To many Canadians, First Nations are considered a tax burden. This is a common misconception that needs to be put into context. It is true that the Indian Act provides certain tax shelters. For example, people with Indian status are exempt from paying taxes on income earned on reserves. However, most people fail to understand that employment opportunities are often lacking on most First Nations reserves.
The Stoney Tribal Administration is the primary employment provider in our community. According to Lisa Wynands, director of human resources, Stoney Tribal Administration has 456 available positions. 255 positions are held by Stoney people which means out of a population of more then 5000, 255 people are benefitting from this exemption.
Stoney people working outside the community are not tax exempt. A lot of people don’t know that and think First Nations don’t have to pay taxes at all.
The Stoney Nation is not able to employ all employable members of our community. First Nations located in remote communities are in worse situations because jobs simply do not exist. As a result, more than half of First Nations people in Canada now live off reserve, according to Statistics Canada.
When First Nations people leave their respective reserves to seek opportunities or simply to purchase essential items, they also leave their tax-exempt status behind. I don’t have to pay the Goods and Services tax when I purchase items in one of the stores in Morley. However, I have to travel to Cochrane or Calgary to purchase my groceries, clothing, and entertainment items and outside the reserve I have to pay tax. First Nations people living in urban centers pay taxes every day and are also subject to property taxes be it through rent or direct ownership.
My point is that the tax shelter provided on reserves is minimal and must be put into context. First Nations are indeed tax payers and perhaps the largest tax payers at that.
The land which this country is built on once belonged to the First Nations people. International rules of discovery require that land can only be acquired through conquest or negotiation if that land is occupied. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 recognized Aboriginal title and established that land must be purchased by the Crown. Hence the treaty processes. As part of the treaty process, First Nations have access to health care and education as well as specific tracks of land. This is a right protected by the constitution and upheld by the courts which hold that the honour of the Crown must always be protected when interpreting treaties.
It is easy to consider us tax burdens without knowing the facts. However, First Nations are indeed taxpayers who hold certain rights as the original occupants of this land.
I would submit that we have paid for education and health care for generations to come if you place a monetary value on all the land that is Canada. Although it is commonly held that to the victor goes the spoils of war, the problem is that Canada did not declare war but politely negotiated treaties. First Nations rightly expect Canada to uphold these treaties and uphold the honour of the British Crown.
