By Karen Best
Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 09:00
Haldimand Review
An expert in dispute resolution believes an impartial arbitrator will be required to settle outstanding issues in Caledonia.
Former Six Nations chief Roberta Jamieson said an independent mediator must take up the work already underway by Six Nations, Ontario and Canadian negotiators.
Now the chief executive officer of the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, Jamieson told an audience at a Brock University lecture series that Caledonia is a reminder of "how far we have to go to work together."
"Caledonia is no longer just a place," she said. "It's become a very known icon in our questioning minds ... of why we should refocus and change to reach the opportunity for a common future in Kanata."
On Feb. 28, 2006, some Six Nations members began to occupy the 200-acre Douglas Creek Estates construction site in Caledonia. They contended that the land, which was part of the Haldimand Tract, was never surrendered for sale. Confederacy Chiefs recently reaffirmed that position. A few weeks ago, the federal department of justice issued a report stating the lands were legally sold to the Crown more than 160 years ago.
"Conflict is an opportunity," said Jamieson, who is a Mohawk from the Six Nations of the Grand River. To meet the opportunity, all the leaders must deal with Caledonia's issues or the embers will flare again into a raging fire, she said. "We need to open a space to accept each other," she continued. "We need to take action here to make peace in our relationship."
When Jamieson began her lecture entitled Realizing Canada's Promise: Shaping Diversity into an Inclusive Society, she eloquently described the exchange of sashes between British Maj.-Gen. Isaac Brock and renowned Shawnee Chief Tecumseh after their victory in Detroit in 1812. Brock promised Tecumseh his dream of a homeland for many nations but the treaty, which ended the war, did not protect First Nations' rights.
Today, both First Nations and Canadians must shed the residue of colonialism, said Jamieson. Poisoned attitudes and stereotypes about First Nations people must be tossed into the historic trash bin, she continued.
Many First Nations persons continue to believe they are unworthy which leads to a sense of helplessness, said Jamieson. Social, psychological and infrastructure issues challenge people on many reserves.
One of Canada's greatest failings was its treatment of First Nations, said Jamieson. "We paid our dues. We are entitled. We have a lot to offer as we take our place in Canada," she said.
Despite these challenges, the future of First Nations people is changing. Their population is booming and will surpass the non-native population in Saskatchewan and then Manitoba, said Jamieson. A wave of aboriginal youth will out pace the baby boom and can fill vacancies in the national labour pool. In Canada, aboriginal small businesses are leading growth in that sector. More First Nations are gaining control over mining, oil sands, fishery and other resources to manage them based on their values, she said.
As a grandmother and CEO of the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, Jamieson said she will kick open doors and provide support to advance progress and support potential.
"I believe in a country where many nations live together," said Jamieson. "Aboriginal people are not a drain on the public purse. They have contributed resources and land. We remain Canada's richest untapped resource."
Failing to provide opportunities for First Nations youth is a recipe for tragedy, warned Jamieson. "Their tragedy will impact us," she said.
In her summary, Jamieson said all people who live in Canada can create space for First Nations and other diverse groups to allow them to be who they are. "You have the power to welcome diversity in your own lives," said Jamieson. "To protect it, to cultivate it, to cherish it."