Skip to content

'Confused' by colonialism

2908agr
Chief Roy Fabian of K'atlodeeche First Nation is second-guessing settling agricultural benefits in Treaty 8 for a one-time payment from the federal government. NNSL file photo

It is not often a politician muses about possibly having made a mistake.

However, Chief Roy Fabian of K'atlodeeche First Nation (KFN) did just that during the 48th Dene National Assembly held last week in Hay River.

Chief Roy Fabian of K'atlodeeche First Nation is second-guessing settling agricultural benefits in Treaty 8 for a one-time payment from the federal government. NNSL file photo

Fabian made the admission during a wide-ranging address to delegates on Aug. 21 in which he condemned the effects of colonialism on Indigenous people.

"Sometimes we're so colonized and we're so confused," he said. "We make lots of mistakes."

That's when the chief talked about what he considers one of his mistakes.

"I made a big one recently. I settled the agricultural benefits according to the treaty, and it's a one-shot deal," he said. "The elders in the past told us that the treaty is in perpetuity as long as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, as long as the grass grows and the river flows that the treaty will never be broken."

Late last year, KFN members voted overwhelmingly in favour of accepting a $28.3-million settlement for a promise made in Treaty 8 – the so-called cows and plows commitment.

In a Nov. 28 referendum, 97 per cent of band members who voted accepted the agricultural benefits settlement agreement negotiated between KFN and the federal government.

In Treaty 8, Canada promised to provide the Hay River Indian Band – now KFN – with agricultural benefits, including farming tools, equipment and animals, once a reserve was established.

The reserve was established in 1974, but agricultural benefits based on the treaty were not provided at that time.

KFN and over 20 other First Nations covered by Treaty 8 received offers from the federal government to settle the agricultural promises.

The settlement agreement does not affect KFN's other treaty claims processes.

Fabian explained his concern about exchanging a treaty right for a one-time settlement.

"This is where we start questioning what we're doing," he said. "For me, I'm questioning what I did. I took something in perpetuity and I ended it by agreeing to the agricultural benefits. But our elders were a little bit smarter than we were. When they took the treaty or when they took the reserve based on the treaty, they made sure they didn't say, 'This is it.'"

Fabian said, with the settlement, the benefits of the treaty right are limited to just a particular group of people – those who are alive at the time of the settlement.

"Everybody else are not beneficiaries. And to me that's not right, that's not perpetuity," he said. "So we make lots of mistakes because we're confused as Dene people. The elders when they negotiated the reserve in 1974 were not confused. Today, we're confused. We don't know what we're doing. We think we're doing the right thing, but we're not doing the right thing."

Speaking later to The Hub, the chief wondered whether Canada would negotiate another payment for agricultural benefits, perhaps 20 years or so into the future.

"They're saying no, and I disagree with that," he said.

On Sept. 5, a ratification vote by KFN members will take place on a proposed Agricultural Benefits Trust Agreement as a result of the settlement. An advance poll will also take place on Aug. 29.

Fabian said the proposed arrangement for the trust fund is based on the recommendations of a working group.