A CANADA FOR ABORIGINALS; BLOG # 136; JUNE 20,2014

THE MESSAGE:

ABORIGINALS SPEAK OUT

BASED ON A SERIES OF ARTICLES FROM TORONTO'S GLOBE AND MAIL

PHIL FONTAINE

At 30 years old, he was an angry man. Consider his history. Fontaine was a survivor of sexual abuse at a residential school; separated from his parents at a young age and prohibited from speaking his native language.  This Anishinaabe from Manitoba was elected at the age of 29 as chief for the Sagkeeng First Nation, situated east of Lake Winnipeg. By his own account, he was impatient and belligerent, especially in his dealings with government bureaucrats.

Fontaine, the former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, mellowed over the years. He became convinced he could do more for aboriginal people through compromise and pragmatic action than angry radicalism. He remains passionate about the need for Canada to address the appalling poverty among First Nations people. He sees resource development as one way to end that poverty.

Mr. Fontaine shrugs off  personal attacks, reflecting the grit of a battle-scarred veteran who survived and prospered for years in the rough world of aboriginal politics. “It isn’t personal he says. No more than the insults and opposition and criticism I experienced when I was chief in my community, grand chief in Manitoba, or national chief for nine years. It’s to be expected. One shouldn’t be surprised and neither should one be offended.”

FONTAINE LISTS SOME PERTINENT FACTS

• There is Shortage of housing units on First Nations reserves of 85,000 units.
  
• 47 Percent of communities are in need of a new school.
• There are 40 First Nation reserves with no school. 
• 74 Percent of schools currently require major repairs.
  
• 116 First Nations communities in Canada are under a drinking water advisory (roughly one in five communities).
• 27000 Aboriginal children are in “care” on and off reserve.
  
• The funding gap for on-reserve schools compared to public schools in the rest of the country is between $3,000 and $4,000 per child.

DOUG RIFFEL

This former Wabauskang First Nation chief founded a forestry company just off-reserve in Northern Ontario in 1997. Since then, Mr. Riffel says annual revenues of Makoose Wood Innovations, which employs eight local workers, are just over $1-million.

Riffel comments on the future of aboriginal leadership and says:
The most significant problem right now, is the different levels of First Nations governance bumping heads. Example: The Grand Chief of a particular treaty area is faced with  bands that want to speak for themselves. 

The answer for the future is twofold.  

1. More band council transparency.  Band councils must tell community members exactly what certain programs do.
   
   The community must be aware of where the money goes and how the chief spends his or her time.  
2. Individuals have to take responsibility for their lives including those of their immediate family.

Mr. Riffel's vision for the future of the Assembly of First Nations.

1. Whomever is elected national chief should be willing to build a relationship with Ottawa and the resource development sector: “It’s not the chief’s job to say, ‘No, no, no,’ to the government. The chief is there to represent the people.”
2. The biggest aboriginal challenge centres on dependancy.  The reality is we need to evolve and have economies and structured governments. We need to do this on our own. You can throw money at problems all you want, but it’s really about developing the capacity internally.”
3. The biggest professional challenge is illustrated by my personal experience. Industry and government were initially reluctant to recognize my business: There’s a feeling that if it’s not band-owned then it’s not legitimate. But now that is changing.
   
4. Hope for the future. All we want is the chance. He sees a whole new world for aboriginal kids. They have the confidence to know they can do whatever they want to do.

KENT MONKMAN

He is a celebrated  artist of Cree and Irish ancestry.  His work has been featured across the country, including at the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario and at Rideau Hall. Kent grew up in Winnipeg.

Monkman comments on the future of aboriginal leadership.

Mr. Monkman points out that at the height of 'Idle No More', Prime Minister Stephen Harper refused to meet with one of its key figures, Chief Theresa Spence. (Tony applauds Harper's decision on the basis of Spence's lack of honesty, integrity and transparency) 

What’s ahead, he says, is going to depend on whether the Harper government acknowledges the legitimacy of aboriginal voices as the structure of aboriginal leadership is changing.Regarding the future of the Assembly of First Nations:

1. It could go toward a more conciliatory direction, or the opposite; he says, “Who knows. I can’t predict which way it will go.”
2. The biggest aboriginal challenge is in the area of treaty issues and governance structures defined by the Indian Act.
   
   “There needs to be a redefining of the relationship with the Crown.
3. ”The biggest professional challenge is the “ghettoization” of aboriginal art in museums. “You get kind of relegated to the aboriginal wing, instead of just being considered a contemporary artist. That still happens.”
4. The greatest sign of hope: “First Nations youth have become much better at defining themselves. First Nations people have become much better, through social media, at showing a kind of collective force.”

ELLEN MELCOSKY

Ellen Melcosky is a 66-year-old of Shuswap heritage. She  heard “no” from nearly every lender she approached to fund her gourmet smoked salmon business.
 But 20 years later, her secret recipe is sold in stores worldwide. Her company, Little Miss Chief, employs local fishermen and artists, and is packaged and warehoused in British Columbia.

