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Algonquin Traditional Territory Map
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Dear Voter/Elector,
In my role as the
Principal Negotiator for the Algonquins of Ontario (“AOO”), I am pleased to
provide you with a further report on the status of the ongoing negotiations with
the Governments of Canada and Ontario hopefully leading to an Agreement-in-Principle
(“AIP”) and a Treaty. I am also writing
to provide you with an update on the 2011 Algonquin Negotiation Representatives
(ANRs) Elections, the AIP Voter enrolment process, as well as a number of exciting
“Algonquin Nation” initiatives that are underway.
AIP / Treaty
Negotiations
The monthly ANR and Main
Table negotiation meetings have continued since I last reported to you. During that time Chapters for the AIP have
been drafted by the parties and a tentative agreement reached to include a
number of elements, such as:
·
Eligibility
Enrolment for Voters and Beneficiaries (subject to further work on Community
Acceptance, Custom Adoption and Community Affiliation)
·
Claims
Institutions (these are the trusts that will hold the settlement lands and
monies)
·
Lands
·
Harvesting
·
Parks
and Protected Areas
·
Burial
Sites (including archaeological issues)
·
Forestry
and
·
Dispute
Resolution
A number of elections in
2011, including the federal, provincial, Pikwàkanagàn Chief and Council, and the
ANR Elections, as well as the Voter Enrolment process, all to some extent delayed
the progress of the AIP negotiations. Notwithstanding these interruptions, we have made considerable headway. In my view, we are at that make or break
point where the critical terms of the AIP will either be agreed upon within the
next few months, or not. I am optimistic
that the terms of the Agreement-in-Principle can be achieved and that they will
be submitted to you for your approval in the coming year.
Community Meetings
As the negotiations on the elements of the AIP reach their critical stage we have chosen to hold the monthly ANR and Main Table meetings at the Pembroke Consultation Office which has more sophisticated technical facilities to accommodate these meetings. As soon as the AIP takes shape we will resume having the monthly meetings (hopefully early in the new year) in the various Communities so that a Community meeting can be held during the week of negotiations with all negotiating teams present to field questions and brief you on our progress. Meanwhile, please contact your local ANR for any updates you may require . Progress on Land Selection
Jim Hunton, the Land Selection
Lead and Technical Advisor for the Algonquins of Ontario, in conjunction with
the ANRs have had ongoing discussions with Ontario and Canada to complete a
number of “tentative” land selections within the Algonquin Territory as part of
the negotiation process. I encourage you
to consult with your ANR to learn more and to provide additional input into
this extremely important aspect of the negotiations.
2011 ANR Elections
The
Election of the Pikwàkanagàn Chief and Council and the ANR Elections, both of
which are held every three years, were completed in 2011. Two new ANRs, Ron Bernard and Dan Kohoko, were
elected as Councillors from Pikwàkanagàn, and joined the negotiation team. ANR elections were also held in the
communities of Ottawa and Whitney and Area and the incumbent ANRs were
re-elected. All of the other candidates
were re-elected by acclamation in the remaining seven communities. Your 16 Algonquin Negotiation Representatives
and the community that they are affiliated with are as follows:
We acknowledge, with
grateful appreciation the contributions of Vicky Two-Axe and Richard Sarazin,
both of whom served as Pikwàkanagàn Councillors and ANRs, but did not seek
re-election this time around.
Further
Enrolment of Voters
The “initial” Voter
Enrolment process which commenced in December 2010 to identify persons who
would be eligible to vote on the AIP (and also to serve as ongoing “Electors”
for the election of ANRs) was completed in February of this year.
The Ratification
Committee reviewed thousands of applications and applied the criteria
established by the AOO, Canada and Ontario as to who is eligible to be an
Algonquin Voter for the AIP. Applicants
were notified as to whether they met the criteria or not. Individuals deemed eligible as Algonquin
Voters appeared on the Preliminary Voters List posted in late March 2011. A
Supplementary Voters List was also posted in late April.
The
ANRs continue to receive completed AIP Voter Application Forms. These applications are being forwarded to
Joan Holmes, AOO Enrolment Officer, who is charged with the responsibility of
certifying each applicant’s direct connection to an Algonquin Ancestor and the
life events portion of t he application. A second review and approval process by the Ratification Committee on any
further applications will be resumed once it is likely that an AIP will be available
for Voter approval. Meanwhile, please
encourage your family members and other Algonquins who have not yet enrolled to
complete an AIP Voter Application Form, and submit it to their ANR for
processing. If you need an AIP Voter Application Form, contact your ANR.
