Aboriginal Liberal Commission 1992 Policy & 1993 Platform

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RENEWING THE

PARTNERSHIP

Aboriginal

Peoples olicy Platform



Aboriginal Peoples Commission

Commission des peuples autochtones

Liberal Party of Canada • Parti

liberal

du Canada

2 0 0 2 0 0 ouest, avenue Laurier Avenue West• Ottawa,

Ontario•

KzP 6M8

•Tel

6i:3) 237-0740

•Fax

{6z3 235-7208

PREF CE

In

1990, the Aboriginal Peoples Commission of the Liberal Party of

Canada was officially created

by

way of constitutional amendments

which were passed unanimously at their LPC

1990

Biennial

Convention

t

has been through the efforts of the Aboriginal Peoples Commission

and

·many members of the Liberal Caucus, including the Leader of the

Party that aboriginal policy has evolved within the Liberal Party of

Canada.

The booklet contains the Liberal Party of Canada s position

on

aboriginal peoples issues.

PART

1:

1992

LPC Biennial Convention Resolutions;

PART

2:

Chapter of the Red Book on Aboriginal Peoples;

PART

3:

October

8, 1993

Aboriginal Platform Release.

Should you require any further information regarding the Aboriginal

Peoples Commission or details of the Liberal Party of Canada s

aboriginal policies please contact:

National Director

Aboriginal Peoples Commission

Liberal Party of Canada

200 Laurier Ave.

OTTAWA,

ON

K1P6M8

PHONE:

613)

237-0740

FAX:

613)

235-7208



riority Resolutions Resolutions prioritaires

RIGHT OF

SELF-GOVERNMENT

it is the sincere desire of all Aboriginal Peoples in

to determine their

own

future;

and

the

Liberal Party

of

Canada recognizes the right

of

tal right in a free

and

as

organized societies

the right

of

self-government prior

to

the arrival

of

ns in Canada;

and

the Supreme Court of Canada in the Sioui Case

of

Aboriginal

in Canada;

and

AS the right of self-government

of

Aboriginal Peoples

r been extinguished;

and

the

Supreme

Court

of Canada in Guerin

and

held that the Federal

Crown

has a fiduciary responsi

Aboriginal Peoples;

and

AS the Liberal

party

considers that

one of

the objects

ry responsbility

of

the federal government is the

of self-government for Aboriginal Peoples;

and

an

existing right

of

Section

35

of the Constitution Act 1982.

greater certainty should

be

explicitly recognized and

in the Canadian Constitution: and

of

Indian Affairs as presently

is a serious impediment

to

the achievement of self

for Indian First Nations,

ral Party

of Canada

endorses

the

explicit recognition

of

the inherent right of self-government

of

all

Peoples within

the

Canadian Constitution;

22.

DROITS INHERENTS L'AUTONOMIE ADMINIS

TRATIVE

A'IJ'ENDU que les peuples autochtones du Canada desirent

sincerement decider

de

leur propre

avenir,

A

TIENDU

quele

Parti liberal

du Canada

reconnait

quele

droit

des peuplesa e gouverner est

un

droit fondamental

dans

une

societe libre

et

democratique,

A

TIENDU que

les peuples autochtones existaient comme

societes organisees x r ~ ~ m t le droit

d autonomie

administra

tive avant l'arrivee

des

Europeens

au

Canada,

A

TIENDU

que la

Cour

supreme

dans

l'affaire Sioui a reconnu

le statut historique

de peuples

autonomes des peuples

autochtones au Canada,

ATIENDU que le

droit

a

l'autonomie administrative des

peuples autochtones

n a

jamais ete aboli,

ATIENDU

que

la

Cour supreme

du

Canada dans

l'affaire

Guerin

et

Sparrow a declare

que

l'Etat federal avait une

responsabilite fiduciaire vis-3.-vis

des

peuples autochtones,

A

TIENDU que

le Parti liberal considere

qu un

des objets

de

la

responsabilite fiduciaire du

gouvernement

federal est le

retablissement

de l autonomie

administrative des nations

indiennes,

ATIENDU que

le droit

a

'autonomie administrative est un

droit existant

au

sens

de

l' article 35

de l

Acte constitutionnel

de

1982 mais devrait, pour plus de certitude, e tre explicitement

reconnu e t affirme

dans

la Constitution canadienne

et

A

TIENDU que

le ministere des Affaires indiennes, tel qu'il est

actuellement constitue, represente un serieux obstacle

a

la

realisation de l'autonomie administrative des Premieres na

tions indiennes;

IL EST RESOLU que:

a) le Parti liberal du

Canada appuie

la reconnaissance et

'affirmation explicite

du

droit inherent a 'autonomie admi

nistrative des

peuples autochtones dans

la Constitution

canadienne;




b) the Liberal Party

of

Canada

believes

that

the

right

of

self

government should

be

immediately

and

unconditionally en

trenched;

c)

the Liberal Party of Canada supports the creation of a

new

senior Ministry of Aboriginal Peoples

and

First Nations Rela

tions, as recommended in the Penner Report,

to

oversee the

implementation of self-government through negotiations;

d) the

mandate

of

the

Ministry of Aboriginal Peoples

and

First

Nations Relations:

i) shall reflect the fiduciary responsibility

of

the Crown

as expressed in the Guerin

and

Sparrow decisions of

the

Supreme Court of Canada;

(ii) shall have as one of its primary objectives,

the

achievement of self-government

by

Aboriginal Peoples

and

First Nations;

e) the existing Department of Indian Affairs shall

be

reconsti

tuted as a subsidiary ministry to the Ministry of Aboriginal

Peoples

and

First Nations Relations, in accordance with the

following: ·

(i) it shall

be

maintained for the delivery of programs

and

services for those First Nations who are not ready to

re-assume those responsibilities;

and

(ii) it shall

be

gradua lly eliminated at a pace which is in

step

with

resumption

of

self-government responsibili

ties

by

First Nations;

and

(iii) senior management within the Department

of

In

dian Affairs shall

be

replaced by qualified aboriginal

persons selected in consultation with Aboriginal Peo

ples;

0 the Leader

and

Caucus shall act on this resolution with

complete consultation

and

cooperation

of

Aboriginal Peoples

affected;

and

·

g) this resolution supersedes all resolutions of the Liberal Party

of Canada

on

the

subjects which are dealt with in this resolu

tion, passed at previous conventions.

Aboriginizl Peoples Commission

National

iberal

aucllS

23. TREATIES

AND

LAND CLAIMS

WHEREAS the Royal Proclamation

of

1763 confirmed the pre

existing rights of Aboriginal Peoples and provided that their

lands could

not

be alienated to anyone but the Crown, thereby

establishing

the

historic treaty-making process

whereby

Aboriginal Peoples treated directly with the

Crown with

re

spect to their lands;

and

b) le Parti liberal

du

Canada precoiiise

de

constitutionnalis

immediatement

et

sans conditions le droit

a

'autonomie a

ministrative;

c)

lePartiliberalduCanadapreroniselacreationd unnouve

ministere des Relations avec les Peuples autochtones et l

Premieresnations,telquerecommandedanslerapportPenne

afin

de

surveiller la mise

en oeuvre de

l'autonomie politiq

par

voie

de

negociations;

d) le

mandat

du

ministere des Relations avec les Peupl

autochtones et es Premieres nations:

(i)

doit refleter

la

responsabilite fiduciaire

de

Couronne, telle qu' exprimee dans les decisions Guer

et Sparrow

de

la

Cour supreme du

Canada et

(ii)

doitavoir , parmi ses principaux objectifs, 'accessio

des Peuples autochtones et des Premieres nations

l'autonomie administrative;

e)

le ministere actuel des Affaires indiennes soit reconstitu

comme departement d'Etat auxiliaire

au

departement d'Et

aux Relations avec les Peuples autochtones

et

es Premier

nations, sachant que:

(i) son role sera limite

a

execution

des

programmes

services destines aux Premieres nations qu i ne sont pa

pretes

a

eassumer ces responsabilites;

(ii) il sera progressivement elimine au fur

et a

mesu

que les Premieres nations reprendront les responsabilite

correspondant

a

eur autonomie administrative et

(iii)

la

haute

direction,

au

sein

du

ministere des Affair

indiennes, sera remplacee pardes autochtones qualifie

selectionnes

en

consultation avec les peuple

autochtones;

f)

le chef

et

le

groupe

parlementaire mettent cette resolution e

oeuvre

en

consultation

et en

collaboration avec les peuple

autochtones

et

g) cette resolution

prime

sur

toutes les autres resolution

adoptees jusqu'ici par le Parti liberal

du

Canada

sur

ces differen

sujets.

Commission des peuplts autochton

Caucus

liberal

nation

23.

TRArrES

ETREVENDICATIONS TERRITORIALES

ATIENDU

que

la Proclamation royale

de

1763 a confi rme

Je

droits preexistants des peuples autochtones

et prevu

que

leur

terres ne puissent etretransferees

qu a

a Couronne, etablissan

ainsi le processus historique

de

traites

par

lequel es peuple

autochtones traitaient directement avec la Couronne

pour

tou

ce

qui

concernait leurs terres,




WHEREAS

the

impediment

on

the alienability

of

lands by

Aboriginal Peoples imposed a fiduciary obligation on the

Crown to act in the bestinterests of Aboriginal Peoples, accord

ing to the Supreme Court

of

Canada in Guerin and Sparrow;

and

WHEREAS numerous land claims have arisen as a result of he

failure of the Crown to fulfil its fiduciary obligations to Abo

riginal Peoples; and

WHEREAS the Canadian public is overwhelmingly in favour

of the resolution of long-outstanding land claims by Aborigi

nal Peoples in Canada; and

WHEREAS the Auditor General in his report released on

December 3

1991

identified a serious backlog in land claims

and unreasonably slow progress in the settlement of claims by

the Department of Indian Affairs (of 600 specific claims re

ceived in the last

20

years only 8 percent have been settled); and

WHEREAS the Auditor General s report also identified a

conflict of interest on the part of the Department of Indian

Affairs with respect to its role in

the

settlement of land claims

becauseithasafiduciarydutytoaboriginalclaimantsbutmust

also represent the interests of government which are often

adverse to the interests

of

claimants; and

WHEREAS land claims policies were originally introduced by

a Liberal Government in the early 1970s in response to the

Calder decision of the Supreme Court of Canada; and

WHEREAS there have been no substantive improvements to

the land claims policy regime since originally introduced by

the Liberal government despite the changes to the law in recent

Supreme Courtof Canada decisions, i.e., Guerin and Sparrow:

and

WHEREAS the Tory Government has responded to the need

for changes in the comprehensive claims policy by

ad

hoc,

arbitrary, incremental and uneven changes in the application

of the policy in different regions of the country; and

WHEREAS the Tory Government has responded to needed

changes to the specific claims policy

by

minimal and incremen

tal changes to the specific claims process (not policy) without

the full consultation and approval of Aboriginal Peoples; and

WHEREAS the claims policies (comprehensive and specific)

are inadequate and

do

not respond to the needs of Aboriginal

Peoples or the Canadian public,

BE

IT RESOLVED that the Liberal Party of Canada supports

major reforms to the land claims policy regime of the federal

government of Canada as follows:

A1TENDU que cela imposait a la C::ouronne I ob igation

fiduciaired agirdansl interetdespeuplesautochtones,comme

le confirme la decision de la Cour supreme du Canada dans

l affaire Guerin et Sparrow.

A1TENDU que

de

nombreuses revendications territoriales

ont surgi parce que la Couronne a failli a ses obligations

fiduciaires vis-a-vis des peuples autochtones,

A1TENDU quela populationcanadienneesttouta faitfavorable

au reglement des revendications territoriales des peuples

autochtones au Canada,

A1TENDU que le verificateur general a, dans son rapport

publie le 3 decembre 1991 signale un serieux retard et un

rythme

deraisonnablement lent

dans

le reglement

des

revendications territoriales par le ministere des Affaires

indiennes (sur les 600 revendications specifiques ~ s ces

vingt dernieres annees, 8 p. cent seulement ont ete reglees),

A TENDU que le rapport

du

verificateur general a egalement

signale

un

conflit d interet pour le ministere des Affaires

indiennes qui d un cote regle les revendications territoriales et

d un autre doit representer les interets du gouvernement qui

sont souvent contraires a ceux des demandeurs,

ATIENDU que les politiques concernant les revendications

territoriales ont a rorigine ete presentees parun gouvemement

liberal au debut des annees 70 suite a a decision Calder de

la

Cour supreme du Canada,

A1TENDU que le regime de reglement des revendications n a

pas ete sensiblement ameliore depuis, malgre les revisions

apportees

a

la

Joi

dans les decisions recentes

de

la Cour

supreme du Canada dans l affaire Guerin et Sparrow.

