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The Newfoundland Government's rejection of the MicMac land claim
Year Published: 1982Resource Type: Article Cx Number: CX2682 Abstract: On July 7, 1982, Newfoundland Premier Brian Peckford relseased a government position paper which denied the validity of the Micmac Indian land claim in Newfoundland. Although Native land claims are a matter of federal, not provincial, jurisdiction, the Newfoundland government is trying to convince Ottawa to reject the Micmac claim and refuse to enter negotiations for settlement. Upon receiving this report, the Indian and Inuit Support Group of Newfoundland and Labrador immediately began to prepare a reply . Dated July 30, the Support Group document addressed two main concerns: (1) the basic impropriety of the Premier's intervention in this matter while in Office of Native Claims is in the process of evaluating the claim; and (2) the serious inadequacies of the government report in its selection of criteria for a valid land claim and its assessment of the historical evidence regarding the Micmac presence in Newfoundland. In light of this document, the Support Groups has called upon the Premier to withdraw his objections to the Micmac land claim and allow negotiations between the Micmacs and the federal government to proceed free from outside interference. Subject Headings |