Tobique First Nation to vote on $39M land claim

Members of the Tobique First Nation will soon be voting on whether or not they want $39million in exchange for 10,000 acres 4,046 hectares of their land.

Chief Ross Perley saidthe proposal is for 80 per centof the money to go to band members, with the remainder to go into an independently monitored trust "for acquisition of lands, and investments in economic and community development" by the First Nation.

Under the proposal, each member of Tobique First Nation would receive at least $13,500.The amount will only be finalized when the exactnumber of band members, on and off reserve, is confirmed.

There's excitement, there's fear, there's a lot of different views on how to look at this.- Ross Perley, Tobique First Nation chief

Members who are 18 and youngerwill have their share put in a trust fund that they can access when they turn 19 years old.

Members will vote on the proposalin about three months.

"We have mixed emotions," saidPerley."There's excitement, there's fear, there's a lot of different views on how to look at this.

"A lot ofpeople in the community don't think it's a good deal," he said.

But onthe other hand, Perley said, "A lot ofpeople in the community have been waiting all their lives and they've been talking about it alltheir lives, for a land claim to come and now it's here, we're months away from it."

Amber Bearsaidher five-year-old daughterLyric is the reason she is leaning towardvoting yes.

"Her financial future, that $15,000,will be like university for her when she's 18," said Bear.

"She won't have to worry about rent, she won't have to worry about bills, she won't have to worry about not getting funded. She'll have the money to go, and she'll have the money to do what she wanted. And that's sort of swaying me to the yesside."

Jaime Idol believes the land should still belong to Tobique First Nation.

"We weren't allowed to harvest any resources off of there, or gather, so, we believe that we should be compensated for that use," said Idol.

"But we should not have to surrender that land away. That was part of the original land grant given to Tobique, so I will vote no, and I encourage other people in our community to vote no.

In Perley's office is a copy of an Indian Affairs surveymap from 1882that shows the land setout as the Tobique Indian Reserve. The band has been negotiating a settlement for this landclaim since the 1970s.

"The land was originally granted under provincial patent before Confederation by the province prior to theillegal taking in 1892 by the federal government," said T.J. Burke, the band's lawyer who is also a member of Tobique First Nation.

If the members do vote to accept the land claim settlement, Perley admittedhe is worried about what some peoplewill do with that much money in their hands at once.

"Lot of concerns. Lots of concerns. You know, we're forecasting a lot of social issues because of it," he said.

"We'rehoping to set up some sort of assistance.We want to make sure everyone has a bank account, make surethat there isn't 'gougers' waiting at the end of the reserve, trying to sell people four-wheelers, or thosekinds of things.

"I know most people in the community have their land claim already spent, but for me, I have no plansyet."

Although the band has been in debt and under third party management for more than 10 years, Perleysaidnone of the money will go to the debt because it is money that ' needs to go to thepeople.'

He saidthe band now has a system for monthly payments that will see third party managementlifted in the spring.