ATIENDUque le gouvemement conservateur n a pas modifie

la politique concernant les revendications globales mais a

apporte des changements arbitraires, ponctuels, graduels et

irreguliers

a

application

de

cette politique dans differentes

regions du pays,

ATIENDUque le gouvernement conservateur n a pas modifie

la politique concernant les revendications spectfiques mais a

apporte des changements minimes et graduels au processus

sans avoir pleinement consulte

Jes

peuples autochtones et sans

avoir obtenu leur approbation et

ATIENDU que

Jes

politiques touchant les revendications

(globales et specifiques) sont inadequates et ne repondent pas

aux besoins des peuples autochtones ni de

la

population

canadienne;

IL EST RESOLU que le Parti liberal du Canada preconise une

reforme majeure

de

la politique federale concernant les

revendications territoriales:



riority Resolutions esolutions prioritaires

a) there shall

be

a general claims policy encompassing

all types

of claims including specific claims, comprehensive claims,

and

claims

of

another.nature arising

out

of the Royal Proclamation

in Quebec

and

the Maritimes,

and the

artificial distinction

between specific

and

comprehensive claims shall beeliminiated;

b) claims based on aboriginal title

and

treaties shall

be

settled

in accordance

with

the spirit

and

honor of the historic treaty

making process.

c) the right

of

self-government should

be

included in claims

relating to aboriginal title

and

treaties

and

other types

of

claims as appropriate.

d) the requirement for extinguishment shall be removed from

claims based

on

aboriginal title

.

e) there shall

be

removed

by

statute:

i)

the

notion that claims based

on

aboriginal title

may

be

superseded by law;

(ii)

the defence of the Statute of Limitations

and

laches;

f) an independent

Commission shall

be

created by legislation,

with the following features:

(i)

it shall

be

composed of members jointly selected

by

Aboriginal Peoples and the federal government;

(ii)

the

Commission shall report regularly to Parlia

ment;

(iii) the Commission shall

be

responsible for chairing

and facilitating claims negotiations;

(iv)

the

Commission shall

be

empowered to establish

binding timeframes;

(v) the Commission shall

be

empowered to develop

criteria for validation

and

compensation in consultation

with Aboriginal Peoples

and

the federal government;

(vi) the Commission

may

inquire into the need

to

clarify

and

renovate treaties to make the express terms of the

treaties consistent with their spirit

and

intent

and

the

understanding of

the

treaty signatories;

(vii) the Commission will

be

responsible for providing

funding for research

and

negotiations;

(viii) the Commission shall have

an

ongoing role in the

implementation of claim settlement agreements includ

ing the provision of remedies in the event

of

breach

by

any

party;

g) the Leader

and

Caucus shall act

on

this resolution with

complete consultation and cooperation of Aboriginal Peoples

affected;

and

h) this resolution supersedes all resolutions of the Liberal Party

of Canada

on

the subjects which are dealt with in this resolu

tion, passed at previous conventions.

Aboriginizl

Peoples ommission

a)

une

politique

generale englobera tous

les

types

de

revendications (specifiques, globales et autres revendications

decoulant

de

la Proclamationn royale

au

Quebec

et dans

les

Maritimes) et la distinction artificielle entre revendications

specifiques

et

globales sera eliminee;

b)

Jes

revendications fondees

sur

les traites

et

titres autochtones

seront reglees conformement

a

l esprit

et a

l honneur

du

processus historique

des

traites;

c) le droit

a

autonomie administrative devrait etre inclu dans

les revendications touchant le titre

et

Jes traites autochtones et,

eventuellement,

d autres

types

de

revendications;

d) les revendications fondees

sur

le titre autochtone ne seront

plus li s a

I

extinction

de

droits;

e) la loi supprimera:

i) la notion

que

les revendications fondees sur

un

titre

autochtone peuvent etre contoumees

par une

loi

et

(ii) la defense basee

sur

la prescription

et

le

manque de

diligence; · ·

f)

i

sera

ree

une

commission independante qui:

(i) sera composee de membres

selectionnes

conjointement par

les

peuples

autochtones

et

le

gouvernement federal;

(ii}

fera regulierement

rapport au

Parlement;

(iii) sera responsable

de

presider

et faciliter les

negociations;

(iv) sera habilitee

a

ixer

des

delais executoires;

(v) sera habilitee

a

laborer

des

criteres

de

validation et

d indemnisation

en

consultation avec les

peuples

autochtones

et

le gouvernement federal;

(vi)

pourra

faire enquete

sur

la necessite

de

clarifier et

de

moderniser les traites afin

que

leurs libelles exacts

correspondent

a

esprit,

a

ntention

et

a

entendement

de

leurs signataires;

(vii) sera responsable

du

financement

de la

recherche et

des

negociations et

(viii)

aura un

role permanent

dans

la mise

en

oeuvre

des ententes

sur

le reglement des revendications et

dans

la recherche

de

solutions

au

cas oil

l une

des parties ne

les respecte pas;

g) le chef et le groupe parlementaire donneront suite a cette

resolution

apres avoir pleinement

consulte

les

peuples

autochtones concernes et

obtenu

leur concours et

h) cetteresolution remplacetoutes les resolutions

sur

les sujets

en

question

adopteesa

d aut res congres

par

le Parti liberal du

Canada.

ommission

des peuples

autochtones




37. ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS

WHEREAS the Liberal Party of Canada is committed to a fair

and just society which supports and assists Aboriginal Peoples

in dealing with outstanding socio-:economic issues, such as

poor

and

inadequate housing, irrelevant educational systems,

poor community health services, inadequate water and sanita

tion services, severe unemployment, high mortality rates and

other deplorable conditions; and

WHEREAS a judicial system is one of the main components of

a democracy, hence its successful application

is

crucial in

fostering a stable and conducive social environment and Cana

da's justice system in its present form

is

foreign and woefully

inadequate in its treatment of Aboriginal Peoples, given their

disproportionate numbers in penitentiaries; and

WHEREAS

the

Liberal Party of Canada is committed to the

recognition and implementation of the inherent right of self

determination and self-government of Aboriginal Peoples as a

way of ameliorating their deplorable socio-economic situation;

BE

IT

RESOLVED that the Liberal PartyofCanada shall adopt

the following programs when in government for the imple

mentation and realization of self-government for Aboriginal

Peoples:

a) the Government of Canada shall promote the implementa

tion of self-government of Aboriginal Peoples over their terri

tories in matters which include, but are not limited to, culture,

language, education, health, justice, social development and

natural resources;

b)

as a first priority, a separate aboriginal justice system shall

be created so as to provide a legal process for Aboriginal

Peoples inclwding counselling, taking into account aboriginal

culture, history, and values, and taking into account the con

clusions of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry of Manitoba;

37. AFFAIRES AUTOCHTONES

ATIENDU que le Parti liberal du Canada defend le principe

d'une societe juste et equitable qui encourage et aide les

peuples autochtonesa regler des problemes socio-Economiques

tels que la penurie de logements, l'insuffisance des services

d'education,

de sante, d'adduction et d'egouts, un ch6mage

eleve, une forte mortalite et d'autres conditions deplorables,

ATIENDU qu'un systeme judiciaire est l'un des principaux

elements de l dcmocratie et done crucial pour creer un

environnement social stable

et

que sous sa forme actuelle, le

systeme canadien ne repond absolument pas aux besoins des

autochtones, si

I

on en croit leur nombre disproportionne dans

les penitenciers,

AITENDU que le Parti liberal

du

Canada preconise la recon

naissance et 'application du droit inherent des peuples

autochtones a disposer d'eux-memes et a se gouverner eux

memes comme moyen d'ameliorer

leur situation socio

economique deplorable,

IL EST RESOLU que le Parti liberal

du

Canada adoptera les

programmes suivants quand l seraau pouvoirpour concretiser

l'autonomie administrative des peuples autochtones:

a) accession des peuples autochtones a l'autonomieadminis

trative sur leurs territoires en ce qui concerne notamment

la

culture, la langue, 'education, la sante, la justice, le

developpement social

et

les ressources naturelles;

b) creation en priorite d'un systeme de justice autochtone

distinct offrant aux peuples autochtones

un

regime judiciaire

tenant compte de la culture, de l'histoire et des valeurs

autochtones ainsi que des conclusions de l'enquete sur la

justice vis-a-vis des autochtones au Manitoba;




c) the

Government of

Canada

significantly increase Indian

education services

and

resources, consistent with aboriginal

and

treaty rights; and establish a relevant education program

with the offices

of

Indian

and

Northern Affairs Canada. This

renewed education program will provide maximum

support

for Aboriginal Peoples

to pursue

their education goals

and

to

assist them

to

contro1

and

manage their

owned

ucation systems

which will

be

a significant step

towards

their self-determina

tion objectives;

d) a special national program

be

developed

under

the leader

ship of Aboriginal Peoples

and

First Nations governments,

with the cooperation

and

resourcing of federal

and

provincial

governments

and

the private sector to deal with the serious

backlog of housing in aboriginal communities;

e) there shall

be

established a new national economic develop

ment

program

for Aboriginal Peoples to promote the develop

ment of a

sound

economic foundation for aboriginal commu

nities. The program shall have as its objective to bring the

economic standards of Aboriginal Peoples to the level of the

rest

of

society. And the program shall be operated

under

the

leadership of Aboriginal Peoples with the cooperation

and

resourcing

of

the federal government;

0 the Leader

and

Caucus shall act on the foregoing with the

complete consultation

and

cooperation of the Aboriginal Peo

ples affected.

BEITFURTHERRESOLVEDthattheLiberalPartyofCanada

rejects the G.S.T., and more particularly, categorically rejects

the imposition

of

the G.S.T. to First Nations

and

their citizens

throughout Canada

on

the grounds that it is in violation of

their aboriginal

and

treaty rights which are recognized

and

affirmed in

the

Constitution,

and

is inconsistent with the

principle

of

self-government.

BEITFURTHERRESOLVEDthat theLiberalPartyofCanada

will

do

its

utmost to

encourage greater involvement

of

Abo

riginal Peoples in its policy process

and

management func

tions,

and

greater participation of Aboriginal Peoples

as

candi

dates in parliamentary elections.

AborigiMI

Peoples

Commission

38. JUSTICE (RECOGNITION OF LOUIS RIEL)

WHEREAS the leaders

of

he

Metis people at Red River Colony

in the Northwest Territories (Rupertsland) took effective demo

cratic action to protect their traditional rights

and

property;

and

c) amelioration sensible des serVices

d education

et

ressources destines aux lndiens, confonnement aux dr

autochtones et issus

de

traites; instauration

d un

program

d education pertinent

en

collaboration avec le ministere

Affaires indiennes

et du

Nord.

Nouveau

programme

apportera aux peuples autochtones

un maximum de

sou

pour

poursuivre leurs objectifs d educa tion

et

les

aide

controler et

a

gerer leur

propre

systeme d education

en

d atteindre leurs objectifs d autonomie;

d) mise sur pied d un

programme

national special sou

direction

des

peuples autochtones

et

des gouvernements

Premieres nations avec la cooperation et les ressources

gouvernements federal et provinciaux ainsi

que

du

sec

prive

en vue de

remedier

a

a forte penurie

de

logements c

les autochtones;

e)

etablissement

d un

nouveau programme

national

developpement economique

dont l

object if serai t

de penne

aux peuples autochtones

de

parvenir

au

niveau economi

du

reste

de

la societe.

·Ce programme

serait dirige par

peuples autochtones avec la·collaboration

et

les ressources

gouvemement federal et

f

toutes ces mesures ne seraient prises

par

le chef

et le

cau

qu apres

consultation generale

et

accord des peup

autochtones concemes,

Que

le

Parti

liberal

du Canada

rejette la TPS

et,

p

particulierement, l imposit ion

de

la TPS aux Premieres nati

et

a

eurs citoyens partout

au

Canada

puisqu une

telle t

porte atteinte

a

eurs droits autochtones et issus

de

trai

droits qui

sont

reconnus et confinnes

dans

la Constitution

est contraire

aux

principes

de

l autonomie administrative

Que

le Parti liberal

du Canada

fera

de

son

mieux

pour

enc

ragerune

plus

grande

participation des peuples autochton

son processus d elaboration

des

politiques,

a

a direction e

titre

de

candidats aux elections parlementaires.

Commission des

peuples

autochto

38.

