By Karen Best
January 26, 2007
Haldimand Review
Participants at the main Caledonia negotiating table are not discussing an agricultural buffer around the Six Nations reserve and are not talking about a federal government offer of money instead of land for a settlement.
In the fourth week of January, spokespersons for Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and for the Ontario Secretariat for Aboriginal Affairs denied these details printed in a media report last week after a Jan.17 Six Nations public meeting. The news story raised concerns in Caledonia.
Mohawk Confederacy Chief Allen MacNaughton said an agricultural buffer was offered by municipalities in mid-April before the Six Nations, Ontario and Canada main negotiating table was established. This key group was set up after the April 20 OPP raid on Douglas Creek Estates, which has been occupied by Six Nations members since Feb. 28.
The buffer was part of joint offer tabled by the provincial and federal governments at meetings on April 12 and 13, said MacNaughton. About the cash offer, he said that historically this was used in the specific claims process. When federal cash was accepted by a First Nation, their title to the land was extinguished, he said.
Six Nations has talked about monetary settlements on other grievances but not on DCE and the Plank Road, said MacNaughton. In the past, his people talked about cash reimbursement for lands covered by the Welland Canal, he said.
The Plank Road claim covers half a mile on either side of Caledonia’s Argyle Street South and the portion of Highway 6 in the Haldimand Tract, which includes six miles on either side of the Grand River. The British Crown purchased the land from Six Nations in the 1840s to build a portion of a wooden plank road from Hamilton to Port Dover. Recently the Canadian department of justice stood by its legal position that the land was surrendered 160 years ago. Six Nations continue to contend that the land was not surrendered.
“At this point, Canada has made no cash offer concerning this claim,” said Indian and Northern Affairs Canada spokesperson Patricia Valladao.
“Together with the First Nation and Ontario, Canada is currently negotiating to settle claims in the Haldimand Tract. We have been involved in this process since the beginning of the occupation,” she said. The federal government hoped to see a timely and peaceful resolution, she said.
Previously, Canada was working with Six Nations on an exploratory process to address their peoples claims, said Valladao.
“The province has never made an offer to create an agricultural belt of 6.4 kilometres, “ said Lars Eedy of the Ontario Secretariat for Aboriginal Affairs.
An agricultural buffer was discussed at the April meetings but has never been discussed at the main negotiating table, he said.
At the April meetings, Haldimand County officials offered to leave agricultural zoning in place between Caledonia and the Six Nations reserve.
Recently MacNaughton said he will take Ontario and federal representatives to task on the April offers of the 400-acre Burtch correctional facility north of the reserve, land in South Cayuga and Townsend, and 30 parcels of unsold surrendered lands.
When those offers were forwarded in the spring, they were conditional upon protesters leaving DCE.
This month and next, main table discussions continue.
“It’s premature to speculate on the outcome of the negotiations. Ontario is at the table to support ongoing negotiations and continues to be committed to peaceful negotiations of all outstanding grievances,” said Eedy. “Negotiating in public doesn’t support the parties at the table.”
The Review also asked about the secretariat’s policy to conduct meaningful public consultation as part of the negotiating process. This ensures that rights and interests of affected parties are identified and addressed and that the public involvement process is open and accountable, according to the secretariat’s website.
The site also listed several avenues of consultation including newsletters and fact sheets, public meetings, advisory committees and side tables.
“The province will continue to work with local municipalities and stakeholders in numerous ways to address concerns related to the parties at DCE,” said Eedy.