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Top News - December - 2003
Rumors abound as Chretien era ends
Housing protest continues
New deal rumored for off-reserve peopleNot so fast - Editorial
You can call me Al or you can call me... - Guest ColumnCheck out Ontario Birchbark
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Rumors abound as Chretien era ends
Who's in and who's out as Paul Martin takes over
Paul Barnsley, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Ottawa
Charlie Fox as Indian Affairs minister?
A Canadian Press story on Nov. 15 made just that suggestion, quoting unnamed sources in the Martin camp.
Fox, the Ontario Assembly of First Nations' vice-chief, issued a statement to all the Ontario chiefs on Nov. 17 in response to that story. He confirmed that he has been talking to the Martin team, but provided very little detail.
"I have been entertaining preliminary discussions with Paul Martin's transition team regarding the Kenora-Rainy River riding. Those discussions are ongoing," he wrote.
Prime Minister Jean Chretien announced on Nov. 18 that he will turn over the reins of power to Martin as of Dec. 12. On that date - or just before-Martin will announce his Cabinet. Until then, the speculation will continue.
The CP story reported Fox has been approached for the minister's job. But Fox's release spoke only about being a candidate. If Fox runs in Kenora as a Liberal that would mean that Robert Nault would not be a candidate in the riding for the first time since 1988. Northwest Territories Premier Stephen Kakfwi was also mentioned in the story as a possible Indian Affairs minister. Kakfwi quickly stated that he had no intention of running federally against Ethel Blondin-Andrew.
A cascade of speculation, mostly quoting unnamed Martin officials, has appeared in published reports in the last month. Talk in Ottawa is that Martin's advisors believe that former Ontario Ernie Eves made the mistake of not renewing his government after he took over from Mike Harris and then paid the price when he was defeated in October. Those who take that line believe Martin will jettison all Chretien loyalists in an effort to put a new government before the electorate in a possible spring election. Martin himself has talked publicly about "change and renewal."
He has also said on several occasions that Aboriginal issues will be a priority for his government.
Sources that attended the Liberal convention say Blondin-Andrew was with Martin when he entertained questions from members of the Liberal Party's Aboriginal Peoples Commission. Those same sources say the party is actively searching for quality Aboriginal candidates to run in the next election.
Assembly of First Nation spokesman Don Kelly said that the national chief was the victim of a "mix-up" at the Liberal convention. Kelly said Phil Fontaine was in Toronto to deliver a speech to the Law Society of Upper Canada and was invited to go to the Air Canada Centre and watch the Liberals crown their new leader. But since he wasn't a registered delegate he was denied access to the convention floor by security. The incident was reported briefly and without much detail in the Ottawa Citizen, fueling speculation that Fontaine and Martin may not have the best of relationships.
Charles Fox publicly backed Roberta Jamieson for the AFN leadership against Fontaine and then was the only vice-chief who did not appear on stage in Edmonton to state his loyalty and commitment to Fontaine. Many observers jumped easily to the conclusion that the fact Fox has been approached by Martin's team was a sign that Fontaine is on the outs with the new Liberal leader.
Kelly said the AFN leader did not take offense to the misunderstanding at the Air Canada Centre and saw it as only a security problem.
"Only card-carrying registered delegates were allowed on the convention floor and since the national chief is neither, he was asked to leave," he added.
Windspeaker wanted to ask a number of questions these incidents have raised of a member of the Martin team. Although we were promised an interview with Scott Reid, the communications director, he did not return our calls.
Avery Ascher, Windspeaker Contributor, The Pas Manitoba
An Opaskwayak Cree Nation man has been living in a tent outdoors to draw attention to overcrowding on the reserve near The Pas.
Samuel Rodrick McGillvary, 40, pitched his tent beside the Gordon Lathlin Memorial Centre on OCN on July 4. McGillvary said overcrowded housing conditions lead to young people having to leave the reserve and subsequently making what he calls "dark" lifestyle choices in the city.
"I commit myself to [staying here] 20 hours a day. Four hours I sleep, and that's my sacrifice to the youth," McGillvary said in an interview on Oct. 11. "I don't want the children to end up like I am. I went through too many systematic events in my life-legalities, education, welfare, group foster homes, foster homes. There are many psychological disadvantages to being homeless. That leads to loss of life, suicide, death, power struggles."
