Fontaine warns of 'palpable' anger in native communities

[RedHot25]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/05/15/fontaine.html

National native leader Phil Fontaine warned a blue-chip audience on Tuesday that the anger felt in many First Nations communities has reached a breaking point.
"Frankly, we are fearful of the effect this is having on the well-being and public safety in our communities," said the chief of the Assembly of First Nations in an eloquent speech to the Canadian Club of Ottawa.

...

A report in Tuesday's Globe and Mail quoted a First Nation leader in Manitoba threatening widespread economic disruption and a potential blockade of CN rail lines connecting Eastern and Western Canada.
Fontaine did not dismiss worries about possible confrontations this summer.

[MelBridgeman]

time for the goverment and native leadership to find another way to deal with native issues, because handouts arent and never work.
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[Flash Walken]

Oka Everywhere?

"The final insult came when the federal Tories handed down a budget with next to nothing new in it to address first nations poverty. Mr. Brant makes an analogy between the way land disappears while negotiations stall and the way lives are degraded while funding is frozen. Birth rates are high, he points out, “so getting nothing means moving backward - more suicides, more disease, more contamination.” When “nothing” happens at the negotiation table, mountains and trees disappear; when “nothing” is in the budget, lives are extinguished.

The budget blow prompted Assembly of First Nations Chief Phil Fontaine to call for a national day of action on June 29. Though Mr. Fontaine insists he is not calling for cross-country blockades, many first nations are already planning them, with talk of a co-ordinated targeting of key infrastructure, from rails to roads. “It’s the same notion as a general strike,” Mr. Brant explains with a smile.

If the blockade strategy goes ahead, one thing is certain: There will be rivers of ink spilled explaining that, while native grievances are legitimate, there is no excuse for such disruptive tactics. Protesters will be told they are discrediting their cause, and they will be described as “violent” whether or not violence takes place. Mr. Fontaine has taken this finger-wagging to heart. “Let’s face it, if you irritate Canadians, they’re not going to listen to your message,” his spokesperson said recently.

Mr. Brant has a different message for non-native Canada - don’t just listen to us, join us. He points out that Canadians, even those who tell themselves they support native rights, “still treat them as a government problem.” But that’s not how social issues ever gain the kind of critical mass that leads to real change. “The environment is an issue right now because people told the government it was an issue,” Mr. Brant says. “If they said our concerns were an issue, they would be addressed too.”

Right now, everything is lining up for June 29 to be a day for natives to act and the rest of us to whine about late trains and traffic jams. But listening to Mr. Brant, it struck me that it could be something else: a day of action on native rights for the entire country, one when we all refuse to shut up."
- Naomi Klein

[RedHot25]

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

time for the goverment and native leadership to find another way to deal with native issues, because handouts arent and never work.

Fontaine has repeatedly called on the federal government to spend an additional $5 billion over five years to help ease aboriginal poverty.

"We only want what you already have," he said Tuesday.

[Resolute 14]

Werent the treaties signed back in the day done so in exchange for keeping the Queen's peace? If they wont keep it, tear the treaty up, and let any band in violation live life without the special privledges they get via those treaties.

[Azure]

Well given the rate of money that has gone missing...millions on the reserve near where I live...throwing more money at this problem certainly won't fix it.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by RedHot25

Fontaine has repeatedly called on the federal government to spend an additional $5 billion over five years to help ease aboriginal poverty.

"We only want what you already have," he said Tuesday.

Well, I'm sure the problem is more complicated than what I'm about to say, but just off the top of my head, how about paying for what you get? The rest of Canada pays taxes. We have to buy our land. We don't get reserve royalties. We have to buy hunting and fishing licenses. Can someone fill me in on just exactly what the rest of us are getting that they're not?

[RedHot25]

Originally Posted by Snakeeye

Werent the treaties signed back in the day done so in exchange for keeping the Queen's peace? If they wont keep it, tear the treaty up, and let any band in violation live life without the special privledges they get via those treaties.

Fontaine also urged governments to work harder to settle more than 1,100 outstanding land claims, noting that at the current pace of negotiations, it would take 130 years to resolve them.

"The number of First Nations children today who have been removed from families and placed into state care is now three times the number of children that were in residential schools at the height of this terrible experience.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by Snakeeye

Werent the treaties signed back in the day done so in exchange for keeping the Queen's peace? If they wont keep it, tear the treaty up, and let any band in violation live life without the special privledges they get via those treaties.

I think the point is to try to improve the current situation, and deal with the problem, not to marginalize further and persecute dissenters.

[CaptainCrunch]

Until the native communities actually clean up a lot of corruption taking place in thier leadership levels the problem is going to continue.

There's no reason with the amount of money that is being thrown at the native issues that they aren't becoming more self reliant.

