Auditor General Critical Of Ottawa’s TLE Approach
Wednesday, November 23, 2005 at 14:46
The Assembly of First Nations is applauding the Auditor General’s critique of the federal government’s lack of progress on Treaty Land Entitlement obligations.
Sheila Fraser says the government is moving too slowly to settle land claim agreements with First Nations in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Fraser says over a million acres of land is still waiting to be processed under TLE obligations. In fact, only 12 per cent of eligible lands in Manitoba and 58 per cent in Saskatchewan have been converted to reserve status for economic development.
She says that’s because Indian Affairs is plagued with inadequate planning and target setting, as well as environmental reviews and land surveys that are sometimes done repeatedly.
AFN national chief Phil Fontaine says INAC’s inadequacies speak volumes about the apparent lack of respect the federal government has shown regarding First Nations treaty rights.