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

1.06-01.08 Union of BC Indian Chiefs Newsletter

1.06.-01 Newsletters and bulletins sub-series

May 1992

english

1.06-01.08-03.02

6

Message from the President............p. 2

Are We Ready? ..................................p. 3

Letter to the President...................p. 4

UBCIC Press Release ......................p. 5

Chief Saul Terry

Ben Paul

periodical

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  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