Research on Asserted
Métis Rights-Bearing Community in Mattawa Region
The
Métis Nation of Ontario (“MNO”) has asserted that a “rights-bearing” Métis
community exists in the Mattawa area. The AOO has already commissioned Joan Holmes & Associates to
investigate certain threshold historical issues and it is our conclusion that
no such distinctive Métis community existed at the legally significant date,
applying the 2003 Supreme Court of Canada decision in R. v. Powley.
We
have recently learned that after a lengthy delay, the MNO, Ontario and Canada
have agreed to jointly commission research into the existence of the asserted
Métis community. The respected research
firm Public History Inc. has been selected to conduct the historical research,
with an anticipated completion date for their report by March 31, 2012. Ms. Holmes’ research paper together with the
other research papers commissioned by Ontario which reached much the same
conclusion as Ms. Holmes have been provided to this researcher. We will continue to carefully monitor this
process and keep you posted on further developments.
A False Newsletter
Regrettably
someone has circulated a newsletter making false representations and promises
in my name proposing a $350.00 fee for enrolment to this process. This is a desperate attempt by a very
unprincipled individual to destabilize the negotiations - a weak effort that
has failed miserably. If you receive
such a letter please pass it along with the envelope to your ANR to provide to
the appropriate authorities for further investigation.
Algonquins of Ontario Initiatives
While
negotiations were moving forward, and with the assistance of legal counsel Alan
Pratt, Jim Hunton and Janet Stavinga, Executive Director of the AOO
Consultation Office, a number of very exciting initiatives have taken shape. A few of these are described below:
·
A
protocol with the Ministry of Northern
Development, Mines and Forestry was entered into by the AOO which is the
first of its kind in the province and sets out guidelines for mineral
exploration within the Algonquin Territory.
·
Steps
towards finalizing an archeology
protocol with the City of Ottawa continue.
·
An
AOO position paper on the protection of
the American Eel is underway.
·
Efforts
to build and strengthen relationships with Parks
Canada and the National Capital Commission move forward as well as the
exploration of various federal real estate initiatives.
·
Work
continues on a Memorandum of Understanding regarding Algonquin access and use
of Small Craft Harbour facilities throughout the Algonquin Traditional Territory.
·
The CFB Rockcliffe Participation Agreement has been executed and is in the process of being implemented.
·
Algonquin
input into the Lansdowne Park
Redevelopment in Ottawa is continuing.
·
An
innovative partnership with the City of Ottawa to celebrate Algonquin art, culture and heritage through the Ottawa Light Rail Transit project gains
momentum as LeBreton Flats has been identified as an “Algonquin centred”
transit station. The location of this station is of particular significance to
the Algonquins as it is within close proximity to Chaudière Falls and Victoria
Island, both of which are sacred gathering places for the Algonquins since time
immemorial.
·
Turtle
Island Consulting Services Inc. has been retained to assist in the development
of an inaugural AOO Forest Stewardship
Strategic Plan. This effort will also help inform the development of the
Forestry Chapter to be included in the AIP.
·
The
2011Nation Gathering held at Sharbot Lake Beach on July 16 and hosted by Chief Doreen Davis and the Shabot Obaadjiwan
First Nation was a resounding success! The 2012
Nation Gathering will be hosted by Bonnechere and Greater Golden Lake First
Nations on July 14, 2012 in Pembroke. If you are interested in helping out, please
contact ANRs Richard Zohr or Patrick Glassford.
·
The AOO Nation Flag and Logo Contest has begun. Submissions must be original and
representative of the Algonquin people. You could win $500 cash for each of
your original flag and logo entries. The deadline for entries is December 31,
2011. For more information, contact the AOO
Consultation Office at 613-735-3759 or algonquins@nrtco.net.
Changes to the
Web Address
The address for the
website on the Algonquin Treaty Negotiations is now http://www.blaneyalgonquin.com/.
Thank you again for your
ongoing interest and support for this historic process.
Yours
very truly,
Robert J. Potts Telephone:
1-877-593-7221 x3952
email:
bpotts@blaney.com
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