Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs Newsletter (May 1992)

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Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs

N E W S L E T T E R
MAY 1992

Provisional Government for Confederacy
Historic conference agrees in-principle on plan for sovereign governments
Elders, chiefs and citizens from eight tribal nations met in special assembly at Mission, B.C. on April
28-30, 1992 and agreed in-principle to establish a provisional indigenous government for a Confederacy of
Aboriginal Nations (C.A.N.).
The focus of the three-day Peoples' Assembly was a
draft constitution (Draft #3) for a Confederacy provisional
government that would have sovereign law-making powers as
given to it by the people of the indigenous nations through
their own constitution-making process in their respective
territories. Philip Paul (Saanich Nation) and Chief Steven Point
(Skowkale Band, Sto:Lo Nation) co-chaired the assembly.
Three days of open discussion and input from the
delegates resulted in Draft #4 of the constitution for the
Confederacy provisional government. No aboriginal person
was denied an opportunity to speak.
On Thursday afternoon, April 30, Chief Mike Leach
{Stl'Atl'Imx Nation) moved a resolution that Draft #4 "be
adopted in-principle for presentation to the people of our
respective nations." Chief Rose Charlie (Chehalis Band,
Sto:Lo Nation) seconded the resolution.
The resolution was amended so that Draft #5. with
notes explaining all the articles of the provisional government
constitution, will be forwarded to all indigenous nations as
soon as possible and two more conferences will be held by
September to finalize the wording.
The amended resolution was passed overwhelmingly by
the conference delegates. The vote was 54 for the resolution to
4 against. After the vote, the conference hall erupted in a
standing ovation that lasted for over five minutes.
At the end of the conference, an emotional signing
ceremony took place. While sweetgrass burned under the
provisional government flag, each delegate signed their name
on Draft #4 of the Confederacy constitution, touched the flag
and gave thanks to the Creator. The signing ceremony lasted
almost an hour.

After the assembly, Chief Saul Terry, President of the
Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, remarked that "a page has been
turned and a new chapter in our history has begun. What the
people are saying is that the status quo is not working and that
the time has come to move beyond political organizations, band
councils and tribal councils. The time has come to establish our
own governments of, by and for our peoples. The time has come
to implement our own self-government. We need to start
dealing with our issues as sovereign nations on a real
government-to-government basis. We don't need permission
from the federal or provincial governments. Our peoples just
have to do it ~ set up their governments for their nations and a
provisional government for their Confederacy and start passing
and enforcing their own laws to protect their lands and improve
Continued Page 5

SPECIAL EDITION
IN THIS ISSUE...

Message from the President

p. 2

Are We Ready?

p. 3

Letter to the President

p. 4

UBCIC Press Release

p. 5

Many of the delegates described the assembly as "the
most historic conference since the founding of the Union of
B.C. Indian Chiefs in 1969."
The three-day assembly was video-taped by the Union
of B.C. Indian Chiefs. A one-hour documentary video on the
historic conference is being produced by the Union and will be
available for distribution in June.

MAY 1992

Page 1

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT:
O u r F u t u r e is i n O u r H a n d s

O

ur future is in our hands.
How our children will live
in the future is in our hands. And
how their children will live depends
on our determination today not to
extinguish their hopes or surrender
their dreams for a few quick dollars
or a few seconds on TV.
As the original peoples in our
territories, we have the
responsibility and obligation to
protect our aboriginal title. It is our aboriginal title that protects
our rights and holds open the door to self-determination.
Our unextinguished title is the foundation and life-force
of our nationhood, whether we be Carrier, Tsilhqot'in,
Okanagan, Saanich, Wet'suwet'en, Gitksan, Nuxalk, Kwakiutl,
Stl'Atl'Imx or Sto:Lo. Nation-by-nation we remain in existence
— and this is what Canada wants to do away with. This is what
Canada wants to erase so that it will not have to deal with us on
a nation-to-nation basis. In other words, our nations'
sovereignty is a living reality but Canada wants to kill that
reality and replace it with a simple ' 'interest'' in land under
federal and provincial laws.
PEOPLES OF OUR SOVEREIGN NATIONS, we
indeed have obligations and responsibilities that extend beyond
ourselves.
Our fathers and mothers, our grandfathers and
grandmothers continue to live in the spirit and words of their
declarations, petitions and memorials. We must measure up to
their standards if we are to live, not just survive.
In recent years, we too have made statements and
commitments to the principles of our Elders. For example, the
Aboriginal Title and Rights Position Paper of the Union of
B.C. Indian Chiefs (1980); the Comprehensive Framework
Treaty proposal (1990); and now the establishment of a
confederated Provisional Government of our Sovereign
Indigenous Nations.
None of these steps was easy -- and they were not done
as a joke. These developments came about because we had to
measure up to the works of our ancestors and preserve our
original title, rights and benefits for our future generations.
Because the government is working hard to extinguish
our rights, we too must work hard to make sure that our
original title survives the government's smooth-talking plans to
kill our nations.
The government has used its "divide and rule" tactics
to splinter our nations as never before. The Union of B.C.
Indian Chiefs was the strongest Indian organization in the
country, so the government cut off its funding and divided up
the dollars for tribal councils and bands to fight over, just like
dogs scrapping in the dirt for a few bones.
Following this, the federal and provincial governments
got some aboriginal leaders to help set up a Task Force and a

Page 2

Treaty Commission in British Columbia. Under this B.C.
Treaty Commission, extinguishment of our aboriginal title
and rights will be on the table in land claims negotiations. In
other words, the existence of our aboriginal title and rights
will be negotiable: our survival as distinct peoples in our
territories will be negotiable: the inheritance of our future
generations will be up for grabs.
Finally, the federal government has draft legislation
ready to gorightnow that would dictate to us what our "selfgovernment"rightsare, no matter what eventually comes
out of the current round of constitutional talks.
So, the government's plan to kill our nations and
terminate its trust obligations is moving along on many
fronts.
PEOPLES OF OUR SOVEREIGN NATIONS, the
question is: What are we going to do about it?
Let us not be fooled by the smooth-talkers. The federal
and provincial governments will never give up any real
power without a fight. That is why, as I write this, both of
these governments are in court arguing that our aboriginal
title has already been extinguished and that whatever limited
"interests" we have are at the pleasure of the Crown and
subject to federal and provincial laws. This is the
governments' real position.
Our people have responded to the deadly plans of the
government. At an historic Special Peoples' Assembly on
April 28-30 in Mission, B.C., they approved in-principle
setting up a Provisional Government for a confederacy of our
sovereign nations - a true self-government that is going to
help us move beyond mere survival. Indeed, it will empower
us to live in a manner which we never thought possible!
I am confident that the Provisional Government will
work because the Provisional Government is WE THE
PEOPLE.
WE THE PEOPLE will preserve our decision-making
systems — our governments.
WE THE PEOPLE will preserve and enhance our
economies.
WE THE PEOPLE will improve our opportunities for
education and health.
WE THE PEOPLE will preserve our cultural and
linguistic realities.
And most importantly, WE THE PEOPLE will live in
the spiritual ways of our ancestors and Elders.
So as WE THE PEOPLE move forward in building our
own self-government, let us humbly seek guidance and
strength from our Almighty Creator. Let us place trust, honor
and respect in one another, so that we may succeed in
practicing self-determination and in protecting therightsof
our people, now and into the future.

MAY 1992

ARE W E READY N O W TO ESTABLISH A PROVISIONAL
GOVERNMENT FOR A C O N F E D E R A C Y O F O U R
SOVEREIGN INDIGENOUS NATIONS ?
OUR SELF-GOVERNMENT VISION

nations would keep their exclusive jurisdiction over their internal
affairs.

The vision of our Elders and past leaders was to
establish our own Indian (indigenous) government so that we
could protect our aboriginalrightsand exercise the inherent
powers of our Sovereign Nations. (These inherent powers,
which our Nations have never surrendered, are called sovereign
jurisdiction)

At the same time that the Confederacy provisional
Government is set up by the people of all our nations, the people
of each nation will set up their own nation governments with their
own constitutions in their territories.

