Wave of Treaties Coming through the BC Treaty Process?

When questioned about the lack of progress in the B.C. treaty process, Mr. Patrick Borby, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, says

"Yes, everybody had envisaged that we would be further along in the B.C. treaty process than where we are right now...There are good prospects for further treaties to move forward. The vast majority of the other negotiations are at the agreement-in-principle stage, and some of them are at the very advanced agreement-in-principle stage. So we think there's kind of a wave making its way through the system, and we're hopeful that we'll be able to have a lot of progress over the next two years."

One has to admire the optimism of this statement made before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. However, as reported here the Cohen Commission may well make a ripple out the wave Mr. Borby foresees.

Interim Treaty Investment Authority?

Author and policy entrepreneur, Gordon Gibson with the Gitxsan Treaty Society says the process will take time to conclude treaties but has a solution for the meantime,

That solution could be the creation of an Interim Treaty Investment Authority (ITIA), initially funded by say $1 billion. The purpose of the authority would be to grant loans — not gifts — to first nations for approved projects. For approval, a project would have to be demonstrably feasible to a third-party, independent board of business people.

Gibson says more money for investment and jobs is the solution. It begs this question: wouldn't that $1 billion help close a lot of Final Agreements now? The whole story behind the ITIA is here.

In-SHUCK-ch Chief Negotiator: It's the economy!

During a BC Finance Committee hearing the BC Treaty Commission question surfaces: "Has there been a sufficient return on investment in the BC treaty process given the time and money spent? Has it been worth it?" Eppa (Gerard Peters) In-SHUCK-ch Chief Negotiator goes on the record saying:

"I have to tell you that from the chair I occupy at the treaty negotiations, it has not been."

For In-SHUCK-ch Chief Negotiator, it's the failure to address economic issues that is the main cause for concern. For In-SHUCK-ch, participation "...in the economy has been our intention from the time we started talking about these things in the early to mid-1980s." Economic issues are paramount because the goal for In-SHUCK-ch is to "...ultimately pay our own way in contemporary society." For the whole story see the Hansard transcripts of the hearing at 11:40 here. In-SHUCK-ch is considered one of the lead tables, very close to reaching a Final Agreement.

Busy October for BC Treaty News

The BC Treaty Commission released its 19th Annual Report here and this press release. The Annual Report asks the fundemental questions:

"Has there been a sufficient return on investment in the BC treaty process given the time and money spent? Has it been worth it?

The report and press release generated the following headlines:

Head of BC Treaty Commission suggests shutting it down

Treaty Commission Sees Lack of Urgency in Negotiations

Tough talk on pathetic treaty process

Speed up treaty process or shut it down, commission chief says

Treaty commission calls for political will

Commission Calls for Recommitment to Treaty Process