The Okanagan Nation Alliance is outraged by misleading statements made by Ida Chong, former Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, and is demanding that she immediately correct the misinformation. Speaking about a controversy that has erupted as a result of an “incremental treaty agreement” she signed with the Ktunaxa First Nation on March 27, 2013, former Minister Chong suggested that staff from her Ministry would have met with the ONA, and engaged in a consultation that would have been “fulsome.” She reportedly stated that “I cannot see where the First Nations community would not have been asked to sit at a table.”
Ida Chong has her facts completely wrong. Despite numerous requests for meetings by the ONA and its member communities to discuss this matter, the Province never met with the ONA, never responded to a number of letters seeking a meeting and raising serious concerns about the proposed agreement, and never engaged in any consultation and accommodation. The lands that are proposed to be transferred to Ktunaxa under the agreement, are in an area where, amongst other things, there are traditional village sites, harvesting practices, and heritage sites of significant importance to the ONA.
“The reality is that the Clark Government rushed to sign an agreement out of political expedience, ignoring basic legal requirements. The result is serious conflict, and making misleading statements about what occurred only further escalates things,” said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, Chair of the Okanagan Nation Alliance. “The Clark Government’s fundamentally flawed Aboriginal policy is cracking at the seams, and the ramifications may be a level of unrest that this Province has not seen in years. This is all a result of political expedience trumping honourable principles,” he added.
“Former Minister Chong needs to take responsibility and be accountable – she signed an agreement that she shouldn’t have, and she needs to own up to that. Rather then spreading misinformation, she should give the public some straight talk and admit mistakes were made, and that they need to be fixed,” said Grand Chief Phillip.
The basic facts of what occurred illustrate that far from “fulsome” consultation – which former Minister Chong suggests her Ministry would have typically engaged – in this instance there was no consultation:
· On October 5, 2012 the Ministry of Aboriginal Relations, along with Canada, wrote some of the ONA member communities indicating that they were moving towards a possible incremental treaty agreement with the Ktunaxa Nation.
·Letters were sent by the Penticton Indian band (October 24), Colville Confederated Tribes (November 20), Lower Similkameen Indian Band (December 3), and Westbank First Nation (December 17) raising serious concerns.
· The ONA sent a letter on November 19 raising concerns and stating that consultation should take place with the ONA and all of its member communities
· On December 13 the Ministry of Aboriginal Relations, along with Canada, wrote confirming that its goal was to commence consultation about the incremental treaty agreement, but stating it wished for confirmation that the member communities wanted to consult collectively through the ONA.
· On January 18, in a letter signed by all 8 member communities along with Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, Chair of the ONA, it was confirmed that consultation should take place collectively, that matters were very serious, and that meetings needed to occur right away.
No response was received to the January 18 letter and the ONA and its member communities heard nothing again from the Province. The ONA learned about the incremental treaty agreement from the public announcement of it on April 9.
The Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) was formed in 1981 as the inaugural First Nations government in the Okanagan which represents the 8 member communities: Okanagan Indian Band, Upper Nicola Band, Westbank First Nation, Penticton Indian Band, Osoyoos Indian Band, Lower Similkameen Indian Band, Upper Similkameen Indian Band, and the Colville Confederated Tribes on issues of common concern. Each community is represented by their Chief or Chair through the ONA Chiefs Executive Council (CEC).
Tara Montgomery
ONA Communications
