The right-wing fringe are in full-swing these days. From He-who-shall-not-be-named's racist, hateful tirades about First Nations on TV to the fringe right's fav policy institutes' lowly insults and name-calling of First Nation academics and activists on Twitter - they are working hard to spread their venom to a vulnerable public.
I say vulnerable, because a large segment of the Canadian public is uneducated about Indigenous issues. This means they are open to be persuaded by the well-funded, flashy right-wing propaganda that has infected much of the mainstream print and TV media.
What has got all the fringe right-wingers all a-buzz recently? It is the Harper government's plans to divide up reserve lands into individual parcels of land (fee simple). The idea comes from Tom Flanagan's book: Beyond the Indian Act: Restoring Aboriginal Property Rights.
http://reviewcanada.ca/reviews/2010/04/01/opportunity-or-temptation/
As I wrote in my last blog, the act is to be called the First Nation Property Ownership Act (FNPOA) and has the potential to destroy First Nation communities, but is being promoted as the answer to our woes.
http://www.indigenousnationhood.blogspot.ca/2012/08/flanagan-national-petroleum-ownership.html
The person behind the idea, Tom Flanagan, who was also an advisor to PM Stephen Harper, now uses Manny Jules (head of First Nation Tax Commission) to do most of the public promotion of FNPOA. Why? Because Manny Jules is a First Nations man, who is the former chief of Kamloops First Nation and the idea is that it will be easier to sell assimilation to First Nations if a First Nations person does it.
http://fntc.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=7
The idea itself is not new. It's the same idea Flanagan promoted in his book First Nations? Second Thoughts, except in his first book, his overt racist depiction of First Nations didn't gain his ideas the support he had hoped. He has not given up on his idea to assimilate First Nations, he is just less overt about it now. In his mind, resistance to assimilation is futile.
http://walrusmagazine.com/articles/the-man-behind-stephen-harper-tom-flanagan/
His idea is copied from Hernando de Soto who has travelled the world trying to convince Indigenous peoples that endless riches can be found in giving up their communal lands in exchange for individual fee simple holdings. It appears from all the research to date that these communities are far worse off after they have divided up their communal lands. So, naturally, this sounds like a great plan for Harper.
In fact, some reports have shown that increasing the level of westernized legal concepts of property rights in communities with extreme poverty, "can actually lead to greater exploitation". Other reports note that the impact of De Soto's idea ranges from ineffectual to very "harmful". But, we have to get real about what this idea is all about. The plan is not to create super wealthy, powerful Indigenous communities - it is for the maximized economic benefit of the political and corporate power-brokers all over the world.
The very objective of this plan is to open up Indigenous communal lands for mortgaging, credit, loans, liens, seizures, taxation and for economic development in the form of mining and pipelines. This "unlocking" benefits banks, investment companies, the extractive industry and government - not Indigenous peoples. A few low-end labour jobs and a couple of education scholarships are the new beads and trinkets of today, especially when you consider that the corporate industry takes home trillions all over the world.
This proposed bill (FNPOA), like the many others being drafted, introduced and debated without First Nations' review or approval, is the core part of this assimilation plan. It will disperse First Nation communities faster than a police riot squad hose can disperse environmental protesters. Similar legislation has devastated Indigenous land holdings in the United States, some of them irrevocably. Canada's magic key (also known as the land claims negotiating policy) is that once Indigenous lands transfer to "third parties" for any reason, they are gone forever.
You will hear a great deal of media on this subject. The right-wing fringe literally drools at the thought of finally assimilating Indigenous peoples once and for all - more money, land and control for those who already have more than they need. They can't wait to impose their pipelines across any territories they wish. Instead of informed, educated, fact-based discussions, they have and will likely continue to engage in their usual name-calling, smearing, belittling and taunting of Indigenous academics, community members, leaders and activists.
We must keep in mind those Conservative right-wing fringe groups are the 1% mega-rich of settler societies who can buy and control just about anything - newspapers, TV stations, research, conferences, policy institutes, think tanks, economic institutions and politicians. They have large think tanks and private strategy meetings to discuss and implement their own plans. The closer we get to the truth about their activities, the more frantic and desperate will be their attacks. They will cowardly threaten, defame, ridicule and misinform - and it will be relentless.
On our side, we have our communities - who, for all the hardships, difficulties, tragedies and poverty, still have our identities, cultures, languages, beliefs, spiritualities, practices, traditions, laws, economies and governments. We are so much stronger than those who wish to assimilate us. Even in our suffering we find the strength to hold on to who we are, we defend our sovereignty, treaties, lands, waters and skies and we refuse to give up. Our Indigenous Nations have thrived here since time immemorial and we will thrive again. Our ancestors left us everything we need to guide us and protect our future generations.
We can do this. Don't get distracted by the noise and drama of the right-wing fringe groups who seek to profit on our suffering. Many of them only do so because their media ratings (i.e. salaries) and "online hit count makes it worthwhile". We have to focus on the issues before us, work together, help build each others' knowledge and capacity and empower one another. We all have skills we can use to help better our families, communities and Nations.
Make no mistake, this bill is a modern form of land war that will be waged on our Nations. I for one, will do everything in my power to stop this legislation. I will keep researching, publishing, speaking about it, answering questions and dispelling myths. I am often criticized for the volunteer work I do for First Nations. One prominent BC chief once said publicly that that "you get what you pay for with volunteers - they are worthless". I hold the opposite view.
I have a strong Mi'kmaw identity and attachment to my culture and Mi'kmaw Nation. I am blessed with a supportive extended family and strong, healthy children. I worked hard as a single mom to earn an education (four university degrees) and was lucky enough to find a good paying job. I am grateful to the Creator for my warm house (on traditional Indigenous territories) and access to healthy food and clean water. Coming from a situation where I lived on welfare with my two babies in a flooded, mouldy Aboriginal house which made my babies very sick - I appreciate what we have now.
None of this makes me any more or less Mi'kmaw, but it does highlight my responsibility to do the most that I can do for our peoples. I have certain blessings that put me in a position where I am obligated, according to Mi'kmaw ways of being, to give back and help build up the Mi'kmaw Nation and other Indigenous Nations and peoples in Canada. So I will continue my volunteer work - regardless of the threats, slander or attacks from the fringe who just can't comprehend our Indigenous collective loyalties to one another and our lands, waters and skies.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Flanagan National Petroleum Ownership Act: Stop Big Oil Land Grab
By now most of you have heard about the Harper government's intention to introduce legislation that will turn reserve lands into individual holdings called fee simple. The legislation has been referred to as the First Nation Property Ownership Act (FNPOA). Some media outlets have referred to it as "privatization" but what the legislation would really do is turn the collective ownership of reserve lands into small pieces of land owned by individuals who could then sell it to non-First Nations peoples, land-holding companies, and corporations, like Enbridge for example.
The idea is not a new one. Hernando de Soto has been trying to sell the same idea to Indigenous populations all over the world. The evidence seems to show that the Indigenous peoples are far worse off for it. Prior to de Soto's destructive world tour, the Indigenous Nations in the United States suffered the sting of fee simple legislation in the Dawes Act. Once the lands were given to individuals, the lands were subject to state laws. The same would happen in Canada where the lands would be subject to provincial instead of federal law.
The primary purpose of the Dawe's Act was to assimilate Indigenous peoples in the USA by breaking up their Indigenous governments. The legislation allowed the government to divide up communal lands into small parcels to be held by individuals. It has been described by historians as: "the culmination of American attempts to destroy tribes and their governments and to open Indian lands to settlement by non-Indians and to development by railroads" (Oklahoma Historical Society). In the Canadian context, similar legislation will open up "Indian lands" for big oil, gas and mineral extraction.
I have referred to FNPOA as the Flanagan National Petroleum Ownership Act for two reasons: (1) the name of the Act (FNPOA) comes from the book Tom Flanagan co-wrote (with Andre LeDressay and Chris Alcantara): "Beyond the Indian Act: Restoring Aboriginal Property Rights" and (2) the Act will do more to open up reserve lands to oil, gas and mining companies than it will bring prosperity to First Nations.
For those who don't know, Tom Flanagan is a right-wing anti-First Nation academic who has written about and spoken out against First Nations in a very overtly racist and derogatory fashion, and often lacks a sound factual or academically-sound research basis.
Flanagan's book was fully endorsed by Manny Jules, a First Nation man and former chief of Kamloops Indian Band and is now the head of the First Nation Tax Commission (FNTC). The FNTC, contrary to its name, is actually a federal organization, whose chief commissioner is appointed by Canada's Governorin-Council and reports to Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC).
http://appointments.gc.ca/prflOrg.asp?OrgID=FNN&type-typ=1&lang=eng
Aside from a salary of over $200,000, it is also notable that in the recent round of Conservative cuts to Aboriginal organizations, Jules' FNTC was protected from substantial cuts. The political and financial links between the FNTC and the federal government's intended legislation become apparent when one reads Flanagan's book in its entirety. Here is an excerpt from my published review of the book:
"In fact, the book concludes by affirming that 'there is little doubt that this proposal is a continuation of the First Nations–led initiatives of the 1990’s' ... And, if First Nations require any assistance in catching up to the modern world, the book suggests that they use the services of Le Dressay’s Tulo Centre of Indigenous Economics. (Located in Jules’s home community of Kamloops, this centre was created out of a First Nations Tax Commission project he chaired.) It should come as no surprise that one of the keys to success of the authors’ proposal for the First Nations Property Ownership Act will be to create additional centralized institutions, to take over the new jurisdiction it also creates."
http://reviewcanada.ca/reviews/2010/04/01/opportunity-or-temptation/
The media will no doubt be publishing many editorials, opinions and commentaries on this issue in the coming weeks until the bill is introduced in Parliament. Many of these articles, especially those from the right-wing fringe will leave out a great deal of context, perpetuate the same myths that Manny Jules and Tom Flanagan do and will settle for the catchy headlines instead of help inform the public about the serious issues involved.
Here are some of the questions asked of me by the media and my answers in very brief form (more detailed answers will be provided in my forthcoming publication):
(1) First Nations hate the Indian Act, why would they object to Harper amending or repealing the Act?
The abolishment of the Indian Act was the central feature of the 1969 White Paper - the federal policy that would assimilate "Indians" once and for all. It is up to First Nations to decide when and how they want to amend or repeal the Indian Act - Canada has done enough damage under the guise of "what is good for the Indians".
Harper specifically promised at the co-called Crown-First Nation Gathering that: "To be sure, our Government has no grand scheme to repeal or to unilaterally re-write the Indian Act". This legislation would be a significant and unilateral amendment to the Indian Act.
(2) But First Nations can't access mortgages or start businesses without owning land in fee simple?
