Ta-iwam

Areorig'ina-lPress

sel-f-Gorrernrnerrt

workingl
Taipei

Grorrp

Release (Translation

September L2, L996 of Chinese Original)

The Taiwan Aboriginal Self-Government Worl<ingr Group visited Canada for 1B days from August 24 to september 10, 1-996. we visited aboriginal communities and organizations in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Quebec. as well as the British Columbia Ministry of Aboriginal Treaty Affaj-rs Division Negotiations and Canadian Department of fndian and Northern Affairs. Our purpose was to understand the process of struggle by which the First Nations of Canada are seeking to attain self-government and establish autonomous organizations, and to visit actual situations of selfgovernment. During our visit. we were deeply impressed by the way in which Canadian First Nations have maintained the sense of collective rights of ownership of tribes and bands, and have made full use of government this in promoting self and Iand rights. Because of this we have come to realize that the idea of collective rights of ownership are an extremely important traditional value for people, aboriginal and an inherent right. Maintaining the tradition condition for self-gtovernment. of collective ownership i s a basic Taiwan Aboriginal People must revive promote and collective ownershi p they can successfully the ideal of rights before r:ealize self-government. The James Bay Cree and Nunavut Territory struggles are two examples for aboriginal self-government illustrate that this. The James Bay Cree held negotiati-ons with the governmenL over plans its Tungavik to build a huge dam project, and the Nunavut negotiated with the government to set aside fnuit owned 1ands. Both or on the concept collective tri-ba1 based their negotiatj-ons to band land ownership. Both carried out negot.iations as equals with the Canadian government and successfully realized self-government goals, collectively using the large compensation fund received. for giving to develop land title economy, education up aboriginal their and cultureThis experience can be an important example for Taiwan to realize Aboriginal People in seeking self-gtovernment. In our visit we discovered that the right of self-government is not given by those who rule but is built people's clear upon aboriginal recognition of who they are. Canadian First Nations frequently it was in rebuilding their spirituality. culture, reminded us that languages and traditional social structures t.hat they rediscovered their belief who they were, recovered in themselves, and so began to realize their sovereignt.y. self-determination and goals of selfgovernment. to the Legislative the our visit of During Assembly Federation of SaskaLchewan Indian Nations we asked the "Does the laws which you pass here"? They Canadiirn government recogtnize replied "Whether or not Lhey want to recognize these laws is their problem, but for us the laws passed by our Assembly are aqreed on by us. They are our laws which we respect". This e><presses fulry own self-identity, self-determination and selfthe degree of their

ruIe. Apart provincial-level from their organizations, there is also an autonomous organization uniting over 600 bands at the national 1evel, caIled the Assembly of First Nations, which represents them in national Aboriginal issues - In addition at the loca1 1eve1 some have rebuilt their governments, traditional such at Kanawake. as the Mohawk Longhouse government The churches were an early instrument of the Canadian colonial government's policies, police of and assimilation makj-ng use power given educational to them by the state to forcibly remove parents aboriginal from distant residential children their to schools. where they received the white man's education. This the churches amongi aboriginal created a great resentment towards people today, and is a lesson our churches in Taiwan miqht take to heart. Although the experience of Canadian First Nations in achieving they are us to learn and study, much for self-government offers stilI highly dependent on fi-nancial transfers from the Canadian government, realized selffederal so that they have not yet fully government. Nonetheless, our visit t.o Canada has convinced us that faced self-grovernment is t.he only road to solve the many problems by Taiwan Aboriginal People. From now on our Tai-wan Aboriginal in Self-Government Working Group will work to promote this approach Taiwan.