Gitxsan Chiefs' Weekly Update May 9, 2011

If you really look at it

Historically the government designed their Indian policy to be on the weakest possible footing. Yes, they have won over the majority of native Canadians, and thus the Assembly of First Nations and the Union of B.C. Chiefs are all made up of elected band councils. We were a band council-led group for a time in the early 1970’s. When the Hereditary Chiefs decided to advance the now famous Delgamuukxw case, they put forth the Gitxsan Hereditary chiefs as plaintiffs. To have advanced the court case under the bands would have meant that the bands were suing themselves. A very simple analogy would be, if you want to control the Indian problem, cage them up.

The real deal is that we won on 33,000 km2 of Gitxsan lands. Where before we were treated as no bodies, now we are somebody on Gitxsan lands according to Delgamuukxw. Governments and industry have obligations before they do anything on our lands, and they know it.

There will always be village administrations and local government where your dwellings will actually be worth something. All three parties agreed to explore the concept. No deals are being made. The nature of these negotiations is that governments are cautious.

I may as well tell Mary Dalen that she is Git’anyow and this office does not represent her. I had reiterated history to make people realize that all Indian policy was designed to bring us to submission. In my opinion, the strong legal stance of the Gitxsan is a liability. My guess is that governments will deal with the weaker before they deal with us. This means we have to push the issue indirectly. The only thing that will make governments move is when they realize they are being left behind. We are in a strong position and people ought not think we’re giving the store away.

Art Wilson