And now:[EMAIL PROTECTED] (S.I.S.I.S.) writes: NB SUGGESTS GUARANTEED SEATS FOR ABORIGINALS Canadian Press, January 26, 1999 [S.I.S.I.S. note: The following mainstream news article may contain biased or distorted information and may be missing pertinent facts and/or context. It is provided for reference only.] FREDERICTON (CP) - New Brunswick has resurrected an old idea to try to give its aboriginal citizens more say in provincial affairs: guaranteed seats in the legislature. Premier Camille Theriault said Monday he recently met privately with several chiefs and discussed the possibility of setting aside two native seats with full rights and privileges in the legislature. The idea has been considered before in New Brunswick but has never gone anywhere because many aboriginals feel it would threaten the sovereignty of the Micmac and Maliseet nations, which together represent most of the provinces roughly 10,000 natives. "We recognize the importance of making sure, like we have done with francophones and anglophones in New Brunswick, that we do what we can to build better relationships," Theriault said. "It's important the aboriginal people feel comfortable that were doing what we can to strengthen relationships among the three groups." Reaction to the proposal has been mixed among native groups in the province. Chiefs and community leaders plan to meet at the Red Bank First Nation in central New Brunswick next week to see if there's sufficient interest in the idea of special legislature seats. No aboriginal has ever been elected to the provincial legislature in Fredericton. Two native people ran in a recent byelection, but they were defeated by a non-native candidate. Should the idea of guaranteed native seats be accepted and put into practice, New Brunswick would be the first Canadian jurisdiction to go that route. It's not unheard of in the United States, however. In neighboring Maine, two native emissaries are elected to the state house and are allowed to participate in debates - but are not allowed to vote. The New Brunswick government has been anxious to improve relations with aboriginals ever since a tense dispute over native logging rights began. Aboriginals say they have a treaty right to log on provincial Crown land, a position that was upheld by two provincial courts but struck down by the New Brunswick Appeal Court. More court cases are pending and a major study of the issue is expected to be complete soon. :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-: SOVEREIGNTY IS THE ANSWER - CANADA IS THE PROBLEM In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