McGillvary's tent, with a pole flying the Canadian flag nearby, is visible from Highway 10 running through both OCN and the neighboring town of The Pas. As of mid-November, McGillvary was still there.
McGillvary has faxed statements of his views to more than 45 recipients, including federal Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault, Manitoba Premier Gary Doer, Churchill MP Bev Desjarlais, several Manitoba MLAs, federal and provincial government offices, First Nations organizations and media across Manitoba and Canada. He'd also contacted reserves in the United States.
McGillvary said he does not blame OCN for the housing shortage, as the band has many financial commitments.
"They have to take certain amounts of money from every department in our social structure in order to maintain this balance. They have full and good intentions to help their people to develop their family values and independence."
OCN is not managing its money badly, McGillivary said.
"There is not enough in the first place," he said. When asked if OCN should be receiving more money from the federal government, McGillvary replied, "Absolutely."
"I was thinking $1 billion annually for all First Nations across Canada, just for housing. This should be dealt with by the United Nations, and also by Pope John Paul."
McGillvary said he is prepared to continue living in his tent until he feels his concerns are truly being heard.
"I will not fail. I will not falter. I stand fully committed for the children and their children. This is the 20th century and we're still living in the '30s."
There's a backlog of 600 homes on the reserve right now, OCN Chief Frank Whitehead said in an interview Nov. 3. About 3,200 of OCN's 4,000 members live on the reserve.
The housing shortage on reserves is a big problem.
"It's so big that it creates social problems because of the overcrowding.
"There is not enough funding. We receive $330,000 [per year] from INAC for social housing. In addition to that, we usually allocate $600,000 [per year] from our capital monies. You build eight or nine, the backlog is still 600 every year. The priority goes to families."
Whitehead said he had last spoken with INAC about the issue in September.
"The only thing they agreed to was to review the needs in the region. This would include the possibility of addressing overcrowding and mold. But that was not guaranteed in terms of a positive outcome."
With respect to McGillvary, Whitehead said, "We made offers in the past, but he refused our help to set him up somewhere. In the summer, we made an offer of paying his rent to move into suitable accommodations, much like what we would offer anyone. He didn't agree to what was presented to him at the time."
Whitehead said some members of the community also came forward to offer accommodation to McGillvary.
Whitehead added OCN has approached the town, Regional Municipality of Kelsey and the region's major employer, lumber and kraft paper producer Tolko Industries Ltd., about partnering on low-cost housing.
OCN is looking at a bigger, broader picture, Whitehead said.
"If the government, both levels, can look at this problem other than just social housing, but also in terms of creating housing opportunities, affordable housing and employment opportunities at the same time, we will have created an industry that will support itself through mortgages, rents. They need to focus on that and help us establish ourselves that way, and provide development dollars to that end."
In the last year, OCN has adopted a land code under the First Nations Land Management Act, with the intent "to utilize our lands to their maximum potential, including designation of land for residential housing market potential," Whitehead said.
"We need co-operation from Indian Affairs to make sure we have adequate shelter funding to pay for that. INAC has indicated that's a possibility."
Representatives of INAC's Winnipeg office were contacted by Windspeaker with respect to this article. The correspondent did not receive any comments or information specific to McGillvary or the housing situation on OCN.New deal rumored for off-reserve people
Paul Barnsley, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Ottawa
A new approach to dealing with off-reserve issues could be one of the many dramatic changes in store when Paul Martin takes over the reins of power from Prime Minster Jean Chretien.
This new approach could inspire the division of the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs into two seperate deparments, one for the north and one simply called Aboriginal Affairs. It's a plan that's being openly discussed at the senior levels of government.
Martin's own comments suggest that he intends to bring sweeping changes to the federal system. The term "changing the machinery of government" is on everyone's lips in the nation's capital.
Dwight Dorey, the national leader of the Congress of Aboriginal People, the group that lobbies on behalf of urban Aboriginal people, said he is hearing that the department may be restructured and believes that it's an idea that's long overdue.
A number of factors have combined to persuade the government to admit that its obligations are not only to status Indians living on reserve, he said.
"It's a combination of recent developments, not just Powley," Dorey said referring to the recent Supreme Court decision that brought life to the concept that Métis people have constitutional Aboriginal rights, specifically the right to hunt for food.
"There were other recent Supreme Court decisions recognizing off-reserve people have equal rights to those people on reserve. It's been part and parcel of this governance process that we've been engaged in with respect to the Corbiere decision," he said.