There is a huge wealth gap between the have's and have nots in the reserve communities and its certainly not the fault of the Canadian Government.

[Bobblehead]

“If your life sucks, it's because you suck.”
“Quit your sniffling.”
“Join the real world — go to school or get a job.”
“Get off of welfare. Get off your butt.”
He pauses, seeming to gauge whether he dare, then does.
“People often say to me, ‘How you doin'?' Geez — I'm working with Indians — what do you think?”
Now they are openly laughing ... applauding. Clarence Louie is everything that was advertised — and more.
“Our ancestors worked for a living,” he says. “So should you.”
He is, fortunately, aboriginal himself. If someone else stood up and said these things — the white columnist standing there with his mouth open, for example — “You'd be seen as a racist.” Instead, Chief Clarence Louie is seen, increasingly, as one of the most interesting and innovative native leaders in the country — even though he avoids national politics.

link to article
link to original CP thread

I wonder if Chief Louis is taking part in this action?

[4X4]

I agree, CC. From my admittedly not all that informed POV, there's so much corruption on the reserves, that they need to look inward to fix the problem. It seems like whenever I hear about First Nations issues, they're either annoyed by federal intervention, or else they're annoyed by lack thereof.

From what I understand, they do not want to assimilate. If that's the case, why is it the responsibility of the GOC to fix their problems? The GOC can just keep throwing money at the problem, but if that money gets misused, then the GOC has to stop at some point. OR, intervene. I don't recall very many happily ever after stories regarding GOC intervention in Native affairs. Seems that they want to govern themselves (more or less). If that's the case, then GET ON IT!

[NuclearFart]

I agree that alot of the problem appears to be corruption within the reserves itself. I've worked on the Morley reserve a few times and it seems as though only a select few actually get the money, while the rest live in squallor completely oblivious to this fact. It seems as though those without, are continually misinformed that it is the governement creating the injustice, rather than being told the truth about band leaders embezzling. It's sad really. A financial audit of their accounting practices and distribution should be done before any more money is thrown at them.
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[4X4]

Originally Posted by NuclearFart

It seems as though those without, are continually misinformed that it is the governement creating the injustice, rather than being told the truth about band leaders embezzling. It's sad really. A financial audit of their accounting practices and distribution should be done before any more money is thrown at them.

And this would likely be met with much resistance by those in power. And since the general populace is allegedly uninformed, they'd probably side with their 'leaders'.

Maybe we should ask the USA how to handle a situation like this?

[NuclearFart]

Originally Posted by 4X4

And this would likely be met with much resistance by those in power. And since the general populace is allegedly uninformed, they'd probably side with their 'leaders'.

Well if they weren't doing anything wrong, they shouldnt fear any sort of transparency. To oppose it would likely be construed as an admission of guilt...and if the uniformed were going to riot anyways...

Originally Posted by 4X4

Maybe we should ask the USA how to handle a situation like this?

Circle the wagons and git the guns?
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Colorado medical marijuana

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Maybe we should ask the USA how to handle a situation like this?

Nope, I was just by chance talking to a Canadian native friend. He's working outside of L.A. at a native casino. I asked him if it helped get him the job through his heritage. No, he's only one of five or six natives working there and he got it because of his resume. He said the reserve is in pretty bad shape and with the money coming in now, they can afford better and more drugs.

Doesn't seem to be any simple answer but the native kids deserve a decent life. On another note, I've seen some decent reserves and met a lot of good people there.
Oh yeah, he misses playing hockey but he hopes to get to some baseball games.

[4X4]

Sorry, very tongue-in-cheek (USA-help comment).

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Sorry, very tongue-in-cheek (USA-help comment).

Yeah, I kind of figured, still I wanted to tell this little story.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

I think the point is to try to improve the current situation, and deal with the problem, not to marginalize further and persecute dissenters.

If they think destruction of property, and derailing trains - which could lead to the deaths of engineers - is a good plan, then I am all for marginalizing these idiots. Negotiations with any group who uses such tactics should be terminated immediately.

Alternatively, blockade the roads into their reserves, and see how they like it.

As has been mentioned, native leaders need to learn to clean up their own mess. They are all about trying to pressure "the white man" for more and more and more. Any band that wants to improve their lot, and wants to build a plan to do so should be met with equal interest and support from the government. Those that want to throw a little rebellion should simply be ignored.

[Clarkey]

The first step is private fee-simple surface ownership of all the reserve lands. They are basically just squatters on the reserve right now. Let the natives do what they want with their reserve lands, whether it be to sell, sub-divide, pass down start up businesses or what have you.

There's no incentive to take care of something you don't own. That's why you see so many shacks on reserve land, no body owns anything.

Reserves are a form of segregation and while they were well intended they only harm the native people and hold them back.