Concerns raised over resource development in Far North, how to protect First Nation interests

To the Editor:
I wonder exactly what it is we Native people may want out of it and how we can protect what is in our best interests.
To me it would seem like a good idea to permanently protect our land and have say over what and where resource development should occur; especially in a bill. It would enable permanent protection and speed up the process of potential sites and resource development.
“If that is what First Nations may want.”
In order to change a legislation like that a whole new bill would have to be written up therefore making it a lot harder for the government to sneak under the noses of First Nations.
Does that give the government the right to walk all over the unprotected areas developing resources? As for the power of veto (official power to cancel a proposal), who has that power at the exact time when resource development should occur in protected and out of protected areas in treaty land? Can someone please pick up their pipe put some tobacco in it and seriously start thinking about that, because even now I am starting to wonder.
When it all comes down to it we are going to have to develop economically with our government someday.
To me and many others I assume the land is of great importance. Yet all I have been hearing is talk about money and claims. First off us as native people do, should and shall receive a profit of what comes from our land; but then that brings us to a point. Is it money we are after when it comes down to controlling our land? Or is it land protection? Sure money is good to have when it comes down to family healing facilities, the youth, treatment programs as well as any other things to assist and help our people. However I see thieves taking bids and making agreements behind other’s backs, separation of thought and ownership and worst of them all greed, all brought on by the government using bribery.
When resource development is taking place we must work together. When bids and agreements are made the money inherited should go to that entire treaty area not just one reserve or a small group of them. All of our reserves within a treaty area must agree on site location. We should make resolutions among ourselves to ensure this. It prevents that bribery which I was speaking of earlier. How long does it take to write a proposal? How long does it take to fax it and get a signature? We are keepers and protectors of our land; we should put some thought into that.
It is also very important to give us a map of what the government would see as potential sites, and let us decide whether or not we would like to develop the resources.
It is very important how we play our cards and I will tell you why. Our prime minister is putting us in a 50 billion dollar deficient.
The Conservatives shut down a lot of companies which included manufacturing of which uses resources, our logging industry as well as a lot of small and large companies. So what is there to stimulate?
Our government does not show the initiative, knowledge, or understanding nor does it even try to invest in medical research or future technologies; like electric powered cars, electronics or any other type of innovation. But hey, we still have the Black Berry and those furry Canadian teddy bears you can buy at the tourist shop.
What I am trying to say is our government is going to head straight for our natural resources. The P.M. now and others to come will ship more and more resources out of our country without any thought of utilizing them in order to pay this money and increasing debt, now and in future generations to come. I kind of assume now that this is why there is such a rush to extract resources.
You know though; our P.M. is not that much of an irrational thinker. He recently spent two million dollars to send himself and two jets up north to exhibit sovereignty.
I do however think our prime minister and Conservative government could make a nice gold chain with diamonds and shine on all of our Canadian necks, not only to make us look good but to show off as well.
Patrick Dewey
Thunder Bay, Ont.