That is simply not true. Individual band members have been working with their First Nations and the major banks to obtain mortgages to build homes on reserve for many years. Many band members and bands have also been able to receive loans from banks to start businesses without leveraging their homes. One must also remember that owning a home doesn't mean you can open a business on your land - there are zoning and other laws on reserve as there would be in any neighborhood.
(3) But Canadians get to own land in fee simple?
Canadians have the option to own land in fee simple only if they are wealthy enough to buy land or qualify for a mortgage. Thousands of First Nations people also own land in fee simple all over the country. Some First Nations people also hold land via Certificate of Possession on reserve which is very similar to fee simple, except that it can't be sold to non-First Nations people.
(4) But if First Nations could own land in fee simple, wouldn't that cure the housing crisis?
This ability to own land in fee simple has not cured homelessness in Canada and in fact, it is on the rise. The ability to hold reserve lands in fee simple would not qualify any individual for a mortgage. Part of getting a mortgage is being able to get insurance - who would insure a mold-infested, abestos-contaminated home without running water or sanitation services? This sounds like more of a cure for the economy and mortgage lenders than it does for First Nations.
(5) But commentators have said this would cure First Nation poverty?
The origins of the current crisis of poverty in First Nations are in the theft of our lands and resources, the genocide committed against our people, the federal strangulation of our governments and the refusal to properly recognize and provide space for our treaty, Aboriginal, and inherent rights and laws. Fee simple has nothing to do with it. There is absolutely no evidence that fee simple ownership has cured poverty. In fact, the studies have shown that the chronic underfunding of essential social services by the federal government is the primary cause of the current levels of poverty in First Nations.
http://pi.library.yorku.ca/ojs/index.php/crsp/article/view/35220
(6) But Manny Jules and 8 other First Nations want this legislation?
With all due respect, Manny Jules heads a federal government organization - he is not a First Nation leader or community spokesperson. If there are a handful of First Nations who truly want to divide their reserves into individual parcels of fee simple lands, they can do so via current processes under the Indian Act or self-government negotiations for example. There is no way that 8 First Nations should set national law or policy for 633 First Nations. Treaty implementation and the resolution of land claims are far more critical to First Nation well-being.
http://www.bctreaty.net/unfinishedbusiness/pdf-documents/BC-Treaty-Commission-PricewaterhouseCoopers-Report.pdf
(7) But isn't the legislation optional? What's the harm?
With INAC, even optional laws and policies are never truly optional. Once the government decides it wants First Nations to behave in a certain way, they use a series of financial and political incentives and punishments to ensure First Nations act as the government deems appropriate. With THIS Harper government, the focus would be more on punishments and they would be severe for failing to conform. For example, First Nations could voluntarily enter into Act XYZ or fail to receive funding associated with that program or service.
Plus, the element of volunteerism does not apply in a situation of duress. Is it truly optional to sell one's land if one is already impoverished and suffering from a lack the basic necessities of life? Even Manny Jules admitted that one of the challenges of this bill is that all reserve land could be lost:
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV+Shows/The+National/ID/2189503699/
Jules wants First Nations people to prove to banks that they are "worthy" of owning a home. WOW!
(8) What are your other concerns related to FNPOA?
- Canada does not have the legal authority to pass such a bill in violation of both Aboriginal and treaty rights, the Royal Proclamation, and UNDRIP;
- they haven't thought about the legal, political, social or cultural implications of such a law (for example - exactly who would get the fee simple parcels of land?);
- Canada has not learned from history - the Dawes Act devastated First Nations in the USA - why would it be better here;
- this is Harper's political agenda to once and for all assimilate Indians and turn reserve lands into provincial land holdings and jurisdiction;
- this bill would also help Harper end-run the duty to consult and accommodate re oil, gas and mining on our lands, undermine our leadership and empower corporations like Enbridge to lay their pipes wherever they want;
- turning reserves into fee simple parcels registered in provincial land registries under provincial law would enable easier expropriation of our lands for big oil and gas companies like Enbridge;
- FNPOA, together with other bills in process: Bill C-428 impacting by-laws, estates & education, Bill S-6 re elections, Bill S-2 re matrimonial real property, Bill C-27 re First Nation accountability, Bill S-8 re First Nation water, and the First Nation Education Act to come essentially change the entire legal and political landscape for First Nations - unilaterally and against our collective will.
First Nations have the right to free, informed and prior consent to any laws, policies, decisions or actions that impact our lands and resources. This means that if we don't want Enbridge or any other extractive industry on our lands - that is our decision to make. Our people will not allow big oil to use FNPOA as a land grab to circumvent our rights.
There is simply nothing good about this bill and much to be lost from it. People need to stop coming up with ideas about how to "fix" us as we always end up worse off for it.
Canadians are not required to understand or even support our inherent, treaty, domestic and international rights - they just have to accept that this is the law, not unlike any of the laws they cherish.
Canada needs to stop trying to assimilate us and instead focus on fulfilling its legal and treaty obligations instead of trying to find ways around them. I think we have suffered enough - let us go about the hard job of healing and rebuilding our Nations and enjoy our fair share of what is ours.
Additional resources:
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV+Shows/The+National/ID/2173712911/
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV+Shows/The+National/ID/2189503699/
http://soundcloud.com/el-chaos/pamela-palmater-reserve-vs-fee-simple-land
The idea is not a new one. Hernando de Soto has been trying to sell the same idea to Indigenous populations all over the world. The evidence seems to show that the Indigenous peoples are far worse off for it. Prior to de Soto's destructive world tour, the Indigenous Nations in the United States suffered the sting of fee simple legislation in the Dawes Act. Once the lands were given to individuals, the lands were subject to state laws. The same would happen in Canada where the lands would be subject to provincial instead of federal law.
The primary purpose of the Dawe's Act was to assimilate Indigenous peoples in the USA by breaking up their Indigenous governments. The legislation allowed the government to divide up communal lands into small parcels to be held by individuals. It has been described by historians as: "the culmination of American attempts to destroy tribes and their governments and to open Indian lands to settlement by non-Indians and to development by railroads" (Oklahoma Historical Society). In the Canadian context, similar legislation will open up "Indian lands" for big oil, gas and mineral extraction.
I have referred to FNPOA as the Flanagan National Petroleum Ownership Act for two reasons: (1) the name of the Act (FNPOA) comes from the book Tom Flanagan co-wrote (with Andre LeDressay and Chris Alcantara): "Beyond the Indian Act: Restoring Aboriginal Property Rights" and (2) the Act will do more to open up reserve lands to oil, gas and mining companies than it will bring prosperity to First Nations.
For those who don't know, Tom Flanagan is a right-wing anti-First Nation academic who has written about and spoken out against First Nations in a very overtly racist and derogatory fashion, and often lacks a sound factual or academically-sound research basis.
Flanagan's book was fully endorsed by Manny Jules, a First Nation man and former chief of Kamloops Indian Band and is now the head of the First Nation Tax Commission (FNTC). The FNTC, contrary to its name, is actually a federal organization, whose chief commissioner is appointed by Canada's Governorin-Council and reports to Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC).
http://appointments.gc.ca/prflOrg.asp?OrgID=FNN&type-typ=1&lang=eng
Aside from a salary of over $200,000, it is also notable that in the recent round of Conservative cuts to Aboriginal organizations, Jules' FNTC was protected from substantial cuts. The political and financial links between the FNTC and the federal government's intended legislation become apparent when one reads Flanagan's book in its entirety. Here is an excerpt from my published review of the book:
"In fact, the book concludes by affirming that 'there is little doubt that this proposal is a continuation of the First Nations–led initiatives of the 1990’s' ... And, if First Nations require any assistance in catching up to the modern world, the book suggests that they use the services of Le Dressay’s Tulo Centre of Indigenous Economics. (Located in Jules’s home community of Kamloops, this centre was created out of a First Nations Tax Commission project he chaired.) It should come as no surprise that one of the keys to success of the authors’ proposal for the First Nations Property Ownership Act will be to create additional centralized institutions, to take over the new jurisdiction it also creates."
http://reviewcanada.ca/reviews/2010/04/01/opportunity-or-temptation/
The media will no doubt be publishing many editorials, opinions and commentaries on this issue in the coming weeks until the bill is introduced in Parliament. Many of these articles, especially those from the right-wing fringe will leave out a great deal of context, perpetuate the same myths that Manny Jules and Tom Flanagan do and will settle for the catchy headlines instead of help inform the public about the serious issues involved.
Here are some of the questions asked of me by the media and my answers in very brief form (more detailed answers will be provided in my forthcoming publication):
(1) First Nations hate the Indian Act, why would they object to Harper amending or repealing the Act?
The abolishment of the Indian Act was the central feature of the 1969 White Paper - the federal policy that would assimilate "Indians" once and for all. It is up to First Nations to decide when and how they want to amend or repeal the Indian Act - Canada has done enough damage under the guise of "what is good for the Indians".
Harper specifically promised at the co-called Crown-First Nation Gathering that: "To be sure, our Government has no grand scheme to repeal or to unilaterally re-write the Indian Act". This legislation would be a significant and unilateral amendment to the Indian Act.
(2) But First Nations can't access mortgages or start businesses without owning land in fee simple?
That is simply not true. Individual band members have been working with their First Nations and the major banks to obtain mortgages to build homes on reserve for many years. Many band members and bands have also been able to receive loans from banks to start businesses without leveraging their homes. One must also remember that owning a home doesn't mean you can open a business on your land - there are zoning and other laws on reserve as there would be in any neighborhood.
(3) But Canadians get to own land in fee simple?
Canadians have the option to own land in fee simple only if they are wealthy enough to buy land or qualify for a mortgage. Thousands of First Nations people also own land in fee simple all over the country. Some First Nations people also hold land via Certificate of Possession on reserve which is very similar to fee simple, except that it can't be sold to non-First Nations people.
(4) But if First Nations could own land in fee simple, wouldn't that cure the housing crisis?
This ability to own land in fee simple has not cured homelessness in Canada and in fact, it is on the rise. The ability to hold reserve lands in fee simple would not qualify any individual for a mortgage. Part of getting a mortgage is being able to get insurance - who would insure a mold-infested, abestos-contaminated home without running water or sanitation services? This sounds like more of a cure for the economy and mortgage lenders than it does for First Nations.
(5) But commentators have said this would cure First Nation poverty?
The origins of the current crisis of poverty in First Nations are in the theft of our lands and resources, the genocide committed against our people, the federal strangulation of our governments and the refusal to properly recognize and provide space for our treaty, Aboriginal, and inherent rights and laws. Fee simple has nothing to do with it. There is absolutely no evidence that fee simple ownership has cured poverty. In fact, the studies have shown that the chronic underfunding of essential social services by the federal government is the primary cause of the current levels of poverty in First Nations.
http://pi.library.yorku.ca/ojs/index.php/crsp/article/view/35220
(6) But Manny Jules and 8 other First Nations want this legislation?