JUSTICE (RECONNAISSANCE

DE

LOUIS RIEL)

ATTENDU

que

les chefs

du

peuple metis

de

l COlonie

d

riviere rouge

dans

les Territoires

du

Nord-Ouest (terre

Rupert) prirent

des

actions democratiques appropriees afin

proteger leurs biens

et

leurs droit s traditionnels,



riority

esolutions esolutions

prioritaires

HEREAS in 1869

the

Provisional Government for the North

Territories under the leadership

of

Louis Riel, adopted a

rights to protect all peoples established and living in the

Territories; and

of

Louis Riel's list of rights

by the

nal Government, was the main condition for the ac

the

transfer

of

all the lands in the Northwest

es, to Canada; and

of

rights adopted by

the

Provisional Gov

was accepted and adopted by the Parliament

of

and

as a direct result

of

he adoption of the list of rights,

of

Canada passed the Manitoba Act in 1870; and

all the lands draining into HudsonBay were trans

red to Canada on

the

15th

day

of July 1870; and

EREAS all the lands contained in

the

Northwest Territories

the major part of Canada; and

and peoples joined the Canadian

REAS Manitoba was the first province created in Western

the

15th of July 1870; and

REAS Manitoba is the fifth province to join

the

Canadian

and

EREAS the transfer of the Northwest Territoriesto Canada,

the

creation

of the

province of Manitoba are a direct result

by the Parliament of Canada of the Riel Provi

List of Rights for the peoples of the North

and

name

Manitoba was submitted by Louis Riel,

by the Parliament of Canada for the name

of

our

and

the

name Manitoba isa native expression meaning

and

EREAS recognized authorities on the history of Western

as the founder

of

Manitoba;

and

S in 1871 during the American Fenian threat, Louis

organized the Metis people to protect

the

border of Canada

e changed the course

and

REAS Riel and his people were publicly commended for

by

Adams G. Archibald, Lieutenant Gov

of Manitoba and the Northwest Territories;

and

the

Metis people living in the Northwest

on Louis Riel to form a Provisional Govern

the

Government of Canada

and the very survival of

the

Metis people; and

ATTENDU que sous le leadership

de

Louis Riel, le

gouvernementprovisoiredes TerritoiresduNord-Ouestadopta

en 1869 une liste de droits protegeant tous les gens etablis et

vivant dans les Territoires du Nord-Ouest,

ATTENDU

que

I

adoption

de

la liste des droits

de

Louis Riel

par

le gouvemement provisoire, etait la condition principale

pour

}'acceptation

du

transfert des terres

des

Territoires

du

Nord-Ouest

au

Canada,

ATTENDU que la listedes droits adoptee par legouvernement

provisoire fut acceptee et adoptee par le Parlement canadien,

ATTENDU

qu'en

1870, le Parlement canadien passa I' Acte du

Manitoba et ce,en consequence directe de I adoption de la liste

des droits,

ATTENDU que toutes les terres bordant la baie d'Hudson

furent cedees

au

Canada le 15 juillet 1870,

ATTENDU que toutes Jes terres comprises dans

Jes

Territoires

du

Nord-Ouest forment la majeure partie

du

Canada,

ATTENDU que toutes ces terres et ces peupJes joignirent la

Confederation canadienne

en

1870,

ATIENDU que le 15 juillet 1870; le Manitoba fut la premiere

province reee

dans

l'Ouest canadien,

ATTENDU

que

le Manitoba est la cinquieme province a se

joindre a Confederation canadienne,

ATTENDU que le transfert des Territoires du Nord-Ouest au

Canada et la creation de la province

du

Manitoba furent le

. resultat

direct

de }'adoption de la

liste

des droits du

gouvernement provisoire de Riel pour les peuples des

Territoires

du

Nord-Ouest

par

le Parlement canadien,

ATTENDU

que

le nom Manitoba fut soumis

par

Louis Riel et

fut choisi par le Parlement canadien pour etre le

nom de

notre

province,

ATTENDU que lenom Manitoba est uneexpression autochtone

qui signifie ESPRIT QUI PARLE ,

ATTENDUquedesautoritescompetentesenmatierehistorique

de l'Ouest canadien declarent Louis Riel comme fondateur

du

Manitoba,

ATTENDU

que durant

la menace des Fenians americains en

1871, Louis Rielorganisa la protection de la frontierecanadienne

parlepeuplemetiscontre I' intrusion des Fenians qui auraitpu

changer le cours de l'histoire

du

Canada,

ATTENDU que Adams G. Archibald, lieutenant-gouverneur

duManitobaetdesTerritoiresduNord-Ouestfitpubliquement

l'eloge de Riel et

des

siens pour leur action patriotique,

ATIENDU

qu'en 1884, le peuple metis vivant dans Jes

Territoires

du

Nord.Quest

demanda

Louis Riel de former

un

gouvernement provisoire afin de negocier

une

nouvelle fois

avec le

gouvemement

canadien

pour

la revendication

de

leurs

droits de proprietes et la survivance

du peuple

metis,



riority esolutions

esolutions

prioritaires

WHEREAS fair

play and

promises

had

been assured to the

Metis people by due acceptation and by the adoption of

the

Riel list of

rights by

the Parliament of Canada

on

the 15th

day

of

July 1870;

and

WHEREAS

the

Government of Canada

saw

fit

to

ignore

the

plight of the Metis

and

the native peoples living

in

the North

west Territories, in

order

to accommodate political pressure

groups;

and

WHEREAS the Government

of

Canada sent roops to crush the

rebellion

and

arrest Riel for treason; and

WHEREAS the trial for treason of the accused Riel was con

ducted

by

a judiciary biased towards a political party;

and

WHEREAS a half

ury

was comprised of five persons

who

were

not Riel's peers and who were also known for their political

affiliations,

and

animosity towards the accused; and

WHEREAS Louis Riel

was

wrongfully accused, convicted of

high treason and executed by the Government of Canada on

November

16

1885;

and

· ·

WHEREAS in light of the foregoing, it is incumbent on the

Parliament of Canada to rehabilitate Louis Riel

and

to further

recognize Louis Riel as a father

of

the Canadian Confederation;

BE IT

RESOLVED that the Liberal Party of Canada shall

introduce a bill in the House of Commons, to posthumously

rehabilitate

and

recognize Louis Riel as a father of

the

Cana

dian Confederation.

St Boniface

Federizl Riding Associiztion

A

TENDU

que les promesses

et

le rairplay furent assure

peuple

metis

par

l'acceptation

en

bonne

et due

forme

e

l'adoption

de

la liste

des

droits

de

Riel par le Parlem

canadien le 15 juillet 1870,

AlTENDUqu'afinderepondrealapressiondecertainsgro

politiques, le gouvernement

du Canada

prefera ignorer la

desmetisetdespeuplesautochtonesvivantdanslesTerrito

du Nord-Ouest,

ATTENDU

que

le

gouvemement

du

Canada

envoya

troupesafin d ecraser la rebellionet d arreter Riel pourtrahi

A

TENDU que

l'accusation

de

Riel fit I objet

d un r o ~ s p

trahison qui fut orchestre par un pouvoir judiciaire ayant p

pris

envers

un

parti politique,

A

TENDU que

la moitie d un jury fut forme de cinq jures

n'etaient pas les pairs

de

Riel et

dont

les affiliations politiq

et l'animosite envers

I

accuse etaient bien connues,

A

TENDU que

Louis Riel fut faussement accuse, condam

execute

pour

haute

trahison le 16

novembre

1885

pa

gouvernement canadien

et

A

TENDU qu a

la lumiere

de

ce

qui

a ete dit precedemm

i revient

au

Parlement canadien

de

rehabiliter Louis Ri

d ensuite

reconnaitre Louis

Riel comme

pere

de

Confederation canadienne;

IL ESTREsOLU que lePart i Liberaldu Canada presenter

projet

de

loi a la

Chambre

des communes afin

de

rehabili

titre posthume et de reconnaitre Louis Riel comme pere

d

Confederation canadienne.

Associlztion

t circonscription fldtrizle t St Bon



boriginalPeoples

THE PLACE OF BORIGIN L PEOPLES IN THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF

Canada is a litmus test of

our

beliefs in fairness justice and equality of

opportunity.

For generations Canadian society has failed this test. Many Aboriginal peo

ple f ce enormous problems both in their communities and in the cities across

Canada where they live: absence of meaningful employment and economic

opportunities unequal educational opportunity and results

poor

housing

unsafe drinking water and lack of health services. They suffer also from the

destruction and lack of respect for Aboriginal languages values and culture.

Past and current ways of dealing with these conditions are not working. It

is

time for a change. We must define and undertake together creative initiatives

designed to achieve fairness mutual respect and recognition of rights.

The role of a Liberal government will

be

to provide Aboriginal people with

the necessary tools to become self-sufficient and self-governing. Our priority

will be to assist Aboriginal communities in their efforts to address the obstacles

to their development and to help them marshal the

human

and physical

resources necessary to build and sustain vibrant communities.

The Aboriginal population is an overwhelmingly young population.

f

we

do not focus. on the potential of these young people we will face increasing

costs to our social security health and justice systems and we will have lost a

generation able and willing to make a contribution. Canada needs their talent

and energy.



THE F BRIC OF C ANADIAN LIFE

Our goal for Canada must

be

a future where:

• Aboriginal people enjoy a standard

of

l i v i ~ and quality

of

life and

opportunity equal to those of other Canadians;

•First

Nations Inuit and Meris peoples

live

self-reliantly secure in the

knowledge of who they are as unique peoples;

• all Canadians are enriched by Aboriginal cultures and are committed to

the fair sharing of the potential of our nation;

• Aboriginal people have the positive option to live and work wherever they

choose;

and

•perhaps

most importantly Aboriginal children grow up in secure families

and healthy communities with the opportunity to take their full place

in Canada.

RENEWING

THE

P RTNERSHIP

A Liberal government will act on the premise that the inherent right of self·

Uberal government will be

government is an existing Aboriginal and treaty right.

committed

to building a

new A Liberal government will

be

committed to building a new partnership with

partnership

with Aboriginal Aboriginal peoples that is based on trust mutual respect and participation in

peoples that

is

based on trust

the decision-making process.

t

does not make sense for the federal government

mutual

respect and participa- to be unilaterally making policy or budgetary decisions that affect the lives of

tion in

the decision-making -Aboriginal people without their involvement. A Liberal government will dev

process.

elop a more comprehensive process for consultation between federal ministers

and Aboriginal representatives with respect to decision-making

that

directly

affects First Nations Inuit and Meris peoples.

A Liberal government will be committed to gradually winding down the

Department of Indian Affairs

at

a pace agreed upon by First Nations while

maintaining the federal fiduciary responsibility. We will work with Aboriginal

peoples to identify where existing federal expenditures for Aboriginal peoples

currently in excess of

5 billion a year can be redirected into more productive

uses. A Liberal government will also explore new fiscal arrangements with

Aboriginal peoples.

A Liberal government will seek the advice of treaty First Nations on how to

achieve a mutually acceptable process to interpret the treaties in contemporary

terms while giving full recognition to their original spirit and intent.

The Inuit are seeking a process for the negotiation of regional self-govern

ment agreements for Inuit living outside the future territory of Nunavut. A

Liberal government will support this objective.

A Liberal government will take the lead in trilateral negotiations involving

the provinces to define the nature and scope of federal and provincial responsi

bility for Metis and off-reserve Indians. A Liberal government will also provide

assistance to enumerate the Meris.



POPULATION

Age

distributions

reveal

other

differences

between-the

total

Canadian population and the

.population who

identified

with

an

Aboriginal

group. The Aboriginal

Peoples Survey

reveals

that

the

population identifying

with

an

Aboriginal group

tended to be much younger

than

Canada's

total

population: 37

percent were

under

the age of

15, compared

with

21 percent

Canada's total

population. Seven percent of

the population identifying with an Aboriginal

group

were aged

55

and over, compared

with

20

percent

for

Canada's

total population. ·

Canadian Population by Age, 1991

Age

Total

Population

group

population

identifying as

years)

( )

Aboriginal(%)

{)-4

7.1

14.0

S-14

14.0

23.4

15 24

14.2

19.4

S·34

17.9

17.6

27.1

18.4

19.7

7.2

Source: Sutist ics

Canada,

1993

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

3S

30

l5

20

15

10

5

0

5,000

and

andcr

Income

of Aboriginal

People

Compared

with the National Awerage, 1985

• Aboriginal

• Canadian

•V<nF

l

5,000 IO 10,000 10 20,000 to 35,000

10,000 20,000 35,000 and abme

Soun:e:

Statistics

Canada, 1990

Education

of Aboriginal

People

Compared

with the National Average, 1986

• Aboriginal

• Canadian

• F

I d

J

'

t-.

i

j

. ~ ;

t

•

u

c

tS

'

'

E..

