Metis settlement protesters raise accountability issue

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The funding received from the provincial government by Metis settlements so that they can ready themselves to take control of their communities will end in 2007, but a small determined group of Metis people believe that the settlements are far from ready for self-government.

The group gathered on Dec. 10 at the provincial legislature to meet with David Hancock, minister of Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs, and to protest living conditions in their communities.

Group spokesman Edward Jenkins said he represented disgruntled members from all eight Metis settlements in the province.

"We want fair and just treatment. Our situation has gone on too long," said Jenkins. He claims residents live in poverty and only council members of the settlements are immune to financial hardship.

Jenkins also claimed that violence had broken out on some settlements because of the financial disparity between council members and residents.

The Metis settlements governed by the Metis Settlement General Council operate under the Metis Settlements Accord, a legislation implemented in 1990. The accord provided the settlements $30 million in transitional funding for capital development and to benefit the settlements and their members. That funding ended in 1997.

The post-transitional funding, to be received from 1997 to 2007, is $10 million paid annually to the general council for the benefit of the settlements and their members. The purpose of the accord is for settlements to establish and develop structures and systems for local government.

But Jenkins is claiming changes to governance structures and requirements for accountability are moving too slow, and the people in the communities are suffering. He cites the Elizabeth Metis Settlement as an example of this.

Documents regarding a forensic accounting review of the Elizabeth Metis Settlement's books and a corrective action plan were made available by Jenkins at the Metis general council's office when the group presented it's grievances to the council officers.

The corrective action plan was prepared by the Elizabeth settlement council administration and some of its members as result of the forensic accounting review by Deloitte and Touche.

The plan outlines ways to rid the settlement of serious financial problems, including a total of $2.4 million in accounts still outstanding. It claims inappropriate management of the housing program, outstanding loans to community members, and outstanding loans to four councilors as part of the settlements financial concerns.

A three-page letter outlined Jenkin's group's grievances and included allegations of unfair housing allocation, failure to provide for the basic needs of children and the elderly, and financial corruption by settlement council members. It was submitted to the general council. The group called for a full forensic audit of all settlement accounts, the removal of council members who breached legislation, and that the minister and members of the general council personally attend settlements to hear members' concerns.

In a private interview with Sweetgrass, Minister Hancock explained his thoughts about the protesters' concerns. He said he initiated an accounting review and the corrective action plan for the Elizabeth settlement as well as the seven other settlements. Hancock preferred not to call it a forensic accounting review.

"Some of the people who had concerns didn't participate in the corrective action plan committee, like Mr. Jenkins," Hancock said. While governance issues are a provincial concern, the responsibility for dealing with the protesters falls to settlement councilors and to the general council.

"It's not appropriate to step in all the time. This is a normal part of the devolution of authority," said Hancock. "It's a pretty serious thing to remove councilors. I could fire them, but then the community may decide they want these people there. Who am I to say who the council is," he asked.

As part of the Meti Settlement Accord, a transition commissioner was appointed to ready settlements for the 2007 deadline. His job was to be temporary and was to build capacity, encourage economic development and to ensure the settlements are ready to be self-sufficient, Hancock said. Under the accord, the commissioner's responsibilities are to be carried out based on the principle of benefiting the people of the settlements.

Based on the complaints he's still receiving about the settlements, the minister said there doesn't yet seem to be that self-reliance in place.

Hancock acknowledged there is a considerable amount of work to be done with the settlements to ensure they are ready for 2007 when the transitional funding of the Metis Settlements Accord will end. Hancock will be visiting the settlements over the next two months and will establish a task force to review the role of the transition commissioner's office and the settlement tribunals, the dispute resolution bodies.

When the protesters left the legislature to bring their concerns to the general council, it looked more like a meeting between colleagues than adversaries. The group was greeted by Randy Hardy, transition commissioner, and by Ken Noskey, president of the general council.

"I was glad they met us. They actually agreed with what we are doing," said Jenkins. He indicated a good meeting with the council resulted and the group's demands were being seriously considered. Negotiations between general council, the commissioner and the protesters were part of an agreement reached, but not formalized, said Jenkins.

"A politician is going to say what you want to hear. When something takes place, that is when we will believe action is going be taken," said Jenkins.

Ken Noskey, president of the Metis General Council, spoke to Sweetgrass about the protesters' concerns. The demand from the protesters for a full forensic audit was an issue Noskey felt he could not address because of the legislated structure that the general councl must follow.

"The only way for things to change is by people getting involved as a collective structure," said Noskey. He said he has heard the concerns raised by the protesters before and they are now being addressed by the corrective action plans.

A management advisor is in place at Elizabeth to oversee the correction action plan, "like a watchdog," said Noskey. The time needed to correct the situation can be extended by the minister, he said.

"The Metis settlement tribunal can be a self-regulating body. The minister is receptive to that idea," said Noskey. Self-government is connected to transparency. It's taking control over our own process and governing system, he said.

Noskey pointed to the government-created dependency problems that Metis people and other Aboriginal people must deal with. That will take a long time to change and Aboriginal government must lead by example, said Noskey.

"No one is ever liked as a leader. I've accepted that," said Noskey.