With all due respect, Manny Jules heads a federal government organization - he is not a First Nation leader or community spokesperson. If there are a handful of First Nations who truly want to divide their reserves into individual parcels of fee simple lands, they can do so via current processes under the Indian Act or self-government negotiations for example. There is no way that 8 First Nations should set national law or policy for 633 First Nations. Treaty implementation and the resolution of land claims are far more critical to First Nation well-being.
http://www.bctreaty.net/unfinishedbusiness/pdf-documents/BC-Treaty-Commission-PricewaterhouseCoopers-Report.pdf
(7) But isn't the legislation optional? What's the harm?
With INAC, even optional laws and policies are never truly optional. Once the government decides it wants First Nations to behave in a certain way, they use a series of financial and political incentives and punishments to ensure First Nations act as the government deems appropriate. With THIS Harper government, the focus would be more on punishments and they would be severe for failing to conform. For example, First Nations could voluntarily enter into Act XYZ or fail to receive funding associated with that program or service.
Plus, the element of volunteerism does not apply in a situation of duress. Is it truly optional to sell one's land if one is already impoverished and suffering from a lack the basic necessities of life? Even Manny Jules admitted that one of the challenges of this bill is that all reserve land could be lost:
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV+Shows/The+National/ID/2189503699/
Jules wants First Nations people to prove to banks that they are "worthy" of owning a home. WOW!
(8) What are your other concerns related to FNPOA?
- Canada does not have the legal authority to pass such a bill in violation of both Aboriginal and treaty rights, the Royal Proclamation, and UNDRIP;
- they haven't thought about the legal, political, social or cultural implications of such a law (for example - exactly who would get the fee simple parcels of land?);
- Canada has not learned from history - the Dawes Act devastated First Nations in the USA - why would it be better here;
- this is Harper's political agenda to once and for all assimilate Indians and turn reserve lands into provincial land holdings and jurisdiction;
- this bill would also help Harper end-run the duty to consult and accommodate re oil, gas and mining on our lands, undermine our leadership and empower corporations like Enbridge to lay their pipes wherever they want;
- turning reserves into fee simple parcels registered in provincial land registries under provincial law would enable easier expropriation of our lands for big oil and gas companies like Enbridge;
- FNPOA, together with other bills in process: Bill C-428 impacting by-laws, estates & education, Bill S-6 re elections, Bill S-2 re matrimonial real property, Bill C-27 re First Nation accountability, Bill S-8 re First Nation water, and the First Nation Education Act to come essentially change the entire legal and political landscape for First Nations - unilaterally and against our collective will.
First Nations have the right to free, informed and prior consent to any laws, policies, decisions or actions that impact our lands and resources. This means that if we don't want Enbridge or any other extractive industry on our lands - that is our decision to make. Our people will not allow big oil to use FNPOA as a land grab to circumvent our rights.
There is simply nothing good about this bill and much to be lost from it. People need to stop coming up with ideas about how to "fix" us as we always end up worse off for it.
Canadians are not required to understand or even support our inherent, treaty, domestic and international rights - they just have to accept that this is the law, not unlike any of the laws they cherish.
Canada needs to stop trying to assimilate us and instead focus on fulfilling its legal and treaty obligations instead of trying to find ways around them. I think we have suffered enough - let us go about the hard job of healing and rebuilding our Nations and enjoy our fair share of what is ours.
Additional resources:
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV+Shows/The+National/ID/2173712911/
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV+Shows/The+National/ID/2189503699/
http://soundcloud.com/el-chaos/pamela-palmater-reserve-vs-fee-simple-land
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Right-Wing Post: The Fight for Integrity in the Media
I am writing today to set the record straight about the most recent edition of the Right-Wing Post. John Ivison of the National Post called me this week and asked for an interview. He needed it urgently to fill meet his timeline for this past Saturday, July 14. While I was on the road and meeting with Chiefs, I agreed to take half an hour to assist him with his story. Apparently, that was an exercise in futility since he did not print a word I said.
The story he wrote is entitled: "The fight for the soul of the AFN" and can be found at this link:
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/07/14/john-ivison-the-fight-for-the-soul-of-the-afn/
You'll notice that the first paragraph is an indication of his lack of knowledge about what actually transpired before, during and after what was called the "Crown-First Nation Gathering" (CFNG). First of all, the meeting was promised for many years and did not transpire until the crisis in Attawapiskat First Nation captured the media's attention and stayed in the media. The ONLY reason why Harper stayed at the meeting was due to the unrelenting criticism that he would only stay for the speech - not because of any pressure by National Chief Atleo - in fact, everyone but Atleo criticized Harper for his planned early exit.
Secondly, there was no "new" money given to First Nations for anything. In fact, after the CFNG, many Aboriginal organizations received funding cuts so severe, some had to close their doors. These funding cuts included cuts to the AFN. Any money that has been identified for emergencies like Attawapiskat or water has been taken from other programs and services for First Nations. The former Auditor General clearly highlighted in her reports how Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) has a habit of reporting one thing and doing another. Harper has long stated there will be no new money for First Nations - only "efficiencies".
Getting back to Ivison's article, I spent a great deal of time explaining to him my concerns, their origins and why I am running. Although I can't speak for what is going on in his head, he obviously did not like or understand my answers as he chose to take quotes from my old blogs to make his story sound more dramatic. To back up his right-wing slant on the story, he used the Frontier Centre for Public Policy - a right-wing think tank that can be counted on to support just about anything Harper.
The right-wing contingency in Canada has openly supported Atleo - from Conservative Senator Patrick Brazeau to many of the extremely right-wing media outlets like the Sun. My issue has never been whether they support Atleo, to each his own. My concern has always been their refusal to use facts in their "news" reporting and for their opinions. Anyone can have random opinions about anything, but when these commentators refuse to base it on facts, then it is hardly be considered analysis worthy of reading.
These guys are very clever, they can find ways to belittle or minimize individuals without saying it directly. Notice how they constantly refer to Atleo as having a Masters degree, but never refer to my 4 university degrees or address me as "Dr" instead of "Miss"? They refuse to capitalize the word "aboriginal" as if we are somehow less than other groups like "French" or "German". The fact that they even use the word "aboriginal" refuses to acknowledge my nationality as "Mi'kmaw" which is found in all of my websites, brochures and how I actually defined myself during our interview.
Even the quote he assigns to me is Ivison's quote - he is the one who asked me about the "extremely cordial" relations between Atleo and Harper where I explained that my issue is NOT with having a good relationship. In fact, I support respectful and mutually beneficial relations with Ottawa - but he never quoted my actual words. I specifically said that the idea is not to settle for just any relationship with Canada - but that I wanted one that was based on respect. This means Harper has to put some good faith on the table.
Ivison went on to challenge me saying how could I speak about respect for Canada when I refer to Harper as the devil. I told him that he needed to read my entire set of blogs to understand what I am referring to - Harper's aggressive assimilatory agenda towards First Nations and his blatant disregard for democracy and fundamental rights and freedoms valued by Canadians. I am not the only one who feels this way - at this point I believe most Canadians can see what is happening, especially since the two undemocratic omnibus bills: Bill C-10 and Bill C-38, show how Harper has replaced the voices of Canadians with his own agenda in a very dictatorial manner.
In addition, I never called Atleo a "devil". That is categorically false. The conversation was strictly related to Harper's assimilatory agenda. Atleo may be leading the AFN in the wrong direction in my opinion, but I have said all along this is not about Atleo as a person. I have met him several times and he seems to be very nice. I think most people who have met him consider him to be an extremely nice guy. After all, he is working at the AFN to better the lives of First Nations. It is not his personality that concerns me, it's his making deals with Harper without a corresponding mandate from the chiefs to do so, that concerns me. But this isn't just my analysis.
Chief Wallace Fox of Onion Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan wrote a letter to Atleo on July 10, 2012 specifically telling Atleo that "there is no place for you to have your own agenda" and he went on to cite "countless examples of AFN acting without any authority from the Chiefs". Chief Fox was very specific that this was not a personal issue, but instead highlighted the "danger" of he AFN "collaborating" with Harper to push the 1969 White Paper assimilation policy. Chief Fox is not the only one who feels this way. Many chiefs across the country can see the writing on the wall. These are the facts of what is happening here and Ivison ignored all of those to print a propaganda piece for Atleo.
If you read Ivison's entire piece you will understand exactly what the rest of us are talking about. Ivison quotes Atleo as describing himself as the head of the AFN engaged in "nation to nation" relations with Canada. This is precisely the problem - AFN is NOT a Nation, it's not a treaty holder or land owner, nor is it not a national government. Atleo cannot engage in Nation to Nation relations - only we as Indigenous Nations can do that. Only Treaty 1, Treaty 6, or Mi'kmaq, Maliseet or Anishinabek, etc can speak for their Nations. This is the fundamental issue here that Ivison and all the right-wing media ignores.
Ivison also failed to quote our conversation related to funding. He tried to get me to admit that my whole solution is more tax-payer's money. I explained to him that all the wealth in this country is made from First Nations lands and resources. Every single government, business or industry is 100% reliant on the ongoing theft of our lands and resources. It is a fundamental mischaracterization to say that band funding comes from tax-payers. If tax-payers have an issue with paying taxes - that is between them and their governments - we did not create capitalist forms of government.
Our issue is that this country's wealth is 100% reliant on our land and resources. When we demand a small fraction of that wealth back, we are accused of being dependent. The only government dependent here are the federal and provincial governments who could not sustain themselves without out our lands and resources. We, as First Nations, fund every single program, service, benefit, and government in this country NOT the other way around. I also explained that at a bare minimum, First Nation government transfer payments, should at least be on par with provincial governments. Right now we are chronically underfunded and the extreme poverty is the result.
This does not include the additional rights we have in relation to our lands and resources from our treaties and constitutional protections. When I spoke to Ivison I explained all of this in great detail - but he obviously didn't like what he heard as he printed his own version. I also gave him my ideas about how our governments can sustain themselves, but he felt no need to share any of that. Instead he boils it all down to gender and quotes an unnamed AFN watcher saying that chiefs will never vote for a woman. At each step the right-wing faction in Canada insult our chiefs. We have more female Chiefs and band councillors in Canada than the federal parliament has female MPs. If only reporters stuck to the facts, then we would not have all this negative stereotypes dominating the media.
