Attachment #21: August 07, 1992, Government of Canada Communiqu‚ SIDDON SURPRISED AND DISAPPOINTED BY LUBICON REJECTION Edmonton (August 7, 1992) -- Indian Affairs and Northern Development Minister, Tom Siddon, expressed profound regret today over Lubicon Chief Bernard Ominayak's surprising rejection of the new federal offer to resolve the Lubicon Lake Band land claim. "I am most surprised that the Band has rejected my offer because at our last meeting with the Chief, I indicated that this offer was not a "take- it-or-leave-it" offer, as there were many issues that required further work and discussion before finalizing our position." "This is one of the richest offers ever made for the settlement of an Aboriginal claim. It goes significantly beyond previous offers and responds in virtually every way to the proposal put forward by the Lubicon," the Minister said. "It is based on lengthy, extensive negotiations, both between Chief Ominayak and me, and between our officials and lawyers. We have had every reason to believe we had worked out the basis for a negotiated settlement together." The new federal offer for a settlement includes the following: - Canada will provide a total of $53.3 million in benefits over five years to settle the claim, based on Chief Bernard Ominayak's estimate of 500 band members, with 450 living on reserve. The band will receive $20 million in the first year after settlement excluding operating funds. - Of this, $38.3 million will be made available for the construction of a new community for the Lubicon Nation. This includes up to 120 new and relocated houses, full water and sewer services, roads, electricity, administration office, community hall, health centre, fire station, school and a teachers' residence. - Within this package, Canada will make available $12.5 million for an expanded and more flexible economic development package. - A $2.5 million "incentive" to settle the claim has also been added to the federal offer to the Lubicon community. - In addition to the federal package, the province of Alberta has offered the band a total of 95 square miles of land, of which they would hold full subsurface rights over 79 square miles of land. The current market value for the land is $10.5 million. Alberta has also offered $9 million in financing to date, to help settle the claim. - The proposal calls for the use of binding arbitration based on an agreed-upon question to resolve the issue of compensation, a key area of disagreement in previous offers. The new offer exceeds the federal government's 1988 offer by almost $8.5 million. Canada is ready to add to this settlement package a five-year Alternative Funding Arrangement (AFA) to provide the band with $17.7 million in operating funds which will be phased in as community construction is completed. "The Government of Canada is well aware of the social conditions which exist among the Lubicon," Minister Siddon added. "Acceptance by the Chief to negotiate on the basis of this offer would have addressed these problems and resulted in job training and employment on reserve, not to mention proper housing and infrastructure for all band members." Minister Siddon concluded, "I am surprised that the Lubicon rejected this offer outright. Two years ago the band went to the United Nations Human Rights Committee, which told them that our original, less generous offer, was appropriate. Each time the band delays the settlement of its claim, the people are deprived of the economic and social progress to which they are entitled and for which they have waited for too many years." Ref: Wayne Hanna, Regional Communications Manager (Alberta), Indian Affairs and Northern Development (403) 495-2815 or (403) 463-0945 * * * * * Attachment #22: August 12, 1992, Edmonton Journal article LUBICON TALKS TO CONTINUE, MINISTER SAYS Jack Danylchuk Journal Staff Writer Calgary Land claim negotiations with the Lubicon Lake Cree will not be allowed to slide off the table, Indian Affairs Minister Tom Siddon said Tuesday. "I don't think the question is closed," said Siddon, who flew to Calgary to brief reporters on the federal offer Lubicon Chief Bernard Ominayak rejected last week. Ominayak declined an invitation to meet in Calgary, but Siddon said he hopes to meet or talk with the chief Thursday. Ominayak could not be reached for comment. Siddon values the latest settlement proposals at $73 million in current dollars but Ominayak has said they contain "little that's new and falls far short of claims made for them." Ominayak's response "didn't square with the direction of our discussions over five meetings. It didn't fit. I'm puzzled," Siddon said. The federal offer includes $38.3 million for community construction, $12.5 million for socio-economic development, a $2.5 million signing incentive, $5 million over 10 years from Alberta plus $3 million from the province for a vocational training centre, $1 million for a road and $10.5 million worth