Head 'em off at the pass

The Canadian government, the First Nation communities and the land claims process

The Canadian government is breathing a sigh of relief as blockades of road and rail traffic, planned by the country's native population (also known as "First Nations") as part of a national day of action on June 29th, appears to have been averted. Yet Chief Terrance Nelson of the Roseau River First Nation, who had threatened to block a rail line running through his community at the end of June, warned that even though his community has called off plans to block the rail line, there still could be blockades elsewhere in the country on the national day of action.

The national day of action had been called by Canada's First Nation communities in order to draw attention to lingering land claims issues between native communities and the Canadian government. There are more than 800 outstanding land claims across Canada. At the speed with which present land claim issues are being dealt with, it will take somewhere between 100 and 200 years to resolve all outstanding claims.

As a result, pressure has been put on both provincial and federal governments in order to get them to resolve these claims more quickly. In April a group of Mohawks stopped rail traffic between Montreal and Toronto for most of the day in support of another group of natives who staged a similar protest at a construction site in Caledonia, about 90 kilometres southwest of Toronto. In May, a video was put on YouTube entitled "When Justice Fails, Stop the Rails" by a group calling itself the Railway Ties Collective. The three-and-a-half minute video provided a step-by-step guide of how to sabotage a railway line.

Meanwhile, in the province of Ontario Chief Angus Toulouse had stated that natives might blockade the 401 highway, one of Canada's busiest, on the eve of Canada Day (which is also a long weekend). Likewise, in the province of Manitoba, a train blockade was planned by the aboriginal community of Roseau River run by Chief Terrance Nelson, a vocal critic of the Canadian government.

With pressure mounting and the prospect of disruptive blockades fast approaching, the conservative government had little choice but to act. Hence, earlier this month Prime Minister Stephen Harper finally announced plans to speed land claims. The plan largely follows the recommendations of a Senate committee which examined ways to streamline the settlement process.

Mounting frustration among Canada's native youth

One of the recommendations called for an increase in funding to speed the land claims process. Subsequently, a total of $250 million a year over ten years has been now allocated toward settling land claim issues - more money than what the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), an umbrella group of Canada's First Nation communities, had hoped for. Other initiatives include legislation, co-written with the national AFN, outlining how to settle outstanding claims, as well as a new, independent agency to settle some of these claims. Currently, the Indian Claims Commission investigates treaty violations, but can't make binding rulings. Critics have long called for an independent land claims process with more money and staff to settle cases.

Upon presenting the government's plan, the Federal Indian Affairs Minister, Jim Prentice, expressed confidence that the aboriginal national day of action planned for later this month would be peaceful. According to Prentice, the government plan was a "major breakthrough" in helping to resolve outstanding native land claims across Canada. He noted that the response he has heard so far from First Nations leaders across the country has been supportive. For instance the leader of the AFN, Chief Phil Fontaine, hailed the plan as a "historic" proposal, saying it gives hope for First Nations people who have fought decades for fair and just resolution on land claims.

Others, however, have expressed some doubts saying that the plan is a mere drop in the bucket. Barry Bonspille, adviser to the Grand Chief of the Mohawk Council in Kanesatake, Quebec, said he can't believe Fontaine agreed to support the land claims proposal. Despite doubts about the government plan, however, most have nevertheless agreed to adopt a wait and see position - for the time being. Militant First Nation leaders have thus called off their planned blockades of key roads and railways.

While the Canadian government is now able to pat itself on the back for having avoided a confrontation with Canada's First Nations on the long Canada Day weekend, this still doesn't mean that the underlying issues facing Canada's native populations have gone away. The AFN had called for a national day of action on June 29th to not only draw attention to outstanding land claims, but also to the racism and poverty faced by First Nation communities. As many First Nation leaders have pointed out, mounting frustration among Canada's native youth have led many to become increasingly desperate. Thus, unless this sense of desperation is also addressed -- at the same level and at the same time as outstanding land claims -- then Canada's lingering problems vis-a-vis its native populations will continue to smoulder.