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The following resolution was passed unanimously by the Chiefs-in-assembly at the 21st annual Assembly of First Nations AGA in Ottawa this week. The Assembly of First Nations is calling for the removal of senior regional office officials in the Alberta regional office of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, saying that they are "subverting Lubicon land rights by trying to use the 1991 social services funding agreement to tear Lubicon society apart."

The AFN resolution is a good example of a prominent organization demonstrating that attacks on the Lubicon people will not be tolerated and that there is widespread support for the Lubicon Nation.

The Minister of Indian Affairs has so far failed to respond to the flood of complaints he has been receiving. More resolutions like this and more letters from supporters should make this issue impossible to ignore.

ASSEMBLY OF FIRST NATIONS
21st ANNUAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY JULY 11-13, 2000
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA

RESOLUTION No. 20/2000

SUBJECT: Lubicon Lake Indian Nation Provision of Services
MOVED BY: Jaret Cardinal, Proxy, Lubicon Lake First Nation
SECONDED BY: Chief Tom Bressette, Chippewas of Kettle & Stoney Point, Ontario

CARRIED

WHEREAS in 1981, then-Indian Affairs Minister John Munro agreed that the federal government would reimburse the Lubicon Lake Indian Nation for provision of certain basic services including social services despite the lack of settlement of Lubicon land rights and a recognized Lubicon Reserve; and

WHEREAS in 1991 the Alberta government and the federal Department of Indian Affairs negotiated a social services funding agreement providing that the Alberta government will provide social services to Indians "not ordinarily residing on a Reserve"; and

WHEREAS the Lubicon people were not consulted about this 1991 social services funding agreement and have never agreed to the Alberta government providing Lubicon members with social services; and

WHEREAS the 1991 agreement specifically applies to "Treaty Seven and Treaty Eight Indian First Nations, Tribes, and Bands only" and the Lubicon Lake Indian Nation is not a signatory or party to either Treaty Seven or Treaty Eight; and

WHEREAS the Lubicon Lake Indian Nation does not have recognized Reserve lands to ordinarily reside "on" or "off" of but rather retains aboriginal land rights over unceded Lubicon Territory and is still trying to negotiate a settlement of Lubicon land rights with Canadian governments; and

WHEREAS the Alberta government and senior officials of the Alberta Regional Office of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada are now trying to use the 1991 social services funding agreement to tear Lubicon society apart and subvert Lubicon land negotiations by effectively telling Lubicon members living anywhere but Little Buffalo Lake that they must either join another First Nation or go begging to the Alberta government for subsistence welfare to feed their families;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Chiefs-in-Assembly at the Annual General Assembly in Ottawa hereby direct the AFN National Chief and the Alberta Regional Vice-Chief to intervene with the Minister of Indian Affairs to do the following:

1. Honour the 1981 agreement to reimburse the Lubicon Lake Indian Nation for social assistance provided to Lubicon members wherever they reside pending settlement of Lubicon land rights;

2. Take immediate removal actions against the senior regional office officials in the Alberta regional office of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada who are working in concert with the Alberta government to subvert Lubicon land rights by trying to use the 1991 social services funding agreement to tear Lubicon society apart; and

3. instruct all of his officials to immediately stop all of their continuing efforts to subvert Lubicon land rights and, consistent with the federal government's fiduciary responsibility, do what they can to support settlement of Lubicon land rights.

FINALLY BE IT RESOLVED that the Chiefs-in-Assembly request that the Minister of Indian Affairs respond in writing within sixty days or sooner to the Lubicon Lake Indian Nation, to report on the actions he has taken to address the above concerns.