Leaders see Liberal win as promising

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Native leaders across Canada are heralding the Liberal party's federal election victory as a possible Second Coming for Aboriginals in Canada.

At the very least, they see it as a vast improvement over the Progressive Conservatives. And in that, they're probably right. The Conservatives had no understanding of Native issues or the needs of the First Nations in general. Mulroney's handling of Oka, the gradual but savage cancellation of federal funding for Native programs and the introduction of on-reserve taxation are only three examples of how far removed Mulroney's Ottawa was from the realities of Native life.

Kim Campbell didn't fare much better. Campbell appointed Pauline Browes as Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs. At her very first conference with northern leaders, Browes alienated everyone by saying Ottawa would never recognize Natives' inherent right to self-government. Campbell went on to further alienate Natives during her election campaign by simply refusing to discuss First Nations' issues.

So now we have Jean Chretien and Native leaders from B.C. to Labradaor are feeling better about their futures. Metis National Council head Gerald Morin, Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs head Saul Terry and even Ovide Mercredi himself all said the Liberal agenda offers Natives the chance to pursue their own interests with them in a way that they never could with the PCs. The Liberals were the only party that came up with an extensive Aboriginal platform during the campaign and that leaves Native politicians with something to hold the new government to.

But let's also keep in mind that it was a Chretien who introduced the White Paper back in 1969, a policy aimed at breaking up the department of Indian Affairs. Chretien was also round when Ottawa was making unpopular policy on land claims.

Let's also keep in mind the Bloc Quebecois are (at the time of publication) the official opposition. Natives across Canada have to deal with an opposition whose first priority is breaking up the country. Natives in Quebec now have he duty of dealing with an unsympathetic separatist government on both the provincial and national level.

The Reform party is no friend to Natives, either. Although some Aboriginal leaders have accused the party of out-right racism, the Reform movement is more inclined to hinder First Nations development out of ignorance rather than deliberate malice.

And finally, there's the economy. Even if we can educate the Reformers, placate the Bloc and trust the Liberals to follow through on their promises, there's still a crippled economy out there that sucks up many of the dollars that could be going to First Nations development.

Realistically, Aboriginal issues will take a back seat to the other interests in Canada as long as the nation is sinking under a $300 billion debt and a $38 billion annual deficit. The government may have changed but the game remains the same.