·e

.e·e

. :"f

tt

· ; : -

-

.;

:Ji

t-

I)

·s

j

c

.H

zi

·a

3

,jl

.

J

i ::

;J

Sour=

Statistics

Canada, March 1989



TH E

FABRIC O F CANADIAN LIF E

COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT

The socio-economic conditions of Aboriginal peoples are the poorest in the

The

untapped potential of

country. A Liberal government, in partnership with Aboriginal peoples, will

Aboriginal

peoples is

untapped

work towards improving their economic and social conditions. The untapped

potential for Canada. potential of Aboriginal peoples

is

untapped potential for Canada. Government

studies show that a reduction of the Aboriginal unemployment rate to the

national average by the year

2000

would increase the gross national product

of Canada

by 2

3 percent.

Uberal government

will

work

with Aboriginal peoples to

develop an approach to housing

that emphasizes community

control local resources

and

flexibility

in

design

and

labour

requirements.

Aboriginal-controlled community enterprises

and

effective community

development institutions will

be

supported as the main engines of economic

growth for Aboriginal peoples. A Liberal government will also explore new

approaches to obtaining capital for Aboriginal development projects, such as

through a National Aboriginal Development Bank, whose initial capital will

come from banks, corporations, and prosperous Aboriginal communities. Its

mandate could include the issuance of Aboriginal Development Bonds, which

Canadians could purchase to finance Aboriginal community development.

A Liberal government will adopt federal procurement policies designed to

stimulate the growth of Aboriginal business and will set up an Aboriginal

Trade Commission to cultivate national

and

international

markets

for

Aboriginal goods and services, including tourism, arts, crafts, and the products

of traditional economies.

HOUSING

AND

INFR STRUCTURE

Adequate shelter is a fundamental need of any society and a basic prerequisite

for community prosperity. Properly designed projects for the construction of

housing and infrastructure should also create jobs and training for members

of that community.

Aboriginal peoples are suffering an extreme housing crisis, brought on in

part by the growth in the Aboriginal population, coupled with the Conser

vative regime s refusal, over nine years, to provide adequate resources to reme

dy the housing-need backlog. The

1992

report of the all-party Standing

Committee on Aboriginal Affairs recommends a number of ways that existing

resources could be reallocated to better address the housing crisis.

A Liberal government will work with Aboriginal peoples to develop

an

approach to housing that emphasizes community control, local resources, and

flexibility in design and labour requirements. A Liberal government will bring

together Aboriginal leaders, business and investment leaders, and other levels

of government to define the appropriate legal instruments that will provide the

security of repayment necessary to encourage private-sector financing

to

meet

the need for housing.



B O R I G IN L P E O P L E S

EDUC TION

ND

TR INING

Too many Aboriginal children are dropping

out of

school. Less than half the

Indian

school-age

population

reaches

Grade

2.

and

in

the

Northwest

Territories the success rate for Aboriginal children is approximately 3 percent. The

education system is

not

Many causes for the dropout rate are poverty-related or reflect an educational preparing Aboriginal

young

system that is not relevant to the lives

of

Aboriginal young people. The educa- people to meet the minimum

tion

system is not preparing these

young people

to meet the minimum educational requirements

of

educational requirements

of

the Canadian labour force. the

Canadian

labour force

The needs of off-reserve urban Aboriginal people are not currently being

met. A Liberal government will initiate an Aboriginal Head Start program for

preschool children and their parents to be designed and run by Aboriginal

peoples see chapter ).

A Liberal government will establish with the participation of Aboriginal

peoples an Aboriginal Educational Institute that would specialize in curriculum

development for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal schools teacher orientation

distance education standards development Aboriginal languages literacy and

the development

of

cultural survival programs for youth.

Postsecondary education assistance for Aboriginal students was first intro

duced by a Liberal government in the late 1960s as a deliberate strategy

to

close the

gap

between Native and non-Native education in

Canada.

The

Postsecondary Education Program continued to meet the growing demand

from the Aboriginal community for higher education until 1987 when the

Conservative government restricted the criteria

and

capped the budget for

the program. Eligible Aboriginal students are

now

being turned away from

postsecondary institutions for lack of funding while

at

the same time the gov

ernment is more

than

willing

to

support many

of

these young people with

welfare payments.

A Liberal government will remove the cap

on

postsecondary education

specifically to

provide adequate funding for Aboriginal students accepted

at

colleges universities and vocational institutes and in adult education pro

grams and professional degree programs.

An

additional

ho

million per year

will be budgeted initially to address the backlog of eligible students who have

been deferred as a result

of

the cap on funding. A review of the Postsecondary

Education Program will also be undertaken with Aboriginal peoples to deter

mine fair criteria for eligibility and special needs including adequate child care

for students in need

of

such a service.

HE LTH ND

HE LING

The need for a new approach to health issues in Aboriginal communities is

starkly obvious. Aboriginal young people are committing suicide

at

a rate six



A Uberal government will

initiate a

comprehensive

health

policy designed by and

for

Aboriginal peoples

which

sup

ports an integrated approach

to dealing with physical

and mental health issues and

incorporates traditional healing

methods.

ALiberal government will act

on Aboriginal justice issues as

a priority and will consider

alternative justice systems for

Aboriginal peoples.

THE F BRI C

O F

C N D I N LI FE

times the national average and many are falling into a life of hopelessness

characterized

by

a lack of education alcohol and drug abuse and for too

many incarceration in our prisons.

A Liberal government will work in partnership with Aboriginal peoples to

provide their communities with the tools and resources necessary to tackle

these problems. Some communities have identified an urgent need for crisis

intervention counsellors drop-in centres for youth cultural survival programs

healing centres or other resources. Successful models for these initiatives

already exist. A Liberal government will initiate a comprehensive health policy

designed

by

and for Aboriginal peoples which supports an integrated ap

proach

to

dealing with physical and mental health issues and incorporates

traditional healing methods.

Many Aboriginal communities particularly in remote areas and the North

. lack qualified mental health counsellors and facilities. A Liberal government

will

commit

the necessary resources to train professional counsellors in

traditional and contemporary methods and to assist communities

to

develop

traditional healing centres or other culturally appropriate initiatives. A Liberal

government will triple the current number of bursaries and scholarships

available through Health and Welfare Canada for training Aboriginal health

professionals and will make the bursaries and scholarships accessible to all

Aboriginal peoples.

ABORIGINAL JUSTICE

ISSUES

There

is

ample evidence to demonstrate that the conventional justice system

is

not working for Aboriginal peoples. They continue. to be imprisoned at a rate

greater than that of the overall population. Several years ago the Canadian

Human Rights Commission made the observation that Native youth today are

more likely to

go

to prison than to college or university.

Numerous studies and inquiries have examined the Canadian justice system

and Aboriginal peoples including the Marshall Inquiry and the Manitoba

Justice Inquiry. The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples has held a

National Round Table on justice issues. There

is

clear agreement that change

is

needed and now

is

the time for action. Studies to date have been moving in the

direction of either a separate Aboriginal justice system or at the very least

major reforms

to

the present justice system

to

accommodate the unique cul

tures of Aboriginal peoples.

A Liberal government will act on Aboriginal justice issues

as

a priority and

will consider alternative justice systems for Aboriginal peoples. We will also

continue

to

support innovative alternative justice projects.



B O R I G I N L P E O P L E S

SECURE L ND ND RESOURCE

B SE

The resolution of outstanding Aboriginal claims must be a priority for all

Canadians. Aboriginal peoples require cenainty with respect to land rights

i

their communities are to have a productive future. Until claims and grievances

are resolved uncenainty over land rights will limit the possibilities of economic

dev elopment in many parts of Canada.

The objective of a Liberal government will

be

to uphold the honour of the

Crown by settling claims through a fair and equitable process. The resolution

of land rights will allow the federal government to meet its obligations and

guarantee a secure land and resource base for self-government.

The current process of resolving comprehensive and specific claims

is

simply

not working. A Liberal government will implement major changes to the cur

rent approach. A Liberal government will be prepared to create in cooperation

with Aboriginal peoples an independent claims commission to speed up and

facilitate the resolution of all claims. This commission would not preclude

direct negotiations.

Most

Crown land in Canada south of the

oth

parallel is held by the

provinces. A Liberal government will engage the provinces in redressing the

grievances of the Aboriginal peoples over land and resource rights including

negotiating agreements for resource revenue-sharing. e will also promote co

management agreements between Aboriginal peoples and federal provincial

and territorial governments.

Uberal government will

be

prepared to create in

coop-

eration

with Aboriginal

peoples

an independent claims

commis-

sion to

speed up and facilitate

the resolution of all claims.



.

i

Liberal

.News Release

For immediate release

October 8, 1993

CHRETIEN CALLS

FOR

NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH ABORIGINAL

PEOPLES AS HE UNVEILS ABORIGINAL PLATFORM

SASKATOON - Liberal Leader Jean Chretien declared today that a Liberal

government will bring a new approach to :-elations with Aboriginal peoples as he

unveile.d

a o m p r e ~ e n s i v e reform plan

on

aboriginal issues.

The socio-economic conditions of Aboriginal peoples are the poorest in the country.

Aboriginal communities are tired of government foot-dragging

on

these serious

problems, Chretien said.

The Liberal Leader said the cornerstone of our approach will be the recognition of the

inherent right to aboriginal self-government. He noted it is not necessary to re-open

the constitutional debate in order to move ahead on self-government.

A Liberal government is committed to building a new partnership with Aboriginal

peoples based on trust and mutual respect, Chretien said. We will provide

Aboriginal peoples with the tools to become self-sufficient and self-governing.

The aboriginal population is an overwhelmingly young population, and the Liberals

argue that if Canada does not focus on the potential of these young people, we face

increasing costs to our social security, health, and justice systems. Chretien noted that

a native youth today

is more likely to go to jail than to college or university.

The Liberal plan includes a proposal for an Aboriginal Head Start Program, a

preschool program for disadvantaged aboriginal children

in

urban centres and large

northern communities. The program will help children make the transition to school by

offering child care, nutritional counselling for parents, and programs with an aboriginal

cultural component.

I have a vision of Canada where

no

aboriginal child has to go hungry, where

Aboriginal peoples are given the opportunity to share fully

in

Canada's wealth and

resources, Chretien said.

..J2

l\ TION L

C MP IGN HE DQU RTERS

200 aurier . /venue West Suite 200, Ottarva Ontario KJP 611 8



-2-

··

Other highlights of the package announced by Chretien today are plans to:

•

•

improve the well-being of aboriginal communities by using aboriginal controlled

community economic development institutions as the engine of economic

growth;

.

.

remove the Tory cap

on

funding for the Postsecondary Education Program, and

commit n additional $20 million a year initially to address the current backlog

of eligible native students;

gradually wind down the Department of Indian Affairs at a pace agreed upon by

Aboriginal peoples;

increase the number of skilled health counsellors working in remote and

northern communities;

· take the lead in negotiations with the Matis and the provinces to define the

scope of government responsibility for Matis people;

initiate a major overhaul of federal land claims policy, and establish an

independent Claims Commission

to

help expedite claims; and

return to the negotiating table immediately to settle the long outstanding land

claim with the Inuit of Labrador.

Chretien emphasized that the Liberal Party has consulted with Aboriginal peoples and

the party's Aboriginal Peoples Commission in developing its platform. We will work

hand in hand with Aboriginal peoples

on

initiatives to improve their well-being, said

Chretien, a former Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

The Liberals' aboriginal proposals, like ali programs in the Liberal Platform, will be

financed through the reallocation of existing federal budgets, and through cutbacks to

or cancellations of Conservative government programs. The complete, detailed list of

government cuts is included in the Liberal Platform unveiled

on September 15.

3

Press Office: (613) 783-8414



•

•

•

•

Summary

THE ABORIGINAL PEOPLES OF CANADA

SUMMARY

· - September 1993

The Liberal Party

o

Canada has set out

in

its election platform document, Creating

Opportunity: The

liber l

lan

for Canada, a number of principles and programs that

a Liberal government would be prepared to act

on

in partnership with Aboriginal

peoples. The framework within which a Liberal government and Aboriginal peoples

will move ahead will be the recognition that Aboriginal peoples have the inherent

right

of

self-government within Canada. Within this context, a Liberal government will

assist Aboriginal peoples to become self-sufficient and self-governing through

initiatives that promote aboriginal community development and a sound economic

base for the future.

