By now all those involved in the land claims issue are well aware these matters are the sole responsibility of the federal government, yet the denial of the fact still seems rampant.
Ontario legislators, negotiators, developers both local and beyond, Floyd and Ruby, the Confederacy, clan mothers, men's council and the Mohawk nation and any others who attempt to circumvent due process and continue to interfere in it provide the federal authorities the perfect excuse to keep doing what they have been doing all along and that is nothing.
The primary objective of the federal authorities is the protection of Canadian sovereignty and until this issue is resolved and recognized by the province and the natives no progress is possible.
Some in the native community have made it clear their long-term goal is total separation and independence from Canada with Canadian taxpayers bearing all costs before, during and after the split forever and this explains why the accumulation of land is important to them.
Claims that they are a separate nation, that Canadian law does not apply to them and that Canadian taxpayers owe them hundreds of billions of dollars can only fall on deaf ears at the federal level due to their refusal to recognize Canadian sovereignty. Dalton McGuinty goes around the province
telling those who will listen that land claims are a federal issue, yet when those who work for him try to circumvent federal authority he does not lift a finger to stop them and is just as guilty as the natives when it comes to denying Canadian sovereignty and federal authority.
A simple example is that of the promise he made to transfer ownership of the former Burtch Correctional Centre property to Six Nations. Giving land to those who want to separate from Canada could be seen by some as nothing short of treason. This facility cost Ontario taxpayers millions to build and will cost tens of millions of additional taxpayers' dollars to destroy and what do we get in exchange? Nothing from the natives, but we do get confirmation that when it comes to making financial decisions McGuinty is a gross incompetent.
As a result of the decisions he has made on this file it may be necessary for the federal government to once again expropriate this property to ensure it remains part of Canada. At the end of the day it may be necessary for the federal government to impose a settlement once and for all.