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Self-sufficiency key to self-government

Author

Ben Whiskeyjack

Volume

12

Issue

3

Year

1994

Page 16

First Nation communities must have leaders who have the vision, ambition, and ability to broaden their economic interests beyond the current narrow poltical-fiscal purpose of achieving larger government grants and more control over band budgets. They need to formulate and implement effective, meaningful, economic development initiatives that will bring employment and business opportunities not only at the community level, but also in the Canadian mainstream economy.

Whenever government grants are given to bands in form of aid, the rules and procedures by which such funds are allocated disproportionately continue to enrich band councils and the First Nations elite classes. They are in a position to take advantage of the opportunities presented because they have the power and connections. The benefits that trickle down to the lower class (where the real need is) are usually so small that they have no measurable impact on unemployment, dependence and destitution.

The federal government had allocated $750 million over a five-year period for business development for Aboriginal people. Such a strategy has only placed more money into the pockets of First Nation elites.

Money, oil, and gold attract the people who are money and power hungry as blood attracts sharks. Grassroots people in First Nation communities must be careful not to be quick to learn this lesson again, especially in terms of self-government.

No matter how much money the federal government gives in self-government grants to First Nation communities, band councils, and First Nation elites will continue to be the main beneficiary of such hand-outs. The majority of First Nation members will continue to live in despair, hopelessness and destitution.

There are 601 Indian bands in Canada. The unemployment rates in the majority of these bands range between 70-90 per cent. For example, the Saddle Lake band's current unemployment rate is a staggering 90 per cent.

The reality of the situation on the reserves is that most First Nation members have two options: stay on the reserve and live on social assistance, or move to the city and live on social assistance.

The other hard fact is that reserve populations have already grown far beyond the level that most reserves can sustain.

A government that relies primarily on grants for its existence from another government can never function effectively. Regular airplane flights to Ottawa for treaty First Nation leaders for on-going negotiations for the government grants will be the prime function of this "total dependency" form of self-government. This type of government will merely serve as a potent recipe for a ghetto of continual dependence and high unemployment, thus enhancing a culture of poverty in treaty First Nation communities.

In the event the self-government grants stop coming, then what? Can self-government in our treaty First Nation communities grow and flourish given the circumstances and economic conditions in our communities? Is it the intent of the federal government by the Indian Act, and more specifically Section 88, to cause our treaty First Nations communities to become municipal governments under provincial jurisdiction? Are the federal government's plans to totally dismantle Indian Affairs in Manitoba the first major step towards total extinction of our treaties?

Effective leadership, economic self-sufficiency, sensible government (federal) policies and a workable constitutional framework at the community level are the main components that will form the basis of meaningful self-government for First Nation communities.

On Jan. 10, 1994, I was present at a band meeting which took place in the Saddle Lake Reserve. The chief and council had formed a corporation, which was one of the agenda topics. At this meeting I asked some basic questions to individual members of the band council about the corporation. For example, one of the questions was if the corporation was federally or provincially incrporated.

The band council to whom I raised this question said that he wasn't sure. Another band councillor who happened to be the secretary-treasure for the corporation refused to answer my question because he said he only has a grade 6 education.

The sad part of all this terribly flawed system is that there are many First Nation members who are eager, ambitious and have great ideas but are tied down by the "drag down" system at the community level and by the restrictive government policies. This dual two-tiered restraining system has had a crippling and paralyzing effect on the lives of treaty First Nation people. There is incredible potential among First Nation members. All they need is a little boost.

Great progress can be realized in First Nations communities if they had effective leadership and if changes were made in federal government policies affecting the lives of First Nation people.

As treaty First Nations people, let us make a conscious effort to protect our treaties. Let us band together to move toward economic self-sufficiency so that we can live with pride and dignity, and be contributing members in our communities and in the mainstream of Canadian life.