If this were actually to come to pass, my estimation of the current government would greatly change:
Sources have told The Globe and Mail that the government’s Minister of Indian Affairs, Jim Prentice, is working on a plan that would give the Indian Claims Commission independent power to make legal rulings. The minister promised Tuesday that an announcement on land-claims policy will be made in the next few weeks. The ICC, which is mandated to deal with the sorts of claims that are at the heart of several controversies, has the right to investigate complaints about treaty violations that have been rejected by Canada, but can only make recommendations to government as to how the dispute should be resolved. The government itself decides whether it agrees it is at fault and whether negotiations should take place.
Imagine taking a significant decision to fix a problem that has been around for well over a century. Will a wave of settlements follow? Will it please the conservative grassroots?