Page 12A The Castlegar Sun Wednesday, June 21, 1995 Aquanauts and Otters take the first plunge in Nelson SUN SPORTS STAFF Taking that first dramatic dive into a cold body of water isn't always a fun experience but it is a shocking one. And beyond that it can be enlightening The coaches of the Robson River Otters and Castlegar Aqa- nauts were looking to be enlightened last weekend in Nelson as their swimmers took part in the first official swim meet of the season Over 300 swimmers from the West Kootenay area took part in the meet hosted by the Nelson Neptunes Swim Club. The Aquanauts sent about 80 swim- mers to the event and were rewarded with 10 medals and two meet record-breaking per formances. Gold medal performances were turned in by Breanne Comin, Justin Sutherland and Adam Rodgers while Andy Angrignon and Shelby Miller came home with silver, Bronze medals were won by Dan Ellis, Kevin Brigge- man, Alana Pion, Angela Brigge- man and Chris Cook. Even though this was the “We Service What We Sell” first meet, it was clear all were in good condition. Sev- enteen meet records fell on the SEARS s2hvict 1-800-665-4455 or bring them in to... 331 Columbia Ave, Castlegar There’s only one Dodge Caravan/ Plymouth Voyager 24T Package includes: * Standard front dual air bags kend with most being cap- tured by the Neptunes and Trail Stingrays .but Castlegar did break through for two. The Div. 3 Boys 4 X 50 med- ley relay team of David Gallo, Kevin Briggeman, Justin Suther- land and Yasha Areshenkoff established a new meet record with a time of 2:47.27. The Div, 6 Girls followed their feat by post- ing atime of 2:07.05 The Div. 6 team is made up of Rachel Friedrich, Angela Briggeman, Nicole Boultbee and Shelby Miller. Aquanaut head coach Neil Jones wasn't surprised by the numer of meet records that fell FISH HAWK BAY MARINA CRAWFORD BAY NOW SELLS BOATS! MAXUM New - Used - Service - Moorage Phone/Fax 428-2583 CRESTON 227-9410 Crawford Bay Glenn Strom AVA Eo over the weekend but he was pleasantly impressed by the per. formance of some of his kids. “I didn’t think I would be sur prised and I was,” said Jones. “1 thought I knew what they were going to do going in but they really impressed me,” The Robson River Otters also came through with a strong. per- formance despite being one of the smallest clubs attending the meet The best Otter in the pool Brought to you by: Norm Clark “HERE TO HELP” 1761 Columbia Ave. 365-2166 turned out to be Alyssa Watson who brought home gold and bronze medals. Emily Watson was right behind with silver and bronze. Scooter Corkle, Sam Wyllie, David Pedealuk and Kerry Anderson also had good showings. |, The next competition for both clubs comes this weekend in Grand Forks and Penticton. Only the top swimmers will be mak- ing the trip to Penticton. 3aseball Coaching Tips ai Va Hitting Fundamentals Hitting is a very difficult eye/hand skill to perfect. These “Best Buy in a Minivan’: Carquide Magazine 1995 AM/FM stereo * Standard side impact beams — * Power liftgate release ¢ Air conditioning Automatic transmission ¢ V6 engine Front wheel drive Includes freight, $1250 factory rebate and no charge 7 passenger seating. basic fundamentals should enable the coach to teach young players to hit a baseball properly. Bat Selection + choose a bat that you can handle easily + bat should match physical strength and ability * bat should be proper length and weight + handle thickness should feel comfortable in your hand (not too big or too small) Grip * bat should be held at the base of the fingers + grip should be firm but relaxed * middle knuckles on top hand should line up with middle knuckles on bottom hand * increase bat control by choking up on bat (both hands move up the grip towards the big end of the bat) Stance * parallel or squared stance should be used for younger players * both feet should be equal distance from the plate + feet slightly more than shoulder width apart * feet should be close enough to the plate to allow coverage of the whole plate Ready Position * weight equally balanced on both feet that are slightly more than shoulder width apart + front foot turned slightly towards pitcher with knees bent and relaxed ¢ hips remain level and square to the plate and the shoulders are level with ground + keep elbows away from the body with the hands opposite the back shoulder at shoulder height + bat angled halfway between vertical and horizontal * bat and head remain still with eyes kept on ball Swing + stride must be short and towards the pitcher + keep the hands back and the front shoulder in * pivot and push off back leg with a short quick swing + hit against firm front leg and keep the swing level * roll wrists on contact and follow through to finish the swing. For more information on improving your coaching skills, contact Baseball Cana- da, 1600 James Naismith MLE EON BE: Stories by RON NORMAN for treaties involving almost all the land in the Kootenays. The applications by tle Ktunaxa/Kinbasket Tribal Council and the Westbank Indian Band are among 43 that have been submitted under the made-in-B.C. treaty-miaking process. The