man- ager Dale Lufkin emphasized the event presented no real danger to ‘participants, it’s worth noting the company has taken out $2 million insurance for it. There’s no word yet on who Talstra’s co-pilot will be or whether the city team will use more than one set of partners. Nor will the mayor reveal training strategies he might be employing in preparing for the contest. He is, however, quite forthcoming on one point. Kuz won't finish within spitting distance of Terrace. Vek only at Qverwettea to uly 23, 1904 Floral Wh fis coupon you wil receive $1.00 OFF the purchase cf any Grocer Hem. (excuding bacon and prescriptions), Coupan cannnol E exceed the valve of fe ikm. lint 1 muoon per dem, Coupon cannot be combined wih any other coupon offer, (Use any ov al of hese Bi coupons witha erinimum 425.00 farndy purchase, (otal dscuurtnot io exceed $8.50 per karily exe, i ea eS ee ee et ed ee Name Your Own Coupon S$ 00 | : Overwaitea a _ 702444 OFF Dairy tem B With fis coupon you wil receive $1.00 OFF he purchase of any Grovery Hem. (excluding tcbacco and pescriptens), Coupon cannrat E B exceed the value cf the fem, Lint { coupon per tem. Coupon cannel be corrbined wth any athet coupon off. fUse any of all of hese | Be coupons wif 2 minimum $25.00 farnty purchase. 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