"Nobody ever said land claims negotiations were going to be quick and easy", said Mr. Ron Doering, Lead Federal Negotiator for the Six Nations Land Claims. Doering went before Haldimand County Council Monday afternoon on behalf of Minister Chuck Strahl, Minister Indian and Northern Affairs. Minister Strahl was confident that Doering could answer any questions and concerns that Haldimand County had in relation to issues surrounding Caledonia and area.
Before answering any questions or concerns from Council, Doering gave a bleak update on the negotiations. "We have not had many successful meetings since last spring" and the last negotiation meeting was in June and there are no meetings planned for the future, said Doering.
Doering gave some background information about the two offers that the Federal Government was negotiating. One was in the fall of 2006 that covered four claims in Haldimand County for 125 million dollars; the other was the Welland Canal Claim that was offered in December of 2007 for 26 million dollars. The Welland Canal Claim had a counter offer from Six Nations of 1 billion dollars, that is a 2000% difference, said Doering. Neither claim has been settled.
Doering did inform Haldimand Council that the Welland Canal offer is still on the table.
"We have gotten to the point where negotiations aren't going anywhere and we need to come up with new ideas", said Doering.
"All in all, Doering's responses were usually general, non-committal and not particularly informative", said Gary Horsnell from Brantford. "In some cases, he said he really couldn't answer the questions because the issues were outside of his mandate, which is negotiating resolutions to Six Nations claims".
Doering could say, for example, it would be great if Haldimand County talked with the Six Nations and established agreements and partnerships to work together to ease tensions. However, that doesn't really answer the question of whether Haldimand County is obliged by any Supreme Court ruling or law to consult with the Six Nations, does it said Horsnell in an interview with the Chronicle.
In a response to an email that Haldimand County Mayor Marie Trainer sent to a few residents prior to Doering's visit asking if they had any questions, Horsnell responded and sent Trainer a list of questions that he was hoping the Mayor would ask Doering. Horsnell a concerned resident from Brantford came to hear Doering's responses to the many questions and concerns of residents and of council members.
"It seems that, in order to get answers to questions that are separate from and unrelated to negotiations, people must get answers, not from Indian Affairs and negotiators, but from other departments of the Federal and Provincial government" said Horsnell.
Lisa Parent from York also attended Monday's council meeting and said that it all comes down to asking the "right questions to the right person". Parent also sent a few questions to Trainer. "You can't ask someone from the Federal Government a question that relates to an issue of the Provincial Government", said Parent.
Minister Chuck Strahl will be meeting with Haldimand County Mayor Marie Trainer and Haldimand County CAO Don Boyle next Monday in Ottawa.