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magazine / apr08 / indepth
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Landmark land settlement
Canada’s first modern, urban treaty gives the Tsawwassen First Nation control of its land and the chance at a prosperous future
Treaty talk
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| Photo courtesy TFN |
"It is fundamental that we regain our land, that’s what our treaty-making is all about."
— Kim Baird, Tsawwassen Chief |
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| Photo: Marina Dodis |
"I believe strongly in the just reconciliation of the land question, but I don’t believe [this] process does it."
— Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, President of British Columbia Indian Chiefs |
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| Photo: Marina Dodis |
"How do we get along with the governments [when] we’ve been so oppressed?"
— Russell Williams, Tsawwassen elder |
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| Photo courtesy TFN |
"People that have journeyed in our canoes, sang our songs, hunted in our territories, taught our young and learned from our elders have worked on the treaty. This will be a Tsawwassen government of Tsawwassen people with Tsawwassen values."
— Andrew Bak, Tsawwassen councillor, community meeting July 7, 2007. |
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| Photo courtesy TFN |
"We should be more afraid of nothing happening. That’s what I’m scared of - leaving things this way for the next generation. I want it to be better for our kids. That’s my vision."
— Ruth Adams, Tsawwassen elder |
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| Photo courtesy House of Commons |
"This treaty will provide you with the tools and authority to take control of your own future."
— Jim Prentice, former Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, at the treaty signing Dec. 2006
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| Photo: Marina Dodis |
"There’s all this pretty talk about revenue and development but how is that going to benefit us as individuals?"
— Bertha Williams, Tsawwassen band member |
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| Photo courtesy of the City of Richmond |
"Overall, the Delta Port and Tsawwassen development will remove 1,000 acres of upland feeding area that is used by snow geese and widgeon ducks. As upland habitat is already stressed this will impact on all of the farms that remain."
— Harold Steves, Richmond Councillor |
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| Photo courtesy of John Cummin’s Constituency Office |
"There is nothing wrong with trying make some money, but the important question is if the people making the money understand the impact their decisions will have on the land. The environmental issues are greater then the need for money."
—John Cummins, M.P., Delta - Richmond East |
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| Photo courtesy of the Corporation of Delta |
"I’m not sure what will happen in the future with other treaties. There are some people who are concerned for the future in terms of the agricultural lands, the fishery and the issue of taxation without representation."
— Lois Jackson, Mayor of Delta |
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| Treaty talk |
“There’s all this pretty talk about revenue and development but how is that going to benefit us as individuals?”
— Bertha Williams, Tsawwassen band member
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| Comments on this article | View all comments (5) | Leave a comment | The treaty was driven by the Gateway - the provincial plan to expand the port and connect it with new and wider highways. This ignores the collapse of the US dollar, the steep decline in cross Pacific container traffic, the availability of new routres such as the North West passage and the widened Panama Canal and the key role played by the railways in moving transcontinental freight. All these issues are dealt at length in my blog - stephenrees.wordpress.com and on the Livable Region web site
livableregion.ca.
This is typical of the short term thinking that bedevils our political system. We need to take a strategic view of how our world is changing - and how to cope with that. Unfortunately, the appeals to justice in the TFN process have been ignored by the grab for the quick buck. A sad day for Canada and the Tsawwassen, who both deserve much better leaders with real vision
The TFN treaty was done without proper consideration of the Semiahmoo First Nation treaty, the protection of our Agricultural Land Reserve, or the Environment. This is not about giving TFN its due... its about expanding DeltaPort at the expense of our farmland, the Fraser River estuary, and our air quality in a area that shouldn't have been considered for a port in the first place. Tsawwassen First Nations accepted individual cash payouts from the government for signing the treaty and now we will all have to live with the blight of container sprawl on some of the best farmland and most important wildlife habitat in the world.
Just a few miles to the North in Richmond we have another parcel of the prime agricultural land that is currently under the review of the Agriculture Land Commission to be probably released from the ALR and be developed into the mixed residential area - our beautiful 136 acres Garden City Lands. The First Nations people needs are used as a reason for the land to be developed again so they can get their money and we can loose another parcel of the land that could feed our children. Their children need to eat as well - all our children will suffer in the future because the land, once developed, will be lost for the agriculture forever. There is not enough appreciation for the value of the undeveloped land now.
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