Re: A decade on, treaty no panacea, B.C. Views, July 20, 2011.

I am not NisgaB次元官网网址檃, but I did live in GitlaxtB次元官网网址檃amiks (New Aiyansh) for nearly three years. The following are points I have observed or had been told by NisgaB次元官网网址檃 people:

B次元官网网址� The treaty land area is only five per cent of the traditional land area, making it difficult for NisgaB次元官网网址檃 to benefit from resource extractive industries in the area. In particular, the current trend to export whole logs from timber areas makes it difficult, if not impossible, to generate B次元官网网址渧alue-added employmentB次元官网网址� opportunities.

B次元官网网址� Because the land area is so small, it is unlikely that NisgaB次元官网网址檃 will be able to derive any income from royalties from mining activities on lands adjacent to the treatied lands.

B次元官网网址� Many governments, Canada included, expect First Nations people to fully fund their social service from the royalties that can be assessed against resource-extractive industries. The small land area, and the fact that the fisheries were over-fished by non-native people in the past, makes this sort of income unlikely into the future. This funding burden is not placed on the general community and represents a form of discrimination.

B次元官网网址� Governments tend to step in to over-rule or take over negotiations with mining companies. This means that any mining company not willing to pay royalties at the requested rates to First Nations can simply appeal to the provincial and Canadian governments. This undermines the point and purpose of a treaty with a sovereign First Nation.

This over-riding of self-determination in the treaty is, in part, a cause of the lowered self-esteem that leads to the welfare mentality, addiction and dependency problems mentioned in the article. The treaty denies the NisgaB次元官网网址檃 access to the resources necessary for an independent economy.

Whilst a lot of money was paid to NisgaB次元官网网址檃 people, money cannot put the salmon back into the sea.

Peter Woof

Port Hardy