The Corbiere decision recognized that off-reserve people have a right to significant input into the decisions made on their home reserves.
"[P]eople off reserve have certain rights and entitlements that they were being denied over time," explained Dorey. "Certain rights that First Nations' people have are mobile rights; you take them with you. The Powley decision adds to that. It's not only registered treaty or status Indians, but also Métis now have new rights that are registered in the Constitution."
Dorey believes the government is ready to admit that Canada's drop in the United Nations human development index is related to its treatment of Aboriginal people. Canada has dropped from number one in the world to eighth on the UN index that measures basic quality of life benchmarks.
"In my opinion, and I think [Indian Affairs Minister] Bob Nault is seeing it, that's a reflection on their Aboriginal policy. I really believe it's not so much an issue relative to the conditions-which are still pretty bad-on reserve, but it's more this growing problem of the larger population of Aboriginal people off reserve being left in no man's land," he said.
Since all the discussion about such issues can only be speculation until Martin is established as prime minister and commits himself to a firm policy, Windspeaker asked Dorey if he had been given any commitments by anyone about changes in approach to off-reserve issues.
"Nothing yet but, obviously it's a good sign when you have a minister of Indian Affairs expressing those kinds of opinions. And he did that when he came to my general assembly to talk about mobility rights. The fact that he as a minister of Indian Affairs came to the assembly of the non-status, off-reserve organization was a positive move," he said.
"He and I have occasion to meet fairly frequently and discuss issues. What I often find happens with those meetings... he just tells me that he would like to, and believes that he should be, responding to these issues but he's not entitled to. He can't because of his departmental mandate. It doesn't allow him to. I think he's understanding and sympathetic to the causes of our people and feels that it needs to be addressed, but he's not in a position to do that at the moment."
The other minister with responsibility for Aboriginal issues is also hamstrung, Dorey said.
"And unfortunately, when we look at the position of Ralph Goodale as the federal interlocutor for Métis and non-status Indians off reserve, he doesn't really have the departmental infrastructure or the budget to deal with us. His role is primarily just a door opener to other departments for us," he said.
Asked if he had met with Martin, Dorey said yes but "not lately."
"I believe from my discussions with Paul Martin that he does want to try and fix things, that some things need to be fixed," he said. "What shape or form that takes is yet to be seen and he's not showing his hand on that. In fact, he may not have any concrete ideas yet but he's definitely of the view to work on it and to develop some new thinking in that respect.
"I'm taking the view that with respect to the stats that are showing that it's the off-reserve population that is going to be the biggest issue in the future down the road, he's going to not only want to fix the problems of the past but prevent the current problems from escalating.
"This whole notion that Bob Nault and I have been talking about, the restructuring of the department, is I think an ideal first step that Paul Martin might want to look at and take. It would demonstrate a pretty strong conviction on his part to deal with the broader issues of the Aboriginal agenda in Canada."
Dorey was asked if he had noticed a difference in attitude from the minister after Phil Fontaine was elected national chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) in July. He admitted that Nault turned to CAP when he couldn't deal with former national chief Matthew Coon Come.
"There's no question that had something to do with it," Dwight Dorey said, adding that the decision to work with the minister was made to advance off-reserve rights and not, as his critics charge, to simply access government funding.
But he said that CAP has not been left out now that a national chief the government is more comfortable with is in office.
"As a matter of fact, at the first opportunity after the AFN election I put the question right to [the minister]. I said I hope that given the past co-operative spirit that there was between Phil Fontaine and the federal government, that [Fontaine's re-election] was not going to negate or take away from our relationship. He said very directly, 'No way. We have a good working relationship and I believe there's an on-going need for that and we need to maintain it,'" Dorey said.
CAP will need to play a role in any revamped federal system because the chiefs have not shown much commitment to off-reserve issues, Dorey believes.
"I don't think that they're committed to do it. I don't have hard facts based on research but I've just heard reports, for example, that the chiefs in Saskatchewan have just openly and publicly stated that they are not including their off reserve people in their business. We know that right now that under the current legislation which allows for custom bands, specifically since Corbiere, that approximately one-half of the bands have [excluded offs]," he said. "You can't convince me that these chiefs are providing any services to those people. I don't buy that argument at all. It's not a matter of my opinion versus the AFN; evidence is there."
