"Chief commissioner Sophie Pierre is so right to castigate governments for a lack of progress in the B.C. treaty process. It is an absolute disgrace. After 20 years and negotiating expenditures of an incredible half a billion dollars of unaffordable borrowed money by the Indian side alone, almost nothing has been achieved.

For the past three-and-one-half years I have been involved in negotiations for the Gitxsan Treaty Society. One of my Gitxsan colleagues has been at that table for 20 years, during which time he has seen 30 government negotiators come and go. I marvel at the patience of my friends.

For the governments in this process, another year is another year, ho hum. For the Indian side of the table in B.C., while it varies by region, it is in general another year of poverty, unemployment, inadequate education, widespread substance abuse and even suicide. I have not the slightest doubt that the major blame for this lies with the mainstream society and you can get as many details as required in my book, A New Look at Canadian Indian Policy. And the guilt is not merely historic; it is current."

Get the Story:
Gordon Gibson: Treaty process needs a new look (The Vancouver Sun 10/19)