Tensions mount over C-19

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Six Nations of the Grand River band councillor Dave General admited he travelled to Saskatchewan to make a few waves. Little did he know he would be caught in a riptide of conflicting currents.

It was late in the afternoon of May 19, the second day in the three-day Assembly of First Nations Confederacy. Indian Affairs Minister Andy Mitchell had just addressed the chiefs. National Chief Phil Fontaine spoke to the minister from the main podium. He said he personally supported C-19 [the financial institutions legislation now renamed C-23], but because of a resolution of the assembly not to support it "I haven't been able to express my support in a way that reassures the people that believe in it. These good, honorable people who have worked very, very hard. They see this legislation as a way out for their communities."

He said that if an election was to be called for June 28, every piece of legislation on the order paper would die, including C-19.

"I would hope that we can find a way out of this. I would hope that we could arrive at a place where all of the views could receive some comfort that their needs are being considered," Fontaine said.

General was one of the many First Nations leaders who lobbied aggressively against the suite of governance legislation that included the financial institutions legislation. He appeared very angry when Fontaine was making his remarks to the minister.

General, who was entitled to speak to the assembly because he held the proxy for the Similkameen First Nation in British Columbia, did not take long before he made his feelings known. "I'll be blunt national chief, I was disgusted to see you groveling before this confederacy."

General had told Windspeaker moments earlier that he found it "Disgusting that the national chief was groveling before this assembly for the life of C-23, claiming that it would represent significant work for a large number of First Nations when it doesn't... I don't mind the national chief, when he's lobbying inside the office and I don't think he minds us being in the galleries and in the committee rooms and seeing the senators and the members in their offices, but groveling before a national assembly is absolutely disgusting," he said. "I think everybody was in such shock that nobody stood up and said BS."

General repeated those comments to the assembly.

Fontaine, clearly furious, moved the microphone at the head table.

"That deserves a response," he said. "I have never, ever in my life groveled anywhere. This is something I strongly believe in. I don't appreciate your language. It's petty and immature on your part."

Several minutes passed as the assembled chiefs and delegates processed the unexpected rise in intensity. Suddenly, the entire British Columbia section was standing silently. Herbert Morven, representative of Nisga'a President Joseph Gosnell, solemnly moved to the front of the room. He spoke in his Native language first with great emotion, almost tearful. He apologized for the words of the "proxy of B.C." to the host province and to the national chief for using "words that do not bring unity."

"At home, if this happened, a chieftain would bring Mr. General to you and ask you to take his hand," he said. He walked to the centre of the circle and invited General to shake hands with Fontaine. The Six Nations councillor representing a B.C. First Nation raised his hands and remained in his chair. "With all due respect, no," he said.

"But he's not prepared, so I will," Morden said, shaking Fontaine's hand.

Many other chiefs joined the B.C. delegation as they stood silently watching the Nisga'a Elder. Several chiefs, including a couple from Ontario, rebuked General. Only Chief Harold Sault of Red Rock First Nation suggested that Fontaine was wrong to have spoken out in favor of the bill.

At the end of the day, Elders Billy Two Rivers and Fred Kelly dealt with the bad feelings left in the room with a smudging eremony.

"The words of anger have been buried beneath the tree of peace," said Two Rivers at its conclusion. "Peace, love and harmony have been restored and our house has been cleansed."

Before General's criticism of Fontaine, the national chief was asked by Windspeaker if he was pleading for continued life for the financial institutions legislation.

"No, what I said was that there are chiefs, officials and others that have worked long and hard to secure C-19 or C-23. For those people, and there are a good number of them, the election that will be called momentarily will mean that C-23 will die on the order paper. There'll be a lot of disappointed people. The other thing I talked about is that it's been highly divisive, highly controversial and that's not good because it isn't something that we designed to divide our community. It was designed in such a way that the interests of all of our people was represented. So we have to find a way of ensuring that the interests of those people that believe in this will be respected."