John Burman
The Hamilton Spectator
(Sep 26, 2007)
Nineteen months after the native occupation of the Douglas Creek Estates subdivision hit the headlines, former Indian and Northern Affairs Minister David Crombie has stepped into his new role as community liaison officer for the non-aboriginal community in Haldimand.
He shares some thoughts with The Spectator on his federally appointed role, what he can do and how he's been received so far.
What does (Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl) expect from you?
The minister has asked me to advise on matters affecting the non-aboriginal people in the area. I am to liaise with federal and provincial negotiators and associate parties to make sure there is communications, to make sure that needs and concerns are brought forward and to make recommendations for solutions for problems that arise.
Do you feel that you can make a difference?
I feel a personal commitment to it for a couple of reasons. As I watched the process over the last little while, you see people are trying hard to resolve the many complicated issues with regards to land claims.
These are very complex discussions because there are so many. People tend to think it is all one but it's not, there are separate claims -- 28 all told -- and they are working on maybe 14 and (concentrating) on four of them.
It's complicated because you're dealing with issues of right and questions of law. These are not matters of need. They are matters of law and therefore amenable to negotiation and discussion and that takes time.
But by their very nature, land claims are specifically related to those who have a direct or legal involvement. As a consequence, those who are not party to the negotiations don't get involved in the normal course of events. Therefore, even though the results of those negotiations affect them, they have little to say and very often do not know what is going on. That has fed the kind of anger and frustration and alienation I've mentioned.
What needs to be done?
First, I feel strongly there needs to be a communications system that is trusted and used on a regular basis so people are not in the dark.
Secondly, we need to pay some attention to matters affecting history, awareness and memory and all of those things that go to make up whether you have a functioning community or not. You want to make sure feelings that are negative don't affect the next generation.
Third, there are issues of economic development that have been raised that I would like to get involved with and see if I can assist there.
How much are you being paid by the ministry?
It's about $1,500 a day and I haven't been paid yet. I normally bill $2,500 a day. I'm doing some other work for Indian and Northern Affairs in the Oshawa Harbour for about $1,500 and I just said pay me the same rate.
What kind of a reception have you had so far in the (Haldimand) community?
It has been very welcoming. People were wanting to explain to me the difficulties, the concerns the sense of frustration and that was evident. I could barely get out the door. People really wanted me to understand.
There is a strong desire to move forward, but there is a strong cynicism, I think, because they feel they have not been well dealt with but they had nothing but willingness to help, to want to participate and to succeed together.
When your appointment was announced, a representative of one of the citizens groups called you another layer of red tape. How do you feel about that?
I will work with federal and provincial bureaucracies, agencies and whatever organized groups that there are and talk to as many individuals that I can. But, at the end of the day, I have an obligation to make direct recommendations to the minister.
Do you have a deadline for those recommendations.
No, but there is a sense of urgency on my part to at least start certain things, such as a communications system.
Has the government appointed a specific community liaison officer in a situation like this before?
They may have. But this is new in relation to the size and complexity of the land claim negotiations and the number of people outside those negotiations in the towns and villages and cities that are affected. Certainly it is new in my own memory.
Is there anything else you'd like to say to the people in Haldimand?
Not at the moment. What I will do is try to show my worth by doing. I need to be there as much as I can.
After I left the council, we stopped by Tim Hortons ... This guy comes along, a man in his late 50s or early 60s, and he's been over doing some work at the fair and he looks at me and he says, 'Do you think you can do anything?' And then he started to talk about his concerns, offered his opinions and so on.
It was just as valuable as someone with a formal 30-page brief.