Harper to meet with Chief Spence/First Nations leaders

[grammafreddy]

I'm sure Spence will be glad to know you've got her on a pedestal and the mismanagement of funds falls on the shoulders of the federal government.

Don't be silly. I don't place her on any pedestal - and I have said repeatedly that there is probably corruption there. What you are not getting is that there is corruption on all levels at play there and to just look and point daggers at one part of it is wrong and does not tell the whole story of why things are as they are on just about any reservation in Canada with any of their Nations.

Chief Spence is chief to just one group - not to all of them.

She asked for help long before she went public with this housing crisis - and nothing was done. That's why she went to the media. Why is that so hard to understand?

I am not siding with her - I am simply putting out more of the whole picture than what any of you or Ezra or the other media are doing. This is just one very small part of the total disdain the Canadian government has toward all native people in Canada and it is nothing new.

The crown signed treaties with these people across Canada and they did not honour those treaties. Now the native people have said "enough" and I think this is just the beginning of a whole new era in how native peoples will be standing up for themselves. The people tried to come to some agreements with the Kelowna Accord and Harper shot those down after they were signed and did not honour them.

Every change of government, every new Indian Affairs Minister implements new rules, new ways, new requirements and the people who are largely uneducated are forced to try to figure out how they will go about following those rules. Everyone has different ideas about how best to "help" these people but in the end, there is not the "help" that matters the most when they need it the most - as in this case with the housing in Attawapiskat.

The whole story is far too complicated, far too mired in suspicion and distrust and lack of respect for too many native peoples over too long a time. But trying to nail one chief to the cross for something she may or may not be responsible for is hardly very fair if you don't care about the rest of the story.

And I sure wouldn't be taking Ezra's word as anything gospel. He is milking it and that, to me, just stinks.

[grammafreddy]

If the govt has such control over how this band spends their money then why are there so many holes in their fininacial record books?

An excellent question - and one I have also asked. Why has the government's side of the books been equally full of holes? Has the band been blackmailed into kickbacks and both parties have hidden those funds?

A story you say GF. The spending spread sheets speak for themselves. You can not manipulate those spread sheets.

Who manipulated the government's spread sheets? Would you not expect those ones to be accurate and complete with all documentation in place? They weren't. Why not?

[grammafreddy]

9,000,000 would go a long way in repairs.

The people and the band do not own those houses. The government does.

Would you not expect your landlord to make the repairs and pay for them? When I was a renter, I needed a new roof and I sure as hell didn't think I should be the one to hire a contractor and pay for it out of my pocket. I waited for that new roof for 2.5 years before he finally fixed it and I constantly hounded him about it.

It also occurs to me that perhaps this advanced money was money the band advanced from their funds to perhaps pay for things like that - the band member used their money and the band compensated (advanced) them that money, then waited for the government to cut the cheque to repay the band.

Just a thought.

[Captain Awesome]

Perhaps you should download their financial statements and see what their balance sheet looks like (what they own - including $43M in buildings and $1M in vehicles), and what their revenue looks like ($34M), including their investment portfolio ($9M) statements.

[Ken7]

I like those ideas Graham.

I'd also like to know how the audit could have been done for the past number of years with such deficiencies apparent and not have some sort of full inquiry long before now? Who they need to report these finding to and what occurs at that point is definitely something that needs a major adjustment.

I wonder what the Minister of Indian Affairs would say when asked htat question? Is it not his ministry that is responsible and should be held accountable for this mess that the ccountry in in on this issue?

Maybe a group of TAXPAYING Canadians should go and bang drums and demand answer from Ottawa. I think we are all being played by two sides... the Natives and our Government.

[waterwings]

The "people do not own those houses the government does" simply makes my blood boil. IF the people were not paying rent what was wrong with throwing a pail or two of paint on the houses to show the government up and have the people have some PRIDE in their community. Why the devil did they not have a blockade because they needed new roofs. Why didn't the people put new roofs on the houses and sue the federal government to be repaid. That would have smartened some one up.

IDLE NO MORE means going ato work in more ways than one.

[Ken7]

Perhaps you should download their financial statements and see what their balance sheet looks like (what they own - including $43M in buildings and $1M in vehicles), and what their revenue looks like ($34M), including their investment portfolio ($9M) statements.

I'd love to be the FORD dealer closet to that reserve. Thats alot of Ford F250 with cassette decks and all!!

[grammafreddy]

Perhaps you should download their financial statements and see what their balance sheet looks like (what they own - including $43M in buildings and $1M in vehicles), and what their revenue looks like ($34M), including their investment portfolio ($9M) statements.

link?

[Captain Awesome]

link?

http://www.attawapiskat.org/financial-statements/

[Ken7]

The "people do not own those houses the government does" simply makes my blood boil. IF the people were not paying rent what was wrong with throwing a pail or two of paint on the houses to show the government up and have the people have some PRIDE in their community. Why the devil did they not have a blockade because they needed new roofs. Why didn't the people put new roofs on the houses and sue the federal government to be repaid. That would have smartened some one up.

IDLE NO MORE means going ato work in more ways than one.

I said it before nad will say it again,

If you get a car or a house for nothing what is the value of it to you?? Therefore if I wreck it so what, they will build me another. That is the problem.

What if your home became unliveable and it was your responsability to show why it is no longer liveable. You became responsible for upkeep. You were given a housing allowance to keep glass in the holes ( windows) and doors hanging and shingles to keep the water from coming in... how would that work? If you failed to put the money into the home then your SOL...

Ok, I was dreaming, no differant then spending severl million for the past three years at that reserve and still no GD houses!

[zzontar]

The people and the band do not own those houses. The government does.

Would you not expect your landlord to make the repairs and pay for them? When I was a renter, I needed a new roof and I sure as hell didn't think I should be the one to hire a contractor and pay for it out of my pocket. I waited for that new roof for 2.5 years before he finally fixed it and I constantly hounded him about it.

If my landlord let me live in a house rent-free my whole life, I wouldn't expect him to have to do and pay for upkeep, how greedy is that?

[grammafreddy]

If my landlord let me live in a house rent-free my whole life, I wouldn't expect him to have to do and pay for upkeep, how greedy is that?

Is it rent free? I don't know that.

[kibbs]

i guess shes juppin off the band wagon herself ,good for idle no more.hopefully the focus will get to whats important.the change of our environmental laws to accommodate the flow of energy.

[Ken7]

i guess shes juppin off the band wagon herself ,good for idle no more.hopefully the focus will get to whats important.the change of our environmental laws to accommodate the flow of energy.

idle no more.jpg

I believe the message these two are giving is, "It's our land, get out!"

They believe they are the landlord, and Canadian settlers are the tenants.

[zzontar]

Is it rent free? I don't know that.

Put it this way, how many status natives do you ever hear about who are being kicked off of their res because they were unemployed and couldn't pay the rent?