Canadians understand fully the economic and social advantages

of

effectively

addressing the needs of Aboriginal communities. All Canadians are struggling with

an unacceptably high unemployment rate; at the same time unemployment for

Aboriginal Canadians is

at

the appalling rate of 25 or two and one-half times the

national rate. The greatest causes of Aboriginal unemployment are the lack of

opportunities

in

Aboriginal communities and a lack of education or work experience

for those jobs that are available.

The federal government, through its constitutional mandate and its fiduciary

obligation to Aboriginal peoples, can and should play a key role in ensuring that

Aboriginal communities have the tools and resources necessary to resolve the

issues they have identified

as

critical to their well-being. Only in this way will the

fullest potential of Aboriginal peoples be tapped for the good of all Canadians.

Key initiatives

in

the Liberal platform

on

Aboriginal economic development include

measures which are consistent with the Liberal focus on small and medium-size

business, such as:

support for Aboriginal-controlled community development institutions, and better

access to community development resources for Metis and off-reserve Indian

institutions

in

urban areas;

procurement policies that stimulate the growth of Aboriginal business;

TION L C MP IGN HE DQU RTERS

Lauri erAvenueWat Suite 200, Ottawa Ontario

KJP

6M8

(6fJ)Z J7-0740

FO. :

(6JJ)ZJ.J-7Z08



•

•

•

•

•

•

Aboriginal Pe

initiatives to obtain capital for Aboriginal development projects, such as thro

an Aboriginal Development Bank; and

establishment

of n

Aboriginal Trade Commission to promote Aboriginal go

and services at home

nd

abroad.

f

Aboriginal communities are to become self-sufficient, they must have

n

adeq

land and resource base upon which to grow. That is why a Liberal governme

committed to overhauling the land claims policy

n

ways that will make the proc

more fair, more efficient, and less costly.

Most

of

the Liberal commitments will not require new funding. They will, howe

necessitate a re-allocation of xisting resources. Too often past programs h

been dictated by government without sufficient Aboriginal participation, with

result that programs are doomed from the start. Community control over the des

and implementation of programs, adequate fiscal resources, and a sufficient l

and resource base, are key elements

in

the development

of

Aboriginal communi

Nevertheless, in keeping with the importance of education to Liberals, a Lib

government will devote new funding to address the backlog of Aboriginal p

secondary students deferred because of the cap on the post-secondary program

to establish a pilot Head Start program for Aboriginal pre-school children. Both

budget for Aboriginal Head Start, at 100 million over four years, and the budge

increase of 80 million over four years

to

address the backlog

of

eligible stude

will be paid out of the cuts to existing Conservative programs outlined in the Lib

platform document Creating Opportunities.

We believe that a focus

on

Aboriginal children and young people through

educational, training, and health initiatives which we propose in the

liberal

platf

will assist this predominantly young population of Indian, Inuit, and Metis people

realize their potential while preserving their identity and culture. Helping Aborig

communities to improve the circumstances which have resulted in a sense of des

for too many children

is

not only the just thing to do. The Liberal commitmen

investing in people includes enabling Aboriginal people to five healthy and produc

lives. Canada's social security, health, and justice systems will in turn benefit.

The development

o f

the 1993 Liberal platform on Aboriginal peoples is a continua

of the strong policy resolutions

on

Inherent Right of Self-Government, Treaties

Claims, and Aboriginal Affairs passed unanimously at the 1992 National Liberal P

Convention. Both the policy resolutions and the platform on Aboriginal peoples h

been guided by the strong hand of the Aboriginal Peoples' Commission of the Lib

Party

of

Canada, created by Jean Chretien

in

1990 and made up

of

Aborig

representatives from across Canada

.

Moreover, Liberal Aboriginal

nd

non-Aboriginal Parliamentarians have worked h

to ensure that the Liberal principles

of

justice, fairness, and respect for Aborig

2



Aboriginal Peoples

peoples - principles that a Liberal government n 1982 entrenched in the Constitution

with the recognition

o

Aboriginal and treaty rights - would be developed into

concrete and realistic platform commitments

n

1993.

• At the 1990 Aboriginal Policy Forum of the Liberal Party, Mr. Chretien told Aboriginal

people that,

as Leader

o

the Liberal Party, I want not only to make our party the party

o the Aboriginal people, but I want Aboriginal issues to be front and centre

on the agenda of a Liberal government.

• Our commitment to Aboriginal peoples and to all Canadians on these issues is on

the record. With the cooperation of a Liberal government, the Aboriginal peoples

o

Canada can begin to find their own solutions and to take charge o their future.

3



September 199

THE ABORIGINAL PEOPLES

O

CANADA

INTRODUCTION

The Liberal Party believes that rebuilding and strengthening relationship

with Aboriginal peoples and improving Aboriginal social and economic conditions are

issues which Canadians want addressed as a priority. The United Nations has also

designated this year 1993 as the International Year

of

Indigenous People.

We realize that the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples is currentl

studying these issues and is expected to release its report next year. The Liberal Part

does not want to pre-empt the findings and recommendations f the Royal Commission

However there are a number of issues that have clear solutions or require immediate

attention and in addition there are issues upon which the Royal Commission ha

already expressed its views. We are prepared to proceed in these areas now.

A new approach to relations between Aboriginal peoples and the federa

government is needed. Decision-making processes must change. Aboriginal peoples

must be full participants. We

want

to

develop in partnership with Aboriginal peoples

a new vision which is comprehensive and realistic. We want to work with Aborigina

peoples toward the creation of an Aboriginal program based upon the following

principles:

• Recognition of the inherent right of Aboriginal self-government as an existing right

• Provision

of

support and assistance to encourage the healing which is taking place

within Aboriginal communities.

• Promotion of education and training as a planning priority to develop the skills

necessary for self-government and economic improvement.

• Support for community development to stimulate economic development and job

creation amongst Aboriginal peoples.

• An economic foundation for Aboriginal self-government through restoration of lands

and resources by an equitable resolution of land claims.



boriginal Peoples

The main elements of

an

Aboriginal program which a Liberal government

would be prepared to pursue with a view to implementing these p r i n c i p ~ s are set forth

in

this document.

RENEWING THE PARTNERSHIP: SELF GOVERNMENT

• A Liberal government will be committed to building a new relationship - based on

trust and mutual respect - between Aboriginal peoples and the federal government

through recognition of the origins

o

this historic partnership.

• The cornerstone of a new relationship with Aboriginal peoples will be the recognition

o the inherent right of Aboriginal self-government. A Liberal government will act

on the premise that the inherent right

o

self-government

is an

existing Aboriginal

and treaty right within the meaning of section

35 o

the

Constitution Act 1982.

Recognizing the inherent right

is

consistent with the historical fact that Aboriginal

peoples governed this land prior to the arrival of Europeans to the various regions

of.North America.

• It is time for the government of Canada to recognize the inherent right o Aboriginal

peoples to govern themselves. The Liberal Party

is

not suggesting reopening the

constitutional debate at this time, but it

is

necessary to move ahead on Aboriginal

self-government and we believe it

is

possible to do this within the existing

constitutional framework. The approach

is

consistent with the views

o

the Royal

Commission

on

Aboriginal Peoples as set out

in

its interim report on self

government.

• We do not expect self-government to solve all the concerns of Aboriginal. Canadians

overnight. But it is the key which will enable Aboriginal people themselves to begin

finding their own solutions

in

the long term. It

is

time for the federal government to

start trusting Aboriginal people to make their own decisions. Mistakes may be made,

but successive governments have demonstrated time and again that they are ill

equipped to deal with the concerns o Aboriginal people. The Liberal Party believes

it is time for Aboriginal people to be given a chance to take charge of their future.

•

In

negotiating self-government agreements, careful attention will need to be paid to

the ·issue

o

financial resources. We will work with Aboriginal peoples to identify

where existing federal expenditures for Aboriginal peoples, currently in excess

o

5

billion a year, can be redirected into more productive uses. A Liberal government will

also explore new fiscal arrangements with Aboriginal peoples.

• Implementing self-government will involve building a better framework for relations

between the federal government and Aboriginal peoples. A Liberal government will

develop a more comprehensive process for consultation between federal ministers

and Aboriginal representatives with respect to decision-making that directly affects

First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples. Moreover, a Liberal government will

2



Aboriginal Peo

establish a process for engaging provinces to participate in consultations

appropriate.

• Implementing self-government will involve a variety

of

approaches depending up

the Aboriginal peoples and their particular circumstances.

1) Indian First Nations

•

•

There are approximately 540,000 Indian people

in

Canada, organized into 604 F

Nation communities, about 55 ofwhom reside on reserves. For the last 117 ye

or so, the federal government has administered their affairs under the Indian

through the Department of Indian Affairs.

Currently, control of Indian Affairs is centralized in the hands

of

the Minister a

senior management in the Department of Indian Affairs. Budgets, spending priorit

and cutbacks are decided upon

in

isolation from First Nations. Consultations a

undertaken with First Nations

on

an ad hoc and selective basis. A Libe

administration would change this approach by supporting a bilateral consultat

process developed in cooperation with First Nations.

•

A Liberal government will be committed to gradually winding down the Departme

of Indian Affairs at a pace which

is

agreed upon by First Nations, while maintaini

the federal fiduciary responsibility. n the meantime, the Department should contin

delivering services to those First Nations that require them.

•

•

A Liberal government will be prepared to undertake a program of reform orient

toward the implementation of the inherent right of self-government, throu

negotiated self-government agreements, while safeguarding treaties and respecti

the fiduciary duty of the federal Crown. This program

of

reform would differ from t

community based self-government program currently being implemented by t

Department

of

Indian Affairs.

t

the same time, a Liberal government would supp

the self-government arrangements now in place or in the process

of

bei

negotiated.

Indian Treaty Nations have unique interests and concerns. Their origin

relationships with the Crown are founded upon their historic treaties and any ne

relationship must be based upon respect for the treaties. A Liberal government w

seek the advice of Treaty First Nations

on

how to achieve a mutually acceptab

process to interpret the treaties in contemporary terms, while giving full recogniti

to

the original intent and spirit of the treaties. ·



Aboriginal P e e : ~

2) nuit

• The federal government has a special trust relationship with the 35; Inuit

peo;::

e

of Canada.

• Land claims settlements have been signed with Inuit in the Arctic and

Northe-

Quebec. The claim of the lnuvialuit in the Western Arctic was settled in 1984. -

June, 1993, Parliament ratified the claim of the Inuit of Nunavut. Quebec -

settled their claim in 1975. However, the claim of the Labrador Inuit remairs

outstanding because of the federal refusal

to

return to the negotiating table.

• A liberal government will begin negotiations, without preconditions, with the Inuit

c

Labrador and the province of Newfoundland to settle this outstanding claim. ;

Liberal government would also be prepared to discuss with the Labrador lnur:

alternative funding arrangements to the current bilateral arrangement betweer

Canada and Newfoundland.

• The Inuit are also seeking a national process for the negotiation of regional self

government agreements within the existing constitutional framework. A Libera

government would support this objective.

• Legislation passed by Parliament in June will see the new territory

of Nunavut

established in the central and eastern Arctic by 1999. A Liberal government

wi :

work in cooperation with the people of the Eastern and Western Arctic to ensure a

smooth transition to Nunavut.

3) Metis

•

The

Metis people emerged as a distinct cultural and political entity

out

of the

convergence of cultures of Indian peoples

and

early settlers.· A large number of

Metis· are concentrated in western and northern Canada.

• The Metis are recognized

as an

Aboriginal people in the Constitution; the federal

government has not historically recognized legislative responsibility for Metis under

section 91 (24) of the Constitution Act 1867. A Liberal government will take the lead

in trilateral negotiations with the Metis and provincial governments to define the

nature and scope of federal and provincial responsibility for Metis people.

• A Liberal government will also provide assistance to enumerate the Metis.

4



Aboriginal P

4 Urban

Aboriginal

people

• While the total number and distribution

of

urban-based s t a t u ~ - - and non-s

Indians, Inuit, and Metis are unclear, approximately 45 of status Indians are

living off reserve.

• The Liberal Party of Canada recognizes that the needs of the urban Abor

population are not currently being fully met. Aboriginal migration into urban ce

will continue. This coupled with the growing Aboriginal population will c

increased demand for culturally supportive social.and economic institutions in

centres. This demand will be particularly acute for western provinces with signi

numbers

of

Aboriginal people and which do not have sufficient resources to me

needs

of

thi s growing population.

