What is the Government of Canada trying to do to First Nations?

Dear Liberal Member of Parliament;

With First Nations issues on the agenda for your Summer Caucus in Chicoutimi, we are writing to you to ensure that the discussions regarding First Nations during the retreat are reality based.

It is possible that you will be told that the First Nations Governance Act (FNGA) is going ahead with support from First Nations; that progress is being made on fiscal institutions; that the claims process is moving forward; and that things are proceeding, as they should in Indian Country. If any such claims are made to you that would not only be inaccurate but a perversion.

Here is the truth on the ground from our perspective.

First Nations remain committed against the AFNGA because we have no choice. The process that was used to bring it forward denied our Inherent and Treaty Rights and our sovereignty. The FNGA is illegal. So we must say no - and we will continue to do so and with increasing vigor. As you know, a court challenge to the legislation is already under way.

The introduction of the First Nations Fiscal and Statistical Institutions Initiative by Minister Robert Nault on August 15, 20002 is an abomination. Instead of recognizing our Aboriginal Title and Aboriginal rights, The Federal Government is ignoring Canada’s fiduciary duty to band councils, asking councils to tax their members, lease their reserve lands an mortgage the future of their children to meet the desperate needs of their communities. In the meantime, other governments collect revenues and accrue wealth from our many lands that are subject of many outstanding claims.

The FNGA, the fiscal initiative, the Specific Claims Resolution Act and the First Nations Land Management Act are all part of the same orientation on the part of the government of Canada. The government is systematically forcing legislation on First Nations to off-load the rapidly increasing poverty levels onto the backs of under funded band councils. The Federal Government cannot shuck of its fiduciary and financial responsibilities in this way. This too is illegal and will be challenged.

Instead of recognizing our sovereignty and moving forward on the basis of a nation-to-nation relationship between Canada and First Nations, the federal government is forcing band councils to administer their own poverty. It is attempting to turn our communities into municipal governments and force us to have to respond to the federal government in the same way Canada’s cities are required to respond to the provinces. And look what that got Canada’s cities. Last year, the Prime Minster had to appoint a Task Force to begin to rectify the damage that has been done to the country’s cities. We won’t allow that to happen to us.

Economic self-suffciency will occur only when the government of Canada recognizes and accommodates our Rights through the enactment of legislation providing our communities direct access to the natural resources in our territories.

We ask that you obtain answers to this: why has the Liberal government not followed up on its last Speech from the Throne, the one that followed the election of 2000 instead of trying to concoct a new Speech for this fall? That 2001 Speech called for, among other things, working “…to ensure that basic needs are met for jobs, health, education, housing and infrastructure.” This commitment was supposed to be ”…reflected in all of the Government’s priorities.”

Along with bashing the integrity of and punishing the First Nations, the government has failed to live up to its previous commitments. What makes the government think that its’ credibility will be improved with new promises when the old ones – and they are good ones – have not been kept?

The legislative initiatives ignore the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples Report and which First Nations participated in. Ignoring the RCAP report squanders close to $60 million of the public purse. Accountability of Indian monies appropriated by Parliament to fulfill the government’s fiduciary obligations to First Nations negotiated by our predecessors with the Crown should work both ways.

Another question: why isn’t Minister Nault attending the “Gathering of the Drums”, the National Rally and March being held in Kenora, in his own riding on Monday, August 19? An invitation requesting special accommodation in his schedule was sent. Most of the 2000 First Nations representatives – leaders, men, women, elders, and youth from the grassroots and off reserve – that will be attending are from the riding and will travel great distances to be heard. Instead Minister Nault refused this great opportunity to hear from us, to make his points, exchange views and …listen. As Minster and Member of Parliament, Robert Nault has dismally failed to respect our views. Accurate information on how we feel and what we believe is not being communicated to the Members of Parliament and the people of Canada.

We ask that you ask questions along the lines of this letter at the Chicoutimi Caucus. Understand that, despite what you are being told, the government’s activities will bring further misery and hopelessness to our impoverished First Nations. We do not believe that the answers you will get from the government and Minister Nault will be satisfactory to anyone with an understanding of the status of First Nations, the Constitution of Canada and the reality of what has been done to us in recent years. Continued imposition of an oppressive federal legislative agenda without our consent will only set everyone up for failure. There must be a change in direction. We are calling on your goodwill to help bring about proactive and progressive change that will also benefit Canada at large. We are calling on you to help restore Honour to the Crown.

Sincerely,

CHIEFS OF ONTARIO

Stan Beardy
A/Ontario Regional Chiefs of Ontario

cc. Chiefs of Ontario Political Confederacy
Ontario First Nations
Prime Minister Jean Chretien
Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs & Northern Development
National Chief Matthew Coon Come, Assembly of First Nations
AFN Executive