Our Elders said that what we needed to do was build our
own "house" — our own "government house" — and then get
to work governing ourselves and our territories. That is how they
saw getting the Department of Indian Affairs off our backs. That
is how they saw doing away with the colonial Indian Act. That
is how they saw us going to the table to settle the Land Question:
nation-to-nation, government-to-government.

The idea of creating a Provisional Government was first
put forward by George Manuel over ten years ago. His idea was to
set up a real Indian Government at the national level to take the
place of the National Indian Brotherhood. George's thinking was
ahead of his time. We were not ready then. ARE WE READY
NOW ? ARE WE READY NOW TO MOVE BEYOND
POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS AND START OPERATING
AS REAL GOVERNMENTS ?

This is the self-government vision given to us by our
Elders. Is it not time to uphold their vision and make it a reality?

ESTABLISHING THE CONFEDERACY
THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT
CONCEPT
A Provisional Government OF, BY AND FOR OUR
PEOPLE will be the REALITY OF SELF-GOVERNMENT for
a Confederacy of Sovereign Indigenous Nations in British
Columbia.
The Confederacy Provisional Government will have
law-making powers and resources for effective law-enforcement.
It will be able to implement our nations' sovereign jurisdiction
in such areas of mutual interest as:
--

PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT

W H A T W I L L IT T A K E ?
Discussion, understanding, agreement and action by the
people in our communities.
Elders and citizens working together to inform, energize
and mobilize our people, our families, our clans.
Elders and citizens working together to establish
governments based on our inherentrightsand the sovereign lawmaking powers of our nations.

protection of graveyards and sacred sites;
-- protection of traditional territories and
resources;
-- health, education, housing, social services;
-- such other areas as our nations may direct.

The Provisional Government will respect the
sovereignty of each of our nations. The people of each of our

Acknowledgement and respect for the supremacy of
sovereign indigenous governments of, by and for our people over
all other political councils and organizations in our respective
territories.
Courage and confidence that by working together we can
succeed. We can establish our own governments and exercise our
law-making powers NOW, without going cap-in-hand to the
federal and provincial governments for permission.
Continued Page 4

MAY 1992

Page 3

ARE W E READY?
Continued

THE PLAN OF A C T I O N
1) Adopt-in-principle a draft Constitution for a
Confederacy Provisional Government at the UBCIC Special
Assembly in Mission. DONE.
2) Hold community information/discussion meetings in
our areas between now and July. UNDERWAY.
3) Come together again for another Special Assembly in
July to revise and improve the draft Constitution for the Provisional
Government.
4) Hold more community
meetings over the summer.

One of the objectives of the Provisional Government
would be to negotiate and secure block transfer of benefits on a
government-to-government basis to the member nations of the
Confederacy. Revenues for the operations of the Provisional
Government could be provided by the member nations of the
Confederacy from these benefit transfer payments orfromother
sources, as each nation deems fit.
Until such time as block benefits transfers are in place,
each member nation of the Confederacy would be responsible for
helping to resource the Provisional Government by whatever
means it chooses.

information/discussion

5) Come together again for another Special Assembly in
September to finalize wording of the draft Constitution for the
Provisional Government.
6) Submitfinaldraft ofthe Constitution for the Provisional
Government to community meetings for further discussion and
ratification.
7) After ratification ofthe Constitution for the Provisional
Government, each nation selects its representatives to the Elders'
Council and Peoples' Assembly (legislature).
8) Convene Elders' Council and Peoples' Assembly to
proclaim the establishment of the Provisional Government, select
a temporary Confederacy Grand Chief, and beginfirstlegislative
session.

Letter to the President
May 19, 1992
Dear Saul:
I do want to take this opportunity to express my sincerest
words of appreciation for all that was done on my behalf and
family. We are ever thankful for all the donations that was
given without hesitation.
Please convey this message to all Elders, Tribal Chiefs, and
Delegates for their kind consideration and thoughtfulness.

RESOURCING T H E PROVISIONAL
GOVERNMENT
Revenues required for the operations of the Provisional
Government would be obtained directlyfromthe member nations.
Each nation would determine for itself the way it would provide
the resources needed to operate the Provisional Government.
The Provisional Government would not be funded directly
by the federal or provincial governments. This insures that funding
could not be used by Canada or British Columbia as a tool to
manipulate or pressure the Provisional Government, its officers or
the member nations of the Confederacy.

Page 4

I am feeling much better now. It is hoped that all your
endeavors will be successful.
At this time I do urge all Elders, Tribal Chiefs and Delegates
to rise to the occasion and ratify the constitution of the
Provisional Government of the confederacy of sovereign
indigenous nation, so that it may all become a reality!
In conclusion I once again say thank you one and all.
Yours in Brotherhood,
Ben Paul

MAY 1992

CONFEDERACY

Continued from page 1
their lives. That's what self-government means to me. We 're government plan during the first two days of the conference.
New friends and old thank him for his important contributions
tired of just surviving. We want to live!"
at the conference and wish him a speedy recovery.
Congratulations and thanks go to the staff at St. Mary's
Copies of Draft #5 of the Constitution of the Provisional
Centre in Mission, to the Tribal Justice Institute and to the
Government of the Confederacy of Aboriginal Nations are now
UBCIC staff for the excellent job in organizing the assembly,
available from the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs offices in
the meals and Wednesday evening's entertainment event.
Vancouver and Kamloops and from most band and tribal
On a sad note, Saanich Nation elder Ben Paul was
council offices. For further information, contact UBCIC at 100stricken by a heart attack on Wednesday evening of the
73
Water Street, Vancouver, B.C., V6B 1A1, or phone: 684conference. He was rushed to hospital in Mission and then was
0231,
or FAX: 684-5726.
transferred to Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster
to open a clotted vein. He is now recovering at home.
Ben Paul was a leader of the old North American Indian
Brotherhood and, since it was founded in 1969, he has strongly
supported the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs. Ben made two
eloquent, powerful speeches endorsing the provisional

Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs
Main Floor - 73 Water Street
Vancouver, B.C. V6B 1A1
Telephone: (604) 684-0231
Fax: (604) 684-5726

PRESS

RELEASE

C O U R S E FOR PROVISIONAL C O N F E D E R A C Y G O V E R N M E N T SET:
ABORIGINAL SELF-GOVERNMENT T O BE IMPLEMENTED IN B.C. BY YEAR'S END
MISSION, B.C., April 30, 1992 ~ Elders, chiefs and citizens from aboriginal nations throughout British Columbia
concluded three days of deliberations today by adopting in-principle a constitution for a Provisional Government of a
Confederacy of Aboriginal Nations (C.A.N.). The constitution will be submitted to the people of each aboriginal nation for
discussion and revision over the next three months. The constitution will be finalized in September for ratification by the people
of each nation.
It is expected that final ratification of the constitution and establishment of the Provisional Government will take place
before the end of the year.
"The decision taken at the conference in Mission is a bold, historic step forward," declared Chief Saul Terry, President
of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs. "Our peoples know we are at a cross-roads in our history and they have decided the time
has come to freely choose the kinds of governments they wish to live under. At this historic conference the people decided to
exercise their inherent right to self-government and their sovereign authority in their respective territories. They decided that
nation governments will be established in each territory and a Confederacy will be established with a Provisional Government
to exercise authority for the mutual interest and common well-being of all our respective peoples. This decision will go down in
our peoples' history along side the founding of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs in 1969. Indeed, a page has been turned and a
new chapter in our history has begun."

-30Contact: Chief Saul Terry
(604)684-0231
MAY 1992

Page 5

CHIEFS

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Page 6

MAY 1992


Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs

NEWSLETTER



MAY 1992

Provisional Government for Confederacy

Historic conference agrees in-principle on plan for sovereign governments

Elders, chiefs and citizens from eight tribal nations met in special assembly at Mission, B.C. on April
28-30, 1992 and agreed in-principle to establish a provisional indigenous government for a Confederacy of

Aboriginal Nations (C.A.N_).