• A Liberal government will

b uild

upon the network of urban Aboriginal institution

will support community controlled development l:istitutions. We. will also initi

head start program for pre-school Aboriginal

h l k ~ e n

and their parents living in u

centres and large northern communities.

ABORIGINAL

JUSTICE

• The agenda for self-government will be established in consultation and cooper

with Aboriginal peoples. However, an obvious priority will be the administrati

justice. There is ample evidence to indicate that the present system is not wo

for Aboriginal peoples. They continue t be over-represented in

our

pri

Several years ago, the Canadian Human Rights Commission made the observ

that a native youth in Canada today is more likely to

go

to prison than

to

colle

university.

• There have been numerous studies and inquiries into the subject of Abor

peoples and the justice system, including t h ~ Marshall Inquiry and the Man

Justice Inquiry, to name just two. In addition, the Royal Commission on Abor

Peoples recently held a National Round Table on justice issues.

• There is a clear consensus from all the studies to date that change is needed

now

is the time for action. There is an emerging consensus that what is req

· is a separate Aboriginal justice system or, at the very least, major reforms

to

present justice system to accommodate the unique cultures and interes

Aboriginal peoples.

• A Liberal government will urge the Royal Commission to issue

recommendations on Aboriginal justice issues. We are committed to actin

Aboriginal justice issues as a priority and will be prepared to consider altern

justice systems for Aboriginal peoples. We will also continue

to

support innov

alternative justice projects.



Aboriginal Peoples

HE LTH ND HE LING

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

A nation s greatest resource

is

its children. Yet many native communities are losing

their children at n alarming rate. Aboriginal young people are committing suicide at

a rate that

is

six times the national average and many are falling into a life

o

hopelessness characterized by a lack of education, alcohol and substance abuse,

and for too many, incarceration in our prisons.

While the causes of suicide

nd

substance abuse among young Aboriginal people

may differ, there are common threads which have surfaced in communities from East

to West to the Arctic - poverty, harsh living conditions, overcrowding, family violence,

lack of recreational facilities for youth, and a loss of identity and traditional values.

The daily dose

o n

alien T.V. culture only serves to remind these children that their

lives bear no resemblance to the rest of North American society.

The consequence

o

a failure to assist Aboriginal communities to deal with the roots

o

these problems will

be n

escalation

in

the climate of despair, which

in

turn

means a higher human and monetary cost. It must be recognized, for example, that

overcrowding

in northern communities and on reserves, which is sixteen times worse

than

in

other Canadian homes, is directly related to school drop-outs, family

violence, and suicide. A Liberal government must work in partnership with Aboriginal

peoples to ensure that their communities have the tools and resources necessary

to tackle these problems.

Some communities have identified

n

urgent need for crisis intervention counsellors,

drop-in centres for youth, cultural survival activity centres, healing centres or other

resources. Successful models for these initiatives already exist. A Liberal

government will take the advice

o

Aboriginal peoples in determining the priorities for

their communities in this regard.

As

n

immediate first step, a Liberal government will initiate a .comprehensive health

policy, designed by and for Aboriginal peoples, which supports

n

integrated

approach to physical and mental health issues and incorporates

t r ~ d i t i o n l

approaches to healing.

A Liberal government will also address the shortage of skilled health counsellors and

facilities, particularly in remote and northern communities, by committing the

necessary resources to train counsellors

in

traditional and contemporary methods

and by assisting communities wishing to develop traditional healing centres or other

culturally appropriate initiatives.

As a long-term investment in people, a Liberal government is committed to

increasing the number

o Aboriginal health professionals, with an emphasis

on

local

training

~ h r

possible. As a start, the current number of bursaries and scholarships

available through Health and Welfare for the training

o

Aboriginal health

professionals will be tripled and made accessible to all Aboriginal peoples.



Aboriginal Peopl

• A Liberal government will also explore with other governments ways

of

increasin

the number of Aboriginal doctors, nurses, counsellors, and other health professional

and will encourage their employment in Aboriginal communities. A Libera

government will work with post-secondary institutions to build upon current initiatives

which help to prepare Aboriginal students for medical and related studies, and wil

promote the integration

of

traditional methods and medicin.es into mainstream

programs.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

• Improving the educational and training environment for Aboriginal. Canadians is one

of

the major objectives of the Liberal Party of Canada. All Canadians will benefi

from enhancing the educational system to meet the needs

of

Canada's youngest and

fastest growing population. Failure to act today will mean a major financial burden

.tomorrow.

• According to a 1993 study prepared for the Assembly of First Nations, federa

government spending on Aboriginal education over the last ten years has increased

by only 3 , when inflation and population growth are taken into account.

The

study

found that while spending

on

income maintenance has increased by 34 , spending

on economic development and housing capital, both related to education, jobs, and

training, has decreased by 66 . A reallocation of existing resources in the

Department of Indian Affairs alone would go a long way to putting limited resources

to

a more productive use - in education, training, and community capital projects.

•

Too

many Aboriginal children are dropping out before graduating from high school.

Only 41

of

Indian children n Canada finished grade 12, as at 1990. The success

rate in the N.W.T., according to testimony before the Royal Commission on

Aboriginal Peoples, is as low as 3 . Many causes for the drop-out rate are poverty

related, such as the cost

of

clothing, serious overcrowding

at

home,

or

poor health.

Moreover, many children from northern and rural Aboriginal communities must still

leave home to attend high school, where for the first time they become a minority

among non-native students. In most instances, the education

s

neither responsive

to

the needs nor relevant to the culture

of

Aboriginal peoples.

• Progress has been made

n

increasing First Nation administrative control over

education at the local level; however, due to fiscal constraints there is very little

capacity for Aboriginal peoples to develop their own curriculum. This, together with

the incapacity of existing non-native schools to provide culturally supportive and

relevant materials to deal with the large number

of

Aboriginal students, requires

action.

• There are existing schools and facilities working independently of each other across

the country in Aboriginal curriculum development. Their efforts need to be

coordinated and the product

of

their development shared amongst all Aboriginal

7



Aboriginal Peoples

peoples. The federal government has a role

to

play in resourcing and facilitating this

coordination.

• A Liberal government, with the participation of Aboriginal peoples, will establish an

Abor'iginal educational institute and networking facility that will coordinate and build

upon

existing initiatives

in

Aboriginal curriculum development for Aboriginal and non

Aboriginal schools, standards development, distance education, Aboriginal

languages, teacher orientation, and the special needs of many communities such as

literacy, adult basic education, and special education. This facility will also work with

communities wishing to develop culturally appropriate programs which integrate

traditional knowledge and survival skills with academic and j o ~ r e l a t e d training.

• In addition, First Nations have expressed dissatisfaction with the existing system

of

Master Tuition Agreements with the provinces for the funding of Aboriginal children

in provincially-run schools. A Liberal government will review the Master Tuition

Agreements;· with a view to ensuring that Aboriginal peoples are involved fully in

decision-making and control of the process.

• Post-secondary education assistance was first introduced by a Liberal government

in the late 1960s

as

a deliberate strategy to close the gap between native and non

native education in Canada. The postsecondary program continued to meet the

growing demand for higher education until 1987, when the Conservative government

restricted the criteria and capped the program. Students who wish to undertake

postsecondary education are now being turned away. At the same time, the current

government is more than willing to support many of these young people with welfare

payments, which in some cases exceed the cost of sending them to school.

• The Liberal Party's commitment to assisting Aboriginal postsecondary students has

not faltered. Mr. Chretien stated recently that Liberals will lead a government that

does not put a cap on knowledge, but instead ensures that there will be greater

participation in our educational institutions.

• A Liberal government will, therefore, remove the cap on postsecondary education

specifically to provide adequate funding for Aboriginal students accepted at colleges,

universities, and vocational institutes, and in adult education programs and

professional degree programs. An additional $20 million per year will be budgeted

initially to address the backlog

of

eligible students who have been deferred as a

result of the cap

on

funding. A review of the Postsecondary Education Program will

also be undertaken with Aboriginal peoples to determine fair criteria for eligibility and

special needs, including adequate child care for students in need of such a service.

.

.

• liber l initiatives for a National Apprenticeship Program and National Youth Service

will accommodate the special circumstances of ·Aboriginal communities. For

example,. literacy is a major problem which hinders the successful completion of

training programs designed for Aboriginal peoples. A Liberal government will also

promote training programs which respond to the needs of Aboriginal communities.

8



boriginal Peo

This will mean a greater focus on training in such areas as environment

technologies, resource management, community development, survival skills, an

computers in addition to the traditional trades and services.

ABORIGINAL

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

•

•

•

The socio-economic conditions

of

Aboriginal people are embarrassingly poor. 199

census data confirms high unemployment, lower earned incomes and a hig

concentration

of

Aboriginal workers

n

lower end occupations. Figures show a larg

number of young Aboriginal people joining an already large pool ofAboriginal peop

in the labour market particularly in the North and in Western Canada. Ne

Aboriginal labour market entrants and those already in the labour force suffer fro

inadequate levels

of

education. The untapped potential

q

Aboriginal peoples

untapped potential for Canada.

The

Liberal Party recognizes that an investment in Aboriginal peoples is a

investment n Canada. Aboriginal community enterprises and communi

development institutions will be supported as the main engines of economic growt

within Aboriginal communities. Existing top-down bureaucratically controlle

developmental programs will be replaced with a new generation of community-base

developmental initiatives.

Community economic development is designed to facilitate a more holist

developmental approach and is a shift away from the failed selective econom

program interventions that characterized previous developmental programming. Th

Economic Council

of

Canada has endorsed community development as an importan

regional development tool. The following initiatives, which a Liberal governmen

would be prepared to implement, are designed to maximize the use of limite

resources and recognize that Aboriginal people themselves are the principal one

to achieve meaningful progress:

1. Strengthen and, where necessary, expand the network of existing Aborigina

controlled development institutions, through the transfer

of

control and deliver

of

federal development programs to community development institutions;

2. Consistent with Liberal community development strategies outlined in th

platform,

we

will ensure that community development resources are bette

extended to Metis and other off-reserve Indian institutions in urban areas wit

a particular focus on small businesses, economic planning, housing, huma

resource development (employment and training) and comprehensive communit

planning; ·

3. As the single largest purchaser

of

goods and services· in the country, a Libera

government

will

adopt procurement policies designed to stimulate the growth

Aboriginal business;

9



Aboriginal. Peoples

4. Explore with Aboriginal peoples and other northern nations ways in which

Canada can promote the freer movement of persons goods and seryices in the

circumpolar region;

5

Explore new approaches to obtaining capital for Aboriginal development projects

such as a National Aboriginal Development Bank with initial capital coming from

banks corporations and prosperous Aboriginal communities;

6. Establish an Aboriginal Trade Commission to identify and protect Aboriginal

products and to

c u ~ t i v t e

national and international markets for both traditional

and contemporary Aboriginal goods and services including products with value

added Aboriginal input.

HOUSING

•

•

•

The deplorable housing conditions

of

Aboriginal peoples are described in the 1992

Report of the all-Party Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs entitled A

Time

for

Action: Aboriginal and Northern Housing. A Liberal government will work with

Aboriginal peoples toward the implementation

of

the recommendations in that

Report.

In light of the current fiscal environment the Liberal Party acknowledges the

economic importance of the construction industry and capital expenditures as tools

for stimulating economic growth and job creation. Better use of capital expenditures

will form part

of the Liberal strategy on Aboriginal community development.

A Liberal government will work with Aboriginal peoples to develop an approach

to

housing that emphasizes community control local resources and flexibility in design

and labour requirements. A Liberal government will bring together Aboriginal leaders

business and investment leaders and other levels

of

government to define the

appropriate legal instruments that will provide the security of repayment necessary

to encourage private-sector financing to meet the need for housing. ·

RESTORATION OF L NDS ND RESOURCES

• The restoration

of

a land and resource base sufficient to sustain Aboriginal societies

through the equitable resolution

of

land claims is the key to the future and long-term

cultural and· economic success

of

self-government. The dispossession

of

their

traditional territories is ·one of the root causes of the contemporary social and

economic ills and inequities that exist amongst Aboriginal peoples in Canada.

• The first

f e d e r ~

claims policy was introduced in 1973 by a Liberal government in

·response to intense political pressure from Indian leaders and the Calder decision

of

the Supreme Court

of

Canada. A major review

of

claims occurred in 1980 also

10



•

•

•

•

•

•

Aboriginal

under a Liberal government. This led to the issuance

o

two separate

policies: the federal comprehensive claims policy entitled In All Fairn

December 1981, and the specific claims policy Outstanding Business in May

Both were issued under a Liberal government. The specific and compreh

claims policies have not been fundamentally changed since.

