British Columbia Aborigines Seek Removal Of Indian Status For Resources

November 10, 2009 4:34 p.m. EST

Victoria, British Columbia (AHN) - About 13,000 members of the Gitxsan aborigine tribe in British Columbia have indicated to the federal government of Canada their willingness to give up their Indian status in exchange for a share of resources. If the Reconciliation Alternative Governance Model of the tribe would be approved by Ottawa, Gitxsan members would become regular Canadian citizens and lose their reserves, tax exemption and housing and financial support.

Indian Affairs Minister Chruck Strahl is slated to meet with the tribe in December to tackle their proposal.

The proposal states the Gitxan do not wish to continue receiving taxpayers' money from the federal government or tax persons living in their territory. It also eschews law-making power found in standard Indian treaty models and expressly claimed no interest in establishing parallel service organizations that would bring basic services already provided by the federal and provincial government.

The tribe stressed, "The Gitxsan are not interested in the concept of 'treaty settlement lands.' Rather we wish to maintain a relationship with the entire 33,000 kilometers of traditional territory. The economic value of our collective inherited interest is to be realized by the process of 'accommodation' articulated by the Supreme Court of Canada. In practical terms this will presumably be effected by a combination of own investments, arrangements with external investors and revenue sharing agreements with governments, especially the provincial in the case of resources."

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada closed the first final agreement with the Tsawwassen Treaty, which took effect April 3, 2009. It is the first agreement ratified under the British Columbia treaty process. The INAC was working for the final approval of the Maa-nulth First National Final Agreement, but was delayed because of a lawsuit. The final agreement was actually inked by four of five First Nations in the province and passed by the BC legislature, but Ottawa has yet to ratify the treaty.