The focus of the three-day Peoples’ Assembly was a
draft constitution (Draft #3) for a Confederacy provisional
government that would have sovereign law-making powers as
given to it by the people of the indigenous nations through
their own constitution-making process in their respective
territories. Philip Paul (Saanich Nation) and Chief Steven Point
(Skowkale Band, Sto:Lo Nation) co-chaired the assembly.

Three days of open discussion and input from the
delegates resulted in Draft #4 of the constitution for the
Confederacy provisional government. No aboriginal person
was denied an opportunity to speak.

On Thursday afternoon, April 30, Chief Mike Leach
(Sil ‘Atl ’Imx Nation) moved a resolution that Draft #4 ‘‘be
adopted in-principle for presentation to the people of our
respective nations.’’ Chief Rose Charlie (Chehalis Band,
Sto:Lo Nation) seconded the resolution.

The resolution was amended so that Draft #5, with
notes explaining all the articles of the provisional government
constitution, will be forwarded to all indigenous nations as
soon as possible and two more conferences will be held by
September to finalize the wording.

The amended resolution was passed overwhelmingly by
the conference delegates. The vote was 54 for the resolution to
4 against. After the vote, the conference hall erupted in a
standing ovation that lasted for over five minutes.

At the end of the conference, an emotional signing
ceremony took place. While sweetgrass burned under the
provisional government flag, each delegate signed their name
on Draft #4 of the Confederacy constitution, touched the flag
and gave thanks to the Creator. The signing ceremony lasted
almost an hour.

Many of the delegates described the assembly as ‘‘the
most historic conference since the founding of the Union of
B.C. Indian Chiefs in 1969.”’

The three-day assembly was video-taped by the Union
of B.C. Indian Chiefs. A one-hour documentary video on the
historic conference is being produced by the Union and will be
available for distribution in June.



After the assembly, Chief Saul Terry, President of the
Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, remarked that ‘‘a page has been
turned and a new chapter in our history has begun. What the
people are saying is that the status guo is not working and that
the time has come to move beyond political organizations, band
councils and tribal councils. The time has come to establish our
own governments of, by and for our peoples. The time has come
to implement our own self-government. We need to start
dealing with our issues as sovereign nations on a real
government-to-government basis. We don’t need permission
from the federal or provincial governments. Our peoples just
have to do it -- set up their governments for their nations and a
provisional government for their Confederacy and start passing
and enforcing their own laws to protect their lands and improve

Continued Page 5

SPECIAL EDITION

IN THIS ISSUE ...





Message from the President
Are We Ready? —__ ip. 3

Letter to the President sp. 4

UBCIC Press Release pp. 5







MAY 1992

Page I

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT:
Our Future is in OQur Hands



ur future is in our hands.
How our children will live
in the future is in our hands. And

how their children will live depends
on our determination today not to
extinguish their hopes or surrender
their dreams for a few quick dollars
or a few seconds on TV.

As the original peoples in our
territories, we have the
responsibility and obligation to
protect our aboriginal title. It is our aboriginal title that protects
our rights and holds open the door to self-determination.

Our unextinguished title is the foundation and life-force
of our nationhood, whether we be Carrier, Tsilhqot’in,
Okanagan, Saanich, Wet’suwet’en, Gitksan, Nuxalk, Kwakiutl,
Stl’ Atl’Imx or Sto:Lo. Nation-by-nation we remain in existence
-- and this is what Canada wants to do away with. This is what
Canada wants to erase so that it will not have to deal with us on
a nation-to-nation basis. In other words, our nations’
sovereignty is a living reality but Canada wants to kill that
reality and replace it with a simple ‘‘interest’’ in land under
federal and provincial laws.

PEOPLES OF OUR SOVEREIGN NATIONS, we
indeed have obligations and responsibilities that extend beyond
ourselves.

Our fathers and mothers, our grandfathers and
grandmothers continue to live in the spirit and words of their
declarations, petitions and memorials. We must measure up to
their standards if we are to Jive, not just survive.

In recent years, we too have made statements and
commitments to the principles of our Elders. For example, the
Aboriginal Title and Rights Position Paper of the Union of
B.C. Indian Chiefs (1980); the Comprehensive Framework
Treaty proposal (1990); and now the establishment of a
confederated Provisional Government of our Sovereign
Indigenous Nations.

None of these steps was easy -- and they were not done
as a joke. These developments came about because we had to
measure up to the works of our ancestors and preserve our
original title, rights and benefits for our future generations.

Because the government is working hard to extinguish
our rights, we too must work hard to make sure that our
original title survives the government’s smooth-talking plans to
kill our nations.

The government has used its ‘‘divide and rule’’ tactics
to splinter our nations as never before. The Union of B.C.
Indian Chiefs was the strongest Indian organization in the
country, so the government cut off its funding and divided up
the dollars for tribal councils and bands to fight over, just like
dogs scrapping in the dirt for a few bones.

Following this, the federal and provincial governments
got some aboriginal leaders to help set up a Task Force and a



PRN *









Treaty Commission in British Columbia. Under this B.C.
Treaty Commission, extinguishment of our aboriginal title
and rights will be on the table in land claims negotiations. In
other words, the existence of our aboriginal title and rights
will be negotiable; our survival as distinct peoples in our
territories will be negotiable; the inheritance of our future
generations will be up for grabs.

Finally, the federal government has draft legislation
ready to go right now that would dictate to us what our ‘‘self-
government’”’ rights are, no matter what eventually comes
out of the current round of constitutional talks.

So, the government’s plan to kill our nations and
terminate its trust obligations is moving along on many
fronts.

PEOPLES OF OUR SOVEREIGN NATIONS, the
question is: What are we going to do about it?

Let us not be fooled by the smooth-talkers. The federal
and provincial governments will never give up any real
power without a fight. That is why, as I write this, both of
these governments are in court arguing that our aboriginal
title has already been extinguished and that whatever limited
“‘interests’’ we have are at the pleasure of the Crown and
subject to federal and provincial laws. This is the
governments’ real position.

Our people have responded to the deadly plans of the
government. At an historic Special Peoples’ Assembly on
April 28-30 in Mission, B.C., they approved in-principle
setting up a Provisional Government for a confederacy of our
sovereign nations -- a true self-government that is going to
help us move beyond mere survival. Indeed, it will empower
us to live in a manner which we never thought possible!

I am confident that the Provisional Government will
work because the Provisional Government is WE THE
PEOPLE.

WE THE PEOPLE will preserve our decision-making
systems -- our governments.

WE THE PEOPLE will preserve and enhance our
economies.

WE THE PEOPLE will improve our opportunities for
education and health.

WE THE PEOPLE will preserve our cultural and
linguistic realities.

And most importantly, WE THE PEOPLE will live in
the spiritual ways of our ancestors and Elders.

So as WE THE PEOPLE move forward in building our
own self-government, let us humbly seek guidance and
strength from our Almighty Creator. Let us place trust, honor
and respect in one another, so that we may succeed in
practicing self-determination and in protecting the rights of
our people, now and into the future.

@





|
Page 2

MAY 1992

ARE WE READY NOWTO ESTABLISH A PROVISIONAL
GOVERNMENT FOR A CONFEDERACY OF OUR
SOVEREIGN INDIGENOUS NATIONS?

OUR SELF-GOVERNMENT VISION

The vision of our Elders and past leaders was to
establish our own Indian (indigenous) government so that we
could protect our aboriginal rights and exercise the inherent
powers of our Sovereign Nations. (These inherent powers,
which our Nations have never surrendered, are called sovereign
Jurisdiction.)

Our Elders said that what we needed to do was build our
own ‘‘house’’ -- our own ‘‘government house’’ -- and then get
to work governing ourselves and our territories. That ishow they
saw getting the Department of Indian Affairs off our backs. That
is how they saw doing away with the colonial Jndian Act. That
is how they saw us going to the table to settle the Land Question:
nation-to-nation, government-to-government.

This is the self-government vision given to us by our
Elders. Is it not time to uphold their vision and make it areality?

THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT
CONCEPT
A Provisional Government OF, BY AND FOR OUR
PEOPLE will be the REALITY OF SELF-GOVERNMENT for

a Confederacy of Sovereign Indigenous Nations in British
Columbia.

The Confederacy Provisional Government will have
law-making powers and resources for effective law-enforcement.
It will be able to implement our nations’ sovereign jurisdiction
in such areas of mutual interest as:

-- protection of graveyards and sacred sites;

-- protection of traditional territories and
resources;

-- health, education, housing, social services;
-- such other areas as our nations may direct.

The Provisional Government will respect the
sovereignty of each of our nations. The people of each of our





nations would keep their exclusive jurisdiction over their internal
affairs.

At the same time that the Confederacy provisional
Government is set up by the people of all our nations. the people
of each nation will set up their own nation governments with their
own constitutions in their territories.

The idea of creating a Provisional Government was first
put forward by George Manuel over ten years ago. His idea was to
set up a real Indian Government at the national level to take the
place of the National Indian Brotherhood. George’s thinking was
ahead of his time. We were not ready then. ARE WE READY
NOW ? ARE WE READY NOW TO MOVE BEYOND
POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS AND START OPERATING
AS REAL GOVERNMENTS ?

ESTABLISHING THE CONFEDERACY
PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT

WHAT WILL IT TAKE ?

Discussion, understanding, agreement and action by the
people in our communities.

Elders and citizens working together to inform, energize
and mobilize our people, our families, our clans.

Elders and citizens working together to establish
governments based on our inherent rights and the sovereign law-
making powers of our nations.

Acknowledgement and respect for the supremacy of
sovereign indigenous governments of, by and for our people over
all other political councils and organizations in our respective
territories.

Courage and confidence that by working together we can
succeed. We can establish our own governments and exercise our
law-making powers NOW, without going cap-in-hand to the
federal and provincial governments for permission.

Continued Page 4



MAY 1992

Page 3

r
ARE WE READY?

Continued

THE PLAN OF ACTION

1) Adopt-in-principle a draft Constitution for a
Confederacy Provisional Government at the UBCIC Special
Assembly in Mission. DONE.

2) Hold community information/discussion meetings in
our areas between now and July. UNDERWAY.

3) Come together again for another Special Assembly in
July to revise and improve the draft Constitution forthe Provisional
Government.

4) Hold more community information/discussion
meetings over the summer.

5) Come together again for another Special Assembly in
September to finalize wording of the draft Constitution for the
Provisional Government.

6) Submit final draft of the Constitution forthe Provisional
Government to community meetings for further discussion and
ratification.

7) After ratification of the Constitution forthe Provisional
Government, each nation selects its representatives to the Elders’
Council and Peoples’ Assembly (legislature).

8) Convene Elders’ Council and Peoples’ Assembly to
proclaim the establishment of the Provisional Government, select
atemporary Confederacy Grand Chief, and begin first legislative
session.

RESOURCING THE PROVISIONAL
GOVERNMENT

Revenues required for the operations of the Provisional
Government would be obtained directly from the member nations.
Each nation would determine for itself the way it would provide
the resources needed to operate the Provisional Government.

The Provisional Government would not be funded directly
by the federal or provincial governments. This insures that funding
could not be used by Canada or British Columbia as a tool to
manipulate or pressure the Provisional Government, its officers or
the member nations of the Confederacy.

One of the objectives of the Provisional Government
would be to negotiate and secure block transfer of benefits on a
government-to-government basis to the member nations of the
Confederacy. Revenues for the operations of the Provisional
Government could be provided by the member nations of the
Confederacy from these benefit transfer payments or from other
sources, as each nation deems fit.

Until such time as block benefits transfers are in place,
each member nation of the Confederacy would be responsible for
helping to resource the Provisional Government by whatever
means it chooses.







Letter to the President

May 19, 1992
Dear Saul:

| do want to take this opportunity to express my sincerest
words of appreciation for all that was done on my behalf and
family. We are ever thankful for all the donations that was
given without hesitation.

Please convey this message to all Elders, Tribal Chiefs, and
Delegates for their kind consideration and thoughtfulness.

| am feeling much better now. It is hoped that all your
endeavors will be successful.

At this time | do urge all Elders, Tribal Chiefs and Delegates
to rise to the occasion and ratify the constitution of the
Provisional Government of the confederacy of sovereign
indigenous nation, so that it may all become a reality!

In conclusion | once again say thank you one and all.

Yours in Brotherhood,

Ben Paul









Page 4

MAY 1992

[=

CONFEDERACY

Continued from page |

their lives. That’s what self-government means to me. We're
tired of just surviving. We want to live!’

Congratulations and thanks go to the staff at St. Mary’s
Centre in Mission, to the Tribal Justice Institute and to the
UBCIC staff for the excellent job in organizing the assembly,
the meals and Wednesday evening’s entertainment event.

On a sad note, Saanich Nation elder Ben Paul was
stricken by a heart attack on Wednesday evening of the
conference. He was rushed to hospital in Mission and then was
transferred to Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster
to open a clotted vein. He is now recovering at home.

Ben Paul was a leader of the old North American Indian
Brotherhood and, since it was founded in 1969, he has strongly
supported the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs. Ben made two
eloquent, powerful speeches endorsing the provisional



government plan during the first two days of the conference.
New friends and old thank him for his important contributions
at the conference and wish him a speedy recovery.
Copies of Draft #5 of the Constitution of the Provisional

v. nfeder Aboriginal Nations are now
available from the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs offices in
Vancouver and Kamloops and from most band and tribal
council offices. For further information, contact UBCIC at 100-
73 Water Street, Vancouver, B.C., V6B 1A1, or phone: 684-

0231, or FAX: 684-5726.



Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs

Main Floor - 73 Water Street
Vancouver, B.C. V6B IAl
Telephone: (604) 684-0231

PRESS RELEASE

Fax: (604) 684-5726





of each nation.

before the end of the year.

new chapter in our history has begun.”’

Contact: Chief Saul Terry
(604) 684-0231



COURSE FOR PROVISIONAL CONFEDERACY GOVERNMENT SET;
ABORIGINAL SELF-GOVERNMENT TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN B.C. BY YEAR’S END

MISSION, B.C., April 30, 1992 -- Elders, chiefs and citizens from aboriginal nations throughout British Columbia
concluded three days of deliberations today by adopting in-principle a constitution for a Provisional Government of a
Confederacy of Aboriginal Nations (C.A.N.). The constitution will be submitted to the people of each aboriginal nation for
discussion and revision over the next three months. The constitution will be finalized in September for ratification by the people

It is expected that final ratification of the constitution and establishment of the Provisional Government will take place

‘*The decision taken at the conference in Mission is a bold, historic step forward,’’ declared Chief Saul Terry, President
of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs. ‘“Our peoples know we are at a cross-roads in our history and they have decided the time
has come to freely choose the kinds of governments they wish to live under. At this historic conference the people decided to
exercise their inherent right to self-government and their sovereign authority in their respective territories. They decided that
nation governments will be established in each territory and a Confederacy will be established with a Provisional Government
to exercise authority for the mutual interest and common well-being of all our respective peoples. This decision will go down in
our peoples’ history along side the founding of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs in 1969. Indeed, a page has been turned and a

-30-









=
MAY 1992

Page 5

CHIEFSMASK BOOKS TORE

CHIEFS MASK

An Indian owned and operated = 73 Water Street,
Indian Bookstore. Vancouver, B.C.

A non-profit organization owned by . Canada, V6B 1A1
the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs. . Tel: (604) 687-4100

Fax: (604) 684-5726



We presently carry 700

Native titles and we do
mail orders world-wide!
Call, order or write

today.

NOW AVAILABLE

Two Annotated Bibliography's
Edited by Renae Richards

An Annotated Bibliography Concerning Government, Land Claims, Law
and Related Issues And An Annotated Bibliography About Children's
Books, Teaching Aids and Books for Educators Available for $4.50 Each.

