Tribal Chief Reacts to Throne Speech
Prince George, B.C. – Tribal Chief Terry Teegee of the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council has criticized the provincial government for its lack of commitment to First Nations people in yesterday’s Throne Speech.
Aside from a pledge to work with its partners in Ottawa on the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and a promise to move forward with its five point action plan for safe transportation options along Highway 16, little else was said.
“I think there needs to be more commitment to First Nations, in particular more commitments toward being full partners in projects, full partners in access to impact benefit agreements and stumpage or taxes or what have you,” says Teegee. “For First Nations to be fully included into this economy.”
He was also critical of the government’s plan to maintain its strict focus on developing LNG.
“The whole LNG question is that it’s all based on commodity prices so I don’t think we should as a province rely just on one industry to drive the economy,” says Teegee.
“I think there needs to be better commitment to better management of the forest industry and also other possibilities to develop secondary energy products like bio-energy.”
However he admits he’s not overly concerned by what he heard.
“I think for First Nations I didn’t see too much commitment there but this is more of a political speech so I wouldn’t put too much into it but I think there needs to be more commitment in actual agreements with the province.”
Comments
Get yourself elected Mr Teegee if you want the right to have imput in the thrown speeches. Until then you bleed red just like the rest of British Columbians.
The native vote across the country helped in no small way to turf out the garbage at the federal level . You can do the same here in bc . Get the vote out again come election time Mr. Teegee and we’ll be rid our own .
Why should you pay less stumpage and taxes? When I start a business I’m not given a easy ride!
his words “…. full partners in access to impact benefit agreements and stumpage or taxes or what have you…”
I missed the part of where that means paying less stumpage and taxes. Can you please clarify where you get that from.
As he said, after all those comments of his, “…. this is more of a political speech so I wouldn’t put too much into it.”
So he said all that, then brushes it off. Great way not to make a serious point.
All missing Persons have the same Priority to be Found !
Safe Transportation on Hwy16, another Attention Grab ? Greyhound is still running, in Fact the Bus passed me into PG yesterday, just another Speeder!
stumpage is one of the Taxes paying for our Free Medicare, low Income no Premiums!
The issue is not that there is no bus.
The issue is that there is no short haul transportation at times such as going to visit someone after school 20km down the road and then coming home in 3 hours. It needs a car, a friend who gives you a ride, money for a taxi (if there is one in the community, or a series of shuttle buses (many places hire taxis for that purpose rather than duplicating efforts.
Please use common sense a bit more often and understand the details of the problem.
And will we get in return? Past experience: From a rain into a downpour!
Working in Fort St. James this past summer, driving home to Prince George I saw a couple female hitchhikers on separate occasions. It seems they were not to worried about the risks involved. The problems will never stop unless they look within.
From living in FS James (now im in PG)I still travel the highway back and forth to the fort for work and visits..I also travel quite a bit out west and I can tell you nothing has changed..People(of all ages and ethnicities)are still hitchhiking even on the established bus routes. In fact I have even witnessed people standing by the “highway of tears sign” hitchhiking..
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results..
Although its not right for people to kidnap and murder but on the other hand some personal accountability goes along way in preventing harm especially knowing the history. The public also needs to start being more vigilant and start reporting things that don’t look right..
Justice Parrent wrapped this issue up quite nicely at the end of R v Legebokoff.. Read the end of the case on Canlii.org.
How many highway of tears victims were hitch hiking? Obviously that is an unsafe thing to do, but I think the vast majority were not even hitch hiking, but just found or went missing from communities along the highway. Some from bars, some from prostitution, some from having the wrong acquaintances.
I think the highway and its potential for tourism is deep sixed by the continuation of the blame on the highway for these crimes as if some killer is cruising the highway looking for victims.
In the up and coming Provincal election, the first person to promise the land claims and the rest of the First Nation go to referendum gets my vote.
I have a family member that has just lost their job, so I wonder if Terry knows how lucky he is to have a job with all the perks. He is lucky to have time to worry about the small stuff. Be happy to be working.
The news media gives him a platform to preach from.
Anyone who is a spokesperson of any group which is newsworthy, and First Nations certainly fit into that category, have that platform.
Perhaps you are interested in curtailing that.
over represented in prisons … over represented in the media as well …
NH sorry to disappoint you but being properly weighted I was in buy mode Monday and Tuesday . All green across the board today . Also my pension cola clause just kicked in again . Also I’ve got very little maple so I’ve got nothing sticky but oh the arbitrage . Stevie’s screw up put a great deal of money our way because we knew early on what a disaster he would be way back when the Canuck buck was on top .
So you dumped solar which is crashing and bought coal which is on the rise, smart move.
You do know solar has surpassed coal in terms of investment, dontcha?
Seems the max is 3 deep for nesting comments.
This is a reply to Krusty: the actual news fact is that there are now more people in the US working in the solar industry than in the coal industry – but that is more due to commodity pricing than actual investment. Mines are idling until prices go back up, which they will – and probably in a bad way once they do.
