With potentially hundreds of independent governments to be established across the country, Canada is entering an era of immense social and political experimentation. Few deny that for the dismal plight of Canada's natives to end, changes must be made. As a people they suffer from the highest jobless, suicide, addiction and incarceration rates in the county. Here, where native prostitutes are the majority and shooting up is the center of existence, HIV spreads among natives faster than among any other group. Establishing native self-government is not only a means to compensate natives for expropriating their land and other past injustices, it is an attempt to halt a tremendous human tragedy.
Land is central to any form of native self government or compensation package.
Reclaiming sovereign control of traditional native lands has long been a contentious issue in Canada, one that has at times led to armed standoffs. Many native groups, or bands, have adhered to a negotiation process that will, among other things, return small portions of their original lands to them. In the province of British Columbia, to take one example, that process is just now beginning to bear fruit, and with up to 50 native treaties to be signed over the next few years the province is entering an era of radical change. Although few citizens seem to notice that the treaty process holds the potential to re-shape the province and the nation, the real problem is that no one has a clue how fundamental, or rough, that change will be. In fact, indications are the country is walking a route to colossal and dangerous conflict.