of land from Alberta. In 1988, the Lubicon wanted $70 million to develop an agricultural community, plus a $100 million trust fund. Siddon has proposed that the trust fund issue be settled by arbitration. The key difference between the offer and demand, Ominayak said in his letter last week, is how Ottawa and Lubicon value money. The offer "treats 1988 and 1992 dollars as basically having the same value, which clearly isn't the case," Ominayak wrote. Siddon rejected Ominayak's criticism, saying inflation has been factored into community construction costs. Socio-economic development is "tied to a population of 500 members. the amount is not rigid. But it is not a blank cheque, it is based on the sizes of the community," Siddon said. "There are other communities in the neighborhood. People may want to choose whether they adhere to Lubicon or some other community," Last year, Ottawa settled with the nearby Woodland Cree, a band created by Indian Affairs. The band includes some former Lubicon and its creation was widely criticized as an attempt to undermine Ominayak. The Loon River band, 50 km east of the Lubicon settlement of Little Buffalo, elected a chief and council earlier this year and will also seek a settlement with Ottawa. Some Lubicon may be drawn to Loon River, Siddon said, but "to some extent it's up to the chief and the Lubicon as to whether they can encourage these people to join their community." * * * * * Attachment #23: DAILY CLIPPING SERVICE, REGIONAL ISSUES August 12, 1992 By Jim Morris CALGARY (CP) -- The federal government must know how many Lubicon Cree will benefit from a land claim settlement before an exact dollar figure can be reached, federal Indian Affairs Minister Tom Siddon said Tuesday. Siddon also said he was puzzled by Lubicon Chief Bernard Ominayak's rejection of the Government's latest $73-million settlement offer. "When I met with Chief Ominayak it was agreed the (cash) number was dependent on population and flexible," Siddon said. "I don't think the taxpayers would expect us to write a blank cheque without regard to the registered population of the Lubicon Cree." The government's $73-million offer was based on a Lubicon population of 500. It would increase or decrease depending on the Band's exact number, Siddon said. A stumbling block has been the Lubicon's failure to supply an exact Band list. "It's for the Lubicon Lake people to come forward and say what their membership is," Siddon said. "We cannot just agree to the suggestion 'We have 500 members, give us the cash'. It's got to be related." Ominayak rejected the government's offer last Thursday, saying only "minor, cosmetic changes" were included and it was basically the same as the "take-it-or-leave-it offer" put forward by the federal government in 1988. "We do not consider the supposedly new offer to be either fair or just," Ominayak said in a letter to Siddon. Another obstacle in settling the northern Alberta Cree Band's 50-year-old land claim seems to be how Ottawa and the Lubicon value money. Ottawa describes its offer in 1992 dollars while the Lubicon position has been defined by the purchasing power of a dollar in 1988 when the federal government made a proposal of $45 million. The 1988 Lubicon demand of $70 million for community and economic development plus a $100-million trust fund would cost $248 million today while Ottawa's 1988 offer of $45 million would inflate to $65 million, according to a conversion formula developed by the Alberta Government. Siddon dismissed the Lubicon's argument. "I find the debate about the indexing irrelevant because we have to know the membership," he said. @ Siddon acknowledged several northern Bands are still deciding if they wish to join the Lubicon. The Lubicon might be waiting for a final offer from the government as an enticement for these Bands, he said. The government package included $38.3 million to build a new community; a $12.5 million economic development package; 250 square kilometres of land -- 204 of which the Lubicon would hold full subsurface rights to -- valued at $10.5 million; and a $2.5 million incentive to settle the claim. Siddon said he's willing to meet with Ominayak to discuss the deal, but warned the federal government doesn't have much more to offer. "I'm at the edge, if not beyond, of my Cabinet mandate," he said. "This (offer) is at the top end of any offer to any First Nation in Canada." * * * * * Attachment #24: August 16, 1992, letter from the Women of the Lubicon Lake Indian Nation to Federal Indian Affairs Minister Tom Siddon The Women of the Lubicon Lake Nation invite you to address our people. We would like you to bring your family and stay for a whole week. You can experience first hand our living conditions, our poverty and our frustration. You can tell us about ow "sad" you are about our rejecting the "new offer". You can explain to us how you are giving Lubicon an extra 10 million to buy our own land. We would