Energy Analyst Urges Bands To Change Approach

Energy Analyst Urges Bands To Change Approach

Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 14:01

A First Nations businessman and energy advocate says First Nations need to provide governments with a concrete amount of what they want from development projects when it comes to treaty implementation.

John Kim Bell says no deal will ever satisfy everyone — and he says First Nations need to move past the idea of the government owing them millions of dollars for all the wrong that has been done to them, because he says it just won’t happen.

Bell says First Nations need one, unified voice presenting the government with a forumla outlining how much money they want.

Bell says it’s a cop-out for leaders to say they can’t speak for future generations or that they don’t know how many First Nations people there will be years down the road.

He says formulas can be adjusted in the future, as all business partners do.

Bell says achieving any kind of deal will put First Nations further ahead than they are now.

He was speaking at the FSIN’s treaty implementation conference in Saskatoon.