The comprehensive claims policy was reviewed in 1985 by the Coolican Task

Unfortunately, the Conservative govemmenfs response, the Comprehensive

Claims Policy announced in

1986

fell far short

o

the recommendations

Coolican Report.

Major reforms are now needed to these claims policies and processes. Firs

are out

o

step with the legal and political evolution o Aboriginal and treaty

There have been no fundamental changes to federal claims policy since th

major review by a Liberal government in 1980. Yet, there have been major

and political developments since then. In April 1982 existing Aboriginal and

rights wers recognized and affirmed

in

section

35

o

t 1e

Constitution

Act.

There have also been no less than five important decisions

o

the Supreme

o Canada including the Nowegiiick case 1983), the Guerin case 1984) the

case 1985), the Soarrow case 1990), and the Sioui case 1990). All o

decisions affect claims.

Second, current claims policies have not resulted in n expeditious resolution

o

claims. As

o

February, 1993 out

o

the 578 specific claims submitted since

no

more than 44 ctaims have been settled. Many more claims are in the res

and development stage and

a

considerable number are in litigation. With re

to comprehensive claims, in

20

years seven claims have been settled

or

are o

verge

o

final settlement, covering Northern and Northeastern Quebec, the Y

Eastern Arctic and part

o

the Western Arctic. Vast parts

o

the Maritimes, Qu

and

British Columbia remain subject to outstanding claims o Aboriginal title.

Claims negotiations have been difficult in part due to the strong objectio

.Aboriginal people to certain aspects o he current policy, in particular extinguish

and the reluctance·o the federal government to negotiate self-government a

o

claims. Negotiations have been unduly protracted, resulting in the accumu

o massive amounts

o

debt for claimants. Problems in the implementation o

land claims agreements also give cause to reconsider the merits

o

the ex

policy.

The Conservative government has made only minor changes to the claims pro

including the establishment o a Specific Claims Commission with a very li

mandate announced in 1991. A Treaty Commission .has also been establish

deal only with comprehensive claims in British· Columbia.

A Lib·eral government, in consultation with Aboriginal peoples, would undert

major overhaul

o

the federal claims policy on a national basis. The objective

11



Aboriginal Peoples

Liberal government regarding land and resource rights would

be

to uphold the

honour of the Crown by settling these matters through a fair and equit3ble process.

• Many have criticized the artificial distinction between specific and comprehensive

claims in the current claims policies. Instead of separate specific and

comprehensive claims,

we

propose a general policy encompassing all

claims.

Under

a Liberal government, the negotiation

of

claims relating to Aboriginal and treaty

rights could Include the right of self-government. In order to be consistent wi th the

Canadian

o n s t i t l ~ t i o n

which now recognizes

and

affirms Aboriginal and treaty

rights, a Liberal government will not require blanket extinguishment for crafms based

on Aboriginal title.

• The existing land claims process has also created a conflict for the federal

government in deciding whether to accept or reject claims against itself. Under a

Liberal government a new process for resolving land claims will be established. A

Liberal government will create, in cooperation

wit

Aboriginal peoples, an

independent

Claims

Commission

for

both

specific

and

comprehensive

clairps. Its

mandate

will be

jointly developed

with

Aboriginal

peopies.

• The Commission,

composed

of members

jointly

selected by Aboriginal

peoples and

the federal government, could have the following features -

to

report regularly

to

Parllament; to facilitate claims negotiations;

to

establish time frames:

to

develop

criteria for validating claims; to inquire into the need to cfarffy or renovate treaties to

make

their express terms consistent with their spirit and intent,

and to

have an

ongoing role in the implementation of claims agreemen1s.

• One of the most costly aspects

of

the current claims process has been the length

of

time

to

settle claims and the litigation that results when negotiations are stalled.

t

is

expected

that

the independent Claims Coryimlsslon

will

lead

to

speedier

settlements and lower costs for both Aboriginal claimants and the federal

government

• This Commission will not replace direct negotiations between the Federal

government

and

claimants.

It will instead

facilitate and

bring fairness

to

the

negotiation

process.

• A Liberal government, in cooperation with Aboriginal peoples, would build upon the

positive aspects

of

the existing Indian Claims Commission

and

the British Columbia

Claims Commission In these proposed reforms.

• Most Crown land in Canada south of 60 degrees is held

by

the provinces. A Liberal

government would engage the provinces in redressing the grievances of Aboriginal

peoples

over

land and resource rights, including negotiating agreements for co

management

and resource

revenue sharing•

•

2



· boriginal Peop

CONCLUSION

•

•

•

We believe that the changes we propose are overdue and that

the

program we ha

sketched out is realistic and achievable.

The

Liberal Party acknowledges the fiscal limitations Canada faces. But

we

belie

better use can

be made

of

existing funds. For example

it

is misguided thinking f

the Department

of

Indian Affairs to be increasing spending on social assistance wh

cutting resources

for

economic development and education.

The Aboriginal population is a young population.

If

we do not focus on the potent

of these young people we will face increasing costs to

our

social security hea

and

justice systems and we will have lost a generation able and willing to make

contribution. ·

3



Aboriginal Head Start

ABORIGINAL HEAD START

A Liberal government will establish, in cooperation with boriginal peoples, an

boriginal Head Start program on a

pilot

project basis, initially for boriginal

families

living in

urban centres and large northern communities. A Liberal

government will begin this project with commitments of up to 10 million in the

first year of its

mandate, up

to

20 million in the

second

year,

up to

30

million in

the third year, and up to 40 million in the fourth year. The precise design and

delivery of the program will be determined and controlled by boriginal peoples.

BACKGROUND

•

Poverty

among

children

has

been associated with poorer health, lower ievels

of

educational attainment,

and

higher rates of incarceration. More than one million

Canadian children under the age of

16

live

in

poverty

.

Canadian and American

studies have

shown

that early

and

sustained interventions with children result in

social and economic benefits. The Canadian Council

on

Children and Youth cites

studies which have concluded that each dollar invested in high-quality preschool

programs

can

save

4.

75 through lower costs for special education, public

assistance,

and

the administration of justice.

•

•

•

•

In the 1991 census, over

one

million persons in Canada reported having Aboriginal

origins, either

as

their only ancestry or

in

combination with other origins. This

represents 3.7_percent of the Canadian population, although in Manitoba,

Saskatchewan,

and

Alberta the percentage is considerably higher, at

11

percent,

10 percent

and

6 percent respectively.

In

the Northwest Territories, Aboriginal

peoples make up 62 percent of the population,

and

23 percent in the Yukon.

Well over half of Canadian families of Aboriginal origin live off reserve, many of

those

in

urban communities. For example, Winnipeg (population 645,000)

is

home

to approximately 15,000 Matis and 20,000 Indian people. Edmonton (population

832,000) includes 13,500 Matis

and

16,000 Indian people. Regina (population

189,000)

has an

Aboriginal population of 3,700 Metis and 7,300 Indians.

The Aboriginal population is a much younger population than Canada's total

population -

38

percent are under the age

of

15, compared to 21 percent of the

Canadian population. Statistics Canada projects that Aboriginal peoples living on

and

off reserve will continue to tiave a higher population growth rate and a younger

demographic base

than·

the overall ~ n a d i a n population.

Aboriginal peoples generally are economically disadvantaged compared to all

Canadians. Among the off-reserve Aboriginal population, Saskatchewan, Manitoba

and the Territories have the highest proportion of Aboriginal peoples - 60 percent -

14



· Aboriginal Head

earning less than 10,000 (1985 figures). The corresponding figure for the Cana

population

as

a whole was 39 percent

• The educational levels attained by Aboriginal peoples living off reseri/e are hi

than those

of

the on-reserve population but still significantly lower than the gen

. population.

In

1986,

21

percent of the off-reserve population over the age of 15

not have a grade 9 education, compared to 17 percent of the Canadian popula

as a whole.

THE HEAD START

MODEL

• The Head Start program

has

been in operation in the United States for

28

years

has served more than

13 million children. It is a federally funded, early interven

program to provide child care and social, educational, health, and nutritional serv

to disadvantaged children aged three, four, and five. The program places a str

emphasis

on

parental

and

community involvement.

• Eligibility is based on income but there is the flexibility to accept children wh

parents' income is over the poverty line, such as in smaller communities wh

preschool or child care programs are not readily available. Head Start programs

administered locally by community-based, non-profit organizations and sch

systems.

• In Canada, there are similar programs which are named Head Start or which fol

many of the principles of Head

tart

Examples

of

these include the Monc

Headstart Program and the Ottawa-Carleton Headstart Association for Pre-schoo

There are also urban, Aboriginal child care facilities, such as the Circle Projec

Regina, whose programs are compatible with many

of

the objectives of Head St


• The primary objective of an Aboriginal Head Start program would be to h

disadvantaged Aboriginal preschool children living in urban centres and lar

communities in the north to prepare for the transition to school. Studies have sho

that Head Start has immediate and long-term positive impacts on a child's s

esteem, social behaviour, and desire to achieve. Through parental involvement,

physical and emotional health of

participating children and their families h

improved.

• These same studies also show, however, that in some cases the Head St

experience cannot reverse the cumulative effects

of

poverty, neglect, abuse, o

health suffered by some children and that some of the gains made by children wh

enrolled in Head Start can be lost in later years.

5




• Aboriginal peoples have expressed the need for their educational system to reflect

the culture

nd

experience

o

Aboriginal communities. An Aborigjnal Head Start

program would be designed and controlled by Aboriginal peoples at the community

level. Aboriginal. Head Start must be flexible to take into consideration the different

needs and priorities

o

the communities where they would be situated.

• Central to the design

o

Aboriginal Head Start programs would be a strong cultural

component. Many Aboriginal children living in cities are cut off from relatives and the

elders

o

their traditional communities. Aboriginal children, no matter where they live,

should know their history, culture, and language. And above all, they need to know

that they are important.

• One

o

the · positive spin-offs

o

current Head Start programs has been the

opportunity for the parents involved to learn the skills required to work

in

the

program. A successful Head Start would ensure that there are support programs for

parents, including problem-solving and upgrading of skills. Some parents, many

o

them single mothers, have become gainfully employed with Head Start as teachers

or counsellors.

• A successful urban Aboriginal Head Start program could serve as a model for

n

expanded program for other Aboriginal communities, reserves, and high-risk, non

Aboriginal children.

• According to the Circle Project o Regina, the children

o

today are our leaders

o

tomorrow and with the teaching of our philosophy of wholeness, wellness,

acceptance, and independence, our leaders o tomorrow will stand a chance in life .

6



ABORIGINAL PEOPLES

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

September 1

Q.: Do we need to change the Constitution in order to proceed with negoti tio

on self-government?

A.: No. The present Constitution

s.

35) now recognizes and affirms the exist

Aboriginal and treaty rights of the Indian, Inuit, and Metis Peoples

of

Canada. T

Charlottetown Accord proposed wording t h ~ s:mply would have affirmed that o

of these existing rights

is

the inherent right of Aboriginal peoples to gove

themselves within Canada. The provision dld r.vt claim

to

create a right

or

to gr

a right to Aboriginal peoples. It was intended merely to confirm the existence

of

right and give it constitutional status.

The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples released a report on self-governm

in August, 1993 (Partners in Confederation) which supports the position

of

t

Liberal Party of Canada. The Report concludes that there are strong historical a

legal grounds for the inherent right of Aboriginal self-government within Cana

and that this right is likely one of the Aboriginal and treaty rights now guarante

in the Constitution.

Q.: What would Aboriginal self-government look like and how would a Libe

government and Aboriginal peoples implement self-government?

A.: The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples has given some guidance in

August 1993 report on self-government,

on

directions which the implementation

self-government might take. A Liberal government will study the commissio

report,

The inherent right

of

self-government, in the view of the Commission, is not

unlimited right. It would allow Aboriginal governments to operate within t

Constitution

in

the same way

.as

federal, provincial, and territorial governments d

Secondly, the Commission points out that Aboriginal governments would not

subordinate to other governments

in

certain core areas which impact mo

immediately on peoples lives, eg. education, social policy, or certain areas



Aboriginal People

justice. In other areas they would share jurisdiction with

oth_er

governments and in

still other areas they would accept exclusive federal jurisdiction.

Thirdly, individual members

of

Aboriginal groups would enjoy the protection

of

the

Charter of Rights and Freedoms

n

their dealings with Aboriginal governments,

in

the same way that the Charter is available to all Canadians to challenge federal

and provincial laws

and practices which may be discriminatory under the Charter.