like any opportunity to meet with you so we could tell you, you are playing around with our money, not the taxpayers! We know government has investment sin Petro-Canada, Husky and so on -- you people have made money directly from our land. Tell us the amount of money you people have taken in oil; we want to know is it 1 billion or 5 billion? And you have said this offer is generous to the Lubicon. In this "new offer" your people have brought up the band membership issue, when it was supposed to be resolved three years ago. Why? We will decide the membership, not you or some strangers in Ottawa. This issue of control over membership is non-negotiable. We have something to say to you Mr. Siddon. Lubicon women would like to ask, do you think we are growing stupid? This deal is worse than your "take-it-or-leave-it" offer, any fool can see that. You have further insulted our people by stating: "There are other communities in the neighborhood. People may want to choose whether they adhere to Lubicon or some other community." Are you saying that our Nation is like a street in Edmonton, if we don't like this than we are free to move on? Do you know that our grandmothers and grandfathers have fought over 50 years for their rights as Lubicon? Do you know that our people have lived here for many, many years: it is our land and our Nation, not some neighborhood! No amount of money is going to make us give up being Lubicon or give up our land. And no amount of "government created bands" are going to wipe us out, rather you are forcing the Lubicon to work together as never before. The women will work extra hard at not letting you destroy and tear apart our families. Everyone knows we do not want to be millionaires. We want decent living conditions and a future for our children. We want you to settle the land claim and use the proposal the Lubicon people negotiated a long time ago. We want our land and lives to be left alone. Stop playing games with us, and the public. We will fight with whatever means we have available to us to get this land claim settled. We have kept quiet too long. Our voices will be heard. We ask other women to help make our voice stronger. * * * * * Attachment #25: Transcript of CBC Radio News Broadcast (7:30 A.M.) Wednesday, August 19, 1992 CBC News A group of Lubicon women has sent a letter to the Minister of Indian Affairs demanding he settle the Lubicon land claim. Fourteen women signed the letter. About a week ago, Tom Siddon was critical of the Lubicon for rejecting the Government's latest offer. A Lubicon spokeswoman, Maggie Auger, says the offer wasn't adequate. She says the Lubicon don't want to be millionaires. They only want decent living conditions and a future for their children. Auger challenged Siddon and his family to move to Little Buffalo, home of the Lubicon, for a week to see what living conditions are like. * * * * * Attachment #26: August 17, 1992, letter from Calgary resident Elleonora Jilek to Federal Minister Tom Siddon August 17, 1992 Tom Siddon Minister of Indian Affairs House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H4 Mr. Siddon, As someone who has been following the Lubicon Lake Cree issue for some time now, I have come to the conclusion that the only thing your department is interested in is preserving the department and controlling a segment of the population that exists on a level comparable with any deprived third world country. I have corresponded with at least 4 ministers on this issue, and have received, what I can truthfully call, the standard, non response-type letters that I am tired of getting. Overall, the statements included in all these letters, and I assure you, I have received a fair share, is that your 'side' is always prepared to negotiate fairly and in the best interests of the Lubicon people. When some progress seems to be at hand, lo and behold, the question of 'valid membership' and staying within the 'law of the land' find their way into this quagmire of bureaucratic bull. You have indicated on several occasions that the Lubicons could receive both monies and programs that equal any in this country - that is, a settlement that is as 'good' as any received by similarly-sized bands. If this is the case, then the Lubicons' 'refusal' to accept your latest 'improved' offer does not come as any surprise to me. When I look at the level of unemployment, suicide and utter hopelessness of many reserves, I cannot believe that you would want to offer a similar situation to the Lubicons. What we have is a whole department and special minister to see to their needs (determined by the minister, not them) who even dictates whether or not they are even Indians. Surely it is not your intention to see the Lubicons forever dependent on welfare payments and social programs as other bands? The question of the 'improved' package deal, now supposedly worth an additonal $27.3 MILLION more than the 1988 'offer' is one which perhaps