Mi'kmaq who live off-reserve in Newfoundland are a step closer to getting status under the Indian Act, even as Mi'kmaq residents of the province's only registered reserve are planning to negotiate their way out of the same legislation.

Members of the Conne River band want a different deal and more control over their long-term future.

Brendan Sheppard
Brendan Sheppard

At the same time, Mi'kmaq who live in a variety of other communities, and who are represented by the Federation of Newfoundland Indians, are hoping to achieve Indian status.

The federal government has hired St. John's lawyer Kevin Stamp as its negotiator to work out a deal with the federation, with talks scheduled to begin Thursday.

Status under the Indian Act provides for federally paid services involving health and education.

Misel Joe
Misel Joe

Brendan Sheppard, president of the Federation of Newfoundland Indians, describes talks scheduled to begin Thursday as "very significant."

"It's a milestone during our plight to seek recognition with the federal government," Sheppard said.

"Some people may think it's a slow process, but anytime you take on a matter such as this, dealing with a landless band concept, when there's only probably 10 or 11 others in Canada, the process is going to be slow."

Sheppard expects an agreement-in-principle to be reached by the end of March. He said actually obtaining Indian status could take up to 18 months.

In Conne River, located in southern Newfoundland, a new view of the Indian Act is emerging.

Living conditions in Conne River, the province's only registered reserve, are often held in high regard in other aboriginal communities.

Homes are new, water is clean and the community boasts of full employment. The band council has been able to use its financing to train townspeople to look after the community's every need.

Political will must change: chief

But Chief Misel Joe says the arrangement has deep-rooted flaws. The majority of jobs in the community, for instance, are short-term, and many workers rely on employment insurance.

The band calls the money that comes from Ottawa "welfare dollars," and Joe says the community cannot grow unless things change.

"It takes political will of leadership in a community to be able to build something better, but if that's all it's going to be then we haven't accomplished a whole lot," said Joe.

To do that, Joe would like to see self-government and a land claim deal within four years.

He wants the band out of the auspices of the Indian Act, so that the band can have more control on how funds are spent and to build its economy.

"I want to encourage business to come and set up in Conne River – some kind of system where we gain in terms of jobs and services," he said.

"I think we have a lot to offer. We just negotiated a reserve expansion [and] primarily the reason is to encourage business to come in, and [now] they will have the land base to do that."