Ktunaxa/Kinbasket have claimed one of the largest traditional territorial boundaries in the province. The boundary covers some 60,000 square kilometres, stretching from the Alberta border to the Columbia River and from the U.S. border to Kinbasket Lake, where the Columbia exits the lake. The Westbank traditional territorial boundary covers a much smaller area, stretching from Slocan Lake in the east to Nicola Lake in the west, and from Penticton to. Vernon. The two boundaries overlap in the Kootenays east of the Arrow Lakes, an area that includes the Val- halla Provincial Park. The Ktunaxa (p d Ti h-ka)/Kii ket Tribal Council is based in Cranbrook and represents seven First Nation bands: five in Canada and two in the U.S.. The two U.S. bands are not included in the treaty process. The five Canadian bands include the the St. Mary’s Band near Cranbrook, the Lower Kootenay near Creston, the Tobacco Plains near Grasmere, the Shuswap near Invermere and the C ia Lake near Wi The Westbank Band is located near t Kelowna. Defining traditional territorial boundaries is a key part of the first stage—called the State- ment of Intent—in the treaty process. “Tt starts the ball rolling,” explains Jonathon Rayner of the Federal Treaty Negotiation Office, which represents the federal government in the treaty negotiations. A First Nation first files a notice with the B.C. Treaty Commission—an independent body established to monitor the treaty process—indicating that it wants to negotiate a treaty. Included in that notice js a description of what it claims are traditional territorial boundaries. The description includes things like sacred burial grounds, traplines and other areas which were part of the First Nation’s “traditional lifestyle”. Traditional boundaries “tend to be much bigger” in the Interior than on the coast, says Rayner. But there's a reason for that. “When you were in the Interior . . . you had to roam over a far greater area to sustain your lifestyle.” However, Rayner says concerns that First Nations will be awarded all of the land they claim as their traditional boundaries are unfounded. “That doesn’t necessarily mean they're going to get all that land,” he says. Still, Rayner admits that First Nation groups will “probably” come out of the treaty pro- cess with larger tracts of land than their present reserves. But he cautions that this is a treaty process, not a land claims process. “A treaty is a package of things. It’s not just land. Land is just one component.” Other parts of the treaty will include a Cash settlement, training programs for First Nation people and “a whole bunch of different things.” Rayner said everything is on the table for negotiation. “We're quite open.” Although the provincial and federal governments are willing to discuss everything First Nations raise, it doesn’t mean Ottawa and Victoria will agree to everything, Rayner said. The Ktunaxa/Kinbasket have been trying to settle the question of aboriginal land title since the 1980s when they filed a claim under the federal government's comprehensive land claims process. But Denise Birdstone, tribal treaty coordinator for the Ktunaxa/Kinbasket, said the com- prehensive land claims process was taking too long. Although Ottawa had accepted the Ktu- naxa/Kinbasket claim, it wanted to settle with the Nisga’a before beginning negotiations with another First Nation. The Nisga’a negotiations have aicady taken 20 years with no end in sight (and they have still not been completed). “It would have probably been another 100 years before they got to us,” Birdstone said. So the Ki [Ki ket decided to abandon that process when the provincial and fed- eral governments and First Nations drafted the new treaty process in September, 1992. But Birdstone still doesn’t believe a treaty will happen overnight The tribal council could be in stage two of the treaty process—which is preparing for negotiation—as long as two years. And there are four more stages after that. “We're using the Yukon experience as a guide,” says Birdstone. “Their negotiations took 20 years.” She adds that the B.C. treaty process “might be anywhere from five to 10 to 20 years.” She says the Ktunaxa/Kinbasket expect to spend as much as $2.5 million on the treaty process. The federal and provincial governments will pay 20 per cent of those costs, with the tribal council picking up the remaining 80 per cent through loans from the two levels of govern- ment. Birdstone says the costs of the treaty process are a worry. “It’s scary for our people.” Like Rayner, Birdstone emphasizes that a treaty is not a land claim. “We aren’t presenting a case for land claims.” she says. But no matter how you say it, land is part of the treaty negotiations. “What areas and how much will be negotiated and agreed to,” Birdstone says. But that won't include any private land. “The provincial government has already said that private lands are not on the table.” Birdstone agrees with that, but notes that private lands acquired from native people through “devious means” will be brought to the table. That still doesn’t mean the land will be returned, but the tribal council will be seeking compensation. “We certainly won't be kicking people out of their homes,” says Birdstone. Te First Nation groups have filed applications ee aa LUD LM HS. ) Overlapping claims by First Nations means 111% of B.C. is up NORTHERN for treaty INTERIOR negotiation. 