LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA O 12, Bib! otheque et Archives Canada 11 111111111111 l 3 3286 54264598 7 © .1Í:t:f ,.>> - HaShiIth- a Canada's Oldest First Nations Newspaper - Serving Nuu -chah- nulth -aht since 1974 Vol. 30 - No. 4 - February 27, 2003 Canadian Publications Mail Product haasitsa "Interesting News " Sales Agreement No. 467510 Nations reaffirm _ : . NTC mandate -ILn Q`, By Denise Ambrose Motion #8 dealt with shellfish tenure Central Region Reporter applications for NCN First Nations. The i provincial government requires security Maht Mahs- The 14 member Nations of bonds for shellfish aquaculture tenures the Nuu- chah -nulth Tribal Council they grant. The NTC agreed to make a (NTC) reaffirmed their support for the collective payment of the bond in order organization by endorsing a new funding to reduce financial burden to the indi- a agreement mandate. vidual NCN First Nations. The bond is T The issue was important as the Nations held in trust at a bank and documenta- who are no longer part tion has been submitted to BCAL. of the NTC i ..r It was agreed in a separate motion that Treaty Table showed their support for Hupacasath Chief Councillor Judy Sayers speaks to North Island Col- the NTC through this motion, which the Nuu -chah -nulth Shellfish Develop- lege Students about the problems with the proposed Bill C -7, First was moved by Charlie Cootes Jr. ment Corporation be created. The legal Nations Governance Act. Full story on page 15. (Uchucklesaht) and seconded by Joe documents are being prepared and board Thorne (Ditidaht). member interviews are being held. The meeting began with all 126 NTC Wylie went on to report that the newly NTC speaks against staff members were introduced to the amended NTC Post Secondary Appeal leaders assembled at Maht Mahs. Process is in place and is being imple- mented. "We have a group of staff that are It was confirmed in the Executive Indian Act amendments Director's Report that Hupacasath Chief dedicated and we have a very By David Wiwchar Members of Parliament from the Judith Sayers will serve as the NTC committed, strong management Southern Region Reporter Liberals, Canadian Alliance, Progressive representative on the Alberni -Clayoquot Conservative, Bloc Quebecois, and New team," said NTC Executive Regional District Board for a three -year Nanaimo - The parliamentary committee Democratic parties. They will be Director Florence Wylie. term. Chief Moses Martin on Tla- o -qui- studying responses to the government's traveling over the next month, visiting 19 aht was appointed as alternate. proposed First Nations Governance Act cities from Nanaimo to New Brunswick. Nelson Keitlah, Central Region Co- chair, Haahuupayak School received support rolled into Nanaimo last week with little Among the 35 Native and Non -Native ï led the singing of the Nuu -chah -nulth from the NTC in their quest to see that notice or fanfare. people who made presentations to the song to start two days of meetings on School District #70 set funds aside to The First Nations Governance Act (Bill committee were Hupacasath Chief February 20/21. Tseshaht Elder, Bob reinstate NCN language programs in the C -7) is an attempt by Robert Nault, Councilor Judy Sayers, Central Region Thomas offered the opening prayer and school district. Aboriginal Education Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Co -chair Nelson Keitlah, and NTC Chief Councillor Dave Watts officially Funding has been secured for the 2003/ Development, to revise and update the Treaty Manager CliffAtleo Jr. who made welcomed delegates to Tseshaht tradi- 04 school year for language develop- Indian Act with a focus on First Nations' presentations of behalf of Nuu -chah- tional territory. ment. financial and electoral accountability. nulth. Florence Wylie reviewed the Executive Wylie introduced the NTC staff as "In 1973, when then Prime Minister ` Director's Follow -Up Report, which requested by the Chiefs at the NTC "The Nuu -chah -nulth Tribal Pierre Trudeau and Indian Affairs describes progress to date on each of meeting in Campbell River (see story on Council has grave concerns that Minister Jean Chretien withdrew the the motions from the last NTC meeting. page 8). NTC staff attended the meeting 1969 White Paper, they said their in order to be introduced to the Chiefs. the Governance Act is nothing government would never again attempt "We have a group of staff that are more than the federal to impose unwanted change on the dedicated and we have a very commit- government's attempt to absolve Indian people of this country," said ted, strong management team," said itself of legal liabilities and Atleo. "It seems that what Jean Chretien 1 Wylie, adding that NTC staff are not fiduciary obligations under the was unable to achieve