LETTER: Parks Canada the better option for including indigenous groups

The South Okanagan-Similkameen grasslands are the site of a proposed national park. (File photo)

Dear Editor:

This letter is in response to your article of April 11, 2019 “Public forum planned for national park reserve discussion.”

In the article Mr. Trudel stated that the goal would be to have process overseen by “…the agency of choice.”

My concern is that this agency has already been chosen, at least in the minds of those who oppose a national park and planned to have an agency of their choice, carry through preference.

Mr. Trudel’s goal seems to be to have any park project administered by a group made up of provincial representatives, indigenous representatives and locals.

The idea that an amalgamated group should be formed which includes representatives from local indigenous groups and representatives of the provincial government has a basic flaw which is bad in such a group, the indigenous representatives would simply be out-voted so that the amalgamated group would become simply the voice of the majority in the group, that is provincial representatives who did not recognize their indigenous counterpart as having an equal voice on a nation-to-nation basis.

The great advantage of Parks Canada as the administrator for the preservation of the lands in question is that the Parks Canada officials represent a government that recognizes the right of the indigenous groups that it is working with.

This means that the indigenous groups are on an equal footing with Parks Canada representatives and can not be reduced to a minority that can simply be out voted. For this reason, the indigenous groups would have the most influence and voice if they were dealing with Parks Canada rather than a group of provincial representatives and locals (SOSPS).

Further, Mr. Trudel mentioned the New Zealand – based Opus International Consultants report. How can we be sure that this company is neutral and their views have now been shaped by whoever contracted them to write their report. As is well known, whoever pays the piper calls the tune.

Sy Murseli, Osoyoos