Human Rights Group Investigate Land Claims

LADYSMITH - Should private land be part of first nations treaty negotiations?

A first nations treaty group on Vancouver Island has succeeded in gaining the interest of an international human rights organization with that question.

A precedent setting decision by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights -- based in Washington DC -- deals with territory that the Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group says was illegally seized in 1884 - part of the E&N Railway Land Grant.

The Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group - representing 6,600 people from 6 Vancouver Island first nations, says that because of the grant, 85 percent of their traditional territory is now in private hands - making treaty negotiations difficult.

After 14 years of stalemate, the treaty group has turned to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights - the human rights-arm of the Organization of American States.

Their decision has cleared the way for a hearing.

It's a precedent setting ruling - and the treaty group wants to halt all development on more than 300,000 hectares of land until there's a hearing.

Morales says the aim is not to expropriate lands from private citizens - just fair compensation from corporations and government.

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