Deal no precedent, chiefs say NORTHWEST NATIVES say they’re going to view the Nisga’a agreement as the floor — not the ceil- ing — for future treaties, The declaration came after Nisga’a leaders met with other northwest na- tive groups to explain their agreement in principle. Gitxsan speaker Gordon Sebastian says the intent was to highlight the portion of the agreement which would have an impact on the Gitxsan, Gitanyow and Tsimshian nations. ‘What came out of the meeting was a commilment by all the tribes in- volved that this AIP or a future Nisga’a treaty will not be a precedent, but will be a threshold ali the North- west will be working from.’’ A territorial overlap between the Gitxsan and the Nisga’a has yet to be resolved. The AIP creates problems for the Iwo groups, specifically in the salmon fishery, While Wet’suwet’en territory isn’t affected by the deal, chief negotiator Dan George has extended his con- gratulations to the Nisga’a, But he is unwilling to draw any comparison be~ tween the. precedent-setting agree- ment. ‘*Wet’suwet’cn negotiations are being played out on a clean piece of paper,”’ said George, ‘‘not against a Nisga’a backdrop.’’ The. Gitxsan also congratulated the Nisga’a, presenting them with red toses —- which represent the life blood of the land which both nations share — during the meeting. But despite: the celebratory atmo- sphere, according to Sebastian there was a general feeling that the Nisga’a were {00 gencrous to government and the people of Canada, and that in all future agreements native groups will be looking for more generosity from the Canadian and provincial govern- ments. So although the mood was one of celebration and congratulation, Sebastian noted that “‘this is just a be- ginning, there will be no future giving away gencrously by the aboriginal people of the north, though we are standing with the Nisga’a on this one.’’ Gitxsan shrug off coup attempt A GROUP of upset Gitxsan chiefs and their supporters tried to boot out two of their leaders last week, A delegation of about 18 people turned up at the Gitxsan Treaty Office on Wednesday to deliver a let- ter of termination to chief negotiator Don Ryan and speaker Gordon Sebastian. The move follows the pro- vince’s decision earlier this year to pull out of ireaty talks with the Hazelton- based native group, possibly forcing their land claim - back to court. Signed by 31 people in- cluding about eight hereditary chiefs, the letter said Ryan and Sebastian have brought shame to the chiefs and disregarded their orders. .- “The actions of Don Ryan Chief Negotiator and Speaker ‘Gordon Sebastian have not only been dis- respectful of the hereditary chiefs, they have left the im- pression with all Canadians that the Gitxsan chiefs are militant and without respect,’ the letter said. It also called for the GTO to be handed over to the Ayook Gitksan Society, an organization that has several times challenged the pov- Don Ryan ernance of the treaty office and questioned jts financial practices. But GTO staff dismissed the firings, saying a majori- ty of hereditary chiefs sup- port the treaty negotiators and the current model of governance, “They (the Ayook Gitksan) want to take over the whole structure of the Gitxsan hereditary system,'’ Sebastian said. “Their proposal has been rejected already by the majority of the Gitxsan."’ He conceded that those hereditary chiefs who signed the letter must be listened to. “Tf they have specitic concems they should write it down and tell us what it is. Right now all they’re saying is something about ‘being militant and we don’t know what they mean by that.” Norman Johnson, ¢xecu- tive director of the Ayook Gitksan Societ, calls the GTO’s response inadequate and claims the issue might go to court. “When the chiefs can’t fire their own employee there’s something wrong with the system,” According to Johnson, the majority of chiefs do not support the treaty negolia- tors or the GTO leadership. “T think there’s only 10 chicfs who back the GTO and every one of them is on the payroll,’’ he says. Efforts to replace the cur- rent system of governance with a board of directors failed earlier this year. Since then, the govern- ment walked away on us,” Johnson said. ‘“‘The ques- lions they asked themselves were, ‘What did we do wrong? What has gone wrong here?’ They felt that the leadership that we have here is the problem.”” “Tf Gordon and Don don’t step down, the whole pro- cess, the treaty process and Talks. collapse leads to layoffs . THE ECONOMIC impact from the pro- vince suspending Gitxsan treaty talks is being felt in Hazelton. Eighteen staff with the Gitxsan Treaty Office have been laid off in the last two weeks, and more job losses are expected. “We've gone right down to a very small group,”’ speaker Gordon Sebastian said. GTO funding comes from the provincial and federal governments through the B.C. Treaty Commission. Most of the money is considered a loan to be paid back out of an eventual treaty settlement. The © province suspended talks Gitxsan negotiators in January, ciling ir- - reconcilable differences. Unless the two sides agree to return to the table, funding from the commission will cease. The next financial inslallment was expected on March 31. with FIN AL | CLEARANCE 1 WEEK ONLY TAKE AN EXTRA 20 70 OFF ALL SALE MERCHANDISE A great selection of mens and ladies fashions Sale Ends Saturday! Store Hours = 6. Mon. - Sat. 9:30 am-6pm & . 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