Who says confrontation or the threat of it doesn't work? In spite of the Conservative government's denials, it came up with new approach to settling aboriginal land claims a mere 18 days before the planned national day of protest.
Cynics might think this announcement was timed to defuse the dissent that was growing across the land. And they would be right. June 29 has been designated as a national day of action and interest has been growing across Canada. Obviously, interest also was growing within the Conservative government.
There currently are 800 land claims across Canada by First Nations, a number that's rising steadily as more research is done. Under the current system, it was estimated that it would take more than 10 years for some bands to see a settlement.
This has become a major irritant and band members put considerable pressure on their leaders. Band councils were squeezed between trying to negotiate a claim on one side and an impatient band membership on the other.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced this week that his government would overhaul the process by establishing an independent tribunal to settle land claims. The process will begin with a bill, prepared jointly by the First Nations and the government.
It will be presented to the House in the fall and, let's hope, will be operational in early 2008.
The government will provide $250 million annually for 10 years to clear the logjam of land claims. This is a major step forward and was recommended earlier by the Senate committee on aboriginal issues.
First Nations have received no end of good intentions historically to pave our particular road to hell. We had the promise of self-government taken away with the collapse of the Charlottetown Accord; the Royal Commission on Aboriginal peoples was started under Tory leadership and ignored when the Liberals came to power; the Liberals negotiated the Kelowna Accord that the Conservatives ignored when they came to power.
Aboriginal issues in Canada have plagued every prime minister since Louis St-Laurent, who passed the 1951 Indian Act. We have a long history of being stuck in a spiral of partisan politics.
All parties campaign on promises to improve our lot. But once in power, they make us victims of partisan politics.
This is in contrast with First Nations traditions that dictate that our leaders look to future generations. Politicians in Canada look to next election.
Aboriginal people feel like the redheaded stepchildren of Confederation.
We are one of the founding nations with special status and treaty and aboriginal rights. We have been ignored, assimilated and ridiculed but not included.
Harper's announcement has received favourable reaction across the country.
The Assembly of First Nations and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations both have indicated support for the new process.
After more than a year of cutbacks and broken promises, this is the first positive sign to come from this government.
Our leaders needed something positive to deliver to their members.
When the Conservatives failed to implement the Kelowna Accord, failed to lift the cap on First Nations funding and cut back on funding such things as aboriginal languages, they were all tactics designed to appeal to the party's redneck western base.
However, the land claims demonstrations in such places as Caledonia and Ipperwash occurred in southern Ontario, where the Conservatives are lusting after votes. They're hoping that new land claims process will appeal to Ontario voters and maybe swing their support to the Conservatives.
What is the timeline for this new process and is it do-able? AFN representatives will meet first with government officials to draft the necessary legislation.
Next, the legislation will be presented to the House of Commons in the fall. This is a tight deadline for negotiation and it might take until November to present the bill to the House. It then must go through the legislative process with three readings in the House and referral to committee, then to the Senate and royal assent. If the deal is supported by the First Nations, it most likely will be supported by opposition parties. Failure to come on-side will be seen as standing in the way of history.
Next the tribunal and process must be put in place. Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice announced that the new tribunal should be in place within a year. I suspect it will take closer to 18 months.
The government will set aside $250 million a year for the next 10 years -- enough to make a serious dent in land claims.
But the key to the success rests with the legislation. With the involvement of the First Nations and the support of the House, it will be hard for a future government to ignore or cut the process.
The National Day of Action will still go ahead as planned but the urgency around land claims is gone.
However, according to AFN Leader Phil Fontaine, there are many other issues that face First Nations. We still have caps on funding; the abysmal living conditions the Kelowna Accord was meant to address still exist; we face serious social issues such as child welfare, addictions and a low standard of living.