Indians Need Help from the PM

Smoky Lake Signal Article No. 252 (January 16, 2013)

Whispering in the Wind

Over the past month a lot of chaos and confusion has erupted in Canada and it’s all about the rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada.  The questions in my mind; are we talking about evolutionary change; transformational change or are we talking revolution?  It’s up to Prime Minister Harper to guide Canadians out of this mess.  What I want to know from Mr. Harper, where is your line in the sand?

The “Idle No More” Factor

The so called “Idle No More” group began as a protest against the federal government’s omnibus budget legislation (C-45).  The founders of the group (Jessica Gordon, Sheelah McLean, Sylvia McAdam, Nina Wilson) have and are claiming that the C-45 legislation is an erosion of treaty and indigenous rights and they have asked that the provisions related to aboriginal rights be rescinded.  In an interview last Sunday, one of the four founders Sylvia McAdam observed that the “Idle No More” movement was peaceful and committed to working within the country’s legal framework when pursing its goals.  She also specifically said; “All I can say is no political organization can speak on behalf of Idle No More.”  So what started as a protest initiative in Saskatchewan last November – an initiative that most likely would have been ignored in Ottawa – has been embraced and taken over by the Assembly of First Nations and others to represent the total failure of government in dealing with aboriginal issues and the government’s treaty obligations.  Even the extreme advocates of native rights have taken ownership of the “Idle No More” movement and are using it as its platform to justify unsupported, if not illegal actions.

Chief Theresa Spence Factor

Theresa Spence is Chief of the Attawapiscat First Nation peoples (about 2,800 members with 1,549 living on reserve).  Located in the James Bay area of northern Ontario, the Attawapiscat community has been in the news for years as a “basket case” of need, want, waste and mismanagement.  A recent “leaked” audit report indicated that for years (2005-2011) “an average of 81 percent of files did not have adequate supporting documents and over 60 percent had no documentation of reason for payment.”  The audit report goes on to say that there was “no evidence of due diligence” on the part of Attawapiscat’s administration.  What is so amazing is the amount of money being spent with few, if any results – Prime Minister Harper indicated that since 2006 (when he took office) $90 million was transferred from the federal government to Attawapiscat; the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development reports that between 2006 to the end of this current fiscal year an estimated $131 million will have been spent on Attawapiscat.  Chief Theresa Spence has decided to ignore questions on her financial mismanagement and in her wisdom has gone on a “hunger strike” until she is able meet with Governor General Johnston and Prime Minister Harper (together) to discuss aboriginal rights.  For me Chief Spence has become an important factor in the dialogue between the Assembly of First Nations and the Harper Government and it’s not because of her fasting or the possibility that she could become a symbol of martyrdom.  In my view Attawapiscat (and its chief) is only one example of possibly dozens of other aboriginal communities (and its leadership) that have failed miserably due to mismanagement.  Nevertheless the responsibility for the clean-up rests with both the Assembly of First Nations and the Government of Canada.  I think the condition of the Attawapiscat community is unconscionable and the federal government should send in a forensic team to determine the possibility of fraud and/or other acts of corruption and mismanagement.        

The Assembly of First Nations Factor

In my view the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is a very loose amalgam of 630 settlements or reserves spread across Canada – 700,000 people.  The prime purpose of Assembly of First Nations is to discuss and deliberate on aboriginal issues and present recommendations to the Government of Canada – the process includes regular meetings with chiefs and the support of an elected grand chief (currently Shawn Atleo) and six vice-chiefs – it’s that loose.  In my view the major weakness of AFN’s coordinating function is the implementation process which mean any conclusions (decisions) made at the AFN level are filtered down to the local chiefs for implementation.  After watching the antics of a number of chiefs last week there is no doubt in my mind, the Assembly of First Nations is a very fractured body of diverse interests with the leadership proposing divergent positions and opinions – in some cases speaking with dangerous voices – Derek Nipinak, Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs last week inflamed many Canadians with his remarks:  “We have the power…the people and the members that can bring the Canadian economy to its knees…We have the warriors….” For me I can take critical comment (I am critical of governments and political leaders all the time) but what Mr. Nipinak voiced was insurrection and he should humbly apologize to Canada and Canadians, otherwise he should be dealt with by the authorities in appropriate, timely manner.  To add to the confusion for AFN and governments, the Federal Court ruled last week that Indians under the Constitution would include off-reserve aboriginals and Metis – there is an estimated 600,000 people falling into these two categories and that means the power base AFN could be reduced by half. 

The Prime Minister Steven Harper Factor

Prime Minister Steven Harper has “a tiger by the tail,” a tiger that is with power and without question, is dangerous.  The question for Mr. Harper, where does he draw the line in the sand?  That’s what Canadians want to know.