J3NUOlLSHWOOSdR WSWWSATRIHNH













Page 6

MAY 1992


Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs

N E W S L E T T E R
MAY 1992

Provisional Government for Confederacy
Historic conference agrees in-principle on plan for sovereign governments
Elders, chiefs and citizens from eight tribal nations met in special assembly at Mission, B.C. on April
28-30, 1992 and agreed in-principle to establish a provisional indigenous government for a Confederacy of
Aboriginal Nations (C.A.N.).
The focus of the three-day Peoples' Assembly was a
draft constitution (Draft #3) for a Confederacy provisional
government that would have sovereign law-making powers as
given to it by the people of the indigenous nations through
their own constitution-making process in their respective
territories. Philip Paul (Saanich Nation) and Chief Steven Point
(Skowkale Band, Sto:Lo Nation) co-chaired the assembly.
Three days of open discussion and input from the
delegates resulted in Draft #4 of the constitution for the
Confederacy provisional government. No aboriginal person
was denied an opportunity to speak.
On Thursday afternoon, April 30, Chief Mike Leach
{Stl'Atl'Imx Nation) moved a resolution that Draft #4 "be
adopted in-principle for presentation to the people of our
respective nations." Chief Rose Charlie (Chehalis Band,
Sto:Lo Nation) seconded the resolution.
The resolution was amended so that Draft #5. with
notes explaining all the articles of the provisional government
constitution, will be forwarded to all indigenous nations as
soon as possible and two more conferences will be held by
September to finalize the wording.
The amended resolution was passed overwhelmingly by
the conference delegates. The vote was 54 for the resolution to
4 against. After the vote, the conference hall erupted in a
standing ovation that lasted for over five minutes.
At the end of the conference, an emotional signing
ceremony took place. While sweetgrass burned under the
provisional government flag, each delegate signed their name
on Draft #4 of the Confederacy constitution, touched the flag
and gave thanks to the Creator. The signing ceremony lasted
almost an hour.

After the assembly, Chief Saul Terry, President of the
Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, remarked that "a page has been
turned and a new chapter in our history has begun. What the
people are saying is that the status quo is not working and that
the time has come to move beyond political organizations, band
councils and tribal councils. The time has come to establish our
own governments of, by and for our peoples. The time has come
to implement our own self-government. We need to start
dealing with our issues as sovereign nations on a real
government-to-government basis. We don't need permission
from the federal or provincial governments. Our peoples just
have to do it ~ set up their governments for their nations and a
provisional government for their Confederacy and start passing
and enforcing their own laws to protect their lands and improve
Continued Page 5

SPECIAL EDITION
IN THIS ISSUE...

Message from the President

p. 2

Are We Ready?

p. 3

Letter to the President

p. 4

UBCIC Press Release

p. 5

Many of the delegates described the assembly as "the
most historic conference since the founding of the Union of
B.C. Indian Chiefs in 1969."
The three-day assembly was video-taped by the Union
of B.C. Indian Chiefs. A one-hour documentary video on the
historic conference is being produced by the Union and will be
available for distribution in June.

MAY 1992

Page 1

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT:
O u r F u t u r e is i n O u r H a n d s

O

ur future is in our hands.
How our children will live
in the future is in our hands. And
how their children will live depends
on our determination today not to
extinguish their hopes or surrender
their dreams for a few quick dollars
or a few seconds on TV.
As the original peoples in our
territories, we have the
responsibility and obligation to
protect our aboriginal title. It is our aboriginal title that protects
our rights and holds open the door to self-determination.
Our unextinguished title is the foundation and life-force
of our nationhood, whether we be Carrier, Tsilhqot'in,
Okanagan, Saanich, Wet'suwet'en, Gitksan, Nuxalk, Kwakiutl,
Stl'Atl'Imx or Sto:Lo. Nation-by-nation we remain in existence
— and this is what Canada wants to do away with. This is what
Canada wants to erase so that it will not have to deal with us on
a nation-to-nation basis. In other words, our nations'
sovereignty is a living reality but Canada wants to kill that
reality and replace it with a simple ' 'interest'' in land under
federal and provincial laws.
PEOPLES OF OUR SOVEREIGN NATIONS, we
indeed have obligations and responsibilities that extend beyond
ourselves.
Our fathers and mothers, our grandfathers and
grandmothers continue to live in the spirit and words of their
declarations, petitions and memorials. We must measure up to
their standards if we are to live, not just survive.
In recent years, we too have made statements and
commitments to the principles of our Elders. For example, the
Aboriginal Title and Rights Position Paper of the Union of
B.C. Indian Chiefs (1980); the Comprehensive Framework
Treaty proposal (1990); and now the establishment of a
confederated Provisional Government of our Sovereign
Indigenous Nations.
None of these steps was easy -- and they were not done
as a joke. These developments came about because we had to
measure up to the works of our ancestors and preserve our
original title, rights and benefits for our future generations.
Because the government is working hard to extinguish
our rights, we too must work hard to make sure that our
original title survives the government's smooth-talking plans to
kill our nations.
The government has used its "divide and rule" tactics
to splinter our nations as never before. The Union of B.C.
Indian Chiefs was the strongest Indian organization in the
country, so the government cut off its funding and divided up
the dollars for tribal councils and bands to fight over, just like
dogs scrapping in the dirt for a few bones.
Following this, the federal and provincial governments
got some aboriginal leaders to help set up a Task Force and a

Page 2

Treaty Commission in British Columbia. Under this B.C.
Treaty Commission, extinguishment of our aboriginal title
and rights will be on the table in land claims negotiations. In
other words, the existence of our aboriginal title and rights
will be negotiable: our survival as distinct peoples in our
territories will be negotiable: the inheritance of our future
generations will be up for grabs.
Finally, the federal government has draft legislation
ready to gorightnow that would dictate to us what our "selfgovernment"rightsare, no matter what eventually comes
out of the current round of constitutional talks.
So, the government's plan to kill our nations and
terminate its trust obligations is moving along on many
fronts.
PEOPLES OF OUR SOVEREIGN NATIONS, the
question is: What are we going to do about it?
Let us not be fooled by the smooth-talkers. The federal
and provincial governments will never give up any real
power without a fight. That is why, as I write this, both of
these governments are in court arguing that our aboriginal
title has already been extinguished and that whatever limited
"interests" we have are at the pleasure of the Crown and
subject to federal and provincial laws. This is the
governments' real position.
Our people have responded to the deadly plans of the
government. At an historic Special Peoples' Assembly on
April 28-30 in Mission, B.C., they approved in-principle
setting up a Provisional Government for a confederacy of our
sovereign nations - a true self-government that is going to
help us move beyond mere survival. Indeed, it will empower
us to live in a manner which we never thought possible!
I am confident that the Provisional Government will
work because the Provisional Government is WE THE
PEOPLE.
WE THE PEOPLE will preserve our decision-making
systems — our governments.
WE THE PEOPLE will preserve and enhance our
economies.
WE THE PEOPLE will improve our opportunities for
education and health.
WE THE PEOPLE will preserve our cultural and
linguistic realities.
And most importantly, WE THE PEOPLE will live in
the spiritual ways of our ancestors and Elders.
So as WE THE PEOPLE move forward in building our
own self-government, let us humbly seek guidance and
strength from our Almighty Creator. Let us place trust, honor
and respect in one another, so that we may succeed in
practicing self-determination and in protecting therightsof
our people, now and into the future.

MAY 1992

ARE W E READY N O W TO ESTABLISH A PROVISIONAL
GOVERNMENT FOR A C O N F E D E R A C Y O F O U R
SOVEREIGN INDIGENOUS NATIONS ?
OUR SELF-GOVERNMENT VISION

nations would keep their exclusive jurisdiction over their internal
affairs.

The vision of our Elders and past leaders was to
establish our own Indian (indigenous) government so that we
could protect our aboriginalrightsand exercise the inherent
powers of our Sovereign Nations. (These inherent powers,
which our Nations have never surrendered, are called sovereign
jurisdiction)

At the same time that the Confederacy provisional
Government is set up by the people of all our nations, the people
of each nation will set up their own nation governments with their
own constitutions in their territories.

