By Darcy Henton
Legislature Bureau
The Assembly of First Nations is urging the federal government to immediately begin self-government talks with Alberta's Lubicon Cree.
National Chief Phil Fontaine says there's no reason why Ottawa has to wait for a self-government deal with national aboriginal leaders before negotiating with the Lubicon.
"I think we ought to proceed with a settlement of the Lubicon claim," Fontaine told the Sun.
"If we're able to achieve success in Northern Canada - in the N.W.T. - where claims have been all-inclusive, I don't see why that wouldn't be possible in the Lubicon situation."
The federal government has refused to recognize the Lubicon's "inherent right" to self-government and says the northern Alberta band has to negotiate that after it settles its 67-year-old claim.
When the Lubicon rejected that proposal, federal Indian Affairs Minister Andy Scott suggested the Lubicon await the outcome of self-government talks with national aboriginal leaders.
But Lubicon adviser Fred Lennarson says that could stall negotiations for many more years.
"This self-government issue is really the main barrier to getting a settlement," he said. "The federal negotiators are prepared to talk about anything else, but they won't talk about self-government. They say it's not in their mandate."
Although the Canadian Constitution recognizes the inherent right of aboriginal people to self-government, the Canadian government doesn't recognize that anybody has got that right, Lennarson said.
Lubicon band councillor Dwight Gladue said the band realizes that once its right to self-government is recognized, it will still have to negotiate the scope and powers with Ottawa and the provinces.
"All we want is a fair and just settlement. We're trying to be as reasonable as we can be."
Gladue said the band wants future negotiations with Ottawa to be held in public so Canadians can see for themselves the legitimacy of the Lubicon position.
The United Nations human rights committee has chastised Canada for failing to resolve the claim. Negotiations have been stalled since November 2003.