This document has been re-purposed to make it more accessible to screen readers and search engine technology - to view a scan of the original document, please click here
Summary of document:
ABORIGINAL RIGHTS
SCOTT SIMPSON
Vancouver Sun
B.C.’s Indians no longer have to beg for crumbs when they enter into treaty negotiations with government, Gitksan and Wet’suwet’en leaders said Friday.
“If you take a bucket of water out of the Skeena River, the river keeps on flowing. Our rights still flow and they will flow forever,” said Earl Muldoe, whose Gitksan title is Delgam Uukw, to a standing ovation from about 400 aboriginals and supporters at the Hotel Vancouver…
…A panel of judges ruled 3-2 against the Indian claims to unqualified title to 57,000 square kilometres of traditional territory.
But Gitksan and Wet’suwet’en speaker Herb George and other Indian leaders described the BC Appeal Court decision as a victory because all five judges ruled that aboriginal rights not only exist, such rights are protected by the Constitution.
In doing so the judges overturned BC Supreme Court Chief Justice Allan McEachern’s 1991 ruling that such rights have long since expired.
…the ruling means that Indians no longer need to depend on government largesse when it comes time to negotiate treaties with provincial and federal governments.
…”The governments said, the courts said, that our rights in the land were extinguished and therefore we have to continue to rely on handouts, crumbs falling from the table from the two levels of government for our existence,” George said.
“The policies of today still reflect that racist notion of extinguishment.
“I’m very honoured to stand here today on behalf of the Gitksan and Wet’suwet’en chiefs and people to say that we’ve been successful in pushing back McEachern’s decision at trial.”
This document has been re-purposed to make it more accessible to screen readers and search engine technology - to view a scan of the original document, please click here