Our Elders said that what we needed to do was build our
own "house" — our own "government house" — and then get
to work governing ourselves and our territories. That is how they
saw getting the Department of Indian Affairs off our backs. That
is how they saw doing away with the colonial Indian Act. That
is how they saw us going to the table to settle the Land Question:
nation-to-nation, government-to-government.

The idea of creating a Provisional Government was first
put forward by George Manuel over ten years ago. His idea was to
set up a real Indian Government at the national level to take the
place of the National Indian Brotherhood. George's thinking was
ahead of his time. We were not ready then. ARE WE READY
NOW ? ARE WE READY NOW TO MOVE BEYOND
POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS AND START OPERATING
AS REAL GOVERNMENTS ?

This is the self-government vision given to us by our
Elders. Is it not time to uphold their vision and make it a reality?

ESTABLISHING THE CONFEDERACY
THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT
CONCEPT
A Provisional Government OF, BY AND FOR OUR
PEOPLE will be the REALITY OF SELF-GOVERNMENT for
a Confederacy of Sovereign Indigenous Nations in British
Columbia.
The Confederacy Provisional Government will have
law-making powers and resources for effective law-enforcement.
It will be able to implement our nations' sovereign jurisdiction
in such areas of mutual interest as:
--

PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT

W H A T W I L L IT T A K E ?
Discussion, understanding, agreement and action by the
people in our communities.
Elders and citizens working together to inform, energize
and mobilize our people, our families, our clans.
Elders and citizens working together to establish
governments based on our inherentrightsand the sovereign lawmaking powers of our nations.

protection of graveyards and sacred sites;
-- protection of traditional territories and
resources;
-- health, education, housing, social services;
-- such other areas as our nations may direct.

The Provisional Government will respect the
sovereignty of each of our nations. The people of each of our

Acknowledgement and respect for the supremacy of
sovereign indigenous governments of, by and for our people over
all other political councils and organizations in our respective
territories.
Courage and confidence that by working together we can
succeed. We can establish our own governments and exercise our
law-making powers NOW, without going cap-in-hand to the
federal and provincial governments for permission.
Continued Page 4

MAY 1992

Page 3

ARE W E READY?
Continued

THE PLAN OF A C T I O N
1) Adopt-in-principle a draft Constitution for a
Confederacy Provisional Government at the UBCIC Special
Assembly in Mission. DONE.
2) Hold community information/discussion meetings in
our areas between now and July. UNDERWAY.
3) Come together again for another Special Assembly in
July to revise and improve the draft Constitution for the Provisional
Government.
4) Hold more community
meetings over the summer.

One of the objectives of the Provisional Government
would be to negotiate and secure block transfer of benefits on a
government-to-government basis to the member nations of the
Confederacy. Revenues for the operations of the Provisional
Government could be provided by the member nations of the
Confederacy from these benefit transfer payments orfromother
sources, as each nation deems fit.
Until such time as block benefits transfers are in place,
each member nation of the Confederacy would be responsible for
helping to resource the Provisional Government by whatever
means it chooses.

information/discussion

5) Come together again for another Special Assembly in
September to finalize wording of the draft Constitution for the
Provisional Government.
6) Submitfinaldraft ofthe Constitution for the Provisional
Government to community meetings for further discussion and
ratification.
7) After ratification ofthe Constitution for the Provisional
Government, each nation selects its representatives to the Elders'
Council and Peoples' Assembly (legislature).
8) Convene Elders' Council and Peoples' Assembly to
proclaim the establishment of the Provisional Government, select
a temporary Confederacy Grand Chief, and beginfirstlegislative
session.

Letter to the President
May 19, 1992
Dear Saul:
I do want to take this opportunity to express my sincerest
words of appreciation for all that was done on my behalf and
family. We are ever thankful for all the donations that was
given without hesitation.
Please convey this message to all Elders, Tribal Chiefs, and
Delegates for their kind consideration and thoughtfulness.

RESOURCING T H E PROVISIONAL
GOVERNMENT
Revenues required for the operations of the Provisional
Government would be obtained directlyfromthe member nations.
Each nation would determine for itself the way it would provide
the resources needed to operate the Provisional Government.
The Provisional Government would not be funded directly
by the federal or provincial governments. This insures that funding
could not be used by Canada or British Columbia as a tool to
manipulate or pressure the Provisional Government, its officers or
the member nations of the Confederacy.

Page 4

I am feeling much better now. It is hoped that all your
endeavors will be successful.
At this time I do urge all Elders, Tribal Chiefs and Delegates
to rise to the occasion and ratify the constitution of the
Provisional Government of the confederacy of sovereign
indigenous nation, so that it may all become a reality!
In conclusion I once again say thank you one and all.
Yours in Brotherhood,
Ben Paul

MAY 1992

CONFEDERACY

Continued from page 1
their lives. That's what self-government means to me. We 're government plan during the first two days of the conference.
New friends and old thank him for his important contributions
tired of just surviving. We want to live!"
at the conference and wish him a speedy recovery.
Congratulations and thanks go to the staff at St. Mary's
Copies of Draft #5 of the Constitution of the Provisional
Centre in Mission, to the Tribal Justice Institute and to the
Government of the Confederacy of Aboriginal Nations are now
UBCIC staff for the excellent job in organizing the assembly,
available from the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs offices in
the meals and Wednesday evening's entertainment event.
Vancouver and Kamloops and from most band and tribal
On a sad note, Saanich Nation elder Ben Paul was
council offices. For further information, contact UBCIC at 100stricken by a heart attack on Wednesday evening of the
73
Water Street, Vancouver, B.C., V6B 1A1, or phone: 684conference. He was rushed to hospital in Mission and then was
0231,
or FAX: 684-5726.
transferred to Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster
to open a clotted vein. He is now recovering at home.
Ben Paul was a leader of the old North American Indian
Brotherhood and, since it was founded in 1969, he has strongly
supported the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs. Ben made two
eloquent, powerful speeches endorsing the provisional

Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs
Main Floor - 73 Water Street
Vancouver, B.C. V6B 1A1
Telephone: (604) 684-0231
Fax: (604) 684-5726

PRESS

RELEASE

C O U R S E FOR PROVISIONAL C O N F E D E R A C Y G O V E R N M E N T SET:
ABORIGINAL SELF-GOVERNMENT T O BE IMPLEMENTED IN B.C. BY YEAR'S END
MISSION, B.C., April 30, 1992 ~ Elders, chiefs and citizens from aboriginal nations throughout British Columbia
concluded three days of deliberations today by adopting in-principle a constitution for a Provisional Government of a
Confederacy of Aboriginal Nations (C.A.N.). The constitution will be submitted to the people of each aboriginal nation for
discussion and revision over the next three months. The constitution will be finalized in September for ratification by the people
of each nation.
It is expected that final ratification of the constitution and establishment of the Provisional Government will take place
before the end of the year.
"The decision taken at the conference in Mission is a bold, historic step forward," declared Chief Saul Terry, President
of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs. "Our peoples know we are at a cross-roads in our history and they have decided the time
has come to freely choose the kinds of governments they wish to live under. At this historic conference the people decided to
exercise their inherent right to self-government and their sovereign authority in their respective territories. They decided that
nation governments will be established in each territory and a Confederacy will be established with a Provisional Government
to exercise authority for the mutual interest and common well-being of all our respective peoples. This decision will go down in
our peoples' history along side the founding of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs in 1969. Indeed, a page has been turned and a
new chapter in our history has begun."

-30Contact: Chief Saul Terry
(604)684-0231
MAY 1992

Page 5

CHIEFS

M A S K

An Indian owned and operated
Indian Bookstore.
A non-profit organization owned by
the Union of B .C. Indian Chiefs.

We presently
Native titles
mail orders
Call, order
today.

