Mr. Speaker, I am extremely pleased to rise today in support of Bill C-34 which implements self-government for First Nations in Yukon, an extremely historic agreement.
It is a particular pleasure for me to do this because as Minister of Indian Affairs in 1976-77 I was involved in the original negotiations with respect to these matters. At that time the claim made by the Council of Yukon Indians was entitled "Together Today for our Children Tomorrow" and was presented by Elijah Smith, an outstanding leader with the Yukon Indians. Soon afterwards I dealt with the new president of the Yukon Indians who was known as Daniel Johnson.
I supported this claim at that time which is a long time ago and I am pleased today after many ups and downs that it is finally settled and being ratified at this time by the House of Commons. I should point out that part of the delay over these many years has been due to the fact that the Yukon Indians to their credit not only put forward land claims in the traditional way but also wished to have aboriginal self-government as part of their claim and that held up the negotiations for many years.
It is also interesting to note that some of the people who were active with the Council of Yukon Indians back in 1976-77 when I was negotiating with it are still active today. I saw in the balcony last night people such as David Joe, Harry Allen and Vic Mitander. I must congratulate them all, along with Judy Gingell, the new chairperson of the Council for Yukon Indians, for their tenacity and their commitment to their claim and for having stuck with it over the years despite some very tough negotiating situations.
It is interesting to note that when we started the process back in the seventies very few Canadians understood and supported what we are doing here today. There was very little understanding and support for aboriginal land claims and especially for aboriginal self-government. However over the years there has been great progress and great advance in public education to the extent where today there is overwhelming support for these claims.
A certain amount of the success in advancing this public education was due to the aboriginal nations and to the work of the special committee on Indian self-government in the 1980s under Keith Penner, a former member from northern Ontario. I was also a member of that committee. The process that led up to the Charlottetown accord included provisions for aboriginal self-government which by that time had achieved a great deal of support among Canadians. Despite the fact that the Charlottetown accord was rejected by Canadians, the clauses with respect to aboriginal self-government had a lot of support.
As Canadians we have come a long way in understanding and supporting aboriginal self-government. Unfortunately that support is not yet unanimous. I am sad to say that we still have in the House a number of members, those in the Reform Party, and others in the country who still do not seem to understand this important concept and who still bring up the old myths and stereotypes with respect to aboriginal people. I ask these members with great sincerity to take a new look at it. There is still time for them to vote in support of this very important measure.
We must remember that the aboriginal nations in Canada and in North America generally were here for thousands of years before the Europeans came. In that time they had their own lands, their own governments, their own languages, their own cultures, their own laws and their own economies. They were nations and they lived on the lands we now occupy.
When most of us as Europeans-and some of us came from other lands-first came here the aboriginal people thought they were sharing the land with us. They certainly were not transferring it to us. They never agreed to give up their rights and their sovereignty with respect to these lands, their cultures, traditions, governments and so on. Regretfully our people, the descendants of the Europeans, gradually took it away from them.
It is only justice that today and in other land claim settlements and through the treaties these demands have finally been recognized, that these rights are finally recognized, and that we have agreed to settle with these nations as we are doing today with the Yukon First Nations.
We are now on the third and final reading of Bill C-34 which is the Yukon First Nations self-government act. The self-government agreements to which this legislation pertains are in many respects the most complex self-government arrangements we have ever attempted in the country. For one thing they are unique in that they are the first such agreements tied in directly with a comprehensive land claim agreement that is ratified at the same time.
This legislation will be passed together with the Yukon land claims settlements act, Bill C-33. That means the administration of both the claims and self-government aspects will begin simultaneously in these First Nations that have signed self-government agreements.
It is also the first self-government legislation to cover all the First Nations within a single province or territory. Previous self-government arrangements have been made with a single band such as with the Sechelt band of British Columbia, or with a regional group such as was the case with the Cree and Naskapi in northern Quebec.
The Yukon settlement, which was initiated by the Council of Yukon Indians, covers the vast majority of aboriginal people in the territory. It includes almost a quarter of Yukon's total population.
The legislation is also the first self-government legislation to include several different aboriginal cultures and communities under a single piece of legislation. Yukon has some seven distinct native language groups. There are 16 communities in
Yukon, virtually all of which have a significant aboriginal population.
Finally the Yukon self-government legislation is the first under which the First Nations will be empowered to provide certain programs and services not only to residents living on settlement land but also to First Nation citizens living off settlement land. This is another first.
Given these unique features, it is not surprising there were fairly protracted negotiations before the final agreements were reached. Because of the complexity and diversity of Yukon's aboriginal communities, the government agreed to negotiate and sign individual self-government agreements with each of 14 separate First Nations. Four such agreements have now been finalized. Active negotiations are currently being pursued with five others.
The government is confident this process will be completed satisfactorily over the next few years. While each agreement will have certain unique provisions reflecting the particular characteristics and needs of individual First Nations, there are certain common areas covered in all the agreements negotiated to date.
