Gov’t releases statement regarding disputed land

(Update)

The province says it’s optimistic it can make progress toward settling the ongoing native land dispute in Caledonia. But not everyone agrees. And there’s a new challenge to the government today — along with a new warning of consequences erupting over the summer.

This follows yesterday’s secret meeting over the Caledonia dispute between the provincial Aboriginal Affairs Minister, the Six Nations elected council and the Mayor of Haldimand County. But it did not include representatives of the Six Nations Haudenosaunee Confederacy who didn’t go to the meeting.

The Six Nations traditional Haudenosaunee Confederacy are the ones behind the land claims occupation in Caledonia. They decided not to attend the meeting with the government, saying the province hadn’t stated clearly what it wanted to accomplish. Today, the Haudenosaunee chiefs called on the province to return to a resolution process agreed on earlier. And they expressed concern over what they called “grave consequences” over the summer if there are no talks. The province said it regrets the Haudenosaunee weren’t at yesterday’s meeting, but said its process will continue.

David Zimmer, Ontario Aboriginal Affairs Minister: “We are continuing to meet the political leadership. Staff of the political leadership will start meeting now and continue to meet. The important thing is we all have to put our heads together on this and resolve the Douglas Creek Estates and broader issues too.”

Brad Duguid, Economic Development Minister: “We’re determined to continue to make progress together and we’re looking forward to getting together very soon as we make progress towards determining what possible things we ought to be working on together for that particular piece of property.”

But the Haudenosaunee Chiefs say the province has to talk to them. They say a recent Supreme Court of Canada ruling means the Six Nations elected council cannot speak for Six Nations on resolution of aboriginal rights. The Haudenosaunee Chiefs Council also said today the land rights issue over the occupied area has been settled. The province bought the land several years ago, but the Haudenosaunee says the land is now registered in their own land registry in the name of their Chiefs. The province said that the land still belongs to them.