73 Water Street,
Vancouver, B.C.
Canada, V6B 1A1
Tel: (604) 687-4100
Fax: (604) 684-5726

carry 700
and we do
world-wide!
or write

NOWAVAILABLE
Two Annotated Bibliography's
Edited by Renae Richards

An Annotated Bibliography Concerning Government, Land Claims, Law
and Related Issues And An Annotated Bibliography About Children's
Books, Teaching Aids and Books for Educators Available for $4.50 Each.

i

Page 6

MAY 1992


Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs

NEWSLETTER



MAY 1992

Provisional Government for Confederacy

Historic conference agrees in-principle on plan for sovereign governments

Elders, chiefs and citizens from eight tribal nations met in special assembly at Mission, B.C. on April
28-30, 1992 and agreed in-principle to establish a provisional indigenous government for a Confederacy of

Aboriginal Nations (C.A.N_).

The focus of the three-day Peoples’ Assembly was a
draft constitution (Draft #3) for a Confederacy provisional
government that would have sovereign law-making powers as
given to it by the people of the indigenous nations through
their own constitution-making process in their respective
territories. Philip Paul (Saanich Nation) and Chief Steven Point
(Skowkale Band, Sto:Lo Nation) co-chaired the assembly.

Three days of open discussion and input from the
delegates resulted in Draft #4 of the constitution for the
Confederacy provisional government. No aboriginal person
was denied an opportunity to speak.

On Thursday afternoon, April 30, Chief Mike Leach
(Sil ‘Atl ’Imx Nation) moved a resolution that Draft #4 ‘‘be
adopted in-principle for presentation to the people of our
respective nations.’’ Chief Rose Charlie (Chehalis Band,
Sto:Lo Nation) seconded the resolution.

The resolution was amended so that Draft #5, with
notes explaining all the articles of the provisional government
constitution, will be forwarded to all indigenous nations as
soon as possible and two more conferences will be held by
September to finalize the wording.

The amended resolution was passed overwhelmingly by
the conference delegates. The vote was 54 for the resolution to
4 against. After the vote, the conference hall erupted in a
standing ovation that lasted for over five minutes.

At the end of the conference, an emotional signing
ceremony took place. While sweetgrass burned under the
provisional government flag, each delegate signed their name
on Draft #4 of the Confederacy constitution, touched the flag
and gave thanks to the Creator. The signing ceremony lasted
almost an hour.

Many of the delegates described the assembly as ‘‘the
most historic conference since the founding of the Union of
B.C. Indian Chiefs in 1969.”’

The three-day assembly was video-taped by the Union
of B.C. Indian Chiefs. A one-hour documentary video on the
historic conference is being produced by the Union and will be
available for distribution in June.



After the assembly, Chief Saul Terry, President of the
Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, remarked that ‘‘a page has been
turned and a new chapter in our history has begun. What the
people are saying is that the status guo is not working and that
the time has come to move beyond political organizations, band
councils and tribal councils. The time has come to establish our
own governments of, by and for our peoples. The time has come
to implement our own self-government. We need to start
dealing with our issues as sovereign nations on a real
government-to-government basis. We don’t need permission
from the federal or provincial governments. Our peoples just
have to do it -- set up their governments for their nations and a
provisional government for their Confederacy and start passing
and enforcing their own laws to protect their lands and improve

Continued Page 5

SPECIAL EDITION

IN THIS ISSUE ...





Message from the President
Are We Ready? —__ ip. 3

Letter to the President sp. 4

UBCIC Press Release pp. 5







MAY 1992

Page I

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT:
Our Future is in OQur Hands



ur future is in our hands.
How our children will live
in the future is in our hands. And

how their children will live depends
on our determination today not to
extinguish their hopes or surrender
their dreams for a few quick dollars
or a few seconds on TV.

As the original peoples in our
territories, we have the
responsibility and obligation to
protect our aboriginal title. It is our aboriginal title that protects
our rights and holds open the door to self-determination.

Our unextinguished title is the foundation and life-force
of our nationhood, whether we be Carrier, Tsilhqot’in,
Okanagan, Saanich, Wet’suwet’en, Gitksan, Nuxalk, Kwakiutl,
Stl’ Atl’Imx or Sto:Lo. Nation-by-nation we remain in existence
-- and this is what Canada wants to do away with. This is what
Canada wants to erase so that it will not have to deal with us on
a nation-to-nation basis. In other words, our nations’
sovereignty is a living reality but Canada wants to kill that
reality and replace it with a simple ‘‘interest’’ in land under
federal and provincial laws.

PEOPLES OF OUR SOVEREIGN NATIONS, we
indeed have obligations and responsibilities that extend beyond
ourselves.

Our fathers and mothers, our grandfathers and
grandmothers continue to live in the spirit and words of their
declarations, petitions and memorials. We must measure up to
their standards if we are to Jive, not just survive.

In recent years, we too have made statements and
commitments to the principles of our Elders. For example, the
Aboriginal Title and Rights Position Paper of the Union of
B.C. Indian Chiefs (1980); the Comprehensive Framework
Treaty proposal (1990); and now the establishment of a
confederated Provisional Government of our Sovereign
Indigenous Nations.

None of these steps was easy -- and they were not done
as a joke. These developments came about because we had to
measure up to the works of our ancestors and preserve our
original title, rights and benefits for our future generations.

Because the government is working hard to extinguish
our rights, we too must work hard to make sure that our
original title survives the government’s smooth-talking plans to
kill our nations.

The government has used its ‘‘divide and rule’’ tactics
to splinter our nations as never before. The Union of B.C.
Indian Chiefs was the strongest Indian organization in the
country, so the government cut off its funding and divided up
the dollars for tribal councils and bands to fight over, just like
dogs scrapping in the dirt for a few bones.

Following this, the federal and provincial governments
got some aboriginal leaders to help set up a Task Force and a



PRN *









Treaty Commission in British Columbia. Under this B.C.
Treaty Commission, extinguishment of our aboriginal title
and rights will be on the table in land claims negotiations. In
other words, the existence of our aboriginal title and rights
will be negotiable; our survival as distinct peoples in our
territories will be negotiable; the inheritance of our future
generations will be up for grabs.

Finally, the federal government has draft legislation
ready to go right now that would dictate to us what our ‘‘self-
government’”’ rights are, no matter what eventually comes
out of the current round of constitutional talks.

So, the government’s plan to kill our nations and
terminate its trust obligations is moving along on many
fronts.

PEOPLES OF OUR SOVEREIGN NATIONS, the
question is: What are we going to do about it?

Let us not be fooled by the smooth-talkers. The federal
and provincial governments will never give up any real
power without a fight. That is why, as I write this, both of
these governments are in court arguing that our aboriginal
title has already been extinguished and that whatever limited
“‘interests’’ we have are at the pleasure of the Crown and
subject to federal and provincial laws. This is the
governments’ real position.

Our people have responded to the deadly plans of the
government. At an historic Special Peoples’ Assembly on
April 28-30 in Mission, B.C., they approved in-principle
setting up a Provisional Government for a confederacy of our
sovereign nations -- a true self-government that is going to
help us move beyond mere survival. Indeed, it will empower
us to live in a manner which we never thought possible!

I am confident that the Provisional Government will
work because the Provisional Government is WE THE
PEOPLE.

WE THE PEOPLE will preserve our decision-making
systems -- our governments.

WE THE PEOPLE will preserve and enhance our
economies.

WE THE PEOPLE will improve our opportunities for
education and health.

WE THE PEOPLE will preserve our cultural and
linguistic realities.

And most importantly, WE THE PEOPLE will live in
the spiritual ways of our ancestors and Elders.

So as WE THE PEOPLE move forward in building our
own self-government, let us humbly seek guidance and
strength from our Almighty Creator. Let us place trust, honor
and respect in one another, so that we may succeed in
practicing self-determination and in protecting the rights of
our people, now and into the future.

@





|
Page 2

MAY 1992

ARE WE READY NOWTO ESTABLISH A PROVISIONAL
GOVERNMENT FOR A CONFEDERACY OF OUR
SOVEREIGN INDIGENOUS NATIONS?