Our chiefs are smart, many are deeply spiritual and most are in this to better the lives of our people. I believe in the collective wisdom of our people - they decided to who to put in as Chief, they decide the traditional or hereditary leaders and when the chiefs vote they will decide who will have their back for the next three years. This race was never about gender - it has always been about inspiring hope in our people and laying out a vision for the next three years. For me, this means being brave enough to stand up and admit when we are off track so we can turn this ship back around.
The right-wing media will do their best to maintain the status quo - because everyone else benefits from it but us. But we have the ability to see past their propaganda and lack of facts - we can do this. We have a momentum going now to get things back on track and we will set things right. We just have to stay focused on our sovereignty, our lands and treaties and our people and we can't go wrong. The choice at this election is not radical versus moderate or male versus female - the choice is status quo or taking a chance on fundamental change. The status quo is killing our people, I don't think we have much to lose by taking a chance on turning things around.
The story he wrote is entitled: "The fight for the soul of the AFN" and can be found at this link:
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/07/14/john-ivison-the-fight-for-the-soul-of-the-afn/
You'll notice that the first paragraph is an indication of his lack of knowledge about what actually transpired before, during and after what was called the "Crown-First Nation Gathering" (CFNG). First of all, the meeting was promised for many years and did not transpire until the crisis in Attawapiskat First Nation captured the media's attention and stayed in the media. The ONLY reason why Harper stayed at the meeting was due to the unrelenting criticism that he would only stay for the speech - not because of any pressure by National Chief Atleo - in fact, everyone but Atleo criticized Harper for his planned early exit.
Secondly, there was no "new" money given to First Nations for anything. In fact, after the CFNG, many Aboriginal organizations received funding cuts so severe, some had to close their doors. These funding cuts included cuts to the AFN. Any money that has been identified for emergencies like Attawapiskat or water has been taken from other programs and services for First Nations. The former Auditor General clearly highlighted in her reports how Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) has a habit of reporting one thing and doing another. Harper has long stated there will be no new money for First Nations - only "efficiencies".
Getting back to Ivison's article, I spent a great deal of time explaining to him my concerns, their origins and why I am running. Although I can't speak for what is going on in his head, he obviously did not like or understand my answers as he chose to take quotes from my old blogs to make his story sound more dramatic. To back up his right-wing slant on the story, he used the Frontier Centre for Public Policy - a right-wing think tank that can be counted on to support just about anything Harper.
The right-wing contingency in Canada has openly supported Atleo - from Conservative Senator Patrick Brazeau to many of the extremely right-wing media outlets like the Sun. My issue has never been whether they support Atleo, to each his own. My concern has always been their refusal to use facts in their "news" reporting and for their opinions. Anyone can have random opinions about anything, but when these commentators refuse to base it on facts, then it is hardly be considered analysis worthy of reading.
These guys are very clever, they can find ways to belittle or minimize individuals without saying it directly. Notice how they constantly refer to Atleo as having a Masters degree, but never refer to my 4 university degrees or address me as "Dr" instead of "Miss"? They refuse to capitalize the word "aboriginal" as if we are somehow less than other groups like "French" or "German". The fact that they even use the word "aboriginal" refuses to acknowledge my nationality as "Mi'kmaw" which is found in all of my websites, brochures and how I actually defined myself during our interview.
Even the quote he assigns to me is Ivison's quote - he is the one who asked me about the "extremely cordial" relations between Atleo and Harper where I explained that my issue is NOT with having a good relationship. In fact, I support respectful and mutually beneficial relations with Ottawa - but he never quoted my actual words. I specifically said that the idea is not to settle for just any relationship with Canada - but that I wanted one that was based on respect. This means Harper has to put some good faith on the table.
Ivison went on to challenge me saying how could I speak about respect for Canada when I refer to Harper as the devil. I told him that he needed to read my entire set of blogs to understand what I am referring to - Harper's aggressive assimilatory agenda towards First Nations and his blatant disregard for democracy and fundamental rights and freedoms valued by Canadians. I am not the only one who feels this way - at this point I believe most Canadians can see what is happening, especially since the two undemocratic omnibus bills: Bill C-10 and Bill C-38, show how Harper has replaced the voices of Canadians with his own agenda in a very dictatorial manner.
In addition, I never called Atleo a "devil". That is categorically false. The conversation was strictly related to Harper's assimilatory agenda. Atleo may be leading the AFN in the wrong direction in my opinion, but I have said all along this is not about Atleo as a person. I have met him several times and he seems to be very nice. I think most people who have met him consider him to be an extremely nice guy. After all, he is working at the AFN to better the lives of First Nations. It is not his personality that concerns me, it's his making deals with Harper without a corresponding mandate from the chiefs to do so, that concerns me. But this isn't just my analysis.
Chief Wallace Fox of Onion Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan wrote a letter to Atleo on July 10, 2012 specifically telling Atleo that "there is no place for you to have your own agenda" and he went on to cite "countless examples of AFN acting without any authority from the Chiefs". Chief Fox was very specific that this was not a personal issue, but instead highlighted the "danger" of he AFN "collaborating" with Harper to push the 1969 White Paper assimilation policy. Chief Fox is not the only one who feels this way. Many chiefs across the country can see the writing on the wall. These are the facts of what is happening here and Ivison ignored all of those to print a propaganda piece for Atleo.
If you read Ivison's entire piece you will understand exactly what the rest of us are talking about. Ivison quotes Atleo as describing himself as the head of the AFN engaged in "nation to nation" relations with Canada. This is precisely the problem - AFN is NOT a Nation, it's not a treaty holder or land owner, nor is it not a national government. Atleo cannot engage in Nation to Nation relations - only we as Indigenous Nations can do that. Only Treaty 1, Treaty 6, or Mi'kmaq, Maliseet or Anishinabek, etc can speak for their Nations. This is the fundamental issue here that Ivison and all the right-wing media ignores.
Ivison also failed to quote our conversation related to funding. He tried to get me to admit that my whole solution is more tax-payer's money. I explained to him that all the wealth in this country is made from First Nations lands and resources. Every single government, business or industry is 100% reliant on the ongoing theft of our lands and resources. It is a fundamental mischaracterization to say that band funding comes from tax-payers. If tax-payers have an issue with paying taxes - that is between them and their governments - we did not create capitalist forms of government.
Our issue is that this country's wealth is 100% reliant on our land and resources. When we demand a small fraction of that wealth back, we are accused of being dependent. The only government dependent here are the federal and provincial governments who could not sustain themselves without out our lands and resources. We, as First Nations, fund every single program, service, benefit, and government in this country NOT the other way around. I also explained that at a bare minimum, First Nation government transfer payments, should at least be on par with provincial governments. Right now we are chronically underfunded and the extreme poverty is the result.
This does not include the additional rights we have in relation to our lands and resources from our treaties and constitutional protections. When I spoke to Ivison I explained all of this in great detail - but he obviously didn't like what he heard as he printed his own version. I also gave him my ideas about how our governments can sustain themselves, but he felt no need to share any of that. Instead he boils it all down to gender and quotes an unnamed AFN watcher saying that chiefs will never vote for a woman. At each step the right-wing faction in Canada insult our chiefs. We have more female Chiefs and band councillors in Canada than the federal parliament has female MPs. If only reporters stuck to the facts, then we would not have all this negative stereotypes dominating the media.
Our chiefs are smart, many are deeply spiritual and most are in this to better the lives of our people. I believe in the collective wisdom of our people - they decided to who to put in as Chief, they decide the traditional or hereditary leaders and when the chiefs vote they will decide who will have their back for the next three years. This race was never about gender - it has always been about inspiring hope in our people and laying out a vision for the next three years. For me, this means being brave enough to stand up and admit when we are off track so we can turn this ship back around.
The right-wing media will do their best to maintain the status quo - because everyone else benefits from it but us. But we have the ability to see past their propaganda and lack of facts - we can do this. We have a momentum going now to get things back on track and we will set things right. We just have to stay focused on our sovereignty, our lands and treaties and our people and we can't go wrong. The choice at this election is not radical versus moderate or male versus female - the choice is status quo or taking a chance on fundamental change. The status quo is killing our people, I don't think we have much to lose by taking a chance on turning things around.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
First Nations Too Generous Funding Canadian State
Unbelievable! I am not sure how I can be both shocked and not, every time I see an irresponsible poll or article like the one below:
http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Government+generous+with+aboriginals+Canadians+tell+pollster/6867983/story.html
I guess maybe some would say I am too hopeful? That despite all the racism, hatred and lack of compassion shown for our people, that this will change. But I am. I am hopeful because our people are strong, proud and have the power to stand up to this bullying. Canadians can follow the lead of First Nations in resisting and defeating this dictatorial bully government.
I KNOW that there are Canadians out there who see what is happening for what it really is: after-the-fact justification for the theft of First Nation lands and resources. Most Canadians know that the right-wing propaganda is just that. What concerns me are all those new Canadians and young Canadians who can and will be influenced by the media's irresponsible hate messaging.
Take this article for example - the statements in the poll would lead respondents into a certain mind frame. The poll options seem to relate to the money spent on First Nation peoples by government. Just think about the messaging. The statements assume that there is money which "belongs" to Canadians that is then "given" to First Nations. Right off the bat, most people who hate paying taxes will latch onto any excuse to justify why they should not pay taxes. If pollsters can find a scapegoat, like First Nations, then they could easily latch onto that as their outlet for tax-frustration with their own government.
More than that, thinking about the theme of the questions puts Canadians into the wrong mindset - it provides them with faulty facts - that Canada uses taxpayers money to fund First Nations. The fact is: First Nation lands and resources fund the Canadian, provincial and municipal governments in this country - NOT the other way around. The reason why Canadians have such a high standard of living compared to the rest of the world is because Canada uses our lands and resources to fund them. Although Canadian governments tax their citizens, these taxes come from land use, businesses and jobs all created off the wealth of this country - which belongs to First Nations.
This kind of corrupted messaging - that we are somehow living off of Canadian taxpayer-funded welfare - has led to the current state of hatred, racism and lack of compassion for our peoples. This government propaganda forces a wedge between First Nations and Canadians and ensures that there is little public support for addressing the current crisis of poverty in many First Nations. This Harper government, together with its ultra-fanatical right-wing supporters portray First Nations as "soviets", "communists", "lazy", "primitives" and describe our communities as "cesspools". This tactic is ancient - it tries to link biology to an imagined concept of race and make us appear less than human.
Why? So that land theft can be justified. So that government has an excuse to not have to spend any of our own money to address the lethal poverty in our communities. If government can convince Canadians that we are poor because we choose to be, or we commit suicide because we can't cope with the "modern world" then this lets people feel off the hook. That is why lack of water, food and housing in other countries is considered a crisis in need of UN intervention and millions in Canadian funds to help, but in Canada it is the fault of First Nations - so no assistance.
