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8TuesdayApril302013CanadagoingbackwardsonindigenousrightsUNambassadorcommentsonnewlegislationandIdleNoMoreByMEAGANWOHLBERGSharonVenneisanindigenouslawyerfromSaskatchewanandoneoftherstindigenouswomentograduatefromlawschoolinthecountry.Shewasinstrumentalinhelpinges-tablishtheUnitedNationsUNDeclarationontheRightsofIndigenousPeoplesinthe1970sandremainstheTreaty6ambassadortotheUNandastaunchadvocateofindig-enousrightsattheinternationallevel.IntheNorthVenneservedastherstfemalechiefnegotiatorfortheAkaitchoDenefor10years.ShewasbackintheNWTasthekeynotespeakerforAuroraCollegesThebachacampusgradlastFriday.TheNorthernJournalcaughtupwithhertotalkaboutthecurrentstatusofindigenousrightsthenegotia-tionsprocessandtheIdleNoMoremovementinCanada.NorthernJournalFromyourperspectiveassome-onewhostarteddoingworkinthe70sontheUNDec-larationontheRightsofIn-digenousPeopleshaveyouseenanyprogressintermsofindigenousrightsSharonVenneInCanadaIthinkweregoingback-wards.Therecognitionofourrightsisnotapositivething.WehavehadtobringwhatsgoingonwithourpeoplestotheUN.InFebru-aryweledanurgentactionwiththeCommitteeontheEliminationofRacialDis-criminationCERDaboutallthelegislationthatscom-ingdown.Theotherpartwasontheracismthatwasgen-eratedinthemediaagainsttheIdleNoMoremovement.Therewasnoonedoingany-thingtopreventthatkindofracismfrombeingspreadbythemedia.Soweputatwo-partinterventiontogethertoCERD.SotheUNworkisongoingthedeclarationisonlyoneaspect...Unfortunatelythesitua-tioninCanadaasIsaidear-lierisdeteriorating.OneofthebigcomplaintsthatwehadattheUnitedNationsisthatCanadaisintroduc-ingalargenumberofactsandbillsandwereconsti-tutionalrightsholdersintheConstitutionofCanada-itsaysinsection91and24IndiansandlandsreservedforIndiansandalsosection35thattreatyrightsarerec-ognizedandafrmed.ThegovernmentofCanadaactsasifthesedontexistandsowhenwegotoOttawatotrytointerveneifwegetintothestandingcommitteeitsaninterestingprocess...Evenifyoushowupandtheyletyouspeaktheretheydonttakeupanythingthatyousay.Thatsundemocratic.SotheUNsystemhastakenupthatwholeissueofrepresen-tationandwhetherornotwecanmakeourpresentations.NJWhatdoyouthinkisthecourseofactionforAb-originalpeopleinthiscoun-trytoaddressthesepiecesoffederallegislationthatarecomingthroughSVTheonlyreasonthatCanadaexistsatallisbecauseofthetreaties.ThatsBritishlawthatsinternationallawthatscommonlaw.Peoplecannotliveinthiscountrywithoutthetreaties.SoitsinCanadasbestinteresttoup-holdandhonourtheseagree-ments.WhyCanadaisintheprocessofdoingawaywiththemIhavenoidea.ButifCanadadoesawaywiththetreatyrelationshipthenwhatreasonwouldCanadahavetherighttobehereinourterritoriesItsagoodlegalinternationalquestion.WereinthesamelegalpositionasSouthAfricabecauseSouthAfricaandCanadawerebothcreatedbyactsoftheBritishparlia-ment.Sowhohastherighttoself-determinationItstheindigenousnationsnotthestateofCanada.Idontthinktheythinktoomuchabouttheiractionswhattheyredoingbecauseitdoeshavearippleeffectinternationally.AndIthinkdomesticallytheIdleNoMorepeoplewhoarestillveryactiveseethatandaretryingtowakeuppeopleandtryingtoeducatenon-indigenouspeopleabouttheseissues.NJTherearesomanyta-blesthataresittingstagnantrightnowandlandclaimne-gotiationsthatarentmovingforward.AssomeonewhoworkedaschiefnegotiatorofaclaimforsolongwhatisyourtakeonthatinCan-adarightnowSVInevercalleditaclaimbecauseIvealwayssaidthatCanadastheonetryingtoclaimtheland.Ithinkthatthesituationwiththenego-tiationsacrossthecountrythewaythatthegovern-menthasapproachedindig-enouspeoplesingeneralisthattheypretendasifwerenotherethatwemightgoawaywhichIthinkissortofarecipefordisasterbe-causetheyregoingtorunintoproblems.Theysteppedoutoftheissuesofenvironmentalre-viewsandhavenowtakenprotectionoffabunchoflakesandriversandlandsandonlyprotectedthoseintheirridingsandtherightsholdersoftheseresourcesaretheindigenouspeoples.Sowhatsgoingtohappenisindigenouspeoplearegoingtocomeforwardandwanttobemakingdecisionsaboutwhatsgoingtohappen.SoifCanadathinksthattheyrestreamliningandmakingtheprocessgofasterIthinktheyregoingtondthem-selvesinaverypeculiarsit-uationbecauseitsgoingtogetgrounddown.Peoplearegoingtoasktobepresent.Theyregoingtoforceittheyregoingtogotocourttheyregoingtohavetheabilitytodothat.Thecourtshavebeenveryprogressiveinsayingthatyesifyouhavearightinthisareayouhavearighttospeak.SotheyregoingtogrindthewholesystemtoahaltIthink.Itssortofshort-sightedonthepartofthegovernmenttoknockthisissueoffthetableanddis-engageatthewrongtime.Ithinkitsnotveryfruitfulforthem.TheonlyreasonthatCanadaexistsatallisbecauseofthetreaties.ThatsBritishlawthatsinternationallawthatscommonlaw.Peoplecannotliveinthiscountrywithoutthetreaties.SoitsinCanadasbestinteresttoupholdandhonourtheseagreements.WhyCanadaisintheprocessofdoingawaywiththemIhavenoidea.ButifCanadadoesawaywiththetreatyrelationshipthenwhatreasonwouldCanadahavetherighttobehereinourterritoriesItsagoodlegalinternationalquestion.UnitedNationsambassadorSharonVenneSharonVennealawyerandTreaty6ambassadortotheUnitedNationsaddressesstudentsandtheirfamiliesandfriendsontheimportanceofeducationattheAuroraCollegeThebachacampusgraduationlastFridayinFortSmith.PhotoPaulBannisterPoliticsFirstNations