The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that the Tory government is
launching more flexible options
for aboriginal treaty talks.
The Globe's Bill Curry and Kathryn Carlson write that
Ottawa is striving to give its stagnant
British Columbia treaty process
a boost by negotiating
smaller, incremental treaties
where possible and signing deals
with aboriginal groups outside
the formal treaty process.
The plans are in response to recommendations
in a November,
2013, report from Douglas Eyford. He called for
better relations between governments
and aboriginals in order to
build the trust needed to reach
agreement on resource development.
However, The Globe says trust is in short
supply. It says the Harper government has inspired
resentment over its
approach to resource development.
Queen's University
community relations expert Anne Johnson says Ottawa appears to be
redoubling its efforts to persuade
first nations people they would
benefit from resource projects
such as Enbridge's Northern Gateway
pipeline to the B.C. coast.
She says: "It's a step forward. But I think the government is
looking at it through their own
lens, which is that development is
the highest good."
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