the Calgary Herald editorial board has taken at face value, and the Canadian Press has been good enough to place at the disposal of the wire services, but for many of those in the know, this so-called improvement is nothing if not an outright lie, and a total disgrace to intelligent people. Never before has a government had the audacity to count the financial value of Indian lands, retained by natives as reserves from the much larger traditional lands given up in the course of landclaim settlements, as part of such a settlement. The reason for this unprecedented manoeuvre is as clear to me as it is to other people with half a brain, namely to deliberately mislead the general public and then to paint the Lubicons as unreasonable when they do not go along with your deceitful charades. The fact is that your current offer, taking into account inflation, is worth LESS than was your 1988 'take-it-or-leave-it offer'. So the higher amount of the 1992 offer quoted by you is nothing but a lot of BS. The decline in living standards of the Lubicons is of no consequence to you when you try to convince the public that the latest offer is even more generous than previous offers. This propaganda, thrown at the Canadian public and espoused by mainstream media, is more suitable in Chile or Argentina. The practice of exchanging land and riches for trinkets and beads should be dead by now, but apprently not in Ottawa. Perhaps you are incapable of understanding that people want, and deserve, to determine their own destiny, without need of approval from some privileged politician in the House of Commons. Even after your recent visit to Little Buffalo, you are still able to overlook the poverty and desperation of the Lubicons' situation. Whatever compensation will be offered to the Lubicons, it will NEVER be enough to compensate them for all the hardships, lost time, lost generations, and lost revenues from resources extracted from their lands. After 50 years of fighting politicians, bureaucrats, lawyers, apathetic people and forced change, I have hope that sooner or later the Lubicons will win. They may become victims of neglect and genocide, but at least you can have the satisfaction of having been part of that cleansing process. I hope you take this letter for what it is meant to be - a strong condemnation of your actions, the actions of your bureaucrats, and other accomplices. See you at the next federal elections! c.c. Lubicon Lake Nation Prime Minister Brian Mulroney * * * * * Attachment #27: Transcript of CBC Radio News Broadcast (6:30 A.M.) Friday, August 21, 1992 Phil Henry, CBC News Thanks but no thanks. That's what the Minister of Indian Affairs is saying to a request from the Lubicon Indians to live with them for a week. The Lubicon Cree of northern Alberta have been trying to settle their land claim for more than 50 years. This week a group of Lubicon women asked Siddon if he'd spend a week in Little Buffalo to see first- hand the poverty there. Siddon says he already knows what living conditions are like in Little Buffalo and he wants to improve them. Byron Christopher reports. Byron Christopher, CBC News The back drop to this story is that two weeks ago the Lubicon Cree turned down another land claim offer from Ottawa. Chief Bernard Ominayak said it wasn't good enough. That prompted Tom Siddon to say the Lubicon were making a mistake because his offer was indeed generous. Enter a group of Lubicon women. They said the Lubicon had been waiting since 1939 for a land claim settlement and they're getting tired. They also made the point that living conditions in Little Buffalo are terrible. Then they invited Tom Siddon and his family to join them for a week. Yesterday Siddon responded to the offer. A prepared statement was read by Wayne Hanna with Indian Affairs in Edmonton. According to Tom Siddon, he shares the objectives of the Lubicon women who want decent living conditions and a future for their children. That's why, he says, he's had a number of meetings with Chief Ominayak including one in Little Buffalo. Siddon goes on to say that on no other land claim has a Minister of Indian Affairs taken such an active, personal role. The Minister says he still wants to negotiate a deal but he's yet to hear from Chief Ominayak. He says perhaps the Lubicon women can convince their Chief to return to the table, then have a representative of the women join them in talks. Byron Christopher, CBC News, Edmonton. Henry Meanwhile Lubicon Chief Ominayak says it's up to Tom Siddon to make the next move. Ominayak says the Minister has yet to respond to the letter he sent him more than two weeks ago. The two sides are far apart on the amount of money needed to settle the claim. The Lubicons say they'll need at least $170 million to become self-sufficient. Government says it's offered the Band more than $73 million. The Indians deny that. They say the federal offer is only worth about half that. * * * * * Attachment #28: August 27, 1992, Federal Government "Media Advisory" OTTAWA (August 27, 1992) -- The Honourable Tom Siddon, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, and Chief Bernard Ominayak of the Lubicon Lake Indian Nation have agreed today, in a telephone conversation, to meet in Edmonton, on Friday, September 4, 1992. The purpose of the meeting is to resume negotiations aimed at reaching an early settlement of the Lubicon Lake Nation land claim. Details concerning the time and location of the meeting will be provided next week. Ref.: Wayne Hanna, Communications, Alberta Region (403) 495-2815 * * * * * Attachment #29: September 03, 1992, letter to the Editor of the Edmonton Journal from Federal Minister Tom Siddon LUBICON LEADERS HOLD ANSWERS -- SIDDON I felt sad when I read the testimony of the Lubicon women who appeared before the Lubicon settlement commission of review, sad because the solution to the problems which they described is in the hands of their leadership, which continues to reject it. It has always been my goal to solve the problems of the Lubicon Lake people. That is why I decided last November to work directly with Chief Bernard Ominayak to settle this matter once and for all. I went to Alberta five times this year to meet with him, including a meeting at Little Buffalo, and I thought we were making real progress. Despite our efforts, he has once more rejected a new offer, and the extensive negotiations between his representatives and mine seem to have been wasted. I remain convinced that the offer is fair. It is one of the most beneficial settlements ever offered to an aboriginal community, even better than the offer deemed appropriate by the United Nations in 1990. I am therefore perplexed by the Lubicon refusal to even discuss our proposals. I cannot insist that Ominayak talk to me, but I am more than willing to talk to him if that is what he wants. The future of the Lubicons is now in his hands. Tom Siddon, Minister, Indian Affairs and Northern Development * * * * * Attachment #30: September 03, 1992, Federal Government "Media Advisory" EDMONTON (September 3, 1992) -- The Honourable Tom Siddon, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development will meet with Chief Bernard Ominayak of the Lubicon Lake First Nation on Friday, September 4, 1992. The purpose of the meeting is to resume negotiations aimed at reaching a speedy settlement of the Lubicon Lake land claim. The meeting will be held at: Chateau Louis, Conference Center, 11727 Kingsway Avenue, Edmonton, 10:00 A.M. Ref.: Wayne Hanna * * * * * Attachment #31: September 04, 1992, Edmonton Sun article OMINAYAK TO MEET SIDDON Indian Affairs Minister Tom Siddon is slated to meet Lubicon First Nation Chief Bernard Ominayak in Edmonton today in an attempt to resolve the band's land claim. * * * * * Attachment #32: Transcript of CBC Radio News Broadcast (7:30 A.M.) Friday, September 4, 1992 Phil Henry, CBC News Talks are back on again in an attempt to resolve one of Canada's oldest land claim disputes. Chief Bernard Ominayak of the Lubicon Cree Indians of northern Alberta will meet in Edmonton this morning with Tom Siddon, Minister of Indian Affairs. The main issue is money. Ominayak and Siddon have met several times this year in an attempt to give the Lubicons a reserve. The Band was promised a reserve in 1939. * * * * * Attachment #33: Transcript of CBC Radio News Broadcast (4:30 P.M.) Friday, September 4, 1992 CBC News Krysia, you mentioned that Tom Siddon was meeting with Chief Bernard Ominayak. Is there any progress in that meeting? Krysia Jarmicka, CBC News Apparently they're stuck on the issue of Band membership. The Lubicons have been trying to settle a land claim in northern Alberta for more than 50 years, and after a meeting in Edmonton today with the Minister of Indian Affairs, Chief Bernard Ominayak says he's disappointed membership has again become an issue. Dave Cooper reports. Dave Cooper, CBC News Chief Ominayak met with Tom Siddon, the Indian Affairs Minister, for about 2 hours. The two have different opinions about whether any progress was made in an effort to settle the Lubicon land claim. Siddon says he thinks the meeting was a good one, but Ominayak doesn't see it that way. He says the two sides are at an impasse over the question of Band membership. And, Ominayak says, he thought that was settled long ago. Chief Bernard Ominayak, Lubicon Lake Indian Nation We have great difficulty in coming back to something that we had agreed to and hoped that we had overcome some years ago. Hopefully we're able to work around that, but our position is still the same -- the Lubicon people will determine who our people are. Cooper Tom Siddon says the government needs to know how many Lubicons would be covered by a land claim settlement. But he doesn't think the dispute threatens negotiations. Tom Siddon, Federal Indian Affairs Minister I don't see any difficulty in accepting the Chief's