The implementation of the inherent right

of

self-government,

n

the words

of

the

Royal Commission

on

Aboriginal Peoples, will mean different things to different

Aboriginal groups. For some it may mean reviving traditional governmental

structures or adapting them to modem purposes. For others, it may mean new

structures. Or for other groups the immediate objective may be simply greater

control over the provision of governmental services such as education and health

care.

Q.:

What does

removing the cap on postsecondary education

for boriginal

students

mean?

A.: The Conservative government began to narrow the terms of the postsecondary

program

in

1987 under Minister Bill McKnight, and again

in

1989 when Minister

Pierre Cadieux introduced the guidelines which are still

in

use. The policy change

which most seriously hampered the effectiveness of the program concerned the

program budget. Previously,

t

the Main Estimates underestimated the enrolment

of

Aboriginal students

in

a given year, Supplementary Estimates were aflowed to

cover the shortfall. As of 1987, the budget was capped and no supplementary

funds could be requested during the year.

The capping

of

the postsecondary program has led to a serious backlog of eligible

Aboriginal students. The 1987-88 Auditor General's Report pointed out that the

Department of Indian Affairs' history of not projecting accurately the demand for

postsecondary education has led to inadequate funding under the fixed budget

policy imposed in 1987.

The Department

of

Indian Affairs does not keep records

of

the number

of

students

who have been deferred because of the cap. Liberals ill allocate a further 20

million to the post-secondary budget initially to address the backlog

of

eligible

students; however, the removal

of

the cap means that there will also be the

flexibility to make up

a

shortfall during the fiscal year.



Aboriginal Peopl

Q.: c·an you give examples

of

aboriginal-controlled community enterprises an

community

development

institutions which

a Liberal

government

will suppor

to

boost

community economic development?

A.: According to the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB), there ar

currently approximately 15,000 businesses owned by Indian, Inuit, and Meti

people. This represents close to 2 percent of all .businesses in Canada. CCAB

studies have shown that Aboriginal businesses are highly motivated to create loca

employment. There is particular potential for Aboriginal businesses in tourism

service sectors, traditional foods, environmental management, housing, an

construction of capital projects.

There currently exist approximately twenty-four Aboriginal capital corporations tha

provide commercial loans to Indian, Metis, and .Inuit enterprises. These can be

effective mechanisms to provide capital to Aboriginal entrepreneurs; however, the

are limited by geographical and membership restrictions and are not seen as a

source

of

venture capital. A national Aboriginal Development Bank would

complement these capital corporations. The government s own 1992 repor

Inventing Our Future:

n

Action Plan for Canada s Prosperity recommends

investments in Aboriginal capital corporations.

A Liberal government is also committed to increasing capital availability to sma

and medium-size businesses in rural areas and the North through the vehicles o

cooperatives and credit unions.

There are a number

of

Aboriginal trust funds, development organizations, and

sectoral economic development institutions such as the Alberta Indian Agriculture

Development Corporation. The Economic Council

of

Canada, in its 1990 repor

From the Bottom up: The Communitv Economic-Development Approach cited

Saskatchewan s Kitsaki Development Corporation as a development organization

that acquired new technology and production ideas which led to a market in Japan

for

its beef jerky products. Kitsaki employs roughly 250 people. The lnuvialui

Development Corporation, Makavik Corporation, and the Matis Developmen

Corporation are all examples of success stories in the North.

he government s 1989 CAEDS program (Canadian Aboriginal Economic

Development Strategy) supports a number

of

Aboriginal entrepreneurs and

development projects. For example, the Pe-kun-nee Windfarm Project

of

the

Alberta Peigan Nation Utilities Corporation is supported in part by CAEDS. CAEDS

however, is not meeting the needs of many other communities nor of Aborigina

women entrepreneurs: A Liberal government will review CAEDS and ensure tha

economic development resources are reaching the community. enterprises and

development institutions that will drive community economic development.



Aboriginal Peop

Q.:

The idea that a Liberal government

will

adopt procurement policies

t

stimulate the growth

of

aboriginal business - what kind of policies? Can yo

offer

an example?

· '

A.: The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business has recommended in its submissio

to the Royal Commission

on

Aboriginal Peoples that a fixed percentage

of

feder

contracts be allocated to competent Aboriginal governments and businesses, i

much the same way that provinces receive such contracts. (The America

government has such a policy in its Indian Preference Contracting Act .) This an

other possible options will be explored. They would not require an additional outla

of

government funds.

Q.:

Who

will

fund and manage the Aboriginal Trade Commission? Why

can't

special

support

program for aboriginal goods and services within the Expo

Development Corp. be developed rather that creating a new bureaucracy?

A.: The Aboriginal Trade Commission would be a body of predominantly Aborigina

people involved in Aboriginal economic development and trade. The Commissio

would work to identify existing products and services in Canada; develop

coherent business plan; survey and develop international markets for Aborigina

goods and services; and make links with existing trade-related initiatives such a

the Canadian Exporters Association, the Export Development Corporation, th

Forum for International Training, and other sectoral advisory groups. The Trad

Commission could also work with Aboriginal organizations involved in trade issues

such as the Inuit Circumpolar Conference.

Q.:

The Export Development Corporation is primarily a financial institution which

facilitates export trade and foreign investment by providing financing and relate

services to Canadian companies and their global partners. As such, its mandat

is sufficiently different from an Aboriginal Trade Commission·that the Commissio

should not be

n

adjunct of the Corporation. The cost of maintaining an Aborigina

Trade Commission would be relatively small.

The December 1992 housing report of the Standing Committee on Aborigina

Affairs,

A

Time for Action: Aboriginal and Northern

Housing

states

that

th

on-reserve

housing

and related infrastructure needs alone could cost ove

$500

million,

according

to

the Department

of

Indian Affairs,

or

as

much

a

$3.3 billion,

if

Assembly of First Nation numbers are accepted. Does

thi

mean that a Liberal government

will

spend this kind

of

money?

What

abou

off-reserve

housing

needs?



Aboriginal People

A.: The housing crisis in Aboriginal and northern communities will be addressed at the

earliest opportunity by a Liberal government. Discussions will begin with Aboriginal

representatives and other governments

on

how, given the fiscal constraints faced

by all governments, to implement the recommendations of the Standing

Committee s Report on Aboriginal housing on-reserve and off-reserve and northern

housing.

The Report s key recommendations include:

streamlining housing delivery by delivering all government funding through one

agency;

utilizing local resources and labour instead of importing goods and services

that do not meet ·the needs of Aboriginal communities;

providing greater opportunities for home ownership; and

gradually transferring control over housing to Aboriginai peoples to ensure that

there

is

greater community control over the development and delivery of

housing programs; ·

Responding adequately to Aboriginal

and

northern housing needs will require not

only government resources but also private-sector investment, such as through

development bonds which Canadians could purchase to finance housing and

infrastructure

in

Aboriginal communities. At the same time, existing resources can

be utilized in more productive ways that will create more houses and employ more

Aboriginal people in their design and construction.

Q.: What will an Aboriginal Educational Institute and networking facility look like

Given that there are three distinct Aboriginal peoples

in

Canada, do you

envisage separate facilities for First Nations, Inuit, and Metis?

A.: There are already a number

of

aboriginal educational centres and programs across

Canada which conduct research and provide services

in

the areas

of

aboriginal

language training, curriculum development, traditional customs, literacy and other

aspects of education for the benefit of both aboriginal and non-aboriginal students.

The Woodland Cultural Institute, the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Centre, the

Montagnais Cultural and Educational Institute, and the Dene Cultural Institute are

a few examples. In addition, several universities and colleges and Aboriginal

organizations have established native studies programs, aboriginal languages

instruction, or research programs.



Aboriginal Peoples

A recent initiative in the Arctic illustrates the progress that is being made in the field

of distance education. Students

in

7 Arctic communities spread across 3000

kilometres recently took part in

n

experimental management training course

developed by a non-profit Inuit agency

nd

transmitted by satellite from Iqaluit.

We believe that the federal government has a role in bringing together the

expertise which currently exists in facilities involved

in

Aboriginal education. The

Educational Institute

nd

networking facility would encourage the development and

dissemination of educational and cultural materials to schools and Aboriginal

communities. .

The Institute could have three parts

in

order to reflect the different cultures and

languages

of

the Indian First Nations, the Inuit,

nd

the Metis. They would likely

be

housed

in

existing educational centres to take advantage of on-site programs and

networking resources. The actual design

nd

mandate

of

the Institute will be

developed with Aboriginal peoples and will

be

supported through the existing

budget

of

Indian Affairs.

Q.:

A Liberal government would increase the number of health counsellors to

work in aboriginal communities and will triple the number of bursaries and

scholarships for

the training

of

aboriginal health professionals.

ow

much

wilJ this cost?

A.: Health Canada currently has a budget of 836 million for Indian and Northern

Health Services; however, the approach to dealing with issues such as suicide,

family violence, substance abuse, and past abuse in residential schools has not

worked well, particularly

in

remote communities,

in

part because

of

the absence

of

an overall mental health policy

nd

because traditionally a non-native approach has

been used to resolve these problems.

There is a serious shortage

of

skilled Aboriginal health counsellors. For example,

there are only nine mental health counsellors to cover twenty-three communities

in the Nishnawbe-Aski Nation territory

in

northwestern Ontario. All twenty-three

communities are remote and accessible by plane only. When a suicide occurs in

an Aboriginal community, it is not uncommon to see a chain reaction. An

investment in the training

of

more skilled mental health counsellors to practise in

these communities will mean quicker crisis intervention and a greater ability to take

preventive action.

We believe that current expenditures

in

Indian Affairs and Health and Welfare can

be redirected into areas which have been identified as priorities

by

Aboriginal

peoples. The training and employment of more health counsellors is one priority.

In addition, the cost

of

tripling the number

of

Health Canada bursaries and

scholarships for Aboriginal students

in

health careers studies will mean n increase

in the current budget from 100,000 to 300,000.




QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Aboriginal Head Star

Q.: Why will a Head Start program for Aboriginal children be implemented

in

urban

areas

only

A.: Aboriginal Head Start will be initiated as a pilot program. Initially the focus will be

on urban centres, primarily because of the migration

of

large numbers of

Aboriginal families from their reserve communities to the cities. Many of these

families are headed by single-parent women from small Aboriginal communities

trying to survive in a non-aboriginal, urban environment.

If the pilot program

is

successful, Aboriginal Head Start could be expanded to

reserves and other Aboriginal communities where there is an expressed interest.

The program should be flexible and transparent enough that it can be adapted to

serve disadvantaged non-Aboriginal children.

Q.: Are

there any existing Aborig inal Head Start programs

which could

serve as

a

model for

the

Liberal initiative?

A.: There is at least one excellent Aboriginal child care centre that we know of which

incorporates many of the objectives of Head Start. It

is

the Circle Project in

Regina, which offers as one of ts many programs a day care, a hot lunch

program for hungry children, and counselling and healing programs for parent and

child. It is obvious that Aboriginal Head Start programs will need to be tailored

to the individual community, whether it be a Prairie city

or

a large Inuit community.

Q.:

How do we know that the Aborig inal community wants. an Aboriginal Head

S ~ r t p r o g r a m ·

A.: We have done a preliminary consultation with Aboriginal people involved

in

urban

preschool education and child care. Obviously, much more needs to be done.

The premise of the program, however, is that it would be designed, controlled,

and run by Aboriginal peoples at the community level. A Liberal government,

together with Aboriginal representatives, will work out the details of the program

and identify the urban centres which could accommodate such a program. The

Aboriginal Peoples Commission of the Liberal Party of Canada has also

recommended the establishment

of an

Aboriginal Head Start program.




Q.: Why are you targetting Aboriginal children for Head Start and not all

disadvantaged children?

A.: In Canada the provinces have exclusive jurisdiction over education and have the

primary responsibility for delivering social services including child care. The

federal government however has a legal responsibility for Indian and Inuit

peoples. This means that the federal government can work directly with Aboriginal

peoples on initiatives to improve their well-being.

The Liberal Party is aware that a Head Start program for all disadvantaged

children would e a positive initiative. f ~ u pilot Head Start program for

Aboriginal children

in

urban centres and large northern communities is successful

we would consider cooperating with the provinces and territories to expand the

program to non-native.communities. Existing services such as the Moncton Head

Start Program are ample proof of the neeci to help young children everywhere

counter the effects of poverty and

in

some cases neglect and abuse before they

enter the school system.

Aboriginal Liberal Commission 1992 Policy & 1993 Platform

Documents

Transcript of Aboriginal Liberal Commission 1992 Policy & 1993 Platform