I just published an article called "Stretched Beyond Human Limits: Death by Poverty in First Nations" in the Canadian Review of Social Policy. This journal is a special edition focusing on poverty issues, and because First Nation poverty is so acute in Canada, they have agreed to allow free access to my article so as to raise awareness about the causes, the effects and what can be done to address it.
http://pi.library.yorku.ca/ojs/index.php/crsp/article/viewFile/35220/32057
I have been researching the issue of poverty in First Nations for several years now and am part through writing a book on the topic. This article is like a brief overview of the issues that will be covered in this book. The main premise of this article is:
"There is evidence showing that there is a direct link between discriminatory federal laws and policies, and the crisis of poverty and preventable deaths in First Nations. Canada controls tyhe lives of First Nations, provides them with inequitable funding that results in conditions of extreme poverty, which the research has shown leads to their premature deaths."
While past governments have tried to various degrees to address the issue, this Harper government has specifically decided to ignore the problem and have even instituted more funding cuts. Now, the news paper article alleges that billions are given to First Nations with no improvements. What Canadians don't realize is that almost half of that funding goes to support employees of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) many of whom get raises every year, have six figure salaries, paid vacations, trips overseas, go on paid language training for years at a time, get sick days, health coverage and retirement pensions. This giant INAC bureaucracy is well-paid and never has to worry about enough water, food or safe housing.
What if that funding went to First Nations to provide their own programs and services? What if INAC employees had to account to US for whether they are working hard enough for our people? What if no results meant that INACers lost their jobs and funding? I am a strong believer in accountability - but it is INAC that is living high on the hog while our people suffer - not us.
There are good people that work in government, many have chosen to work there to try to make things better. But they are not the decision-makers - the Harper government's dictatorial approach to running this country means that Harper calls all the shots. Therefore we need to stand up and demand better. Irresponsible polls like this one do not help advance the issues - nor does it do anything to help us come up with solutions.
How could anyone responding to this poll be able to make an informed judgement about whether Canada gives First Nations too much money if they don't know how much money we get, how that compares to what provinces and municipalities get, and what the money is used for? I could say the exact same thing about Canada - we keep giving the province of Manitoba millions in tax-payer funds but they still have a growing problem with homelessness. Maybe we should cut off Manitoba's transfer payments? What kind of policy logic is that??
Governments are transferred money from tax revenues to pay for essential social services like health, education and water - this is exactly what happens in First Nations except we are chronically under-funded in comparison. Why are provincial residents entitled to clean water and First Nations are not? We need to start having fact-based discussions around what the issues are and how to address them. Rhetoric and personal opinions do little other than perpetuate misinformation and hatred.
Let's have a real discussion and start treating First Nations like human beings - instead of constantly blaming them for being impacted by federal control. Canada can't have it both ways - they can't control every aspect of our communities, chronically underfund them and then deny responsibility for the extreme poverty and pre-mature deaths that result. It's time for an economic action plan that includes everyone.
http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Government+generous+with+aboriginals+Canadians+tell+pollster/6867983/story.html
I guess maybe some would say I am too hopeful? That despite all the racism, hatred and lack of compassion shown for our people, that this will change. But I am. I am hopeful because our people are strong, proud and have the power to stand up to this bullying. Canadians can follow the lead of First Nations in resisting and defeating this dictatorial bully government.
I KNOW that there are Canadians out there who see what is happening for what it really is: after-the-fact justification for the theft of First Nation lands and resources. Most Canadians know that the right-wing propaganda is just that. What concerns me are all those new Canadians and young Canadians who can and will be influenced by the media's irresponsible hate messaging.
Take this article for example - the statements in the poll would lead respondents into a certain mind frame. The poll options seem to relate to the money spent on First Nation peoples by government. Just think about the messaging. The statements assume that there is money which "belongs" to Canadians that is then "given" to First Nations. Right off the bat, most people who hate paying taxes will latch onto any excuse to justify why they should not pay taxes. If pollsters can find a scapegoat, like First Nations, then they could easily latch onto that as their outlet for tax-frustration with their own government.
More than that, thinking about the theme of the questions puts Canadians into the wrong mindset - it provides them with faulty facts - that Canada uses taxpayers money to fund First Nations. The fact is: First Nation lands and resources fund the Canadian, provincial and municipal governments in this country - NOT the other way around. The reason why Canadians have such a high standard of living compared to the rest of the world is because Canada uses our lands and resources to fund them. Although Canadian governments tax their citizens, these taxes come from land use, businesses and jobs all created off the wealth of this country - which belongs to First Nations.
This kind of corrupted messaging - that we are somehow living off of Canadian taxpayer-funded welfare - has led to the current state of hatred, racism and lack of compassion for our peoples. This government propaganda forces a wedge between First Nations and Canadians and ensures that there is little public support for addressing the current crisis of poverty in many First Nations. This Harper government, together with its ultra-fanatical right-wing supporters portray First Nations as "soviets", "communists", "lazy", "primitives" and describe our communities as "cesspools". This tactic is ancient - it tries to link biology to an imagined concept of race and make us appear less than human.
Why? So that land theft can be justified. So that government has an excuse to not have to spend any of our own money to address the lethal poverty in our communities. If government can convince Canadians that we are poor because we choose to be, or we commit suicide because we can't cope with the "modern world" then this lets people feel off the hook. That is why lack of water, food and housing in other countries is considered a crisis in need of UN intervention and millions in Canadian funds to help, but in Canada it is the fault of First Nations - so no assistance.
I just published an article called "Stretched Beyond Human Limits: Death by Poverty in First Nations" in the Canadian Review of Social Policy. This journal is a special edition focusing on poverty issues, and because First Nation poverty is so acute in Canada, they have agreed to allow free access to my article so as to raise awareness about the causes, the effects and what can be done to address it.
http://pi.library.yorku.ca/ojs/index.php/crsp/article/viewFile/35220/32057
I have been researching the issue of poverty in First Nations for several years now and am part through writing a book on the topic. This article is like a brief overview of the issues that will be covered in this book. The main premise of this article is:
"There is evidence showing that there is a direct link between discriminatory federal laws and policies, and the crisis of poverty and preventable deaths in First Nations. Canada controls tyhe lives of First Nations, provides them with inequitable funding that results in conditions of extreme poverty, which the research has shown leads to their premature deaths."
While past governments have tried to various degrees to address the issue, this Harper government has specifically decided to ignore the problem and have even instituted more funding cuts. Now, the news paper article alleges that billions are given to First Nations with no improvements. What Canadians don't realize is that almost half of that funding goes to support employees of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) many of whom get raises every year, have six figure salaries, paid vacations, trips overseas, go on paid language training for years at a time, get sick days, health coverage and retirement pensions. This giant INAC bureaucracy is well-paid and never has to worry about enough water, food or safe housing.
What if that funding went to First Nations to provide their own programs and services? What if INAC employees had to account to US for whether they are working hard enough for our people? What if no results meant that INACers lost their jobs and funding? I am a strong believer in accountability - but it is INAC that is living high on the hog while our people suffer - not us.
There are good people that work in government, many have chosen to work there to try to make things better. But they are not the decision-makers - the Harper government's dictatorial approach to running this country means that Harper calls all the shots. Therefore we need to stand up and demand better. Irresponsible polls like this one do not help advance the issues - nor does it do anything to help us come up with solutions.
How could anyone responding to this poll be able to make an informed judgement about whether Canada gives First Nations too much money if they don't know how much money we get, how that compares to what provinces and municipalities get, and what the money is used for? I could say the exact same thing about Canada - we keep giving the province of Manitoba millions in tax-payer funds but they still have a growing problem with homelessness. Maybe we should cut off Manitoba's transfer payments? What kind of policy logic is that??
Governments are transferred money from tax revenues to pay for essential social services like health, education and water - this is exactly what happens in First Nations except we are chronically under-funded in comparison. Why are provincial residents entitled to clean water and First Nations are not? We need to start having fact-based discussions around what the issues are and how to address them. Rhetoric and personal opinions do little other than perpetuate misinformation and hatred.
Let's have a real discussion and start treating First Nations like human beings - instead of constantly blaming them for being impacted by federal control. Canada can't have it both ways - they can't control every aspect of our communities, chronically underfund them and then deny responsibility for the extreme poverty and pre-mature deaths that result. It's time for an economic action plan that includes everyone.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Sun Media or Hate Media - Racism for Sale
I am caught right now between heeding or ignoring the usual advice about fanatics and their rantings. Most people figure it is better to ignore the hateful, ignorant ravings of people who spread nasty hate messages against other groups of people like Indigenous peoples or people from other cultures. I used to think that was good advice, because who wants to give those unstable few a bigger platform for their disturbed ideas.
But then it hit me that this advice usually comes from the majority population, who, for the most part, are not the ones directly impacted by the end result of hate propaganda. It also hit me that in this age of social media and kids using the internet at younger and younger ages, that these very public media outlets have the ability to influence and brainwash our youth. Thus, even though there are far too many fanatical groups, commentators and media outlets to monitor (nor would I want to), there are some articles that require a response.
Sun Media, which should rename itself Hate Media recently published a racist article related to the upcoming Assembly of First Nations election. While the Toronto Sun may or may not have written the article itself, it made the decision to publish it. Hate crimes are punishable in Canada - but at the very least they should not be able to profit from their hatred.
http://www.torontosun.com/2012/06/25/compromise-is-chief-priority
"Compromise... is the route Shawn Atleo has been following"
The article appears to support Shawn Atleo as the "compromising" candidate and thus the one who should be elected. This group is supported by Senator Patrick Brazeau who openly endorsed Shawn Atleo as the only candidate that the Harper Conservatives could work with. My issue is not whether or not the right wing contingency in Canada supports Shawn Atleo, my issue is with how they talk about our people and the hatred they invite into our communities by virtue of their propaganda, racism and misinformation.
"Despite billions in taxpayer welfare..."
Every aspect of the way this article is written is meant to promote hatred against First Nations people. It is the tone, the implication, the words and even the facts that are left out that can influence and encourage non-First Nation people to see us in a stereotypical light and treat us with both disdain and lack of compassion. How does this happen? Since contact, the colonizing governments have tried to portray us as less than human. This allowed them to justify in law both the theft of our lands and the control of our people - as if we were incapable of managing our own affairs.
This could not be farther from the truth of course, as we have literally tens of thousands of years of having lived quite well with our own complex governments, laws and justice systems. We also had extensive and profitable trade networks, strong militaries and political skills in alliances and treaty making. We had our own cultures, traditions, languages, practices and beliefs to fill our spirits, teach us how to live up to our responsibilities and to keep us connected to the land, sky, water, people and animals. The ways of our diverse peoples were and are beautiful.