proposals on how the membership would be defined and what forms of restriction would apply. The question of numbers is one where I'm not anxious for an immediate result. I mean it's not a deal-breaker at this point. Cooper While the two sides don't agree on how much progress they've made, they have agreed to meet again in a few weeks. Dave Cooper, CBC News, Edmonton. * * * * * Attachment #34: Transcript of CKUA Radio News Broadcast (5:15 P.M.) Friday, September 4, 1992 Erin Carpenter, CKUA News Indian Affairs Minister Tom Siddon came to Edmonton today to pitch Ottawa's latest settlement offer to Alberta's Lubicon Cree Indians. It's the third round of negotiations aimed at resolving the Band's 50 year old land claim. Last month the Lubicons rejected a federal offer of $53 million. They're asking for $170 million from Ottawa and Alberta in compensation and funding for community infrastructure. Lubicon Chief Bernard Ominayak met privately with Siddon for two hours today. The two discussed the criteria for membership in the Band, but didn't reach an agreement. The two sides will meet again in the next two or three weeks. * * * * * Attachment #35: Transcript of CBC Radio News Broadcast (5:30 P.M.) Friday, September 4, 1992 Krysia Jarmicka, CBC News The Chief of the Lubicon Indians says the Band has reached an impasse in negotiations with the federal government. Bernard Ominayak met today in Edmonton with Tom Siddon, the Minister of Indian Affairs. After the meeting both said they have to resolve the issue of how many people belong to the Lubicon Band. Siddon says the issue doesn't mean a deal can't be reached. But Ominayak says he's upset the Minister has raised the issue which the Band thought was settled. Chief Bernard Ominayak, Lubicon Lake Indian Nation As far as the Lubicon people are concerned, we are the people that are going to determine our list and who our people are. It's not the government that's going to determine who our people are and aren't. Jarmicka Tom Siddon says he needs an accurate count on the number of Lubicons in order to justify any land claim settlement. Siddon and Ominayak will meet again in a few weeks. * * * * * Attachment #36: Transcript of CFRN TV News Broadcast (6:00 P.M.) Friday, September 4, 1992 Daphne Kuehn, CFRN News Another effort today to try to resolve the 50 year old Lubicon land claim ended in failure. Federal Indian Affairs Minister Tom Siddon met with Lubicon Chief Bernard Ominayak to end the disagreement. Last month the natives rejected a $73 million offer which included a 95 sq. mile reserve. Chief Bernard Ominayak, Lubicon Lake Indian Nation Hopefully we get into some serious discussions this time around, instead of playing games. I really don't have time for that any more. Tom Siddon, Federal Indian Affairs Minister I thought we understood the language of our respective views and that we were very, very close. I still believe that to be the case. Kuehn The two sides apparently are stuck on how to identify who is a member of the Lubicon Band. They will be meeting again in a few weeks time to try to resolve the remaining issues. * * * * * Attachment #37: Transcript of CP News Report (6:47 P.M.) Friday, September 04, 1992 EDMONTON (CP) Indian Affairs Minister Tom Siddon is hampering land claim talks with the Lubicon Cree by playing games says a woman who met with the Minister Friday. "He should be ashamed of his continued deceit and the political games that he plays with our future," Maggie Auger said after a group of Lubicon women met with the Minister for two hours to discuss family concerns in the 50 year old dispute. Siddon "blew his top" at one point near the end of the meeting when the women were pressing for an answer on an issue, she said. "He was disrespectful and used coarse and vulgar language with our women and elders." The women, including elders and others from the Samson Band in Hobbema, Alberta, had sought the meeting in hopes they could convince Siddon of the human costs of not settling the land claim. "It is time our Lubicon women step forward to fight for our children," said Auger, a mother of four. Siddon then spent two hours with Lubicon Chief Bernard Ominayak. No agreement was reached and most of that time was spent discussing the criteria for band membership. The membership issue was believed to have been resolved in 1988 but has been renewed because of the proposed constitutional package, which includes aboriginal self-government. Siddon said some specifics must be addressed to deal with replacing the Indian Act and moving self- government to band control. Ominayak said while both sides agree on the estimated number of 500 band members, he says it will be the Lubicon, not Ottawa, who determines criteria for band membership. There is little chance of reaching an agreement in the near future "if we're going to keep going back on agreements" already made, Ominayak said. Siddon said the band membership issue "is not a