When A "Land Claim" Is Settled How Much Do Canadians Get

Back to offset the billions and billions that Canadian taxpayers and corporations shell out each year and have been doing so for eons. The accompanying photo says it all when it comes to the relationship between indians and Canadians.......the Canadian flag and interests should be in the forefront.

PM to announce plans to speed land-claim cases

Updated Mon. Jun. 11 2007 6:17 PM ET

Canadian Press

OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected to announce plans to speed land claims as native groups prepare for a potentially tense day of action June 29.

Sources say Harper will propose Tuesday a bill to streamline the settlement process -- a discredited system that now takes an average of 13 years.

But real results could be months away if they come at all.

The legislation, to be co-written with the national Assembly of First Nations, won't be introduced in the Commons until the fall. It would have to clear a fractious and unstable Parliament. And it's not certain whether new money to accelerate a notoriously sluggish compensation system would be tied to the bill's passage.

Harper is also expected to support giving more power to the Indian Claims Commission which investigates treaty violations but can't make binding rulings.

Native leaders will be watching to what extent the bill may cap settlement amounts or impose deadlines for filing claims.

Critics have long called for a truly independent land claims process with more money and staff to settle cases. Ottawa has until now acted as defendant, judge and jury in disputes that have over-stretched bureaucratic and native resources.