BY KAREN BEST
Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - 05:00
Dunnville Chronicle
After a closed meeting with federal representative Barbara McDougall, Haldimand County council members were frustrated with the lack of progress in negotiations.
Coun. Buck Sloat said there’s been no progress on the land claim issue after listening to McDougall, who is Canada’s representative at the Caledonia land dispute main negotiating table. McDougall was accompanied by federal negotiator Ron Doering and another federal employee. They are working with provincial and Six Nations negotiators to resolve Haldimand Tract land claim.
“They are not actually dealing with the land claim issue. They are negotiating the structure to resolve the land claim,” said Sloat. “So how long will this go on?”
“We need to get to the meat of the matter,” he said of land ownership. In the meantime, development is at a halt in Caledonia, he said.
“The Six Nations have dealt with most issues through intimidation,” said Sloat. “The OPP, the premier and the federal government have allowed that intimidation style of negotiation to determine their approach to negotiations.”
“I don’t think I’m getting the answers I want,” said Coun. Craig Grice, who represents the Caledonia ward. “Negotiations are not moving anywhere in my opinion.”
From the closed meeting with McDougall, he said he learned that the big stride taken recently was a degree of unity emerging in Six Nations governance. With nothing pointing to resolution in the short term, Grice said this will be going on for a long time.
In December, Haldimand County council formally requested meetings with OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino, federal representative Barbara McDougall and provincial representative Jane Stewart.
Council met with Fantino on Jan. 9 and met with McDougall on Jan. 11. Stewart is expected to meet with council in a few weeks.
Mayor Marie Trainer said councillors had quite a list of questions and did not have time to go through them on McDougall’s first visit with council. She has agreed to return, said the mayor.
Rushing off to a main negotiating table meeting, McDougall had time to make a few comments. “We reached an understanding and had a frank discussion,” she said. “I totally understand the very real frustration after following this process for the last seven months. It’s hard to explain that negotiation is the only way to go. We intend to pursue the process of negotiation because it’s the only way to come to a long term understanding for a long standing and simmering issue.”
As requested by council, McDougall will stay in touch. “We want to make ourselves available to them,” she said before leaving.
Later, Trainer said what council learned can help residents. Through information relayed by council members, residents will gain a better understanding of negotiations, which might ease frustration, she said.
While progress may seem slow, it is actually faster than in other First Nations land disputes, said Trainer. “But when you’re in the thick of it as we are, it’s a snail pace,” she said.
Late last year Prime Minister Stephen Harper declined an invitation by Haldimand County council. “Maybe it’s time for (Indian and Northern Affairs Canada minister Jim Prentice) to give us an update if we can’t get the Prime Minister,” said Trainer.
If Harper is touring in the area on the election campaign, maybe he’ll drop by, she said.