Given concerns such as those expressed in recent Squamish Chief articles (“Jacobs, Newman removed from Nation council,” Mar 5; “Nation Councillors still refusing to step down,” Jan. 29), I’ve been thinking about the bigger-picture relationship between Aboriginal people and other Canadians.
My relevant experience stretches back to the early 80s, when I worked for the governments of B.C. and Quebec on constitutional issues. I also acted as a lawyer in treaty issues, representing Nisga’a elders who challenged the Nisga’a Treaty. From my experience, I developed the strong conviction that ideally and subject to the Constitution, only one set of laws should govern all Canadians.
Therefore, as MP for our riding, I could not support the Sliammon Treaty that was settled recently among Canada, B.C. and the Sliammon People, whose lands are in the riding I represent. I support the Treaty Process generally and worked with the Sliammon leaders to achieve the Treaty, but object to a clause that, in the event of conflict between Canadian and Sliammon Law, gives Sliammon law precedence.
However long it takes to achieve, we should be setting our sights on one pre-eminent law to govern all Canadians in order to resist forces of inequality and fragmentation. Treaties must be negotiated in the context of key, overarching values: self-sufficiency, certainty, accountability, transparency, equality and reconciliation.
In the cause of equality, we’ve witnessed significant gains under Prime Minister Harper, through the First Nations Financial Transparency Act, designed to ensure accountability and equality within Status Indian bands. He also issued the residential schools apology and proposed large-scale increases in the quality of education for Aboriginal people that would include
$2 billion in new funding, which was turned down by the Assembly of First Nations.
A principles-based approach to treaty-making and to all transactions between the Canadian government and Aboriginal people will assure that Canadian people have hope, that communities are strong and that Canada remains the best place in the world in which to live.
John Weston
MP for West Vancouver - Sunshine Coast - Sea to Sky Country
