Harper to meet with Chief Spence/First Nations leaders

[grammafreddy]

Actually, WFN band members do share in the revenue - they get a check ... not sure if it's every month or every quarter.

Is it an equal cheque to what the chief and the band councillors get?

[oneh2obabe]

Is it an equal cheque to what the chief and the band councillors get?

And you need to know this why? The chief and councillors get a yearly salary - not sure if they get the monthly/quarterly cheque.

[grammafreddy]

Is it an equal cheque to what the chief and the band councillors get?

And you need to know this why? The chief and councillors get a yearly salary - not sure if they get the monthly/quarterly cheque.

Because I am snoopy?

I think more people should question where the money goes. If rich bands have poor folks, there's gotta be a reason why.

[johnhenry]

Not sure if any one has posted this link yet..............

http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/video/2070949556001#.UOYHtvhZMAp.facebook

[kibbs]

if you look at all the media resources this story has sucked up ,you could build that town over 3 times.

[grammafreddy]

if you look at all the media resources this story has sucked up ,you could build that town over 3 times.

Only with the federal government's permission.

[grammafreddy]

Not sure if any one has posted this link yet..............

http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/video/2070949556001#.UOYHtvhZMAp.facebook

Yup, it has.

[grammafreddy]

It absolutely gags me to post the source of this article but I will anyway ... because there is some good information in it.

http://elizabethmaymp.ca/news/publicati ... f-failure/

The Attawapiskat audit: Distracting us from a legacy of failure
On Wednesday, January 9th, 2013 in Articles by Elizabeth

The tensions surrounding First Nations and the federal government are, perhaps, at an all-time high.

I had hoped the Prime Minister’s decision to meet with First Nations leadership this Friday was a hopeful sign of a new beginning in building nation to nation respectful relationships. Perhaps it could finally be the beginning of implementing the 1996 Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples.

Unfortunately, there is an ugly tone in the air as Conservative spokespeople, such as Senator Patrick Brazeau, line up in the media to take pot shots at Chief Theresa Spence. Although the Attawapiskat audit covers 2005-2011, Theresa Spence was only elected chief in 2010.

The release of the audit of Attawapiskat band finances is heralded by some as evidence of – what exactly? – that the housing crisis in First Nations communities is the fault of their leadership? The audit is not evidence of fraud, but shows an unacceptable level of expenditures for which proper documentation was not provided. It does not suggest the money was spent improperly. We simply do not know. Finger pointing and attacks will not help build a relationship based on respect for treaty and inherent indigenous rights.

So let’s just step back for a moment and admit what everyone knows. Millions of dollars in federal funding for indigenous peoples goes to non-indigenous consultants and lawyers and the bureaucracy supposedly at the service of First Nations communities. Many First Nations communities could benefit from better book keeping and financial controls, but so too could the federal government as the Auditor General has frequently reported. There is a reason that former Auditor General Sheila Fraser dedicated so much of her final report to the unacceptable multiple failures of the federal government in delivering on goals in meeting minimum obligations to First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples. In 2005 and again in 2011, the Auditor General set out a litany of abuse. In a report prepared by Sheila Fraser and released by her successor, she noted, “I am profoundly disappointed to note … that despite federal action in response to our recommendations over the years, a disproportionate number of First Nations people still lack the most basic services that other Canadians take for granted.” She did not point fingers at the individual communities, but rather at the Department of Aboriginal Affairs for relying on vague policy rather than the kind of clear legislation found at the provincial level to meet non-indigenous needs for health, housing, water and education.

So, just as the Idle No More movement was not an off-shoot of Chief Spence’s hunger strike, neither is the audit of Attawapiskat’s finances a relevant response to the litany of undeniable and shameful neglect of the treaty obligations of the nation of Canada to the people on whose land we live and whose resources make us wealthy.

Numerous Supreme Court decisions make it clear that the federal government, as well as private sector corporations with an eye of First Nations’ lands and resources, have a duty to consult. Yet, numerous legislative changes made by the Harper Conservatives over the last year had no advance consultation, despite significant impact on First Nations. Both Omnibus bills, C-38 and C-45, had significant impacts on First Nations, without consultation. The Canada-China Investment Treaty, signed by the Prime Minister in early September and not yet ratified, could also have huge impacts on First Nations, yet there was no consultation. From neglect, we seem to have moved seamlessly to an assault on First Nations, as though we could erase Constitutionally-enshrined rights should they stand in the way of mines, dams and pipelines. The issue of non-consultation should be addressed immediately.

The abandonment of the 2005 Kelowna Accord was the beginning of numerous blows, including cutting the following programmes aimed at redressing the scandalous disparity in health outcomes between indigenous and non-indigenous Canadians: health awareness programmes curbing tobacco addiction, Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative, the Aboriginal Health Human Resources Initiative, the Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy, the Aboriginal Health Transition Fund, the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Program, the Maternal and Child Health Program, and the Blood Borne Diseases and Sexually Transmitted Infections/HIV/AIDS Program. As well, institutions to assist in understanding the disparities, such as the National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO) and First Nations Statistical Institute (FNSI), have been axed. As well, the high cost of food and fuel in the North is a serious problem and remains unaddressed.

