Harper to meet with Chief Spence/First Nations leaders

[zzontar]

I wonder if the people in the community that are living in deplorable houses are privity to these joke of so called financial reports done by their "chief".

Chief Spence wouldn't allow the media onto the reserve to find out.

[Libelle]

I wonder why that is? Maybe because her community would turn against her?

[Libelle]

Good question. Unless there's two sets of cooked books - the band's and the government's. Kickbacks, blackmail ... who knows?

Why woud the govts books be crooked? Blackmail? Say what? So the govt is blackmailing the band to have crrooked books? That is priceless! What would the govt gain by that? Uhh nothing!

[Libelle]

They have been asking for a school. Repeatedly. The government did not allocate money for a new school for them. I read in one article a while ago that the kids wear their parkas, mitts and boots in whatever they are using for a school now because it is so cold in there.

I don't know how the timeline for the school or the arena fit together. They may not have been on the agenda at the same time.

They also asked for repairs to their existing homes but the government saw fit to buy 22 new modulars - but didn't allocate the funding for putting the doublewides together or for finishing them off inside so they could be lived in.

Their financial statement that I looked at had some pretty substantial CMHC debt - and some massive debt servicing costs.

So are you saying that the band choose to build an arena instead of a school?

[erinmore3775]

Inside Attawapiskat's financial troubles
Deloitte's audit of northern Ontario First Nation is not the first to raise questions about finances
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/01/09/f-attawapiskat-finances-faq.html

This article and the comments attached to it make for some interesting reading.

Attawapiskat has been under co-management for over a decade, except for a brief period that ended in April 2012, when it was under a higher level of intervention called third-party management. That action was taken following Spence's declaration of a housing emergency on the Attawapiskat reserve in November 2011. Spence had denounced that move as blaming the victim and called it imposing "a colonial Indian agent."

When he ended third-party management last April, Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan said it was "in recognition of the accomplishments that have been achieved."

What is most disturbing is that the government has been aware of this situation for years and the report since the summer and they have done little to alleviate the situation. There is more than enough blame to go around, now is the time for solutions. A very simple beginning would be the requirement for rudimentary computer programs to be put in place to monitor credits and debits, bank and investment accounts, and employee payments. The place to start with accountability maybe Quicken Books.

[grammafreddy]

So are you saying that the band choose to build an arena instead of a school?

No. I don't see it as an either/or situation.

They wanted an arena so they baked the cupcakes, grilled the hot dogs and raised the money to get that arena. I say kudos to them for accomplishing that.

When the people of Kelowna wanted a new arena, how many cupcakes did they bake?

I don't see that it was up to the natives to fund raise to build a new school. People off reserves are not expected to provide their schools. Why should the natives have to? I saw in their financial statements they are paying for a teacherage - do we provide the homes for the teachers here? Why should they? Sometimes a teacherage is a combination school and teacher's residence - in which case they would also be paying for the school. I wonder if they also pay the teachers' wages and pensions and benefits?

I find it quite shameful the government has not provided a decent heated school building for those kids in all this time. How can kids learn properly when they have to wear their outside clothes in class and sit there shivering instead of learning? If your kids' school was not heated, would you still send your kids to school? How loud would you be yelling for government to remedy the situation?

[oneh2obabe]

Chiefs demand fundamental change but can’t guarantee they’ll meet Prime Minister Stephen Harper

Joanna Smith and Bruce Campion-Smith
Ottawa Bureau

OTTAWA—First Nations leaders are demanding Prime Minister Stephen Harper commit to fundamentally changing the relationship between Canada and its indigenous peoples, but they could not guarantee their planned Friday meeting would actually take place.

“It is time we broke through the paralysis and endless broken promises and it is time to act,” National Chief Shawn Atleo told a news conference in Ottawa on Thursday that had been delayed by a day as the Assembly of First Nations continued discussing the demands they expected to put on the table.

Frustration over decades of disappointment was on display as chiefs warned Harper with an uncompromising tone to take this mission seriously or face the wrath of a young and energetic Idle No More protest movement prepared to disrupt the Canadian economy.

They also had a warning for Atleo, who late into the night Thursday was appealing to dissenting chiefs — including his main political rival — to focus on progress rather than logistics as they threatened to boycott the meeting unless it happened on their turf and their terms.

The Assembly of First Nations has come up with a list of short- and long-term demands that would lead to a restoration of the nation-to-nation relationship envisioned by treaties signed between indigenous peoples and the Crown in the 18th century and revamped for the modern day.

“The treaties were not meant to make us poor in our homelands, but that is what you see,” said Saskatchewan Regional Chief Perry Bellegarde, who appeared alongside Atleo and B.C. Regional Chief Jody Wilson-Raybould at the news conference.

