Native Land Claims Can Be Settled
Native claims can be resolved, he said. Ordinary citizens need not worry about losing their land.
The native adviser was in the region to speak at the University of Waterloo last night.
Failure to deal with land claims could "become our Balkans, our Beirut, our Belfast,'' Penikett writes in his book, Reconciliation -- First Nations Treaty Making in British Columbia.
Penikett said the previous federal Liberal government was committed to treaty negotiations but not treaty settlements. In British Columbia alone, more than $600 million was spent in 13 years and not one agreement was reached, he said.
Governments have capped the cost of settlements but have unlimited amounts to spend on negotiations, he said.
"This is insane. It doesn't make economical sense."