Media Advisory: Communiqué
For Immediate Release June 12, 2007
GRAND RIVER TERRITORY SIX NATIONS-Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s announcement Tuesday of changes to Canada’s land claim process does not affect Six Nations, or its land rights negotiations, says Mohawk Chief Allen MacNaughton, lead negotiator for the Six Nations Haudenoniso Confederacy Council.
The Six Nations Haudenoniso Confederacy Council has been embroiled in negotiations with the federal and provincial crowns for the past 15 months over Six Nations land rights up and down the Grand River.
Mohawk Chief MacNaughton said Harper’s announcement “is not a step forward at all.“ In fact, Chief MacNaughton said the Conservative
government has taken a step back by forcing a limit on claims and a cap.
“The options, with claims now, are negotiation under their process, or go to court. This change, just says, we will now negotiate for three years, and if nothing comes of it, in three years, then we are going to court, and now they’ve put a cap on settlements.”
Chief MacNaughton said Six Nations is “at the table, and we are coming from a position of sovereignty and our treaties. Our treaties are international agreements. Canada does not see treaties as being international, but ours are. So this does not affect us at all.” He said he fears Canada may try to push this process on Six Nations, but adds “Canada won’t get anywhere with it.
Chief MacNaughton also questioned the impartiality of judges appointed to form the independent tribunal.
“If the judges are from Canada, they won’t be impartial. They will be upholding Canadian law, and the Canadian constitution. “
He said the federal crown has told Six Nations and the Canadian public, they cannot settle Six Nations land rights with land because Canada doesn’t have any land, “ We agree with Minister (of Indian Affairs Jim) Prentice . So if Canada doesn’t have any land they need to make arrangements, because they are squatting right now.”
Canada, (in right of the Crown) he said, continues to have outstanding land, treaty and trust right obligations to Six Nations, that do not fall within the newly announced process.
Allen MacNaughton
Mohawk Chief
For further information or to set up interviews please contact: Lynda Powless Confederacy negotiating team media adviser (519)445-0868