The “high-level commitments” the chiefs are seeking from Harper include:

• a new institution through the PMO or the Privy Council Office to look at the implementation and enforcement of treaties;

• designating a minister, possibly Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver, to bring together First Nations and provincial premiers to figure out how they can share revenues from resource development;

• a new “fiscal relationship” that would allow federal funding to increase with inflation and be based on total population living both on and off reserves;

• a public inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women;

• ensuring there is a school in every aboriginal community;

• reviewing the sections of recently passed omnibus budget implementation bills that have to do with environmental oversight to see if the Conservative government complied with its duty to consult First Nations.

Even as Atleo laid out his vision for a transformed relationship, he was coming under growing pressure from chiefs across Canada not to meet with Harper on Friday unless the prime minister comes to the downtown hotel where the Assembly of First Nations has been meeting this week and brings Gov. Gen. David Johnston with him.

Johnston has agreed to meet First Nations leaders, but at his Rideau Hall residence after the working meeting.

Pam Palmater, who placed second to Atleo in the Assembly of First Nations election last year, said Atleo has no authority to go to the meeting in the face of the chiefs’ opposition.

“If the AFN decided to go to that meeting against the will and decision of the chiefs, then the AFN would no longer be valid representative organization ... that’s as simple as it gets,” she told reporters.

Wallace Fox, chief of the Onion Lake Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, said First Nations leaders would have to control meeting’s agenda.

“No longer will the PM dictate to us. If we have to shut down this economy, then we will,” said Fox.

In own his remarks Thursday night, Atleo appealed for unity, saying that “difficult” work needs to be done.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/poli ... ay-meeting

[kibbs]

In own his remarks Thursday night, Atleo appealed for unity, saying that “difficult” work needs to be done.

pages of bean count banter finally a post that is about the issue,thankyou.i wonder how much they can stall the economy.ill bet shawn didnt sleep last night.ill bet steves head is spinning nin.

[twobits]

i wonder how much they can stall the economy.

Probably enough to ensure your kid doesn't get the free education you were pining for.

If economic sabotage is their tactic, I hope they fill the jails with them

[Ken7]

So you are saying the community built an arena with the money they raised themselves especially to build one but are you suggesting that money should have gone to building a school instead?

Do parents down here fundraise to build schools for their kids? Why should native communities have to raise funds to build their schools?

Hell, they even expect government to build the arenas down here - they wouldn't have bingos and hot dog sales to build it themselves.

Heres' a story of the school and arena build.

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/12/02/cr ... management

After seeing they could not find volunteers to distribute heaters, and clothing to the young and old on TV. I have a very difficult time believing that this community had a Volunteer group that worked there butts off raising money to build a rink.

It is possible though that the missing money, which was requested for school, and housing ended up in one big pile. The call it a RINK. You can send you kids their and have Aunty care for them.

Can you imagine what kind of fund raising it would take when there are little or no large corporations on their land to raise enough to build a rink. Hot dog sales and garage sales just will not cut it.

I don't believe it for a minute they raised the money in a charitable way without large sums coming out of the BAND money, which was fraudulently obtained if that is the case.

If there is anything positive about what I suggest may of occurred. It is at the very least something tangible came out of the miss-spending of Band money, the COMMUNITY might enjoy this arena until it is run into the ground and the roof falls in from lack of maintenance.

That brings me to, maybe I'm part Indian also, I always thought hockey was better for me than school.

[Roadster]

They want and they want and they want,,, this, that and everything else,,, any mention of what part they will take in getting all of these things? Now they Want the meetings on their turf,,, boy no satisfaction!

I wonder who will make 8 thousand dollars a month to run them tiny schools,,,

[Ken7]

They want and they want and they want,,, this, that and everything else,,, any mention of what part they will take in getting all of these things? Now they Want the meetings on their turf,,, boy no satisfaction!

I wonder who will make 8 thousand dollars a month to run them tiny schools,,,

Right now they are trying to hold the Government hostage and are trying to get the Candians on side by "Oh poor us". No-one wants to listen.

In reality this missmanagment on one reserve is firing up TAXPAYERS like me on this issue which yes has to be resolved!

My father used to say " You can fool some of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time!!"

[zzontar]

After seeing they could not find volunteers to distribute heaters, and clothing to the young and old on TV. I have a very difficult time believing that this community had a Volunteer group that worked there butts off raising money to build a rink.

My thoughts exactly.

[rutland1]

Every time I see chief Spence on the news she looks fatter and fatter. The broth must be mighty hearthy. If you remember the hunger strikers in Ireland in the 70's, they lost alot of weight after 1 month, not put it on. This whole hunger strike is a farce.

[zzontar]

Even if there's solid proof of financial wrong-doings by the band's leaders, the natives refuse to ever even slightly acknowledge that the problem could be internal... wacky. And although they are the only nation in the world that's entitled to free land, free housing, no taxes, and hunting and fishing all year long, they're going to take US hostage? Wow. Maybe their plan is to cost the taxpayers trillions instead of billions, and on top of all the freebies I'm sure that'll get everyone's sympathy.