It’s been nice (if a little one-sided) — all the ceremonies, storytelling and pledges of mutual respect and cooperation.
But the future is at stake in a very serious way, so it’s time to get real. Self-interest is by definition not always compatible with the best interests of others.
I’m talking about the seismic changes that are in play on the Sunshine Coast with respect to Sechelt First Nation.
Last week, two former band councillors with a history of remarkably effective activism, Wesley Jeffries and Robert Joe, came forward with their concerns about the process of reconciliation. The two men said band members had never been consulted on the idea, really don’t have a clue what reconciliation means, and in many cases are opposed in principle to negotiating with either level of government. They want to go to court and secure Aboriginal title to as much of their territory as possible. Then it’s theirs again, period. And they’re not crazy about this business of co-managing with local governments and sharing resources with every Tom, Dick and Harry.
In response, Chief Calvin Craigan said a community meeting for band members will soon be held to address those issues.
By contrast, the provincial government has said it has no intention of consulting the residents of the Sunshine Coast on the terms of a reconciliation agreement with Sechelt Nation, because it’s a government-to-government process.
The province will, however, consult the people of Pender Harbour on a dock management plan because that plan will potentially affect third parties.
Yet reconciliation, if it happens the way band officials describe it, will essentially add a fourth level of government for everyone living in the territory.
Exactly what is being negotiated with the province isn’t clear, but adding a whole new level of government, especially if it’s going to be co-administered in part by local governments like the Sunshine Coast Regional District, is going to have impacts on people who are not band members. There could be new costs, new requirements, all kinds of off-loading that could drive up property taxes, and undoubtedly new restrictions on land use.
It’s not the Sechelt Nation’s responsibility to explain any of these impacts to non-band members, even though Chief Craigan has said he will make an effort to do that in Pender Harbour at the end of the month.
The only problem is that Chief Craigan was not elected to serve the interests of non-band members. He is not answerable to the voters of Egmont, Pender Harbour, Halfmoon Bay, District of Sechelt or Roberts Creek.
Jeffries and Joe have kicked the door open and now it’s time for members of the larger community to start putting their own elected officials on the spot.
Mutual respect is marvellous, but it doesn’t mean self-interest gets thrown under the bus.
