Mr. Speaker, I rise to address the House on Bill C-16, the Sahtu Dene and Metis Land Claim Settlement Act.
The government is committed to the conclusion of equitable land claim settlements with the aboriginal peoples. Since taking office we have made great strides in streamlining the process of settling claims. The negotiation of comprehensive land claims is a result of a policy introduced by the Liberal government in 1973 as a response to views expressed by representatives of the aboriginal peoples and in recognition of the Calder decision handed down by the Supreme Court of Canada.
The intent of this government is to achieve through negotiations appropriate and formal changes to the structure of the relationships between First Nations and the federal and provincial governments. The objective of a comprehensive claims settlement is to exchange undefined aboriginal rights for defined rights with constitutional protection. The resulting certainty benefits all.
A number of achievements, especially recent accomplishments, demonstrate the success of the comprehensive claims negotiation process. To date 10 comprehensive land claims have been settled and 11 claims are being negotiated. As well, the British Columbia Treaty Commission has received statements of intent to negotiate from 44 First Nations and aboriginal organizations.
The James Bay and northern Quebec agreement and the northeastern Quebec agreement represent Canada's first modern treaties. They were signed in 1975 and 1978 respectively. The two agreements are very similar. The Inuvialuit agreement, signed in 1984, sets out the rights and benefits of the 2,500 Inuvialuit of the western Arctic. The next agreements concluded with the Gwich'in in 1992 and the Tungavik Federation of Nunavut in 1993 contained many provisions similar to the Inuvialuit final agreement. They also include additional items such as resource revenue sharing.
In April 1990 negotiators for the Dene and Metis, Canada and the Northwest Territories initialled a final agreement for that group's overall claim. However, in July 1990 a motion of the joint Dene and Metis assembly called for the renegotiation of fundamental elements of the initial agreement, effectively rejecting the agreement as negotiated.
The legislation before the House is the result of intensive negotiations over several years which led to regional claims agreements with the Dene Metis. They are based on the April 1990 agreement. The Gwich'in of the Mackenzie Delta region were the first Dene and Metis group to negotiate a regional comprehensive claim. The Sahtu Dene and the Metis agreement is the next regional claim settlement to be concluded. The restoration of a land and resource base to sustain this aboriginal society is key to the cultural and economic viability of the communities concerned.
This government remains committed to the negotiation of comprehensive land claims settlements. As a step to fulfil our commitment to other aboriginal people without standing claims, we announced on December 20, 1993 that the Government of Canada would return immediately to the claims negotiations table with the Labrador Inuit Association without any preconditions.
As a parallel commitment to support regional self-government agreements, our government mandated the conduct of Labrador Inuit self-government negotiations concurrently with the comprehensive land claim negotiations. We are looking forward to receiving a proposal from the Labrador Inuit over the
next few weeks and we expect that tripartite discussions on that proposal, which will include the government of Newfoundland and Labrador, will begin very soon. I am optimistic that we will reach an agreement with the Labrador Inuit within a reasonable time.
Similar progress is being made with other aboriginal claimant groups. As members are aware, offshore water is the primary source of Inuit subsistence activities. This is no different for the Inuit of northern Quebec. The 1975 James Bay and northern Quebec agreement dealt with aboriginal rights to lands in the province of Quebec only. It did not address Quebec Inuit claims to islands offshore Quebec which are in the jurisdiction of the Northwest Territories and the northeast coast of Labrador.
Negotiations began in 1992 and already a framework agreement which is the first step to these negotiations has been signed by Canada, the Northwest Territories and the Quebec Inuit.
All of us have been aware of the government's various initiatives to improve the social and economic circumstances of the Innu nation in Davis Inlet in Labrador. Concurrent with these initiatives we are also negotiating the Innu nation land claim.
Negotiations toward a framework agreement began in July 1991. Substantial progress has been realized in those negotiations. There has been equally encouraging progress on the potential interim measures related to the environmental impacts of proposed development projects.
We expect the discussions which are tripartite in nature and involve participation of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador will result in a settlement with the Labrador Inuit and the Innu nation to provide a land and resource base, one which will promote regional development and self-sufficiency in those communities.
The government also intends to introduce settlement legislation for the Council of Yukon Indians over the next few weeks. This will complete a lengthy negotiation process, one which was begun some 20 years ago.
Negotiators for the Government of Canada, the Yukon government and the Council for Yukon Indians signed an umbrella final agreement in 1993. It establishes the basis for the negotiation of individual settlements with each of the 14 Yukon First Nations. Final land claims agreements and self-government agreements have been signed with four Yukon First Nations. Settlement and self-government legislation for these agreements will be introduced soon.
One may well ask why all of these land claims agreements are so important. The answer is both elementary and profound. These agreements are the basis on which we can provide land and resources to aboriginal people along with guaranteed participation in land and resource management in a way that provides for them their rightful place in Canadian society.
These modern treaties are the means for guaranteed participation of aboriginal peoples in effective governing structures dealing with renewable resources, land use planning, environmental impact assessment and review, and land and water regulation. In addition they provide the financial means to allow aboriginal people to develop an economic base which will sustain their futures.
It is only by clearing away the uncertainty over title to the land that we are able to assure equitable access to the development over land and resources. This becomes critical in negotiating claims south of the 60th parallel, claims which we are undertaking.
In addition to finalizing the claims in the north and beginning negotiations in Labrador we are negotiating along with the government of Quebec, the Conseil des Atikamekw et des Montagnais, CAM, claim in Quebec.
Recently the Quebec government reappointed its negotiators in another effort to accelerate the negotiations. General side tables have been established to negotiate matters such as lands and traditional activities, self-government and economic development. The parties are aiming to complete the agreement in principle by June 1995.
Negotiations with the Nisga'a are also under way in the province of British Columbia. We have approached the numerous land claims in British Columbia through a unique process.
The governments of Canada and British Columbia and representatives of First Nations have established a treaty commission to facilitate and monitor negotiations, allocate negotiation funding, and assist in dispute resolution. A further function of the commission is to make public the reports on the progress of the negotiations.
The British Columbia Treaty Commission is an impartial arm's length body designed to facilitate negotiations. Commissioners are appointed by the governments of Canada and British Columbia and by the British Columbia Summit of First Nations.
We intend that the negotiations in the province will include both comprehensive claims and self-government matters in a combined process. This will help to establish appropriate linkages between claims, structures and self-government institutions in various jurisdictional areas.
Given the importance of land and resource development in British Columbia, a joint third party consultation process has been established to address the interests of the third parties.
I have sketched for hon. members the very promising situation surrounding the comprehensive claims process in Canada today. I am proud to be able to urge them to consider favourably the Sahtu Dene and Metis land claims settlement which is before them.
