Two paths, one destination: Toward greater independence

“No matter what road you take, our paths come back together,” says Chris Lewis of the Squamish Nation.

Chief Joe Alphonse, Chris Lewis and Regional Chief Kluane Adamek at the 2022 Indigenous Partnerships Success Showcase. This article is an excerpt from Issue 2 of the Rights & Respect Magazine.

While Canada’s Indigenous peoples—First Nations, Métis, and Inuit—share many of the same values, including a holistic viewpoint and a connection to the land, one of the messages most repeated at the 2022 Indigenous Partnerships Success Showcase (IPSS) is that each Indigenous community is unique, and each decision—whether it be to pursue a treaty, to litigate, negotiate, or partner—reflects that uniqueness.

During a story-filled discussion on day two of IPSS 2022, Kluane Adamek, Yukon regional chief, and Chief Joe Alphonse, chairman of the Tŝilhqot’in National Government, speak about some of the synergies among Nations, as well as about differences in approach.

In the Yukon, where 11 Nations have signed modern treaty agreements, Adamek says it was “about defining our rights on our terms, our territory. For those 14,000 (square) kilometres, the 11 Nations had a sort of overarching agreement that we all agreed to, with 28 chapters, followed by a self-government agreement.”

For the Tŝilhqot’in, defining their rights on their terms has been about establishing Aboriginal title. Alphonse, who was instrumental in the landmark 2014 Supreme Court of Canada decision ‘Tŝilhqot’in Nation vs. British Columbia’ that established Aboriginal land title for the Nation, says he always knew what he wanted: “I want to win Aboriginal title.”

He tells the story about how even on the eve of the Supreme Court decision, “every Aboriginal lawyer in Canada, every Aboriginal organization in Canada, [said], ‘You guys have no hope in hell of winning. Withdraw your case.’ . . . Five of the six Tŝilhqot’in chiefs said they were going to withdraw. . . . Then we won. We won the title. Suddenly everybody that used to oppose us, suddenly they’re standing next to us and they’re best friends. . . . That’s why even today, I don’t run and just join other Aboriginal First Nation groups. I stand alone.”

While Adamek’s and Alphonse’s have different approaches, they appreciate that each Nation has its own path.

Graphic illustration from Drawing Change reflects session themes. Image by Kristen Elkow.

“Before contact, we relied on all of the natural resources in our territory to be independent,” says Alphonse. “In my Nation, we had Anahim Peak obsidian. You’ll find Anahim Peak obsidian (a volcanic glass) as far east as Saskatchewan, as far south as New Mexico, and as far north as the Northwest Territories and the Yukon. We traded our products. . . . So today you go through all of the work to make sure that all your values are respected and you enter . . . an agreement. And you do that because you’re trying to find a way to look after your people and you should never feel ashamed of that. . . . You sign an agreement, be proud of it. That’s the path to independence. . . . It’s as straightforward as that.”

“We also think in terms of advancing priorities,” says Adamek. “Yes, we want to work with partners. But at the same time look at the way we’re talking about development. Why is it so bad . . . when a Nation does say no? That’s okay. That has to be okay because that’s a rights-based approach. I know there are huge projects that are being contemplated . . . and the way in which we look at development can’t just be in opposition, but if a Nation says, ‘We’re uncomfortable with this and we need more,’ then that should be enough.”

“No matter what road you take, if it’s self-government agreements, if it’s a rights-and-title case, our paths come back together,” says moderator Chris Lewis of the Squamish Nation. “We still have to fight the good fight and teach our young people and inspire our young people to take their rightful place at our leadership tables and in those areas that we need them.”

This article was originally published in Rights & Respect, Issue 2. To purchase a physical copy of the magazine, click here. To purchase tickets to the Indigenous Partnerships Success Showcase, coming June 1-2, 2023, click here.