Our ways and our peoples were attacked by those colonizing governments in very direct violent ways (scalping laws, forced sterilizations, military assaults, abuse and murder of our children in residential schools) and we were attacked in less direct but harmful ways (Indian Act, Indian agents, federal and provincial laws outlawing our subsistence activities, ignoring treaties etc). Many people are of the understanding that all of this is history - but the ongoing colonization of our people continues - they just use different names for it.
Today we have theft of children by provincial agencies, the over-representation of our people in jails, murdered and missing First Nation women, and the pre-mature deaths of our people through chronic and severe under-funding of essential programs and services.
http://pi.library.yorku.ca/ojs/index.php/crsp/article/view/35220
"It [Harper] makes a historic apology... and can't win for losing"
Take for example, the Toronto Sun article claims the apology was historic. Yet, the Prime Minister forgot the other half of the apology. Every child knows that you can't apologize without also making amends for your offense. The Prime Minister apologized for the assimilatory foundations upon which residential schools policies were based yet, promptly after the apology funding was cut for Indigenous languages. Our children are still stolen by from our communities by child welfare agencies at rates HIGHER than during the residential school era. What has changed in terms of what the majority of our children learn in provincial schools? Harper hasn`t lost anything - but we have.
"It fronts a reconcilation commission"
Even the words used to describe the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) make suttle negative associations. The Toronto Sun seems to imply that out of the goodness of the Prime Minister's heart, a Truth and Reconciliation was funded. I think the author is forgetting that all of this came about because of the litigation against Canada. These are the facts that ought to be on the table if we are to have a responsible discussion about any of these issues.
Since it is unlikely that these people will stop their campaign to turn public opinion and policy makers against us, we need to occupy the space of educator. The Assembly of First Nations needs to take a stronger public education role in making sure the facts are accessible and that forums are created for informed and fact-based discussions versus allowing the old uneducated right-wing hate debate to dominate.
"Unreasonable demands from aboriginal 'leadership' in cesspool reserves"
It is one thing for us to all have different perspectives, beliefs and interpretations of what we see, hear and experience, but it is quite another to promote blatantly racist and uninformed statements about us. Our youth need to know that the very foundation of race as a biological determinant of personality, intelligence or capacity was discounted both in science and fact decades ago. It is impossible to look at the end result of devastating and often lethal colonial policies forced on our people and imply that we want any of this or that our choices put us where we are today.
How dare they call Attawapiskat a "cesspool" reserve when they know the facts - that many of those residents live in poverty not because they want or choose to, but because of the chronic underfunding of our communities and the government's refusal to share what is ours - the land and resources. Yet, there is no mention of the mining company which overloaded the reserve's underfunded infrastructure and flooded their sewage station and caused back-ups in some of their houses. Where was the amends for that?
"An idiot... and fool"
I don't care who you are, what your background is or what your political stripes are - no one gets to talk about our people this way. We have our strengths and weaknesses like any other collective in the world, but we did not ask for any of this. We are tasked with managing the dysfunction that Canada created and fights hard to maintain today. Our people have tried against all odds to work with Canada. We have survived everything that has been thrown at us - from scalpings to sterilizations to complete control and impoverishment.
And we still sing, we still dance, and we still celebrate who we are as the FIRST PEOPLES of this land - like the Mi'kmaq, Cree, Mohawk, and Maliseet. Despite generations of brainwashing we still fight to protect our ways and our people. None of us are disposable. We are all human beings and if Canada is embarassed by our living conditions they need to do something about it. If they are not, then they need to step aside and let a legitimate government take charge - one that puts the well-being of the people first. Name-calling by Conservative Ministers, Senators or their right-wing media outlets will never cover up their culpability.
"Compromise is chief priority"
We made our compromises when we signed treaties. Those deals are now internationally and constitutionally protected. Those treaties need to be recognized and implemented. Some right-wingers say that treaty implementation is an old argument and that I should give it up. Senator Brazeau said that his government would `never`recognize treaties - important insight on the kind of government we are dealing with and the positions we need to take.
Even those non-treaty Nations made their compromises years ago when they agreed to share, not give up their lands and resources. To ask us to compromise again is to ask us to give up what little we have left. We stand on the strength of our original and prior sovereignty - we need to assert it, live it and protect it. There is no compromise to be had on our sovereignty.
``bangs war drums and blows smoke``
I hope for the sake of our children and their children and their children forever, that we always hear the beat of the drum and honour the pipe ceremonies. Our ways connect us to our ancestors - many of whom gave up their lives to protect our lands. I am proud to be part of those traditions and hope we never compromise on our sovereignty,our treaties, our traditions or the well-being of our people.
But then it hit me that this advice usually comes from the majority population, who, for the most part, are not the ones directly impacted by the end result of hate propaganda. It also hit me that in this age of social media and kids using the internet at younger and younger ages, that these very public media outlets have the ability to influence and brainwash our youth. Thus, even though there are far too many fanatical groups, commentators and media outlets to monitor (nor would I want to), there are some articles that require a response.
Sun Media, which should rename itself Hate Media recently published a racist article related to the upcoming Assembly of First Nations election. While the Toronto Sun may or may not have written the article itself, it made the decision to publish it. Hate crimes are punishable in Canada - but at the very least they should not be able to profit from their hatred.
http://www.torontosun.com/2012/06/25/compromise-is-chief-priority
"Compromise... is the route Shawn Atleo has been following"
The article appears to support Shawn Atleo as the "compromising" candidate and thus the one who should be elected. This group is supported by Senator Patrick Brazeau who openly endorsed Shawn Atleo as the only candidate that the Harper Conservatives could work with. My issue is not whether or not the right wing contingency in Canada supports Shawn Atleo, my issue is with how they talk about our people and the hatred they invite into our communities by virtue of their propaganda, racism and misinformation.
"Despite billions in taxpayer welfare..."
Every aspect of the way this article is written is meant to promote hatred against First Nations people. It is the tone, the implication, the words and even the facts that are left out that can influence and encourage non-First Nation people to see us in a stereotypical light and treat us with both disdain and lack of compassion. How does this happen? Since contact, the colonizing governments have tried to portray us as less than human. This allowed them to justify in law both the theft of our lands and the control of our people - as if we were incapable of managing our own affairs.
This could not be farther from the truth of course, as we have literally tens of thousands of years of having lived quite well with our own complex governments, laws and justice systems. We also had extensive and profitable trade networks, strong militaries and political skills in alliances and treaty making. We had our own cultures, traditions, languages, practices and beliefs to fill our spirits, teach us how to live up to our responsibilities and to keep us connected to the land, sky, water, people and animals. The ways of our diverse peoples were and are beautiful.
Our ways and our peoples were attacked by those colonizing governments in very direct violent ways (scalping laws, forced sterilizations, military assaults, abuse and murder of our children in residential schools) and we were attacked in less direct but harmful ways (Indian Act, Indian agents, federal and provincial laws outlawing our subsistence activities, ignoring treaties etc). Many people are of the understanding that all of this is history - but the ongoing colonization of our people continues - they just use different names for it.
Today we have theft of children by provincial agencies, the over-representation of our people in jails, murdered and missing First Nation women, and the pre-mature deaths of our people through chronic and severe under-funding of essential programs and services.
http://pi.library.yorku.ca/ojs/index.php/crsp/article/view/35220
"It [Harper] makes a historic apology... and can't win for losing"
Take for example, the Toronto Sun article claims the apology was historic. Yet, the Prime Minister forgot the other half of the apology. Every child knows that you can't apologize without also making amends for your offense. The Prime Minister apologized for the assimilatory foundations upon which residential schools policies were based yet, promptly after the apology funding was cut for Indigenous languages. Our children are still stolen by from our communities by child welfare agencies at rates HIGHER than during the residential school era. What has changed in terms of what the majority of our children learn in provincial schools? Harper hasn`t lost anything - but we have.
"It fronts a reconcilation commission"
Even the words used to describe the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) make suttle negative associations. The Toronto Sun seems to imply that out of the goodness of the Prime Minister's heart, a Truth and Reconciliation was funded. I think the author is forgetting that all of this came about because of the litigation against Canada. These are the facts that ought to be on the table if we are to have a responsible discussion about any of these issues.
Since it is unlikely that these people will stop their campaign to turn public opinion and policy makers against us, we need to occupy the space of educator. The Assembly of First Nations needs to take a stronger public education role in making sure the facts are accessible and that forums are created for informed and fact-based discussions versus allowing the old uneducated right-wing hate debate to dominate.
"Unreasonable demands from aboriginal 'leadership' in cesspool reserves"
It is one thing for us to all have different perspectives, beliefs and interpretations of what we see, hear and experience, but it is quite another to promote blatantly racist and uninformed statements about us. Our youth need to know that the very foundation of race as a biological determinant of personality, intelligence or capacity was discounted both in science and fact decades ago. It is impossible to look at the end result of devastating and often lethal colonial policies forced on our people and imply that we want any of this or that our choices put us where we are today.
How dare they call Attawapiskat a "cesspool" reserve when they know the facts - that many of those residents live in poverty not because they want or choose to, but because of the chronic underfunding of our communities and the government's refusal to share what is ours - the land and resources. Yet, there is no mention of the mining company which overloaded the reserve's underfunded infrastructure and flooded their sewage station and caused back-ups in some of their houses. Where was the amends for that?
"An idiot... and fool"
I don't care who you are, what your background is or what your political stripes are - no one gets to talk about our people this way. We have our strengths and weaknesses like any other collective in the world, but we did not ask for any of this. We are tasked with managing the dysfunction that Canada created and fights hard to maintain today. Our people have tried against all odds to work with Canada. We have survived everything that has been thrown at us - from scalpings to sterilizations to complete control and impoverishment.
And we still sing, we still dance, and we still celebrate who we are as the FIRST PEOPLES of this land - like the Mi'kmaq, Cree, Mohawk, and Maliseet. Despite generations of brainwashing we still fight to protect our ways and our people. None of us are disposable. We are all human beings and if Canada is embarassed by our living conditions they need to do something about it. If they are not, then they need to step aside and let a legitimate government take charge - one that puts the well-being of the people first. Name-calling by Conservative Ministers, Senators or their right-wing media outlets will never cover up their culpability.
"Compromise is chief priority"
We made our compromises when we signed treaties. Those deals are now internationally and constitutionally protected. Those treaties need to be recognized and implemented. Some right-wingers say that treaty implementation is an old argument and that I should give it up. Senator Brazeau said that his government would `never`recognize treaties - important insight on the kind of government we are dealing with and the positions we need to take.
