The Lhtako Dene Chief and Council is now prepared to meet with Quesnel City Council to begin the process of trying to move forward.
Relations were strained earlier in the year when Mayor Ron Paull was accused of trying to distribute a controversial book (Grave Error:How the Media Misled Us (and the truth about Residential Schools) on residential schools at a CRD meeting.
Lhtako Band Council has passed a resolution prohibiting the Mayor from entering Nation lands unless invited so the suggestion is to meet on “neutral ground”, potentially at the College of New Caledonia.
Councillor Laurey-Anne Roodenburg, Council’s Indigenous Relations Liaison, delivered a report at Tuesday (Sept 24) night’s meeting.
“They’re prepared to meet with Council to begin the process, and we knew that it was going to be a while until they were prepared but they are now ready to take that first step forward.”
Roodenburg also talked about some of the things that Lhtako would like to see happen.
“What they would like to see happen is an opportunity to meet with the elders at our first gathering to talk about residential school experiences. They want an opportunity to ask questions and for us to be able to ask questions of them.”
Roodenburg said Lhtako also had some other requests.
“For us to look at the MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) and what does that mean to Council ? We have it up on the wall there but do we really know what that means for Council moving forward, and also things like UNDRIP (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples) and DRIPA (Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act), so that we truly understand the potential of leadership opportunities and partnerships with Lhtako.”
She said that Chief Clifford Lebrun was also quite blunt in saying that he would like to see Council out to events that Lhtako offers throughout the community.
“For example this coming Monday there is an event that is happening down at Lhtako Dene Park at 11 o’clock. It’s going to honouring the survivors of residential school and a water ceremony. There will be traditional dancers, bannock, coffee etc. They would like to see Council there. And it’s about showing up, you don’t have to do stuff or whatever. They want to see Council show up.”
Monday is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
All of this came out of a meeting between Roodenburg, outgoing City Manager Byron Johnson and Acting City Manager Kari Bolton and Lhtako Chief Lebrun and his Council.
Roodenburg said part of the discussion also centered around the bigger picture of both parties working together to offer different learning opportunities in the community.
As for when this first meeting will happen, Roodenburg talked about late October or within the first two weeks of November.
She called this the first of many meetings moving forward, but a very important one.
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