International Organization of Indigenous Resource Development An NGO in consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Sub Commission of Prevention of Descrimination and Protection of Minorities Working Group on Indigenous Peoples Seventeenth Session. 26-30 July 1999 United Nations, Geneva RE: AGENDA ITEM 8; CONSIDERATION OF THE FINAL REPORT OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR OF THE SUB-COMMISSION ON TREATIES Thank you. This is a joint statement of the Four Cree Nations of Hobbema. IOIRD, Paul Nakoda Nation. Confederacy of Treaty 6 Chiefs. Grand Council of Crees, the Treaty 4 Secretariat, the International Indian Treaty Council. Indigenous World Association and Movimiento de la Juventud Kuna. Madame Chairperson, as this is the International Year of Older Persons we would like to acknowledge all our elders, those who have gone onto their spirit journey and those who we are still blessed with today. It was they who kept mother earth for us. It was they who negotiated the Treaty for us for which we are eternally grateful. They were and still are our Treaty Keepers. Thank you again Professor Miguel Alfonso Martinez for your Decade of work. As you know, while we meet here, there is also a Cree Nation Gathering back home on the Ermineskin Cree Nation and your Report is being discussed. Prior to that the Assembly of First Nations, at a meeting with the National Congress of American Indians in Vancouver (July 20-23/99) passed a Resolution moved by Chief Gerry Ermineskin (Treaty 6) and seconded by Chief Delburt Wapass, (Thunderchild) (Treaty 6), to approve the UN INTERNATIONAL TREATY STUDY Resolution as follows: Resolution No. 62/99 SUBJECT: Final Report of the Special Rapporteur of the Sub Commission on Treaties, Agreements and other Constructive Arrangements between States and Indigenous Populations. WHEREAS: The National Treaty Conference in Yellowknife, adopted the attached resolution supporting the findings in the draft Final Report of the Special Rapporteur. Dr. Miguel Alfonso Martinez: and. WHEREAS: The Resolution was adopted by the AFN Confederacy Meeting in Ottawa on December 1998; and. WHEREAS: The Final Report is to be considered by the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations on July 26-30. 1999: and. WHEREAS: In the Resolution the Confederacy of Treaty Six Nations, the Four Cree Nations of Hobbema. and the International Organization of Indigenous Resource Development, call for a UN WORLD CONFERENCE on Treaties or a UN Committee of Experts meeting, or in the alternative, that Canada host one of the recommended workshops in Paragraph 327 (UN Intenational Treaty Study Final Report) in Treaty Six Territory: and. (paragraph 322 in Final Report page 53 - addition mine.) " (c) The converting, in the framework of the Programme of Action for the International Decade of the Worlds Indigenous People and at the earliest possible date, of three workshops on: the establishment of an international conflict-resolution mechanism on Indigenous issues; modalities for redressing the effects of the historical process of land dispossesion suffered by Indigenous Peoples: and the implementation / observance of Indigenous Treaty Rights; " Member Organizations Four Nations of Hobbema Council of Energy Resource Tribes Canadian Indian Energy Corporation WHEREAS: The AFN. the Treaty Six First Nations, and Treaty Four Secretariat, wish to follow up on the Final Report of the Special Rapporteur: and. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the AFN, Treaty Six First Nations, and the Treaty Four Secretariat review the Final Report of the Special Rapporteur, and that the AFN. Treaty Six First Nations, and Treaty Four Secretariat coordinate follow up action arising from the review. Our delegations will want to discuss this Final Report with our elders, leaders, and members, however, we are again encouraged by our preliminary review that the UN INTERNATIONAL TREATY STUDY reflects the views of our elders. As we note, there are no substantial changes from the unedited version as it refers to our International Treaties which were signed on a Nation to Nation basis, that they confirm our Right to Self Determination, we would restate our intervention of support at WGIP 16. Thank you. Willie Littlechild, Q.C. Member Organizations Four Nations of Hobbema Council of Energy Resource Tribes Canadian Indian Energy Corporation .