Melcosky comments on the future of Aboriginal Leadership. There are so many smart, young people out there, and I think we’re going to see them taking over some of the leadership roles in the near future. 

Regarding the future of the Assembly of First Nations:

1. Ms. Melcosky says the AFN isn’t so fragile that the resignation of one person threatens its existence or relevance. But for it to thrive, its next leader needs to reconcile the differences across treaty territories and bands. “The problem is we don’t all work together,” 
2. The biggest aboriginal challenge is that many of our people don’t have the means or access to get health care.The education and health of our people are really important.  Understanding how the government works and how to access certain services are key. 
3. The biggest professional challenge that I encountered lay in the challenge of acquiring  start-up funds. When banks and bands wouldn’t back her, she turned to friends, family and a provincial organization. A few years later, she was able to secure a Grant and a Line of Credit. 
4. The greatest sign of hope is in seeing young people at the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards, and how they grabbed opportunity and totally excelled.

JOHN CHABOT

John Chabot, a 51-year-old from the Kitigan Zibi community in Quebec, played for the Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings. He was an assistant coach for the New York Islanders. Chabot retired in 2001 and now runs the First Assist Initiative, which uses sport to engage with young northern aboriginals.

The future of aboriginal leadership dictates that we have to move forward with the times.  He questions the effectiveness of the status quo but thinks the AFN remains relevant.

Chabot comments on the future of the Assembly of First Nations:

1. I’d like to see the AFN, or its successor,  be in the future, self-funded by aboriginal communities.
   
   Presently, we’re funded by the Federal Government, and that doesn’t give us a firm footing to negotiate.
2. The biggest aboriginal challenge is in Education. Mr. Chabot is skeptical of the government’s First Nations education bill. He agrees that First Nations education needs reworking, but he says there wasn’t adequate consultation on the plan.
3. The biggest professional challenge for him was a perceived prejudice.  He cites this example. I had a teammate one time come up to me and say, ‘You’re not anything like what I thought an Indian would be,’ and I asked, ‘What was I supposed to be?"
4. The greatest sign of hope: There exists a strong core of educated First Nations people who have come back to their communities to implement what they’ve learned. “I’ve seen a huge improvement since the 1980s.”

ERICA RYAN-GAGNÉ

Erica Ryan-Gagné, 30, started her first salon while working three part-time jobs. She now runs Eri-Cut and Nailed, serving hundreds of clients on the remote island reserve of Skidegate, B.C. and has won several aboriginal achievement awards.

The future of aboriginal leadership: “The time is now for us to be the change; to be the leaders, to show the way; to teach our children and take responsibility for ourselves.”

Regarding the future of the Assembly of First Nations:

1. She believes the AFN is absolutely still relevant.  But the next national chief should be able to unite and inspire. “Not everybody is going to get along and agree ... but the reality is that we need a strong voice."
2. The biggest aboriginal challenge: “There’s a really scary and disheartening dependence on the federal government and band government.
   
   I’d love for people to wake up, find their gift, take that gift and meet a demand. Make money and take control of their future.” 
3. The biggest professional challenge: Finding commercial financing for her salon, which eventually came from cash-prize award money and Haida Gwaii Community Futures, a local non-profit.
4. The greatest sign of hope: “I remember being at the B.C. Aboriginal Achievement Awards and being in a room with about 800 of the strongest people in aboriginal business in the province – all aboriginal. It was a lightbulb moment. ... I can see, in my community and in other communities, that people are making good decisions.”
   

DONALD WORME

Donald Worme, a 53-year-old Cree lawyer from the Kawacatoose First Nation in Saskatchewan, describes himself as a legal warrior.

His passion is spurred, in part, from testifying at the trial for the murder of his mother and sister, which he witnessed as a boy. He was a founding member of the Indigenous Bar Association of Canada; served as commission counsel during the Ipperwash inquiry; as legal counsel to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and as lead counsel to the family of Neil Stonechild during an inquiry into the teen’s freezing death.

Regarding the future of the Assembly of First Nations: 

1. On aboriginal leadership: "I’m not particularly alarmed by the events as they’ve been unfolding. There’s a new generation of aboriginal people who are well-grounded and who have not been affected, at least as much as the current generation, by the residential schools experience.”
   
   He says aboriginal leadership isn’t found solely in elected government, but also at the community and spiritual level.
2. The biggest aboriginal challenge: “The underlying issue is the grinding poverty suffered in our communities. And there seems to be no intention, on the part of the Canadian state, to live honourably in dealing with aboriginal Canadians according to, for example, the treaties negotiated many generations ago.” At the root of the problem, he says, is a “legacy of colonialism.”
   
3. The biggest professional challenge: 
   Mr. Worme says he’s faced far more obstacles than offers of help. Among the impediments was racism, which he faced during law school, when he received hate mail on a regular basis. 
4. The greatest sign of hope: “A great deal of young people have seized opportunities before them, and they’re going to continue moving forward, notwithstanding the impediments they face everyday.”

