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Topic: Should We Scrap The Territories?
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kuri
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4202
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posted 27 November 2005 08:45 PM
I understand that the self-determination wishes of Nunavut basically consists of becoming a province and that they are working towards gaining the credibility to do so. There's also been a long dialogue (since at least the 1960's) about turning the western Artic (current Northwest Territories) into a new province, Denedeh, that would include self-government for the Dene nation. However, the Dene have been less willing to sacrifice certain demands on resources than the Inuit. The Nunavut deal led to a large amount of traditionally shared territory being included in Nunavut rather than in Denedeh. Also, a lot of the traditional Dene territory is in the northern parts of the provinces, making this difficult. (The community in which I grew up in the Peace Country is in traditional Dene territory, although the Woodland Cree expanded into that area during the 1800's as well. A look at the map shows that this is well into Alberta.) The development of diamond resources has empowered many Dene nations; they've learned quite a few lessons from when oil was exploited in a way that largely excluded them. But, the diamond developments also mean that the federal government will be all the more eager to keep it's fingers in the pot.As for the Yukon, I think granting provincial status there would be dependent upon settling treaties with a number of nations who, as in BC, never were included in numbered treaties. It's for those reasons that I don't see either the Northwest Territories or the Yukon becoming provinces anytime soon, or ever with their current boundaries. Nunavut, OTOH, I think will succeed in becoming a province in a few decades.
From: an employer more progressive than rabble.ca | Registered: Jun 2003
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kuri
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4202
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posted 27 November 2005 09:06 PM
For Nunavut, yes. I'm not sufficiently up-to-date to go into great detail, but this link on the agreement refers to equal representation between Inuit and (federal) government on resource management boards, for e.g.But, I'm less certain for the Northwest territories and the Yukon. But again, as we're just beginning to appreciate in BC, untreatied land is illegitimate under the Royal Proclamation. All the provinces except BC, Quebec and Newfoundland (Labrador) had complete treaty coverage when they were created, even if those treaties have not been respected through the years. IANAL, but I don't think a demographic shift would affect that at this point because it's legal doctrine, stemming from the Delgamuukw decision. Babble lawyers might be able to correct/explain this better, though. The Dene nation has struggled long and hard for control over their sovereign resources. They are very organized. Therefore, I can't see any demographic shift that would be sufficiently powerful to overcome that. And that's a good thing.
From: an employer more progressive than rabble.ca | Registered: Jun 2003
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Reality. Bites.
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 6718
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posted 11 December 2005 02:19 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Cougyr:
He saw no purpose of having four distinct Maritime Provinces or three Prairie Provinces.
Newfoundland and Labrador is not a Maritime province. While the four Atlantic provinces are small in population, they are distinct from each other. Geography doesn't mean similarity.
From: Gone for good | Registered: Aug 2004
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Québécois in the North
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 10727
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posted 12 December 2005 09:28 PM
Actually, has Yukonner pointed, the work for devolution of province-like powers to the Territory is already ongoing.Yukon have signed their agreement. NWT (where I live) is having a hard time at the negociation table. Nunavut is far from a deal but pushing hard. Those agreements are tripartite negociations (Feds-Territory-Aboriginal leadership/self-governements). So it includes devolution to the territories, but also to the many nations they encompass. Has most of these nations don't have self-government deals (Only the Tlicho have such a deal) and that some don't have settled land claim this devolution tging is set to evolve to give more powers to self-governments in the time being. In the NWT we can hope that in some 20 years from now the territorial government will just be a centralized federal-like structure with the real powers given to aboriginal self-governments. That being said, the territories already have jurisdiction over Health, Education, Languages (in the NWT we have 11 official languages), Environment and Natural Resources, Municipalities and a whole bunch of other things. Basically, all that we lack to claim provincehood is posession of the land and the right to collect royalties on natural resources. That is why 80% of our budget comes from federal subsidies.
From: Yellowknife | Registered: Oct 2005
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Cripes, fidel. You made me laugh so hard I had tea coming out my nose!