then, his new acknowledged often enough. "Often we guise of `doing what's right for the Minister of Indian Affairs, Robert Nault only hear the negative comments. I Indians said CliffAtleo Jr. is attempting to achieve now with the would like to make the staff aware of ', First Nations Governance Act," he said. the purpose for your being here; it is to "The Nuu -chah -nulth Tribal Council has A crowd averaging 30 people attended ;r show our appreciation and to acknowl- grave concerns that the Governance Act the one -and -a -half day session at Beban w edge you," she said. is nothing more than the federal í:S Park Recreation Centre, with most of Archie Little, Northern Region Co- government's attempt to absolve itself of , those people being either speakers or chair, thanked NTC staff for their legal liabilities and fiduciary obligations Executive supporters of a speaker. NTC Director Florence dedication. He noted that there are more under the guise of doing what's right for NTC The committee was made up of 16 Wylie introduces Managers continued on pagepag 2 ' Continued on page 3 Traditional practices settle differences Page 4 If undeliverable, please return to: Ha- Shilth -Sa, Native journalists lash out at Province Page 5 P.O. Box 1383, Port Alberni, B.C. V9Y 7M2 BC gives forest training dollars Page 6 Royal BC Museum cut from government Page 7 wtlS7il. Maa- nulth -aht leaves NTC Treaty Table Page 8 NATIONAL LIBRARY OF CANADA NEWSPAPER Dentists prevented from fixing FN teeth Page 11 COLLECTION (17) 395 WELLINGTON ST. OTTAWA, N.E.D.C. Business News Page 20 ONTARIO K1A ON4 l}' a Ha- Shilth -Set - February 27, - Page 2 - Ha- Shi/th -Sa - February 27, 2003 2003 Page 3 newspaper is NTC No- Shilth -Se published LETTERS KLECO'S makes presentations by the Nuu- chah -nuirh Tribal Council and HerShilth -S'a will include letters received from its readers. All letters MUST be for distribution te the members of the to parliamentary committee fourteen Nao- chah -eulth Fist Notion.: signed by the writer and have the writer's name, address & phone number on it. Names not he interested can be withheld by request. Soma moos submissions will accented. page I as well as other groups and continued from }' d individuals. We reserve the right to edit submitted material for clarity, brevity, grammar and the Indians. The (iovernanee Act is not long as two solitudes and Mat where work good taste. We will definitely publish letters dealing with tribal or personal disputes ií ' Information & original contained _ really about governance; at least not as the root of the is," he said. or issues that are crated of Nuu- chah -nulth individuals or groups. problem -*J in this newspaper is copyright and ma the Nuu -chap -nulth Ih'wiih (Hereditary Canadian governments typically operate All opinions expressed in letters to the editor are purely those of the writer and Ro be reproduced without writteno Chief) see it. If the govemment of within accountability guidelines found in t\ (r will not n eerily coincide with the views or policies of the Noo mirk Tribal permission from Canada was serious about governance it legisla inn, regulation. and policy. Councilor li. member First Nations. Non.eh.h -nosh Tribal Council would meaningfully address the issue of The Indian Act does not provide far our inherent right to self-determination in financial accountability of hand govem- - P.O. Box 1383, `tIfft true, gov ant ms , for which accountability require- rf Port Alberni, B.C. NTC - Meeting negotiationsm that result in a fair. .last rdnts are found either in their own V9Y 7M2. treaty that not the international continued from page 1 sloes- odes, policies or by -laws or in federal Telephone: (250) 724 -5757 duds of such agreements," said Alleo. policy, such as the current intervention Nuu -chah -ninth faces amongst the staff policy authorized ie funding agreements Nor, Fax: (250) 723 -0463 than there were a few years ago. q.A "For 25 years we've kept our between bands and NTC Department Managers were DIAND. books in healthy shape, but we The requirements of other federal -1 r a 2002 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: called forward and introduced. They in departments funding to bands 530.00 per year in Canada & 533.i tom Introduced their respective staff don't gamy recognition for that," providing Central Region (rehab Nelson Kerr and NTC Treaty Manager Cliff are inconsistent. jr. year U.S.A. and sail year foreign embers. The exercise took over an said Central Region Co -chair Allen take NTC's message to the committee on Bill C -7 According to a recent government countries. Payable to the hour and it seedry to put faces to the Nelson Keitlah, "Unfortunately, it Nations communities arising largely report. "the capacities of bands, both C -7 is "badly" flawed, as is the pari.