Press Release
March 28, 2008
Ktaqamkuk (Da-Hum-Goog) Mi’kmaq Alliance
Big Cost to Signing Landless Band Agreement
A meeting was held on March 20 in
Stephenville for any Mi’kmaq people seeking information on the Landless Band
Agreement-in-Principle, which was recently announced by the Federal Government
and the Federation of Newfoundland Indians - FNI.
The purpose of the meeting was to
provide information to the people explaining the benefits they would receive
from the agreement and more importantly advise them of the benefits they would
not receive. Jerry Wetzel, a lawyer experienced in Aboriginal law and a
resident of Conne River was present to answer questions.
Any individual who enrolls as a
member of the Landless Band will be required to sign a waiver releasing the
Federal Government from all past, present and future personal claims to
benefits accorded Indians by the Federal Government.
As part of our (the KMA’s) class
action lawsuit, which resumes on April 7-8 in St. John’s, Dr. Wade Locke of
Memorial University was retained by the plaintiffs to undertake a study of the
estimated financial loss to individuals for not having been registered as
Indians in 1949 and thereafter. His findings revealed that a person over 55
years of age living on a reserve would have received approximately $1.4 million
in programs and services and a child born in 2005 would have received approx.
$15,000 in programs and services since then.
Furthermore, when the Conne River
Band was established, each individual had access to an independent lawyer to
explain the conditions and terms of registration as an Indian and as a member
of the Conne River Band and also make sure that the person signing the
agreement understood all those terms and conditions. The right to independent
legal counsel should have been provided by the FNI and the Federal Government
to the members of the FNI.
Bert Alexander
Chief
Ktaqamkuk Mi’kmaq Alliance
Tel: 709 643-9679
Email:
balexander@nf.sympatico.ca
