Document Information

Date: 1983-03-15
By: C.W. Pearson
Citation: First Ministers’ Conference on Aboriginal Constitutional Matters, Opening Statement by Hon. C.W. Pearson, Government Leader, Yukon, Doc 800-017/009 (Ottawa: 15-16 March 1983).
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DOCUMENT: 800-17/009

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MR. PRIME MINISTER, I AM PLEASED TO BE HERE ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE OF ONE OF CANADA’S GREAT TERRITORIES, YUKON.

I FEEL THAT THE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF YUKON ARE MORALLY ENTITLED TO ATTEND ALL NATIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL CONFERENCES CONVENED IN OUR COUNTRY. WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE, RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT OF OUR OWN AND AS SOON AS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SEES FIT TO GRANT IT TO US, MR. PRIME MINISTER, WE ARE READY TO TAKE ON GREATER RESPONSABILITY. AS THE DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED GOVERNMENT OF THE TERRITORY, RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF YUKON, WE ARE PREPARED TO ASSUME A MUCH BROADER ROLE IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNMENT.

AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, TOO, OUR PARTICIPATION DEPENDS UPON THE SUPPORT OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND ON THE GOODWILL OF OUR PROVINCIAL COLLEAGUES. NATIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL CONCERNS ARE OUR CONCERNS AS WELL. AFTER ALL, YUKONERS ARE CANADIANS TOO.

MR. PRIME MINISTER, I WOULD RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YUKON BE INCLUDED IN ANY FUTURE CONSTITUTIONAL MEETINGS SO THAT THE VIEWS AND CONCERNS OF YUKONERS CAN BE EXPRESSED IN THE SAME MANNER THAT THE VIEWS AND CONCERNS OF OTHER CANADIANS ARE EXPRESSED BY THEIR ELECTED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES. WE ARE VERY MUCH AWARE OF THE FACT THAT DECISIONS MADE AT CONSTITUTIONAL CONFERENCES WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT, LONG-TERM EFFECTS ON OUR FUTURE.

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EQUALLY IMPORTANT IN REGARD TO THIS CONFERENCE, ABORIGINAL CONCERNS ARE FUNDAMENTAL TO YUKONERS. IN YUKON, TWENTY PERCENT OF US ARE ABORIGINAL PEOPLE. YUKON INDIAN PEOPLE HAVE A HERITAGE THAT MAY BE THE OLDEST ON THIS CONTINENT. YUKONERS TODAY ARE RE-DISCOVERING THIS HERITAGE. YUKON AND ALL OF CANADA ARE THE RICHER FOR IT.

AT THE PLANNING SESSIONS FOR THIS CONFERENCE, THERE HAS BEEN DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE GUARANTEES FOR ABORIGINAL PEOPLE. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING TOWARD A WHOLE REGIME OF SPECIAL GUARANTEES AND OTHER BENEFITS FOR THE YUKON INDIAN PEOPLE. FOR ALMOST TEN YEARS NOW, THE GOVERNMENT OF YUKON HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE COUNCIL FOR YUKON INDIANS AND THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA TOWARD A SETTLEMENT OF THE YUKON INDIAN PEOPLE’S CLAIM. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME SETBACKS – AND GREAT CHALLENGES REMAIN – BUT I AM CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL SUCCEED.

WHEN WE DO SUCCEED, THE YUKON INDIAN LAND CLAIMS SETTLEMENT WILL BE A SETTLEMENT THAT IS TAILORED ESPECIALLY TO YUKON CONDITIONS. IT WILL APPLY EQUALLY TO THOSE STATUS AND NON-STATUS INDIAN YUKONERS WHO HAVE AN ABORIGINAL CLAIM. THE GUARANTEES WILL EXTEND TO MANY AREAS WITHIN YUKON’S CONSTITUTIONAL JURISDICTION.

MY GOVERNMENT WILL BE BOUND BY THESE GUARANTEES.

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IN THIS NATIONAL FORUM, THE GOVERNMENT OF YUKON IS PREPARED IN PRINCIPLE, TO CONSIDER PROPOSALS THAT WOULD GIVE FULL CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTION TO LAND CLAIMS SETTLEMENTS AND TREATY RIGHTS. WE WOULD SUPPORT THE VIEW THAT PRINCIPLES OR RIGHTS WHICH ARE RECOGNIZED AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL SHOULD BE FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO ALLOW FOR REGIONAL ACCOMODATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. BEYOND THIS, WE ARE PREPARED TO GIVE SERIOUS CONSIDERATION TO ALL PROPOSALS SUGGESTED AT THIS CONFERENCE IN LIGHT OF THE DESIRES EXPRESSED BY THE ABORIGINAL PEOPLES THEMSELVES, AND COMMUNITY INTERESTS AS A WHOLE.

FINALLY, MR. PRIME MINISTER, LET ME SUGGEST THAT WE, AS GOVERNMENTS, WOULD BE SERIOUSLY MISLEADING THE CANADIAN PUBLIC IF WE WERE TO LEAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THE CONCERNS AND ASPIRATIONS OF CANADIAN ABORIGINAL PEOPLE CAN BE RESOLVED ENTIRELY BY CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS, OR IN THE CONFERENCE CENTRES AND COURTROOMS OF THIS COUNTRY. MORE THAN CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS WILL BE NECESSARY TO PROMOTE INCREASED UNDERSTANDING AND GOOD WILL BETWEEN ABORIGINAL PEOPLES AND THE OTHER VARIED GROUPS WHO MAKE UP THIS COUNTRY. LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, MORE THAN CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS WILL BE NECESSARY TO ENSURE IN PRACTICE THAT ABORIGINAL PEOPLE, LIKE OTHER CANADIANS, HAVE DECENT SHELTER

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AND GOOD HEALTH, A FAIR CHANCE AT EMPLOYMENT, AND A GOOD EDUCATION WHICH RESPECTS THEIR CULTURAL VALUES. HOWEVER WELL-INTENTIONED, OUR CONSTITUTIONAL ENDEAVOURS COULD BE SADLY COUNTEPPRODUCTIVE IF THEY SHOULD CAUSE US TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE HISTORICAL, SOCIAL, AND PRACTICAL REALITIES.

THANK YOU, MR. PRIME MINISTER.