TORONTO - The appointment of a new federal Indian affairs minister has been met with frustration from First Nations protesters in Caledonia, Ont., where a land-claim dispute has been ongoing for more than a year.
Spokeswoman Janie Jamieson says replacing Jim Prentice with Chuck Strahl will amount to little more than "another stall tactic.''
In the meantime, she says the dispute over a former housing development now occupied by protesters isn't even close to being resolved and that patience is wearing thin.
Ontario Aboriginal Affairs Minister David Ramsay suggests the portfolio change shows the federal government considers First Nations matters a priority.
Ramsay says priorities include working with the federal government to implement the recommendations from the Ipperwash inquiry and resolving land claims.
Negotiations in the Caledonia dispute are expected to resume Aug. 22.