Despite all the evidence, we owe it to the embryonic potential of Idle No More to hope that all leaders present will rise to a new level of decency and respect – towards each other and towards the peoples and lands they represent. As the first indigenous leader of Bolivia has done, could we not begin to discuss the constitutional protection of nature itself? Could we not start designing a path to replace the Indian Act, establish a set of meaningful goals to ensure that all children on this piece of Turtle Island, indigenous and non-indigenous, have equal access to proper education, safe drinking water, decent health care and safe housing? Could we not live up to our promises of treaties past and lay the groundwork to a future premised on the respectful sharing of this land? I believe we can. In fact, we must.

Elizabeth May is the Member of Parliament for Saanich-Gulf Islands and Leader of the Green Party of Canada.

[LoneWolf_53]

Of course it is. Can you apply the same thought to Chief Spence? Perhaps she is "a very smart business person", too.

How is it that WFN has very well to do business men in their ranks when their incomes have been derived from band revenue but the other band members have not shared in this revenue? Does band revenue not belong to all people on the reserves equally?

To the Spence part I highly doubt she's a very smart business woman. A smart one wouldn't be sleeping with the band co-manager and not see some of what she's been doing as blatant conflicts of interest.

You don't think there's good reason that she's had her police chase reporters away, and put up a fight where anyone taking a closer look at finances is concerned?

I think you are confusing some aspects of being native with others.

Why would a native business man be obliged to share his income with other people? The WFN has some that have quite diverse business interests and they are entrepreneurs just like anyone else out there is able to be.

[grammafreddy]

To the Spence part I highly doubt she's a very smart business woman. A smart one wouldn't be sleeping with the band co-manager and not see some of what she's been doing as blatant conflicts of interest.

You don't think there's good reason that she's had her police chase reporters away, and put up a fight where anyone taking a closer look at finances is concerned?

I think you are confusing some aspects of being native with others.

Why would a native business man be obliged to share his income with other people? The WFN has some that have quite diverse business interests and they are entrepreneurs just like anyone else out there is able to be.

Yeah, I agree - Chief Spence is probably not the smartest business person around. That's why I wondered earlier what her level of education was. As for the conflict of interest, that was addressed earlier in this thread. When Kennedy was hired, the band was placed by the government into a very short timeline to get someone hired and his company was one of five that had submitted applications for the contract. None of the other contractors could meet the government's deadline and her relationship with Kennedy was well known to the selection committee, the band, the chief then and councillors, and the government. There was no conflict of interest apparently.

Personal income is different than band income. Band income is derived from a variety of sources - including taxation and rents and various fees for service on residences and businesses located on band lands. Kudos to any person who can operate a successful business on the reservation (or off it for that matter).

Just out of curiosity, there are a number of shopping centres located on band land - right? And a number of those stores are sitting empty - right? How does one derive income from empty buildings and who owns the empty buildings on the band land? Feel free to correct me if my supposition is wrong. I don't mind being educated at all.

[LoneWolf_53]

Well I don't have particulars, so now I'm going to do some speculating. There are a few like Derrickson for example, that have the smarts, and deep enough pockets to take advantage of the recession, labor and materials are cheaper right now, so it's only good business to pop up some buildings at a much lower cost per square foot, even if they sit empty for a while, in anticipation of things improving again, at which time they'll rent them out easily enough and rake in the money again.

Not saying that's the case, but it wouldn't surprise me at all, and it makes sense.

[grammafreddy]

Well I don't have particulars, so now I'm going to do some speculating.

I get called on the mat when I do that

[LoneWolf_53]

I get called on the mat when I do that

You know what they say........... "What goes around, comes around".

[kibbs]

It absolutely gags me to post the source of this article but I will anyway .

I love E May she rocks and has done great thing for this country ,since she was a kid!Grannys goin green

[twobits]

Just out of curiosity, there are a number of shopping centres located on band land - right? And a number of those stores are sitting empty - right? How does one derive income from empty buildings and who owns the empty buildings on the band land? Feel free to correct me if my supposition is wrong. I don't mind being educated at all.

You have to remember that the lands those buildings sit on are native lands that cannot be sold and thus are only leased. They are long term leases, so long in fact (some 99 yrs) that one can say from a building/commercial aspect, the lands are sold. The lands are either owned by the band (the collective) or individual locatee owners. So when these lands get built on, it is either the band or the locatee owner that recieves the lease payment. It does not mean the land owner built the buildings but in the WFN case, I could see some of the members wealthy enough to do such projects. Derrickson comes to mind. Bottom line is the revenue stream to the band or locatee owner is from the land lease. They could probably care less if the buildings are empty. If the builder/developer were unable to fufill the land lease obligations, the property would likely be seized just as it would be off reserve but it would not diminish the land owners interest in the lands. Actually the opposite would be true. Not only would the rights awarded with the lease be returned to them, they would now also have a valuable asset sitting on it that they could now lease out for an even higher amount.