Can they all be “racists’’? THREE CHURCH ministers who support land claims found themselves in a debate at a public hearing last week over labels attached to those who don’t hold the same views, The three, two Anglican ministers and one from the United Church, made presentations before the legislative’ select standing committee on aboriginal affairs here Oct. 2. The commiltee’s one-day hearing in Terrace was designed to gather opinions on key issues in the tentative ‘Nisga’a land claims deal and to see if there are ways to speed up the treaty making, All three ministers, in various fashions and in varying degrees of language, told the committee to stand firm to those who want the Nisga’a deal changed or land claims negotiations halted. “Do not let the voices of fear intimidate you,’” one of the ministers, Rev. Dean Houghton of the Anglican church in Terrace, told the committee, During questioning of the ministers after their presenta- tions, committee member Geoff Plant, a Vancouver Liber- al MLA, wondered why those who oppose the way land claims are being handled are routinely labelled as “racist, fearmongers, ignorant, doomsayers,’” “I wonder if any of you think it’s possible to have a dialogue about treaty making in b.c, and improving that process ..... wilhout calling them those things,” he said. Masset Anglican church minister Peter Hamel responded by saying he’s satisified there is sufficient evidence to jus- - tify those descriptions. The federal department of fisheries an oceans gave $100,000 to a commercial fishing group to oppose the fishery component of the Nisga’a deal, he said. “There has been a concerted effort to destroy the process and undermine what’s happened,’ he said, ‘*We have to speak to the kinds of things that are hap- pening,’ Hamel added, Knox United Church minister Michael Hare said he gen- erally finds that the more people know about the tentative Nisga’a deal, the more in favour they are, But the opposite is also true — the less people know about the Nisga’a agreement in principle (AIP), the more opposed they are, he added. Rev, Hamel disputed that saying there Queen Charlotte Islands residents who have had many years of contact with natives and still oppose land claims, “Many of the white fishermen are as redneck and against an AIP as people who have little experience with an ATP,?’ he said. The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, October 9, 1996 - AS ; PROVINCIAL POLITICIANS making up the legislature's select standing com- mittee on aboriginal affairs set up shop In Terrace Oct. 2 and heard a wide vari- ety of views regarding the tentative Nisga’a land claims treaty, They're to take those views and opinions on the other treaty negotations underway in B.C, and prepare a report that's due next spring. Rev. Houghton conceded that words such as “racist” may be extreme and using them is a judgement-call. And he did say there should be ways to talk about the tentative Nisga’a deal by acknowledging what's good about it and what’s not so good about its contents. Kkkkk REPAP IS going to be affected by six land claims setgle- ments, a Senior executive told the committee, Rudy Schwartz said Repap will be “forced to seck damages ... of as much as $75 million,”’ from the Nisga’a deal alone unless changes are made to it. Meanwhile, a mining industry executive, J. Paul Stevenson of Booker Gold which has a property north of Smithers, said his company can’t wait for settlements. Working with individual native groups makes for sound business practices and is the moral thing to do, he said. But Stevenson wamed that continuing uncertainty affects investment and hampers native economic development, J. Paul Stevenson Fish rulings please gov't RECENT SUPREME Court of Canada decisions Shouldn’t spell any major changes to government policy or the direction of treaty making in British Columbia, says aboriginal affairs minister John Cashore, In fact, says Cashore, rulings on three key native fish- ing cases affirm the direction the NDP government is taking. ‘Basically I think it’s good news."” Canada’s highest court handed down decisions in three cases relating to natives’ constitutional right to sell the fish they catch. The cases were closely watched on all sides because of the legal precedents they set acrass the country, In two cases — Van der Peet and NTC Smokehouse — an overwhelming majority of justices found natives did not have an aboriginal right to sell salmon, while a third — Gladstone — has been sent back to lower courts for further legal analysis. In their rulings, the justices applied the evidence against a new test for aboriginal rights: whether the ac- tivity claimed as an aboriginal right was essential to the socicty before Europeans arrived, The court found the evidence met that test in Glad- stone -- involving the sale of herring roe — but sent the case back to lower courts to determine if govern- ment licensing restrictions unfairly infringe on the Tight. Cashore welcomed the new criteria for establishing aboriginal rights, but cautioned that the outcome remains far from certain. ‘‘I’ve noted that both sides of the issue have been declaring victory,” he said. “To all those parties I would say that well, yes, the courls have not said that there is no right, but that the court has set the bar fairly high in what it takes to define what that right is.”" But the minister admits the rulings might open the door to more litigation. ‘‘One of the reasons negotia- tion is better than liligation is that the courts always leave you with more questions than answers.” Cashore contends the rulings won't affect a Nisga’s treaty deal, or other agreements, because rights are not being negotiated, “The operative thing in trealy making is that you’re not negotiating to define aboriginal rights. You’re ne- gotiating to bring in... treaty agreements to put In place of aboriginal rights, which will no longer exist as such.”" Green thumbs up to garden CITY COUNCIL’s recrea- 2.4 i} 3), tion committee has given a eee | thumbs up to the Terrace anti-poverty ..group’s idea for a community garden, And the corimittee is recommending to put land and doilars behind that endorsement, 'A community garden is one which is jointly planned, grown and haz- vested by a group of people. Each gardener pays a smal] fee to join, which goes to the purchase of seeds and supplies. Helga Kenny of the anti- poverty group told the recreation committee that there is a lot of interest ina communily garden. A garden would provide a fresh source of food for low income families who don’t want ta-sely on charity, she explained. And gardeners would take care of planting, weeding and harvesting, Commiltee members agreed the idea had real merit, and said they'd like it to be done right. And that means installing a six-foot high fence, to discourage vandals, aud a water supply. They also had a piece of land in mind — a city- owned lot measuring 60x120’ on Apsley, across from the Chop Suey Garden teslaurant. The commitice will make its recommendation to coun- cil, and money for the com- munity garden will likely be included in next year’s capi- tal budget, in time for spring planting. Kenny was extremely happy with the commiliee’s response, saying she had only hoped for a donation of land.’ YOUR COLLEGE IN YOUR COMMUNITY. 6356511, : *standa afore Poy COLLEG “ www.nwee boca ~ 4.3] engine * Vortec engine * 200 HP (50 more than Ford*) » 40% more HP than 1995 - td ABS (extra cost on Fordt) » stainless steel exhaust system (not available on ¢ better gas'mileage than Fordt LOWEST PRICE & OF THE YEAR! LIKE A ROCK fi A Don't forget to use your BM Cerd Earnings toward the pichase of lease dewn payment of your next new GM vehicle.” whats YOUP card dongter YOU tasty? British Columbia's Best a thereolds f] Gews Dealers Fordt). + 6 eg LLOWEEN NICHT?