Hoax letter concerns Algonquin Negotiators

Jeff Green | Oct 13, 2011

Algonquins are not being asked for a $350 “one-time registration fee” from their leadership in order to be members of Algonquin communities. Nor does membership bring eligibility for a $10,000 land claim bonus, free dental care or “full Indian status”

A letter, written in the name of Robert Potts, Chef negotiator for the Algonquins of Ontario (AOO) in their ongoing land claims negotiations with the Ontario and Canadian governments, was received by a small number of members of the Shabot Obaadjiwan, Mattawa, and Pembroke Algonquin communities. It was also circulated more widely via email, which is how it came to the attention of the Frontenac News late last week.

At first glance it resembles other communications sent out by Potts and the AOO in recent years. It contains the AOO logo and purports to be an update on the state of land claim negotiations. It is titled “Algonquin Negotiation Representatives AIP/Treaty negotiations with the governments of Canada and Ontario” and says “Dear Elector” beneath that.

It goes on to ask for the “nominal one time fee of $350” and then makes promises of cash, land, housing, tax-exempt status. It also says that anyone who does not join up will no longer be covered by hunting agreements that member communities have negotiated with the Ministry of Natural Resources.

“The letter is fraudulent” said Shabot Obaadjiwan Chief Doreen Davis even before I asked her about it when she picked up the phone on Tuesday morning. “We heard about while we were having a meeting in Mattawa last week. The last thing we would do is chase people for money. We are not promising people money either; the land claim is all about the future of our communities.”

She said that the matter has been turned over to the OPP to investigate.

For his part, Robert Potts thinks the letter may have been sent by someone who opposes the land claim.

"If you really want to get down to it, what's happening is that we're getting closer and closer to what we think will be an AIP [Agreement in Principle] of some consequence for everybody, and I think what's happening here is you're seeing some folks who are just desperate not to see any change trying to subvert and destabilize. That's not surprising, if you take the people who might be doing it, but it's really sad...what it really comes down to, (is) that you can't have an open debate and discuss meaningful matters in a conscientious way as opposed to using all kinds of dirty tricks like this,” he said in an interview that was published in the Daily Observer, a Pembroke-based newspaper.

The Ontario Algonquin Land Claim has been in various stages of negotiation for 20 years and there have been a number of changes in the way the Algonquin communities have been identified and have selected their representatives to the land claims process over those many years.

A number of individuals and communities have opted out of the process over the years, such as the Ottawa Algonquins under Paul Lamothe, and locally, the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation.