A defining issue in this Parliament could be the fashion in which our government deals with its First Nations peoples. How how is the Harper Party doing? Its leaders will tell you that it implemented the residential schools settlement, allocated more budget than ever before for aboriginal spending, and has initiated a new judicial process to fast-track land claims.
Its critics counter that the schools arrangement was simply the follow-through on a deal hammered out by Liberals, and that this year’s budget increase for FN reflects that, and little else. As for the land claims solution, this is being universally heralded as a positive step.
However, the fact remains many aboriginal groups are deeply suspicious of a government that would tear up the Kelowna Accord, a landmark document, after so much work went into its negotiation. In short, it appears our government is sending out very mixed signals from behind a mask, as we near a national day of recognition for our FN peoples, and as a further day of action is on the horizon.
MPtv caught up with Winnipeg MP Anita Neville, one of the most passionate members of the House on our treatment of these fellow citizens.
To view the video, click here.
33 comments ↓
Tom Flanagan for Native Affairs .
No accountability, no Kelowna .. plain and simple .. and no amount of Liberal guilt trip propaganda will change that .. enough is enough … !!!!
As that Liberal icon, the late Izzy Asper pointed out:
“Canadian native leaders won’t like my making this connection. But ask yourself: If the government of Kenya gives 800,000 people in Kenya barely anything and the government of Canada gives 400,000 reserve resident native Canadian households the equivalent of $70,000 per year and many of them still live like the people of Kenya, do you think we have a problem?â€
Observer, comparing the cost of living in Canada to that of Kenya is beyond absurd.
Observer, comparing the cost of living in Canada to that of Kenya is beyond absurd.
By Kevin M on 06.20.07 6:03 pm
Are you surprised Kevin? LMAO
Buyer beware? Sure as hell there had better be more than our Native groups watching this one given Harper’s penchant for converting shotguns to fire out of both ends at the same time.
Did the Kelowna Accord include any mechanism to measure actual progress with benchmarks or was it just promising to give lumpsums of money?
There was no “Kelowna Accord”. Absolutely nothing that was signed by the Federal Government, the provinces and territories and the National Aboriginal Leaders.
I find it interesting that people are very quick to blame the federal government for the issues that Aboriginals in canada face. Of the $5.1B that was committed in Kelowna, how much of it did the provinces kick in??? They didn’t put forward one single penny!!! They were just very happy to take the federal government’s money once again.
If all the premiers agreed that Aboriginal issues were a universal problem, why haven’t they come forward to do anything!
People need to think about that before continuing to blame the federal government.
By KPK on 06.20.07 6:50 pm
Indicators were developped to measure progress.
Both of you have missed the point that Liberal Izzy Asper was trying to make, namely …. that many Aboriginals were still living in abject poverty even though the massive amounts of money given them is not used to somehow improve their living conditions.
Do you think that the additional $5 Billion would have drastically improved their abject living conditions .. or would the money be frittered away and end up in the pockets of the band chiefs and their immediate family?
Surely you must agree that enough money is being poured into the Aboriginals to raise their standard of living … and that adding more money will not solve any problems they currently have. There must first be an accountability within the bands before more money is poured down that aboriginal black hole.
Adam,
Aboriginal Affairs is a Federal Responsibility.
By Marg on 06.20.07 8:15 pm
Marg,
First Nations Status Indians and Inuit are a federal responsibility.
Could someone please post a link to the text of the actual Accord? I have never seen a published copy of it and can’t seem to find it on the net.
Thanks.
Interesting.
First Nations Status Indians and Inuit are a federal responsibility.
Second generation immigrants and the rest of us are responsible for ourselves.
I wonder if there might be a correlation between responsibility and independance?
Syncro
I question the accuracy of Asper’s numbers.
And I question the advisability of slurs like “aboriginal black hole”.
There is no solution within colonialism for the problems it has created but … assertion of aboriginal rights and titles has much better potential as a means of taking back their own future than any government program.
There must first be an accountability within the bands before more money is poured down that aboriginal black hole.
i have to agree with you there.
By KPK on 06.20.07 9:39 pm
you won’t find it online – as there is no “Accord”. The so called “Kelowna Accord” was not an accord at all – it was a communique posted on the PMs website at the time of the Kelowna meetings.
If check National Aboriginal Organizations’ websites, you may be able to find something there.
Hunter Mars….
You’ve read First Nations, Second Thoughts as well?
God help us if Harper should get a Majority.
God help us if Harper should get a Majority.
By LoH_Numa on 06.21.07 8:47 am
Funny you should say that, because Minister Prentice has been the best Indian Affairs Minister in a long time…he actually understands the issues and takes a practical approach to dealing with them…
Yes, Adam, because after all, it’s all about “Us” and “Them”, instead of being a “Canadian” problem.
government of Canada gives 400,000 reserve resident native Canadian households the equivalent of $70,000 per year and many of them still live like the people of Kenya, do you think we have a problem?â€
Observer: You are one pompous individual! Let’s look at this problem shall we. The FN lived in this land for thousands of years before European arrival and managed not rape, pillage and pollute the country almost beyond repair. They respected the right of future generations to be able to enjoy the resources of the land and sea. They were smart enough to understand that we are all dependant on the earth to provide for us and they had the common sense to treat the land with some respect. They lived a vibrant, sustainable existence – til the white man took over, and in the mere few hundred years’ since they’ve almost completely lost their identity, culture and independence and have had to witness the destruction of this beautiful country. The white man figured if we just stuck them all on reservations and gave them some alcohol and welfare, hopefully they’d be quiet and we could forget about them and with a bit of luck perhaps they’d drink themselves into extinction. Well it didn’t work so yes, I guess there is a problem. But whose fault is it?
Jim Prentice is one minister who has impressed me to date. The new way to solve land claims makes sense. Without giving an elaborate explantion let me just say that Prentice appears reasonable, strong and balanced in his thinking. I even wonder about his potential as a future PM. If he is smart he will stay away from such a notion.
See my previsous post about the provinces acknowledging that there is a problem but not doing anything to help…
Hunter Mars….
You’ve read First Nations, Second Thoughts as well?
God help us if Harper should get a Majority.
By LoH_Numa on 06.21.07 8:47 am
LoH_Numa,
I’ve not read it yet, I’m not sure that I could bear it, without firing it thru the nearest window, as I have read some of the reviews.
It is summertime and other than some serious kayaking and grandkid time my reading list tends towards sci-fi (not sword/sorcery junk) so Flannegan and his ilk is low on my reading list.
My question is…Do I submit myself to this, or wait til the fall? I am a fast reader so I could do it over a few rainy days I suppose.
Thanks, Geo
Ps, What about “Citizens Plus” Alan Cairns. Supposed to be much more balanced view.
Gerogine,
For insight into how Harper and his buddies think.
It is a very difficult read.
They defend the work though, pointing out that Trudeau once advocated a similar stance. And you know, he withdrew from that stance.
Some of the best material to fire off against the Calgary School, however, can be found in “Game Theory and Canadian Politics” — the Chapter (near the back) on the Reform Party and the Median Voter Theory is especially of current relevance. University of Toronto Press, 1998 (I believe).
I think Garth might be interested in the Chapter on the Abortion debacle, but no, I wouldn’t waste your time on it.
By KPK on 06.20.07 9:39 pm
here is a link to the communique – what everyone is calling the “Accord”
http://www.scics.gc.ca/cinfo05/800044004_e.pdf
Observer: You are one pompous individual! Let’s look at this problem shall we. The FN lived in this land for thousands of years before European arrival and managed not rape, pillage and pollute the country almost beyond repair. They respected the right of future generations to be able to enjoy the resources of the land and sea. They were smart enough to understand that we are all dependant on the earth to provide for us and they had the common sense to treat the land with some respect. They lived a vibrant, sustainable existence – til the white man took over, and in the mere few hundred years’ since they’ve almost completely lost their identity, culture and independence and have had to witness the destruction of this beautiful country. The white man figured if we just stuck them all on reservations and gave them some alcohol and welfare, hopefully they’d be quiet and we could forget about them and with a bit of luck perhaps they’d drink themselves into extinction. Well it didn’t work so yes, I guess there is a problem. But whose fault is it?
By Lisa on 06.21.07
You are absolutely right Lisa, but you should also include the white woman too in your criticism. But the deeper problem perhaps is that some aboriginals are a people left behind as the white men and women and their white children advancing in the new global world.
Obviously there are aboriginals who have successfully integrated and even assimilated into the advanced white society. Unfortunately there are those aborignals who are unable to advance and they fall back in their despair.
I think that those bands who are failing should be examined and their leadership made accountable for their failure.
The past can’t be changed, but the future can be affected by what we do today … and just pouring more money into the failed aboriginal bands is not the solution that Canadian taxpayers can accept.
KPK wrote
>Could someone please post a link to the text of >the actual Accord? I have never seen a published >copy of it and can’t seem to find it on the net.
Its not the actual accord itself but the following link is a start.
Sorry KPK I screwed thinsg up. here is the actual URL.
http://www.pco.gc.ca/default.asp?Language=E&Page=archivemartin&Sub=newscommuniques&Doc=news_release_20051125_661_e.htm
Just browsing the internet, you have a beautiful and very interesting blog.
By van on 06.21.07 5:23 pm
there was no “Accord”…
What ? It is hard to hear anything over all the laughter at ‘No Shadow’ .
ROTFLMAO
http://tinyurl.com/2bcog9
Like this .
Nobody likes to see bleed over .
Where is Kelly Hrudey?