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Chatter

Author

Windspeaker Staff

Volume

26

Issue

8

Year

2008

JOHN RALSTON SAUL,
the consort of the former governor general of Canada, Adrienne Clarkson, who made it her personal mission to visit as many Aboriginal communities across Canada as humanly possible during her service, has released a new book entitled "A Fair Country: Telling Truths about Canada." In the book, Saul suggests that Canada is a Metis nation influenced in philosophy by the Aboriginal peoples, shaped by Indigenous ideas around peace and fairness. But many are taking issue with what some believe are "idealized" notions of Indigenous thought and behavior and say Saul is giving Canadians more credit than they deserve. "I almost laughed out loud," wrote Daphne Bramham of the Vancouver Sun. "Canadians," she wrote, "have little first-hand knowledge of or experience with First Nations and Metis people beyond, perhaps, having admired or acquired some silver jewelry or Native art."
At counterweights.ca L. Frank Bunting admits to not having read the book, to not having Saul on his list of favorite authors, and to thinking that Saul's stories about history are less than historically accurate, but Bunting allows that Saul may be "pointing to something real about Canada's past that is quite profound and deeply interesting."
That point being that history goes back more than the 200 years that Canadian mainstream society has taken most seriously. Robert Fulford of the National Post wrote that "Many of us would like to imagine that Canadians have a unique way of life. We would also be delighted to learn that it came to us as a gift from, ironically, the very people we have often robbed and mistreated." Unfortunately, he concludes, Saul doesn't come close to making that case. "His conclusions rely mainly on his imagination."
On eartothesound.blogspot.com, however, music reviewer Michael Elves compares Saul's book to Calgary's Woodpigeon release Treasury Library Canada because, well, the cover art is similarly themed and because both endeavors are a wake-up call "to embrace our true selves" and shake off the inferiority complex that is hampering Canada's success.

AFTER A TOUR OF THE
Fort McMurray area in northern Alberta, "Scream" trilogy actress Neve Campbell said she is "horrified by the pace and scale of development in the tar sands," and promised to work with First Nations and ForestEthics, an environmental non-governmental organization, to raise awareness of the oil extraction industry's affect on the environ-ment and the community of Fort Chipewyan. Campbell lunched with Mikisew Cree Nation Chief Roxanne Marcel and Chief Allan Adams of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation at the Sawridge Inn in early October after a tour of the region by plane and car.

LAKE BABINE NATION IN B.C.
is havingtrust issues, and who can blame them? Rule one: When negotiating with big business, get legal counsel, even if the suits on the other side of the table say they would prefer it if the lawyers didn't become involved. One has to wonder what game is afoot in Babine's dialogue with Pacific Booker Minerals (PBM) regarding the Morrison Copper Gold Project.
"Our relationship with PBM is seriously deteriorating," said Chief Betty Patrick on Oct. 14, "and if things don't change immediately, we will have no other option but to oppose this development. PBM continues to offer us capacity funding, but we haven't seen a dime. Second, they question our members about our confidential traditional uses without asking permission. Third, they have repeatedly told us they prefer we not involve legal counsel. Gone are the days when First Nations are not entitled to legal representation and we are not going to let them dictate to us who is on our team. Their actions to date are disrespectful and do not encourage us to trust them." Hmmm.

THE MÉTIS NATION
of Saskatchewan has less than two weeks to file a test case on the duty to consult. According to resolution 001, carried at the Métis Nation Legislative Assembly Sept. 8 and 9, the organization is to develop a legal strategy to ensure the Crown begins to deal with its duty to the Métis Nation within Saskatchewan.
Assembly minutes may be viewed at MNS' newly launched Web site located at metna.sasktelwebhosting.com

From the date of the assembly, the MNS had 60 days to evaluate injunctions, judicial reviews or other court actions and options for the best test case in the province, and then proceed with legal action. Other direction from the assembly includes the launch of discussions with the provincial government to negotiate harvesting accommodations for Métis. On the agenda at the assembly were housing issues, election codes and constitutional amendments.