deal-breaker at this point. But there has to be a process for assessing members that I can use when I go to my Cabinet colleagues." Ominayak and Siddon agreed to meet in two to three weeks time. In July the Lubicon rejected the latest federal offer, a proposal valued by Ottawa at $73 million. * * * * * Attachment #38: Transcript of CBC TV News Broadcast (9:00 P.M.) Friday, September 4, 1992 Bob Chelmick, CBC News Another attempt today to resolve the on-going dispute between the Lubicon Indian Band and the federal government. The two sides met again in a hotel in downtown Edmonton. Indian Affairs Minister Tom Siddon was hoping to make some progress in one of Canada's oldest Native land claim disputes. Lubicon Chief Bernard Ominayak said he was less optimistic going into the meeting, and after spending the entire day in talks, Ominayak and Siddon seemed just as far apart on the issue as always. Tom Siddon, Federal Indian Affairs Minister I'm not going to read anything into our discussions today. I'm satisfied that we will be continuing to discuss one or two of the key sticking points. Chief Bernard Ominayak, Lubicon Lake Indian Nation Our position is still the same -- that the Lubicon people will determine who our people are, and that's a position that we're not going to walk away from. * * * * * Attachment #39: Transcript of ITV News Broadcast (10:00 P.M.) Friday, September 4, 1992 Gordon Steinke, ITV News More discussions today on the continuing Lubicon land claim dispute. Indian Affairs Minister Tom Siddon met once again with Lubicon Chief Bernard Ominayak in hopes of finalizing a settlement package with the federal government. Ottawa wants control of determining the number of Lubicon members, but Ominayak says that should be up to the Band. Chief Bernard Ominayak, Lubicon Lake Indian Nation Hopefully we're able to work around that. But our position is still the same -- that the Lubicon people will determine who our people are, and that's a position that we're not going to walk away from. Tom Siddon, Federal Indian Affairs Minister There has to be a process for assuring that when I go to Cabinet to seek support for a final agreement we have a fairly good estimate of how many people will be the beneficiaries of that agreement. So how we do that will be the subject of further discussion. Steinke Both sides have agreed to meet once again in two weeks time. * * * * * Attachment #40: September 22, 1992, Letter from Red Deer resident John Hamer to the Edmonton Journal TRASHING OF LUBICONS COULD LAST FOR YEARS Until there are some fundamental changes to the common law in Canada, the trashing of the Lubicons by the federal government could continue for years. The Journal editorial, An Aboriginal triumph (Aug. 22) noted that the constitutional agreement on native self-government "will not resolve the Lubicon Lake Cree land claim." Maybe we should look to the recent aboriginal land claim legislation in Australia for guidance. In June, the Australian High Court ruled that aboriginal land title could not be extinguished simply because of colonization by the British, and that land rights would now be based on the legal systems of the aboriginal people. The court observed that the denial of those rights had led to the "discriminatory denigration of indigenous inhabitants, their social organization and customs." That quotation accurately describes what the Lubicons have been fighting against for the last 17 years. It's been over two years since the UN Human Rights Committee found that the Lubicons "could not achieve effective legal redress within Canada" -- and nothing has changed. I wonder if Canada's Supreme Court will agree with Australian Justice Francis Gerard Brennan's statement that "It is imperative in today's world that the common law should neither be, nor be seen to be, frozen in an age of racial discrimination." If the UN can't help the Lubicons, and constitutional reforms won't make a difference, then maybe it's time our legal system took a long, hard look at why racist legislation is allowed to stay on the books. * * * * * Attachment #41: September 22, 1992, Letter from Edmonton resident Hermann Kirchmeir to the Edmonton Journal IT'S TIME TO STOP CHEATING THE NATIVES Owners of some 10,000 square km of land in northern Alberta, the Lubicons are willing to sell all of it except 240 square km, a reserve to secure their future. Indian Affairs Minister Tom Siddon offers to pay for it in money and services -- and $10 million worth of land. To pay with something they do not have is a century-old scam of Ottawa men bargaining for native territory. History shows that the reserves never have been, as Siddon wants us to believe, a gift from the government to the Indians; they are unceded lands, remnants of the Indian realm of old. Isn't it time for the minister to quit the shameful governmental tradition of cheating the natives, and to try something new instead like, say, dealing in good faith?