Even those non-treaty Nations made their compromises years ago when they agreed to share, not give up their lands and resources. To ask us to compromise again is to ask us to give up what little we have left. We stand on the strength of our original and prior sovereignty - we need to assert it, live it and protect it. There is no compromise to be had on our sovereignty.
``bangs war drums and blows smoke``
I hope for the sake of our children and their children and their children forever, that we always hear the beat of the drum and honour the pipe ceremonies. Our ways connect us to our ancestors - many of whom gave up their lives to protect our lands. I am proud to be part of those traditions and hope we never compromise on our sovereignty,our treaties, our traditions or the well-being of our people.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
It's Time to Stand Up and Defend our People
It used to be that in the old days, it was only really disturbed or ultra fanatical people that would say overtly crazy, racist things in public. Today, if you read any of the online comments after news articles related to First Nations people, you will see a segment of Canadian society filled with anger, hatred and racism who lack any actual knowledge, context, history or factual basis for their opinions about our issues. That is to be expected given the lack of education in public schools, work places or society in general about who we are as Indigenous peoples.
However, when it comes to educated and experienced Canadian Ministers and politicians - there are no excuses. In fact, each Minister has an army of policy advisors, lawyers, assistants, communications specialists and advisors that fully brief him or her about all the facts, history and context. They don't even have to think for themselves as they have issue binders, speaking notes and press releases written for them. Once in a while though, a Minister gets caught off guard by a reporter and has to speak for him/herself and then their REAL views come out.
I am writing this blog today because the ignorant, racist comments against Indigenous peoples in Canada seem to be increasing by Harper's Conservative Cabinet Ministers. Since they are so well informed about our issues, we cannot excuse them based on ignorance - their words reflect not only their lack of empathy for our peoples, but also their outright disdain for us. I hardly know where to start with this one, but here goes...
Minister Duncan has said a great deal of really dumb things in his tenure as Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) which is likely one of the reasons he is "handled" so obviously by his staff. One of the worst things he has ever said was that he did not consider the devastating loss of language and culture caused by the residential school system to be "cultural genocide".
http://aptn.ca/pages/news/2012/01/13/federal-official-wanted-emails-deleted-outlining-plan-to-stonewall-on-residential-school-genocide-questions/
Of course this ignores the actual realities of residential schools, and of all the people who should know better, it should be the Minister of Indian Affairs.
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/pamela-palmater/2011/11/unbelievable-undeniable-genocide-canada
Then there is his most recent comments about our sovereignty and law-making powers. When asked about over sovereignty, Minister Duncan laughed and said "well, that doesn't really work does it". He went on to say that "we are a federal government" and "that's the way it has to be". This was in response to several First Nations in this country exercising their right to trade tobacco between First Nations.
http://aptn.ca/pages/news/2012/06/01/minister-duncan-dismisses-dakota-claim-theyre-governed-by-law-of-the-land/
It seems to me that First Nations can't ever win in this battle - if we are impoverished our communities are referred to as "human cesspools"...
http://m.torontosun.com/2012/05/18/un-envoy-offers-no-food-for-thought?noimage=true
If we try to hunt and fish to provide for our families, we are stopped by brute force:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsvG4KpFHOA
If we try to engage in inter-First Nation trade of traditional products like tobacco - our right to our livelihood is criminalized:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2012/03/06/mb-dakota-chundee-smokes-raid.html
Canada can't have it both ways. Government can't create laws and policies to keep us in poverty and then complain about the cost of poverty. Similarly, government can't tell us to "pick up our socks" and then arrest us when we find ways to provide for our communities. But, if we think this is bad, it is only going to get worse as governments race to extract as much oil, minerals and riches from our traditional territories as possible with little or no input from us.
Yet, Canada's well-informed Ministers continue to make statements based not on fact, but on their own self-interest or racist views about Indigenous peoples. Look at Minister Aglukkaq's denial of food insecurity in Canada. This Minister comes from the very region which suffers the highest food insecurity in all of Canada and she denied that there was even a problem - alleging that everyone just hunts and fishes for a living.
http://aptn.ca/pages/news/2012/05/16/food-security-not-an-issue-for-aboriginal-people-because-they-hunt-every-day-says-aglukkaq/
But this is just the tip of the iceberg, many other Conservative Ministers have made racist or derogatory comments against our people. Think of Prime Minister Harper's denial of colonialism in Canada, Minister Oliver's description of First Nations people as "dysfunctional" or the very telling Canada-AFN Summit held in January where everyone smiled and shook hands, while Harper outlined his assimilation plan.
Time and again the Harper Conservative government denies Canada's role in our poverty, they try to sugarcoat the past and have put their assimilatory agenda on fast forward. Where is the Assembly of First Nations in all of this? They should be standing up for our people! They should be educating Canadians about the facts and most of all they should do what they were mandated to do: advocate for better conditions in our First Nations and "to protect our succeeding generations from colonialism". It's time the AFN joined all the Chiefs, First Nation organizations and grassroots people in standing up and defending the very strength of our Nations - our sovereignty, land and people.
However, when it comes to educated and experienced Canadian Ministers and politicians - there are no excuses. In fact, each Minister has an army of policy advisors, lawyers, assistants, communications specialists and advisors that fully brief him or her about all the facts, history and context. They don't even have to think for themselves as they have issue binders, speaking notes and press releases written for them. Once in a while though, a Minister gets caught off guard by a reporter and has to speak for him/herself and then their REAL views come out.
I am writing this blog today because the ignorant, racist comments against Indigenous peoples in Canada seem to be increasing by Harper's Conservative Cabinet Ministers. Since they are so well informed about our issues, we cannot excuse them based on ignorance - their words reflect not only their lack of empathy for our peoples, but also their outright disdain for us. I hardly know where to start with this one, but here goes...
Minister Duncan has said a great deal of really dumb things in his tenure as Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) which is likely one of the reasons he is "handled" so obviously by his staff. One of the worst things he has ever said was that he did not consider the devastating loss of language and culture caused by the residential school system to be "cultural genocide".
http://aptn.ca/pages/news/2012/01/13/federal-official-wanted-emails-deleted-outlining-plan-to-stonewall-on-residential-school-genocide-questions/
Of course this ignores the actual realities of residential schools, and of all the people who should know better, it should be the Minister of Indian Affairs.
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/pamela-palmater/2011/11/unbelievable-undeniable-genocide-canada
Then there is his most recent comments about our sovereignty and law-making powers. When asked about over sovereignty, Minister Duncan laughed and said "well, that doesn't really work does it". He went on to say that "we are a federal government" and "that's the way it has to be". This was in response to several First Nations in this country exercising their right to trade tobacco between First Nations.
http://aptn.ca/pages/news/2012/06/01/minister-duncan-dismisses-dakota-claim-theyre-governed-by-law-of-the-land/
It seems to me that First Nations can't ever win in this battle - if we are impoverished our communities are referred to as "human cesspools"...
http://m.torontosun.com/2012/05/18/un-envoy-offers-no-food-for-thought?noimage=true
If we try to hunt and fish to provide for our families, we are stopped by brute force:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsvG4KpFHOA
If we try to engage in inter-First Nation trade of traditional products like tobacco - our right to our livelihood is criminalized:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2012/03/06/mb-dakota-chundee-smokes-raid.html
Canada can't have it both ways. Government can't create laws and policies to keep us in poverty and then complain about the cost of poverty. Similarly, government can't tell us to "pick up our socks" and then arrest us when we find ways to provide for our communities. But, if we think this is bad, it is only going to get worse as governments race to extract as much oil, minerals and riches from our traditional territories as possible with little or no input from us.
Yet, Canada's well-informed Ministers continue to make statements based not on fact, but on their own self-interest or racist views about Indigenous peoples. Look at Minister Aglukkaq's denial of food insecurity in Canada. This Minister comes from the very region which suffers the highest food insecurity in all of Canada and she denied that there was even a problem - alleging that everyone just hunts and fishes for a living.
http://aptn.ca/pages/news/2012/05/16/food-security-not-an-issue-for-aboriginal-people-because-they-hunt-every-day-says-aglukkaq/
But this is just the tip of the iceberg, many other Conservative Ministers have made racist or derogatory comments against our people. Think of Prime Minister Harper's denial of colonialism in Canada, Minister Oliver's description of First Nations people as "dysfunctional" or the very telling Canada-AFN Summit held in January where everyone smiled and shook hands, while Harper outlined his assimilation plan.
Time and again the Harper Conservative government denies Canada's role in our poverty, they try to sugarcoat the past and have put their assimilatory agenda on fast forward. Where is the Assembly of First Nations in all of this? They should be standing up for our people! They should be educating Canadians about the facts and most of all they should do what they were mandated to do: advocate for better conditions in our First Nations and "to protect our succeeding generations from colonialism". It's time the AFN joined all the Chiefs, First Nation organizations and grassroots people in standing up and defending the very strength of our Nations - our sovereignty, land and people.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Assembly of First Nations Election 2012 - What Happens Next?
AFN ELECTION 2012
As I stated in my previous blog, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is having their annual general meeting this July 17-19 in Toronto. This year's assembly is particularly important because Shawn Atleo's term as National Chief is up for election. Usually by this time of year, people are talking about the candidates and whose platform may win the day. However, this year candidates appear to be few and far between. Perhaps it is a little too early to tell, since technically the electoral officer - Loretta Pete Lambert - was only just appointed and nominations only open May 23rd and they officially close June 12.
Contrary to popular belief, one need not be a chief to run for the position of National Chief. The criteria for eligibility is found in the AFN Charter in "Appendix A":
http://www.afn.ca/index.php/en/about-afn/charter-of-the-assembly-of-first-nations
In order to be eligible to run for National Chief, the candidate must meet the following:
(1) be at least 18 years old;
(2) be of First Nations ancestry;
(3) belongs to a specified First Nation community that is in good standing as a member of the AFN.
The nomination form for the candidate must include the signatures of 15 Chiefs of First Nations, but at least 8 of those Chiefs must be from a province or territory other than that from which the candidate comes.
So take me for example and pretend I wanted to run for National Chief. I am above 18 (just barely), I am Mi'kmaw, and I am a member of Eel River Bar First Nation in New Brunswick. So, although I am not currently a Chief, I would technically be eligible to be nominated for National Chief.
The next issue would be one of nominations. Although I now live and work in Ontario, the Charter speaks to the province from which I originate - i.e., New Brunswick. Thus, at least 8 of the 15 Chiefs who would support my nomination would have to be from outside of New Brunswick.
REALITIES OF RUNNING
While these are the technical issues, there are other issues which must be considered - like the funding needed to travel the country to campaign. I have heard from those involved in previous elections that the costs for travel can range anywhere from $75,000 to $200,000 depending on when you start campaigning, how many trips you make and where your regional focus lies. This is a critical issue for anyone but the current incumbent (person who holds the position).
