First Nations?

Smoky Lake Signal Article No. 201 (December 14, 2011)

Whispering in the Wind

Attawapiskat – Tip of the Iceberg:
Over the last couple of weeks the Canadian press has focused a great deal of it’s attention on the apparent “unacceptable” living conditions in Attawapiskat, a First Nations community of about 2000 residents living in the James Bay area of northern Ontario. The press has described Attawapiskat as a community in crisis and in desperate need of the most basic living conditions – press reports are also suggesting that there are dozens and dozens of other Canadian aboriginal communities that are equally lacking in the basic services with the people in these communities surviving under equally desperate circumstances. Prime Minister Harper’s government responded to the specific Attawapiskat situation with commitments of portable housing units and renovation supplies to address the known deficiencies in existing housing units, all to be delivered to the community at the earliest possible date (i.e. when a stable ice road is available). The most immediate needs in Attawapiskat (sleeping bags, blankets, portable toilets and heating units) have already been delivered to the community by the Canadian Red Cross. If you ask me, the immediate, so called “disaster” situation in the Attawapiskat community has been addressed by the federal government and the Canadian Red Cross so the question now becomes: Can the federal government address the more fundamental causes of what is obviously a broken, dysfunctional system? For some answers, Canadians will have to wait until the end of next month when Prime Minister Harper publicly meets with First Nation leaders in Ottawa. In the meantime let me offer a few observations that shows where I stand on this very convoluted subject.

Attawapiskat –
First let me say that I think that the Government of Canada acted with appropriate haste in dealing with the specific circumstances in Attawapiskat. Ottawa was also correct in identifying a “third party manager” to take over the finances of the Attawapiskat community – after all the Government of Canada has pumped $100 million into the Attawapiskat community over the past five years with no apparent audit of performance or effectiveness. The Prime Minister has also suggested that the Attawapiskat community’s leadership might have mismanaged its finances, immediate action should be undertaken to determine if there is any mismanagement of funds and people responsible should be prosecuted and if found guilty, the guilty should be thrown into jail. One last point under the Attawapiskat heading, the Government of Canada appointed “third party manager” has not been able to work in the Attawapiskat community – that directive should be immediately reversed so that the government officer can do his job of assessing and directing the federal government’s aid.

Assembly of First Nations (AFN) –
Chief Shawn Atleo is head of the Assembly of First Nations and was the first person Prime Minister Harper met with after the Attawapiskat story was aired to Canadians. The role of Chief Atleo is embodied within the aims of the Assembly of First Nations organization and the aims are listed to be “to protect the rights, treaty obligations, ceremonies, and claims of citizens of the First Nations in Canada.” Two questions that come to my mind: First; what are the AFN responsibilities regarding the operations of individual First Nations communities and what protection is afforded to First Nations citizens, no matter where they live? Second; what commitment does the AFN have to work within Canada’s Constitution and does the AFN respect the supreme authority of the Government of Canada?