What's A Billion?
The Six Nations Indians, well at least the Confederacy Council (one of many groups who claim to represent the Haudenosaunee people) have rejected the $26 million offer to settle one of the various land claims. This is the one over the flooding of 2500 acres of land for the Welland Canal. Chief Allan MacNaughton has said that they want between a half billion and a billion dollars in compensation for this land plus a number of conditions, some of which are totally unacceptable. One of these was that the Federal Government was also to purchase land chosen by the Six Nations and then turn it over to them. Chief MacNaughton stressed that it wasn't necessarily to be farmland either. So much for the assertion that they don't want homes and property in Brantford and elsewhere.
Another condition was that no matter how much money the Government ends up paying for all settlements they will still be liable to fund all ongoing program and grants to the Six Nations. Strange how in one breath the Haudenosaunee people claim to be a "sovereign nation' but in the next they expect to be constantly supported by Canada forever.
Chief MacNaughton has also stated that there was never an explanation on how the $26 million figure was arrived at, even though the Federal negotiator has stated that they were shown three different formulas that were used. But of course, white men are all liars. Haven't seen how the $1 billion figure was arrived at either but I guess that's different too.
Using the Indian demand of a billion for this parcel of land that would work out to $400,000 per acre. So using that figure to settle all the 902,000 acres that the Indians claim that they were swindled out of (they now control about 48,000 of the original 950,00 in the Haldimand Tract) a settlement would cost the Government of Canada (you and me) roughly $360.8 billion dollars . No wonder that there seems to be no end in sight for these talks. But then as negotiator Ron Doering has pointed out there are those on the Indian side that don't want to see a settlement ever reached.
Another condition was that no matter how much money the Government ends up paying for all settlements they will still be liable to fund all ongoing program and grants to the Six Nations. Strange how in one breath the Haudenosaunee people claim to be a "sovereign nation' but in the next they expect to be constantly supported by Canada forever.
Chief MacNaughton has also stated that there was never an explanation on how the $26 million figure was arrived at, even though the Federal negotiator has stated that they were shown three different formulas that were used. But of course, white men are all liars. Haven't seen how the $1 billion figure was arrived at either but I guess that's different too.
Using the Indian demand of a billion for this parcel of land that would work out to $400,000 per acre. So using that figure to settle all the 902,000 acres that the Indians claim that they were swindled out of (they now control about 48,000 of the original 950,00 in the Haldimand Tract) a settlement would cost the Government of Canada (you and me) roughly $360.8 billion dollars . No wonder that there seems to be no end in sight for these talks. But then as negotiator Ron Doering has pointed out there are those on the Indian side that don't want to see a settlement ever reached.
posted by The Grouchy Old Man at 3:07 PM
6 Comments:
If we think of the land claims as part of a permanent industry aimed at enriching chiefs, politicians and litigators, we can paraphrase George Orwell; The land claims are not meant to be settled; they are meant to be continuous.
The Welland Canal claim was chosen as the easiest to settle. However, a fair 'formula' resulting from that settlement could have significant impact on all other Six Nations claims, making them all easier to settle.
$26m is a low ball estimate of the value of the flooded lands today. However,
a) Six Nations has also lost use of the lands for almost 200 years, (or, if you like, they lost use of the compensation money that was to be paid at the time)and that loss of use must be compensated, with interest.
b) Six Nations has been clear that they want land in exchange for land, not compensation instead of land.
It will take some time to resolve this initial, standard-setting claim, but if it is done right, it can make the rest easier.
So how exactly do they calculate that the loss of use of this land is worth a billion dollars (with interest)? And where is the equivalent land supposed to come from? 2500 acres around the reserve will certainly involve the taking of land and homes from private individuals.(If they really had a case for their rightful ownership of the Haldimand Tract, which they don't, then that would mean that they would take over the whole thing effectively displacing millions of residents. Something we keep hearing the Indians supposedly aren't going to do. You are right about this setting a precedent for future settlements and this is certainly one proposal that is totally unacceptable.
Yes, it is complicated. Six Nations had an accounting expert do it for them.
Land: Only 12% of land in Ontario is privately owned. 88% is available for settling land claims. There will be no expropriation: Willing seller/buyer only.
So ... the government has given a lowball offer, Six Nations has countered with the highball offer, and so negotiation goes on ...
I know that you and others like to keep quoting that 88% figure but it is very misleading. Most of the Crown land is in northern Ontario and would likely be unacceptable to the Six Nations for the purposes of settling land claims.There is virtually no Crown land in southern Ontario. Most of the land in southern Ontario is private or municipal property.
To quote the Ministry of Natural Resources: "There is very little Crown land in southern Ontario. On the other hand, Crown land makes up over 95 per cent of the land base of northern Ontario"
And the Grand River Conservation Authority: "If you are planning to stay overnight during a multi-day trip down the Grand, remember that most land along the river is privately owned and not available for camping without the owner's permission"
As for willing sellers, when ever the Province has tried to assemble large packages of land before much of the land has had to be expropriated so unless this is to be the case here, it is another requirement that will not be met.
Well Grouchy, you'll just have to go and ask our government how they plan to do that, eh?
And they'd better get to work on it.
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