The current National Chief can, as he travels the country for "work", also campaign. His travel is funded by the AFN already, whereas those running against him must adhere to the campaign expense limit of $35,000.00 contained in the AFN Charter. Each candidate must submit a list of expenditures and could be disqualified from running if they fail to do so. If the actual costs are $75,000 and the campaign spending limit is $35,000 this leaves the candidates in a tough financial position. Poor candidates need not apply, unless they have financial backing from others and even then their campaigning is limited.
A candidate could also be disqualified from running is if she or he does not participate in the All-Candidates Open Forum the night before the election. After that, the assembly must keep voting until one candidate reaches the 60% voter support threshold. Usually the candidate with the lowest vote count is dropped from the ballot and the vote is taken again. As a result, this may require multiple ballots until the threshold is made.
The other reality of running in an AFN election is the dirty politics played by the federal government behind the scenes. Individual First Nation communities know all too well how Indian Affairs (INAC) gets involved in elections, favours candidates and tries to influence outcomes. Those candidates that play ball, get rewarded - those that don't sometimes find themselves out before the election is even over. By all accounts, the same can be said of AFN elections.
PLATFORMS
The most important part of the process however is the actual platform upon which each candidate runs. This platform, while general in nature, should be detailed enough to communicate the specific vision or goal of the candidate and how she or he plans to realize that goal or vision. This way, the electors - i.e., the chiefs, can decide (in consultation with their citizens) which plan best suits their communities and Nations.
In my previous blog, I provided my thoughts on Atleo's tenure as national chief and his ideas about where we should be headed.
http://indigenousnationhood.blogspot.ca/2012/03/afn-election-2012-stopping-assimilation.html
It is no secret that I think Atleo's path is by far one of most dangerous one ever proposed by a national chief. The fact that it is endorsed by the most right-wing government in recent years is also cause for concern. I honestly believe that the current "Joint Action Plan" between Canada and Atleo-led AFN appears is a formula for assimilation.
I realize that Atleo came in as NC at one of the worst times politically, and that the job itself is beyond difficult. I also know that there are funding pressures and that resistance to the federal agenda can and does result in funding cuts. I also know that working together in partnership is in keeping with the spirit of the treaties. That being said, simply giving in to Harper's Conservatives will not make any gains for us - politically, legally or otherwise. Rolling over while they impose legislation on us against our will is not the relationship envisioned by the treaties. Ignoring our treaty right to education which was negotiated to ensure our prosperity is a gross violation of even Canada's laws.
We need a change. But the change we need is drastic, it's hard, it will require significant sustained effort and will not produce flashy results. Saving our Indigenous languages for example, takes time, effort and commitment - but within those languages are our entire education systems, governance systems and laws. It is critical to our identities, cultures and spirituality - yet many only give lip service to it.
Making a commitment to protecting our lands means not always buying into the mantra that the only "good" lands are "developed" lands - like those lands that are dead or dying from irreversible damage. Sometimes the temporary jobs and short-term funds are not worth the long-term damage.
Protecting our people means we care enough to bring out our warriors to stop violence against our murdered and missing women and to stop the theft of our children by provincial agencies. We have to find a way to forgive ourselves for the effects of colonization and protect those Indigenous women and children who were excluded from their communities because of federal laws and policies. If we cannot be the soft place to fall for our people, no one will be.
The only platform that should count is the one that reflects the voices of the people, the one that lives up to the sacrifices of our ancestors and the one that lives up to our responsibilities to our future generations. Any platform drafted to "appeal" to governments, "attract" corporations, to "speak" to other politicians, or ensure a political "win" will never be what is in the best interests of our people.
We need to take a stand against genocide and assimilation against our peoples and empower our grassroots people again. Our issues need to be front and centre. We need to bring attention to the crisis in many of our Nations. It's time to push back hard.
The current situation of a potentially unchallenged AFN election is enough to make me want to run for National Chief - not for the "position", but for the people.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/john-ibbitson/shawn-atleo-appears-unchallenged-in-push-for-native-education-reform/article2435466/
The hearts of our women are not on the ground yet - we have the power to help bring back balance to our Nations. We can do anything and change anything we want to - regardless of the size or power of those who wish to eliminate us. Our children need to be reminded that we are a strong, resilient people and we can do this. We just have to be willing to risk losing what Canada holds over us in order to protect what is really important - which is not an office in Ottawa, its our land, people and culture.
As I stated in my previous blog, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is having their annual general meeting this July 17-19 in Toronto. This year's assembly is particularly important because Shawn Atleo's term as National Chief is up for election. Usually by this time of year, people are talking about the candidates and whose platform may win the day. However, this year candidates appear to be few and far between. Perhaps it is a little too early to tell, since technically the electoral officer - Loretta Pete Lambert - was only just appointed and nominations only open May 23rd and they officially close June 12.
Contrary to popular belief, one need not be a chief to run for the position of National Chief. The criteria for eligibility is found in the AFN Charter in "Appendix A":
http://www.afn.ca/index.php/en/about-afn/charter-of-the-assembly-of-first-nations
In order to be eligible to run for National Chief, the candidate must meet the following:
(1) be at least 18 years old;
(2) be of First Nations ancestry;
(3) belongs to a specified First Nation community that is in good standing as a member of the AFN.
The nomination form for the candidate must include the signatures of 15 Chiefs of First Nations, but at least 8 of those Chiefs must be from a province or territory other than that from which the candidate comes.
So take me for example and pretend I wanted to run for National Chief. I am above 18 (just barely), I am Mi'kmaw, and I am a member of Eel River Bar First Nation in New Brunswick. So, although I am not currently a Chief, I would technically be eligible to be nominated for National Chief.
The next issue would be one of nominations. Although I now live and work in Ontario, the Charter speaks to the province from which I originate - i.e., New Brunswick. Thus, at least 8 of the 15 Chiefs who would support my nomination would have to be from outside of New Brunswick.
REALITIES OF RUNNING
While these are the technical issues, there are other issues which must be considered - like the funding needed to travel the country to campaign. I have heard from those involved in previous elections that the costs for travel can range anywhere from $75,000 to $200,000 depending on when you start campaigning, how many trips you make and where your regional focus lies. This is a critical issue for anyone but the current incumbent (person who holds the position).
The current National Chief can, as he travels the country for "work", also campaign. His travel is funded by the AFN already, whereas those running against him must adhere to the campaign expense limit of $35,000.00 contained in the AFN Charter. Each candidate must submit a list of expenditures and could be disqualified from running if they fail to do so. If the actual costs are $75,000 and the campaign spending limit is $35,000 this leaves the candidates in a tough financial position. Poor candidates need not apply, unless they have financial backing from others and even then their campaigning is limited.
A candidate could also be disqualified from running is if she or he does not participate in the All-Candidates Open Forum the night before the election. After that, the assembly must keep voting until one candidate reaches the 60% voter support threshold. Usually the candidate with the lowest vote count is dropped from the ballot and the vote is taken again. As a result, this may require multiple ballots until the threshold is made.
The other reality of running in an AFN election is the dirty politics played by the federal government behind the scenes. Individual First Nation communities know all too well how Indian Affairs (INAC) gets involved in elections, favours candidates and tries to influence outcomes. Those candidates that play ball, get rewarded - those that don't sometimes find themselves out before the election is even over. By all accounts, the same can be said of AFN elections.
PLATFORMS
The most important part of the process however is the actual platform upon which each candidate runs. This platform, while general in nature, should be detailed enough to communicate the specific vision or goal of the candidate and how she or he plans to realize that goal or vision. This way, the electors - i.e., the chiefs, can decide (in consultation with their citizens) which plan best suits their communities and Nations.
In my previous blog, I provided my thoughts on Atleo's tenure as national chief and his ideas about where we should be headed.
http://indigenousnationhood.blogspot.ca/2012/03/afn-election-2012-stopping-assimilation.html
It is no secret that I think Atleo's path is by far one of most dangerous one ever proposed by a national chief. The fact that it is endorsed by the most right-wing government in recent years is also cause for concern. I honestly believe that the current "Joint Action Plan" between Canada and Atleo-led AFN appears is a formula for assimilation.
I realize that Atleo came in as NC at one of the worst times politically, and that the job itself is beyond difficult. I also know that there are funding pressures and that resistance to the federal agenda can and does result in funding cuts. I also know that working together in partnership is in keeping with the spirit of the treaties. That being said, simply giving in to Harper's Conservatives will not make any gains for us - politically, legally or otherwise. Rolling over while they impose legislation on us against our will is not the relationship envisioned by the treaties. Ignoring our treaty right to education which was negotiated to ensure our prosperity is a gross violation of even Canada's laws.
We need a change. But the change we need is drastic, it's hard, it will require significant sustained effort and will not produce flashy results. Saving our Indigenous languages for example, takes time, effort and commitment - but within those languages are our entire education systems, governance systems and laws. It is critical to our identities, cultures and spirituality - yet many only give lip service to it.
Making a commitment to protecting our lands means not always buying into the mantra that the only "good" lands are "developed" lands - like those lands that are dead or dying from irreversible damage. Sometimes the temporary jobs and short-term funds are not worth the long-term damage.
Protecting our people means we care enough to bring out our warriors to stop violence against our murdered and missing women and to stop the theft of our children by provincial agencies. We have to find a way to forgive ourselves for the effects of colonization and protect those Indigenous women and children who were excluded from their communities because of federal laws and policies. If we cannot be the soft place to fall for our people, no one will be.
The only platform that should count is the one that reflects the voices of the people, the one that lives up to the sacrifices of our ancestors and the one that lives up to our responsibilities to our future generations. Any platform drafted to "appeal" to governments, "attract" corporations, to "speak" to other politicians, or ensure a political "win" will never be what is in the best interests of our people.
We need to take a stand against genocide and assimilation against our peoples and empower our grassroots people again. Our issues need to be front and centre. We need to bring attention to the crisis in many of our Nations. It's time to push back hard.
The current situation of a potentially unchallenged AFN election is enough to make me want to run for National Chief - not for the "position", but for the people.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/john-ibbitson/shawn-atleo-appears-unchallenged-in-push-for-native-education-reform/article2435466/
The hearts of our women are not on the ground yet - we have the power to help bring back balance to our Nations. We can do anything and change anything we want to - regardless of the size or power of those who wish to eliminate us. Our children need to be reminded that we are a strong, resilient people and we can do this. We just have to be willing to risk losing what Canada holds over us in order to protect what is really important - which is not an office in Ottawa, its our land, people and culture.
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