It was historic in and of itself to see the government cave to the demands of a disgraced aboriginal Chief on a diet along with the demands of unrepresentative, unelected, violent, criminal protesters. But nevertheless, the meeting, which was attended by high-ranking government officials from the Privy Council, Treasury Board, Aboriginal Affairs as well as aboriginal officials including Shawn Atleo and several Regional and Grand Chiefs, did accomplish something.
Just a few of the accomplishments:
- An agreement to "revisit" treaties
- An agreement to speed up land claims
- A special briefing with the cabinet on aboriginal affairs and issues
- A commitment to use the Prime Minister's Office and the Privy Council Office to directly oversee treaty implementation and comprehensive land claims
Idle No More/Theresa Spence's demands
- We demand a meeting with the Prime Minister. The government agreed.
- We demand a meting with the Queen. The government offered the Governor General.
- We demand a meeting with the Prime Minister and Governor General in the same room.
- We demand you repeal the 2012 Budget (C-45).
- We demand more money to solve the "under-funding" crisis on reserves.
- We demand a larger percentage of government money from resource development.
- We demand a larger role in deciding whether resource development can take place.
The National Assembly of First Nations, however, has released their own official list of demands on what they want, including:
- Enforcement of treaties on a nation-to-nation basis.
- Resolution of land claims
- Repealing items pertaining to aboriginal affairs in C-38 and C-45 (the 2012-2013 Budget Bills)
- Resource development equity and revenue sharing
- Removal of all caps on First Nation programs and services
- National public inquiry on missing and murdered aboriginal women
- A First Nations school on every reserve
- "Direct political oversight" in the implementation of these goals, including a dedicated cabinet committee under the Privy Council Office with the specific responsibility to implement measures between First Nations and the Canadian government.
It's no wonder, then, that even many aboriginals are becoming frustrated with their fragmented and shifting demands. Idle No More has no place at the table with the Prime Minister, and their defacto leader, Theresa Spence, has ridiculously vowed to continue her diet, even after she had the opportunity to meet with the Prime Minister. The official groups are not accomplishing what the unrepresentative radicals want, so what is the immediate response from aboriginals?
- Blocking of major roads, highways, and railways
- "Shutting down" the economy - "bringing it to its knees" if necessary
- A vote of non-confidence against National Chief Shawn Atleo
- Tell international investors their investments in resource development are not safe
It's no small feat to have the PMO and PCO agree to directly oversee your cause, especially when, you know, an entire government department already exists to handle that cause. Yet, that doesn't seem to be enough for many people.
What is the way forward to quell the criminal activity while also properly resolving any issues?
What does "revisit" the Treaties mean? In the case of the Indian politicians,it undoubtedly means they should be reinterpreted to the Indian's favor.
ReplyDelete#4: this is probably the most important to the Indian Chiefs, MORE money.
#7: FN school on every Reserve: there are already schools on many Reserves,and on some of the Reserves the teachers have been so intimidated by the aggressively racist Band members,they are all but useless.
DIAND had schools on many Reserves,but they were ended at the demand of the Indians back in the 1980's,and the teachers were replaced with Indians. The main subject became "hate the white man", not much use outside the Indian Grievance Industry.
#6: what use is this but to make more cries pf "white oppression" and "racism". The question has to be asked; if the Indian politicians are SO concerned with their women being murdered,usually in the slums of the cities where they often work as hookers,why in hell haven't the Chiefs worked out a program to rescue these women and bring them back to live in the bosom of their loving family on the Reserve?
In one case,a Fraser Valley Chief's sister worked in Vancouver's Downtown East Side,a drug addicted hooker. She was murdered by Robert Picton.
BUT,in all the years she was down in that hell hole,why didn't the Chief have her forcibly picked up and brought back to the Reserve? No one would have objected.
The government can only make tiny steps with the Indians, due mainly to resistance from Indian politicians who are at risk of losing their power, their authority over every aspect of Reserve life.
Bill C-45 is a small step in the right direction, and look at the reaction of the Chiefs!
Now,tell me they have "the best interests of their people" at heart! Not bloody likely.
Well good it’s about time! I think that Canada should make every effort to appease the First nation’s people and give them what they want. Why you ask? Simple. Canada is a liberal nation that lacks the fortitude to stand up to any vocal minority be it religious, immigrant or Native Indian. I mean we make every effort to protect and comfort the religious minority such as omar khadr our proud child soldier and his family. This piece of sh** khadr and his family openly hate Canada and they are only one of hundreds of thousands if not millions of Muslims refugees and immigrants that our government embraced. So until we elect a government that has balls enough to stand up to whinny little monitory groups, whether it’s abortion and women rights or gay rights and marriage, I suggest that all those Canadians who call themselves Conservatives just suck-it-up!
ReplyDeleteIs this why Spence hates bill c-45....less revenue for her
ReplyDeleteGoogle,
" Bill C-45 simply makes it easier for first nations to lease land "
Excerpt,
One of the most inflammatory, but inaccurate, claims coming from the Idle No More movement is that Bill C-45, the second budget implementation act, has deliberately made it easier to sell off Indian reserves. A little background information is necessary to understand what has actually happened.
Many first nations have achieved economic success by leasing portions of their reserves for shopping centres, industrial parks, residential developments, casinos and anything else that might make money. Such projects create jobs and generate property tax revenues that first nations need to provide better services for their members.
First nations pursuing economic development have complained for years that the slowness of these procedures caused extra expense and sometimes even the loss of lucrative projects to competing jurisdictions able to move more quickly. Bill C-45 responded to these long-standing concerns by making two changes: (1) replacing approval by order-in-council by approval of the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs; and (2) replacing the requirement for a majority of a majority with simple majority rule – the same way the chiefs of first nations are elected."