First UN seminar in native community builds global common ground on treaties

Fri Nov 17, 6:20 PM
By Bob Weber
Canadian Press

HOBBEMA, Alta. (CP) - A United Nations seminar on international treaty rights concluded Friday with an agreement that indigenous people around the world share similar goals and problems - but also ended with frustration that so few governments chose to participate.

"Yes, it is frustrating and disappointing, somewhat," said Willie Littlechild, regional chief for Treaties 6, 7 and 8 in Alberta and an organizer of the seminar in Hobbema.

"We need to come together in our search for solutions."

The meeting, believed to be the first of its kind to be held in an aboriginal community, brought together 452 representatives of indigenous groups from at least six countries. But Canada was the only government that participated and the absence of others was noted in resolutions passed by delegates.

"(Participants) express their hope that this does not constitute a disregard or disrespect for this vital UN process," read the text of one resolution.

The seminar was the second of three held to build on a 1999 UN report on the implementation of treaties between states and indigenous people around the world.

The first, held in Geneva in 2003, had participants from 30 states.

But the conference still got important work done, said Littlechild. Indigenous people everywhere are fighting similar battles to have their oral history and understanding of treaties accepted in the same way as legal, written versions, he said.

"Too much emphasis has been given to only the written text. The oral testimony has been left out and we need to combine both stories."

Indigenous people find much common ground when they sit down to talk about treaties, said Oscar Hodgson, a Meskito from Nicaragua.

"What we have in common is that our thinking is the same," he said through a translator.

Treaties are meant to share land and resources that both indigenous people and states received from God, Hodgson said. They're not a series of grants from nations to aboriginal groups.

"That unity is the one that has been broken. What's important is that we have a new culture."

Observers such as elder Theresa Wildcat from the Ermineskin band in central Alberta said the seminar was useful in educating the Cree about the importance of treaties and their historical position in Canada.

"Aboriginal people do not know their own history," she said. "Treaty awareness is extremely important for us.

"I hope this conference will be an awakening for the community."

Vanessa Omeasoo, a student observer from Ermineskin, also welcomed the chance to compare notes on treaties around the world.

"We're all coming together and trying to work out the issues," she said. "The UN can help by showing us that they are recognizing us and they are aware of the issues that we've been talking about."

The seminar comes as the UN debates passage of a declaration of the rights of aboriginal people, a declaration that Canada has so far resisted signing.

Littlechild said it's important for aboriginals to work through the UN because treaties were signed between sovereign governments. The UN is the proper place to work out disagreements between two governments, he suggested.

"In order to get better resolution to conflict over treaties or better working relationships, you need to go back to the international arena."