These include first, the recognition of First Nation governing structures. Unlike the previous band structure under the Indian Act that they will replace, First Nations will have broad powers similar to those of other governments to enter into contracts, acquire and hold property, and form corporations. These powers are vitally important if the First Nation is to effectively administer self-government and develop initiatives to improve the economic and social conditions in its communities.
Second, these agreements will replace the Indian Act. Under the agreement the Indian Act will no longer apply to a Yukon First Nation, its citizens or its land, except for some minor provisions which deal with for example the question of which citizens are Indians within the meaning of the Indian Act, how reserve lands are to be treated under a self-government regime, and provisions respecting the treatment of trust moneys for minors.
Third, the agreements provide for an ongoing process for transferring programs to the First Nations, that is transferring programs from the department of Indian affairs to First Nations. It is inherent in these agreements that First Nation governments will assume responsibility for administering a number of programs and services now provided by either the federal or territorial governments. These will include social services, health services, and educational responsibilities.
This will be done on a transitional basis in which the First Nation will take the initiative in determining which programs it is prepared to take on and in what order. Annual meetings will be held between government and First Nations to review priorities and agree on the timing and financing of these transfers.
Although this process will take time, the government is confident that over the next several years the minister will be able to downsize the department of Indian and Inuit affairs operations in Yukon by some 75 per cent from present levels. Only a small staff will remain to handle responsibilities and obligations directly related to the implementation of federal responsibilities emerging from self-government. I want to congratulate the minister on the actions he has taken in that respect.
Fourth, the legislation provides for the establishment of law-making authority of First Nations over their citizens and settlement land. Although federal laws of general application will remain paramount, First Nations will have authority to pass legislation dealing with internal management, the provision of services, taxation on settlement land and similar matters.
Fifth, with respect to the funding of Yukon First Nations, self-government will be by means of new five-year comprehensive financial transfer agreements which will replace current funding agreements. These will give First Nations much more scope and flexibility within which to set priorities and plan for the orderly development of their communities.
These are the key general provisions in the legislation that will be common to all the self-government agreements in Yukon. However, some differences will exist from one First Nation to another in Yukon, for example, in procedures established for ratification of the agreement and in the specific provisions dealing with the application of self-government powers within community boundaries.
The most compelling aspect of self-government is the opportunity it provides for economic development within aboriginal communities. Both aboriginal leaders and the government are seriously concerned about the continuing high rates of unemployment among aboriginal Canadians. This is clearly one of the major stumbling blocks to improving the economic and social conditions among Canada's aboriginal population. As the government has stated, this is a matter of national concern. The untapped potential of aboriginal people is untapped potential for all of Canada.
Yukon's aboriginal population is young with more than half of that population under 24 years of age. Like the aboriginal population as a whole, it is growing at a faster rate than the national average. Compounding this situation is the fact that young aboriginal people in all parts of Canada, including Yukon, are seeking greater educational opportunities in recent years. Across Canada, the number of young aboriginal people staying in school until grade 12 has doubled in the past decade. The
number going on to post-secondary institutions, universities and colleges has almost doubled in the past five years.
This is an extremely positive development and one that reflects well on the leadership of aboriginal communities and the governments that have supported their efforts. It also means there is a growing generation of job-ready young people coming to the employment market with higher hopes, higher aspirations and higher expectations than ever before. Unless these hopes and expectations are reasonably met, they will quickly be replaced by despair and disillusionment.
The very fact that these land claims and self-government agreements will come into effect will create an environment of greater certainty and stability in Yukon. This in turn will have a positive effect on investment, particularly in the important resource sectors of mining and mineral development. An upsurge in activity in these key areas will certainly have a ripple effect throughout Yukon's economy and will create improved job opportunities for both aboriginal and non-aboriginal people.
Our government, the Liberal government, is convinced that aboriginal economic development must be largely a bottom-up exercise. Aboriginal controlled community enterprises and effective community development institutions will be the main engines of economic growth for them and for the entire communities. We are further convinced that the combination of the powers inherent in self-government taken in tandem with the funding provided in the land claims agreement will create a climate in which such development and institutions will have a much better chance of succeeding.
Self-government can work to provide wealth and jobs, provided the arrangements have been carefully worked out and provided the First Nations concerned are willing and able to take maximum advantage of the opportunities presented to them. This is certainly the case with regard to Yukon's First Nations. The self-government agreements have been painstakingly worked through negotiations spanning many years.
The leadership of Yukon's First Nations are ready and willing to take on the job of governing and rebuilding their communities. There is no reason to delay. There is every reason for us to give speedy consideration and passage of this self-government legislation so that the work can begin. I think the government did the right thing in putting forward the motions last night to ensure this legislation would pass before we adjourn this House for the summer recess.
I must say as well that self-government is not the be all and end all. As several aboriginal leaders have pointed out recently, simply signing a document cannot make the problems of their people disappear overnight. On the other hand, this government is convinced that all these problems of housing, social services, education and economic progress can be more effectively advanced and dealt with within the environment of greater local autonomy, a sound financial framework and equally and mutually respectful relations among governments at all levels. That is what self-government is essentially about. It is why this government has brought this legislation before the House.
I conclude by urging all members of this House, including my friends in the Reform Party, to support this legislation.