OUR SELF-GOVERNMENT VISION

The vision of our Elders and past leaders was to
establish our own Indian (indigenous) government so that we
could protect our aboriginal rights and exercise the inherent
powers of our Sovereign Nations. (These inherent powers,
which our Nations have never surrendered, are called sovereign
Jurisdiction.)

Our Elders said that what we needed to do was build our
own ‘‘house’’ -- our own ‘‘government house’’ -- and then get
to work governing ourselves and our territories. That ishow they
saw getting the Department of Indian Affairs off our backs. That
is how they saw doing away with the colonial Jndian Act. That
is how they saw us going to the table to settle the Land Question:
nation-to-nation, government-to-government.

This is the self-government vision given to us by our
Elders. Is it not time to uphold their vision and make it areality?

THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT
CONCEPT
A Provisional Government OF, BY AND FOR OUR
PEOPLE will be the REALITY OF SELF-GOVERNMENT for

a Confederacy of Sovereign Indigenous Nations in British
Columbia.

The Confederacy Provisional Government will have
law-making powers and resources for effective law-enforcement.
It will be able to implement our nations’ sovereign jurisdiction
in such areas of mutual interest as:

-- protection of graveyards and sacred sites;

-- protection of traditional territories and
resources;

-- health, education, housing, social services;
-- such other areas as our nations may direct.

The Provisional Government will respect the
sovereignty of each of our nations. The people of each of our





nations would keep their exclusive jurisdiction over their internal
affairs.

At the same time that the Confederacy provisional
Government is set up by the people of all our nations. the people
of each nation will set up their own nation governments with their
own constitutions in their territories.

The idea of creating a Provisional Government was first
put forward by George Manuel over ten years ago. His idea was to
set up a real Indian Government at the national level to take the
place of the National Indian Brotherhood. George’s thinking was
ahead of his time. We were not ready then. ARE WE READY
NOW ? ARE WE READY NOW TO MOVE BEYOND
POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS AND START OPERATING
AS REAL GOVERNMENTS ?

ESTABLISHING THE CONFEDERACY
PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT

WHAT WILL IT TAKE ?

Discussion, understanding, agreement and action by the
people in our communities.

Elders and citizens working together to inform, energize
and mobilize our people, our families, our clans.

Elders and citizens working together to establish
governments based on our inherent rights and the sovereign law-
making powers of our nations.

Acknowledgement and respect for the supremacy of
sovereign indigenous governments of, by and for our people over
all other political councils and organizations in our respective
territories.

Courage and confidence that by working together we can
succeed. We can establish our own governments and exercise our
law-making powers NOW, without going cap-in-hand to the
federal and provincial governments for permission.

Continued Page 4



MAY 1992

Page 3

r
ARE WE READY?

Continued

THE PLAN OF ACTION

1) Adopt-in-principle a draft Constitution for a
Confederacy Provisional Government at the UBCIC Special
Assembly in Mission. DONE.

2) Hold community information/discussion meetings in
our areas between now and July. UNDERWAY.

3) Come together again for another Special Assembly in
July to revise and improve the draft Constitution forthe Provisional
Government.

4) Hold more community information/discussion
meetings over the summer.

5) Come together again for another Special Assembly in
September to finalize wording of the draft Constitution for the
Provisional Government.

6) Submit final draft of the Constitution forthe Provisional
Government to community meetings for further discussion and
ratification.

7) After ratification of the Constitution forthe Provisional
Government, each nation selects its representatives to the Elders’
Council and Peoples’ Assembly (legislature).

8) Convene Elders’ Council and Peoples’ Assembly to
proclaim the establishment of the Provisional Government, select
atemporary Confederacy Grand Chief, and begin first legislative
session.

RESOURCING THE PROVISIONAL
GOVERNMENT

Revenues required for the operations of the Provisional
Government would be obtained directly from the member nations.
Each nation would determine for itself the way it would provide
the resources needed to operate the Provisional Government.

The Provisional Government would not be funded directly
by the federal or provincial governments. This insures that funding
could not be used by Canada or British Columbia as a tool to
manipulate or pressure the Provisional Government, its officers or
the member nations of the Confederacy.

One of the objectives of the Provisional Government
would be to negotiate and secure block transfer of benefits on a
government-to-government basis to the member nations of the
Confederacy. Revenues for the operations of the Provisional
Government could be provided by the member nations of the
Confederacy from these benefit transfer payments or from other
sources, as each nation deems fit.

Until such time as block benefits transfers are in place,
each member nation of the Confederacy would be responsible for
helping to resource the Provisional Government by whatever
means it chooses.







Letter to the President

May 19, 1992
Dear Saul:

| do want to take this opportunity to express my sincerest
words of appreciation for all that was done on my behalf and
family. We are ever thankful for all the donations that was
given without hesitation.

Please convey this message to all Elders, Tribal Chiefs, and
Delegates for their kind consideration and thoughtfulness.

| am feeling much better now. It is hoped that all your
endeavors will be successful.

At this time | do urge all Elders, Tribal Chiefs and Delegates
to rise to the occasion and ratify the constitution of the
Provisional Government of the confederacy of sovereign
indigenous nation, so that it may all become a reality!

In conclusion | once again say thank you one and all.

Yours in Brotherhood,

Ben Paul









Page 4

MAY 1992

[=

CONFEDERACY

Continued from page |

their lives. That’s what self-government means to me. We're
tired of just surviving. We want to live!’

Congratulations and thanks go to the staff at St. Mary’s
Centre in Mission, to the Tribal Justice Institute and to the
UBCIC staff for the excellent job in organizing the assembly,
the meals and Wednesday evening’s entertainment event.

On a sad note, Saanich Nation elder Ben Paul was
stricken by a heart attack on Wednesday evening of the
conference. He was rushed to hospital in Mission and then was
transferred to Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster
to open a clotted vein. He is now recovering at home.

Ben Paul was a leader of the old North American Indian
Brotherhood and, since it was founded in 1969, he has strongly
supported the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs. Ben made two
eloquent, powerful speeches endorsing the provisional



government plan during the first two days of the conference.
New friends and old thank him for his important contributions
at the conference and wish him a speedy recovery.
Copies of Draft #5 of the Constitution of the Provisional

v. nfeder Aboriginal Nations are now
available from the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs offices in
Vancouver and Kamloops and from most band and tribal
council offices. For further information, contact UBCIC at 100-
73 Water Street, Vancouver, B.C., V6B 1A1, or phone: 684-

0231, or FAX: 684-5726.



Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs

Main Floor - 73 Water Street
Vancouver, B.C. V6B IAl
Telephone: (604) 684-0231

PRESS RELEASE

Fax: (604) 684-5726





of each nation.

before the end of the year.

new chapter in our history has begun.”’

Contact: Chief Saul Terry
(604) 684-0231



COURSE FOR PROVISIONAL CONFEDERACY GOVERNMENT SET;
ABORIGINAL SELF-GOVERNMENT TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN B.C. BY YEAR’S END

MISSION, B.C., April 30, 1992 -- Elders, chiefs and citizens from aboriginal nations throughout British Columbia
concluded three days of deliberations today by adopting in-principle a constitution for a Provisional Government of a
Confederacy of Aboriginal Nations (C.A.N.). The constitution will be submitted to the people of each aboriginal nation for
discussion and revision over the next three months. The constitution will be finalized in September for ratification by the people

It is expected that final ratification of the constitution and establishment of the Provisional Government will take place

‘*The decision taken at the conference in Mission is a bold, historic step forward,’’ declared Chief Saul Terry, President
of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs. ‘“Our peoples know we are at a cross-roads in our history and they have decided the time
has come to freely choose the kinds of governments they wish to live under. At this historic conference the people decided to
exercise their inherent right to self-government and their sovereign authority in their respective territories. They decided that
nation governments will be established in each territory and a Confederacy will be established with a Provisional Government
to exercise authority for the mutual interest and common well-being of all our respective peoples. This decision will go down in
our peoples’ history along side the founding of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs in 1969. Indeed, a page has been turned and a

-30-









=
MAY 1992

Page 5

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Fax: (604) 684-5726



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Page 6

MAY 1992