14 treaties First Nations to be negotlatad people maintain however, that private land is not Included in their bid. British Columbia has begun a massive project that will permanently affect aboriginal communities, the management of resources and the nature of In this special report, The Castlegar Sun looks at the land claim process and how it could affect the West Kootenay NORTH COAST 5 treaties to be negotiated VANCOUVER 10 treaties to be negotiated and Columbia Basin. LOWER MAINLAND 5 treaties to be negotiated Six Stages to Settlement Ey Statements of Intent Native groups submit statements to the B.C. Treaty Com- mission indicating their willingness to negotiate treaties. Bands, tribal councils and traditional forms of aboriginal government can apply, as long as they have a mandate from the people they represent. Eq] Framework Agreements The parties which iden- tify the issues to be addressed i in the treaties. They also consult the public and establish a timetable for talks. Only about five groups have advanced to this stage so far. Ey Final Agreement Teaties are finalized and signed. Each treaty must be approvedd by natives in a referendum. Legilsation is drafted to implement each treaty, making them law. EA Negotiations Native and gi conduct pre- pare for talks, and begin to identify the issues they want included in the treaties. Initial meetings are held. Most talks are at this stage now, including those involving . the Ktunaxa/Kinbasket. [Z¥ Agreements in Principle Negotiating teams reach tentative agreement on the sub- stance of the treaties. Public consultation continues and par- ties decide how the changes brought about by the treaties will be carried out [Fy Implementation Treaties come into effect. Costs are borne by the federal and provincial government, with Canada providing most of the cash and B.C. providing most of the land. What is the status of claims involving the Columbia Basin? According to the Treaty Commission, there are 43 First Nations who have submitted applications to begin the treaty process, representing 196 bands in B.C., or about 70 per cent of all bands. Other key areas that the tribal council wants included in a treaty are: Why negotiate in the first place? + B.C. entered Confederation in 1871 with no clear resolution to the question of “Indian title”, as it was called then. 7 passenger seating Roof rack and more O Factory ; Financing’ Drive, Gloucester, Ont. KIB over 48 months 5N4, 613-748-5606; 3M<*- Canada Inc. or the Coaching Association of Canada. Please Recycle + The First Nations’ claim stretches back to the Royal Proclamation of 1763 which acknowledges the Crown's obligations to treat First Nations as self-governing communities with the power to conclude treaties with other nations. + Culture and language The tribal council wants the native culture “protected and maintained.” «Governance The tribal council wants native people to be responsible for making decisions about their lives “We certainly don't want to be dependent on the Canadian government or the B.C. government for the rest of time,” said Birdstone + Citizenship There is a dispute over who is a First Nation person The federal government identifies 1,200 members of the Ktunaxa/Kinbasket while the Ktunaxa/Kinbasket says there are closer to 2,000 members. + As European settlers spread westward across the priuries, treaties were signed with aboriginal peoples. But by 1871 only 14 treaties covering 358 square miles had been concluded on Vancouver Island The Ktunaxa/Kinbasket Tribal Council and the Westbank Indian Band have completed Stage One of the six-stage treaty process the Statement of Intent and are in Stage Two — Pre on for Negotiation. The Ktu- naxa/Kinbasket began Stage Two in December, 1993 and still haven't appointed a negotiator. They could be in the second stage for as long as two years + Following Confederation another treaty was signed, this one extending into the Peace River Country in 1899 It came after aboriginal people demanded a treaty to halt traffic to the Yukon gold fields. Uniforms & Jackets Nine First Nations had completed Stage Two by Febru- ary and have proceeded to Stage Three, which is Negoti- ations for a Framework Agreement SEE YOUR B.C. CHRYSLER TEAM. fs. Ua ORQOURO a ae @cuinyscer Freche eg S80, no hare seen possnge S150 yn spa ecw rs Pc eis Kn: nd owes Fc ce (5. red et FIVE STAR SERVICE "2127, ule mys res Sn der eas “te Gao iedyexhron cd pond wa why Fanci tosoel rong g35 00 08 Fe APL/ 48 men tom. Rey yma S77 60 Con ol enon $7 80088 SESE" Tat bey 17 8768 Wasnt er oe te 3. Cos ooo my xr. Lmtd te ofr See dec fordetas CHRYSLER + Because in the rest of Canada, First Nations have signed treaties with provincial and federal governments. Dodge ‘abate not maken S4 147 88 License, mrswance, egetrahon and raxes Jeep Jeep Eagle