TREATY
GOVERNANCE
Audio of Meeting with Rarihokwats and Sharon Venne
Day one (August 9, 2010)
Day Two (August 10, 2010)
Day Three (August 11, 2010)
Due to amendments recommended by the Minister of INAC having to be done
before our Band Custom Election Law comes into effect, we will once again
have to go with Indian Act Election for the upcoming Election in June.
We tried to get the amendments done before the next election but due
to people showing an interest and coming forth with recommendations on what
they want included or deleted in the Election Law, we will not be able to
use it. Amendments have to be
done in three assemblies (Band Meetings) and we have only had one assembly.
We had scheduled the other two assemblies but due to the deaths of
our two women elders, we were unable to carry these out.
Due to the time until the upcoming election, we will not be having
any more readings until after the Election in June, 2010.
Our Department is completing the Cree translation of our Convention, Band
Custom Election Law and the Citizenship Law.
We will be calling Readings for the Citizenship Law after we are
finished with the amendments to the Band Custom Election Law.
UPDATE ON MCIVOR CASE:
The Government had introduced Bill C-4 – Gender Equality to the Standing
Committee but the amendments they were making to the Indian Act were not
agreed to by the different parties; therefore, the Bill has died and the
ruling made by the British Columbia Appeals Court will come into effect on
July 5th, 2010. This
is where they had ruled that Section 6.1(a) and 6.1(c) would be struck from
the Indian Act. Our
Leaders will have to become involved in the whole area of citizenship coming
from the Treaty stand that we never gave up the right to first decide who is
an Indian and who is our Band Members and make sure that before anymore
amendments to the Indian Act are made by the Government that they will have
to consult our Leaders..
Just as an example on the proposed amendments to Bill C-3 by the Government
is one of the recommendations:
If Bill C-3 were to be passed in Parliament, the people who would gain
status would be entitled to retroactive pay of any Per Capita Distributions
issued by the Bands where they would be entitled to be registered.
This would affect our Cree Nation because we do get PCD’s.
This would also mean that many of our First Nations would be forced
into bankruptcy paying the back pay or would be put in extreme difficulty in
balancing their budgets.
As well, Bill C-4 Matrimonial Property on First Nations is pretty much
passed in Parliament and this will affect us.
This means that a Provincial Court Judge can make a ruling on how
property is distributed to people who have a marriage or common-law breakup.
The only way we can prevent this from happening is if our Cree Nation
develops its own laws on Matrimonial Property.
Our Department is researching this and we will be drafting up our own
Matrimonial Property Law based on our Customs, Traditions and Beliefs and as
told to us by our Elders.
This will give you an idea of the kind of work that our Department does.
Our main goal is to protect our Treaties by putting into place laws
that will protect us and give our children, grandchildren, and so on the
same rights in the future.
Treaty Governance Staff are as follows:
Gloria Chocan – Director
Clarence Whitstone – Researcher/Translator
June Chocan – Researcher/Translator
Donna Lewis – Researcher/Translator
You can contact us at (306)344-5111 fax 344-5109
Gloria can also be contacted on cell phone (780)870-2683 or e-mail
gloria.chocan@onionlake.ca