In comparison BC Hydro only employs 6128 in 2011 . This more than anything else should clue people into the fact that Christy isn’t interested in creating jobs .
The law which says that it is not illegal to hitch a ride but that it is against the law to pick up a hitch hiker makes me think that the law is lacking some logic.
If it were illegsl to hitch hike the police would have to pick them up and give them a ride to the police station, book them, etc.
Might just as well give them a ride to wherever they want to go as long as it is a short haul.
That was the philosophy of the Calgary bylaws enforcement. Instead of giving a ticket to bicyclists without bells (that is the law) and sending them to municipal court and fining them, they bought bells for some cheap rate due to the volume and handed out bells which were put onto the bike before the person could move on.
Sometimes one has to look at the logic involved rather than some of the stupid laws that are around.
FN population = 5.4% of the entire population in BC. Let that sink in. Five point four percent.
Tail wagging the dog.
ALL the land that was here when the occupation forces moved in belonged to the FN.
Let that sink in.
I was born here too. The land belongs to all the people in British Columbia. Let that sink in. I’m not interested in any Gaza disputes.
We ALL immigrated here from somewhere else. DNA proves that FN came from Eastern Russia/Siberia/Asian steppes! Let that sink in…
I knew that krusty . In terms of employment in the states solar far out numbers the people employed in both Natgas ( fossil methane ) and coal . I Europe the numbers a far greater than in the states . Canadians are being left in both of their dust .
Lets see the proof.
The new numbers show that California not only maintained its No. 1 spot in 2015, but also created over 20,000 new solar jobs last year – a 38% increase – and became the first state to surpass the 75,000 solar jobs benchmark. This is the very market that Christy has in mind . By the time site c is built there will be no market for it’s power . The sooner canada clues into what’s happening in the states the better off we will all be . Putting your head in the sand will not forestall the inevitable.
Not that I have anything against solar or alternate energy at all, but the reality is we live in Canada and we are limited to where solar will work efficiently. To say California creates the most solar industry jobs only stands to reason since they get about 11.5 months of sun a year. I think better use of our water for hydro is the key to cost effective power for the masses. Solar is great for individual houses, if the area is good enough for it, but not any good in Canada for mass production. And wind is simply a waste of money anywhere you put it.
Seamut I suggest you track coal contracts a little closer . Look at the short ton . That way you won’t be so ill informed .
Wrong you have to get up to date, just like your museum misinformation.
Why wouldn’t all the First Nations get together and sponsor transportation for all of us. Purchase a bus and supply and pay for drivers from their treaty funds. Give something back to the province and all citizens of this province.
What is the amount of their “treaty funds” per FN person on an annual basis?
Like I said just be HAPPY to be working and don’t sweat the small stuff ,you can’t do anything about. The news media gives lots of topics platforms that should be ignored like chickens in the back yard.
I was very surprised to see the lions share of the missing persons where males. Unless the BC RCMP have a different site to check.
My how we forget how the Whiteman brought to them FIREWATER[Booze],Diseases that killed off whole Tribes…got em drunk stole there lands,raped robbed and pillaged….How many claims has crusty settled?? Rasisim alive and well…..I can see!!
That ship has sailed. Catch up with today and tomorrow.
That age old myth about the FN not having access to alcohol is still alive and wrong as ever . Just like they had no fleets , even in the face of truths like every inhabitable island surrounding north and South America was inhabited by FNs .
If the law stated it was illegal and unlawful to sell alcohol to any FN would be racist. tliotg is just trying to fuel racism. It’s in the best interest to keep that story alive and well.
The problem is that the people of recent generations did not introduce to them firewater, diseases that killed of whole tribes, did not steal their lands, did not rape rob and pillage.
In other words the whole effort got started when certain countries were engaged in ruthless conquest and empire building! I can see the Tower of London and Big Ben, also a certain capital on the Seine river…so why hold people responsible for something that happened when they were not even born yet?
If you want to talk history you need to talk about the whole history not just cherry pick the parts to back up your argument. The “whiteman” also brought in a democratic process and law to resolve disputes. Pre contact aboriginals did quite well killing off neighbouring tribes fighting for food, lands and slave control. But that history is a little too taboo because it doesn’t support the agenda..
So what do you suggest, give everyone there own car. Have a free taxi system
They have the same problems in the Yukon . Their answer wasn’t buses ,expensive burocracy and time tables people have to adhere to . They decided to facilitate a ride share program like the one I was advocating . They also need way better cell coverage .
Gopg2015 natives are also immigrante to the Ameicas
I believe the natives were a defeated people back in the day. They really don’t own the land. I wish they wouldn’t keep using the predjustice word.
Famous saying is give anyone enough rope they will hang themselfs. It’s just around the corner.
The one with the most Fire Power will Rule, History 101!
Holy smokes. What a bunch of racists on this thread. Shame on you.
Your comment is the first racist comment I seen. I see fed up. Equality is what I see.
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