Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Monday May 8, 2006
Land negotiators join native talks
Federal and provincial land claims negotiators have been appointed to join talks with natives in Caledonia that are expected to resume next Tuesday.
The federal government has named Barbara McDougall as its negotiator with Six Nations leaders over all of their claims related to lands originally given to them in 1784 in what is called the Haldimand Tract. McDougall, a former Conservative MP, served as Minister of State for Finance and the Status of Women, Minister of Employment and Immigration and Minister of External Affairs.
Former federal minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Jane Stewart will represent Ontario at the table. Ontario’s Aboriginal Affairs Minister David Ramsay said Stewart was the obvious choice for the job.
Ramsay said former premier David Peterson will remain involved for the short term to try to find a solution to the native occupation of one piece of disputed land, the Douglas Creek Estates subdivision.
Haldimand Mayor Marie Trainer was excited to learn negotiators have been appointed.
“It’s wonderful,” she said. “Now we’ll have to wait and find out from the natives who their representatives will be. It’s wonderful to get the show on the road. People are getting frustrated.” (Hamilton Spectator)
(This cartoon was inspired by the work of James Gillray.)