AARON JOSEPH BEAR ROBE

The Blackfoot chef and businessman from Alberta’s Siksika Nation grew up on-reserve until he was about 11.  In 2011, he made waves with Keriwa Café, a Toronto restaurant featuring aboriginal cuisine.

It closed, but Mr. Bear Robe is already working on his next business, the Wine Academy, a wine cellar and social club slated to launch in mid-July.

The future of aboriginal leadership: “Idle No More is a great movement, keeping people thinking about things, bringing youth into the conversation, both aboriginal and non-aboriginal. That’s the future: getting youth involved in leadership.”

Regarding the future of the Assembly of First Nations: 

1. Whoever is elected to the helm should be pragmatic, and realize there’s a time for activism but also a need for dialogue with Ottawa.
   
   “If you’re banging on the door, no one is going to open it. If you knock, people will be more willing to open it and have a conversation.
2. The biggest aboriginal challenge is economic development. Aboriginal leaders need to figure out how they can give back to their communities.
   
   But the federal government also needs to ensure that aboriginals have a seat at the resource development table, both via consultation and revenue-sharing agreements.
3. The biggest professional challenge: Mr. Bear Robe says he never thought of himself as an “aboriginal chef,” but rather a chef, period. But when he opened Keriwa Café, customers with preconceived notions about aboriginal food complained. “People commented it wasn’t ‘aboriginal enough’ or ‘traditional enough.’”
4. The greatest sign of hope: “There are a lot of people around me who are doing great things,” says Mr. Bear Robe, among them the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business. “They’re pushing forward to support aboriginal entrepreneurship, and I think that’s the way to go.”

J.P. GLADU

An Ojibwa from Ontario’s Thunder Bay, J.P. Gladu’s father and grandfather were loggers. He became a forestry technician before obtaining his executive MBA and becoming a negotiator on development projects in Northern Ontario and the head of the Toronto-based Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business. Mr. Gladu says he counts Shawn Atleo as a friend.

He comments on the future of aboriginal leadership:

1. Regarding the future of the Assembly of First Nations: Although aboriginal leadership is about more than the AFN, the national body is still relevant – especially for federal-aboriginal relations, says Mr. Gladu. “The AFN needs to exist in order to build consensus amongst First Nations.
2. ”The biggest aboriginal challenge: “One of the challenges  surrounds the perception of who we are,” he says, adding, “The more we engage in business and the economy, the stronger we’re going to be."
   
3. The biggest professional challenge: Even with certification as a forestry technician and a bachelor of science in forestry, Mr. Gladu had trouble finding work in Thunder Bay.  Today, though, aboriginals have more “clout” and are viewed as bridge-builders between indigenous tribes. The best outcome for the people in a community may be the dissolution of the community as people find their way to self sufficiency and prosperity. They must get beyond the need to be dependent on band governance and corporations. He believes that, today; if a First Nations graduate forester came job hunting he would be scooped up in a second.
4. The greatest sign of hope: Seeing how inspired and engaged younger aboriginals have become. One prime example is the  recent Walter & Duncan Gordon Foundation event celebrating Northern youth for their efforts to improve life in their communities.  Communities based on generational culture will not succeed in today's world.The evils of discrimination and mistreatment in the past must be transcended.

HERE COME DA JUDGE!

CLARENCE LOUIE

Louie is a Canadian F.N.  leader and businessman.  He has been the chief of the Osoyoos Band in BC's Okanagan valley for ten terms beginning in 1985. He has been credited with contributing to the economic success of the small community, and has received regional, national, and international recognition, including the Order of BC in 2004.

Louie comments at a recent speech in Northern Alberta:

1. 'My first rule for success is Show up on time. Not Indian time!'
2. 'My No. 2 rule for success is follow Rule No. 1.'
3. 'If your life sucks, it's because you suck.'
4. 'Quit your sniffling.'
5. 'Join the real world. Go to school, or get a job.'
6. 'Get off of welfare. Get off your butt.'
7. 'Our ancestors worked hard for a living. So should you.'

THE QUESTION:

How many generations will it take to get past the 'Treaty and Our Land Stages' and for Aboriginals to feel that they have become a truly respected part of Canada?

THE QUOTE:

"The best outcome for the people in a community may be the dissolution of the community as people find their way to self sufficiency and prosperity, and beyond the need to be dependent on band governance."-TONY ABBOTT

LAURELS TO: 

SHAWN ATLEO

For resigning as national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, saying he does not want to be a “lightning rod” in the debate over the government’s education bill we he supported.

THE CLIP:

The proper question is, what lies ahead for PEOPLE? We are all people. It's past time to transcend who our ancestors were, especially when we genetically and culturally mixed. Let's move past segregation, and into the future as one people.The best outcome for the people in a community may be the dissolution of the community as people find their way to self sufficiency and prosperity, and beyond the need to be dependent on band governance.The best outcome for the people in a community may be the dissolution of the community as people find their way to self sufficiency and prosperity, and beyond the need to be dependent on band governance.