Canada's First Nations - CF help, protests, solutions, etc. (merged)

[Brad Sallows]

At cbc.ca/news, I found this gem:

In a statement issued Thursday, Chief Theresa Spence said, “It is incredible that the Harper government’s decision is that instead of offering aid and assistance to Canada’s First Peoples, their solution is to blame the victim."

Translation: It pisses us off that the Harper government’s decision is that instead of offering more funds without strings, their solution is to demand and enforce accountability.

 

[Haggis]

Translation: It pisses us off that the Harper government’s decision is that instead of offering more funds without strings, their solution is to demand and enforce accountability.

That can't be a Google translation.. Google isn't that astute.

 

[DBA]

Natives want the trappings of modern and native societies without being part of modern society. That hasn't worked in the past and won't work in the future. They have to find some middle ground where they assimilate enough to get what they desire of modern society while retaining a lot of the native culture they value. In the past forced assimilation had others making the choices for them. Now they are free to make the choices themselves but make them they must. Some reserves have made the choices and a lot have been successful, others haven't and are not.

 

[Rifleman62]

Has anyone reported, (the CBC, Angus, et al), the results of visiting the Chief, former Chief or Band Councillors residences (both on and off the reserve) or did they look for tents/shacks and visit thoes?

 

[Michael OLeary]

Warmington: Send the army to help Attawapiskat

By Joe Warmington ,Toronto Sun

Military compassion has proudly assisted other countries in crisis and is now urgently needed in our own.

When it comes to troubled Attawapiskat there will be plenty of time for investigations, accounting of misused taxpayers’ money and political score settling.

But having just been there Saturday, John Tory says there are more pressing needs.

“We need to mobilize and we need to do it now,” the Newstalk 1010 host and former provincial Progressive Conservative leader said Sunday.

With below freezing temperatures, and squalid conditions felling the people of Attawapiskat, there is no time to waste.

“I suggest deploying, unarmed, and for logistical tasks only, the Canadian Rangers branch of the Canadian Forces working with the experts we know they have on board,” Tory said.

For the same humanitarian reasons that Canadian military personnel were deployed to earthquake ravaged Haiti, Tory’s assessment is they could really help in the remote village of about 2,000 in Ontario’s north, next to James Bay.

“The Canadian Rangers are a part of the Canadian Forces with a largely aboriginal membership who help maintain patrols in the far north,” said Tory. “I would put them together with a Hercules aircraft or two, a helicopter or two — and their fantastic track record of logistics and getting relief in places which our Canadian forces have demonstrated over and over again in country after country.”

Excellent idea.

More at link.

 

[ballz]

I used to be part of a non-status band, but now that they've gotten status and all of a sudden everybody wants to be part of the band so they can milk the benefits (and they are milking the tits off the cow, let me tell ya), I've reneged on that. More importantly, I always grew up proud of my roots and loved the cultural aspects of being Mi'kmaq. Anyway, a lot of aboriginal issues hit close to home for me.

I don't know whether Attawapiskat needs military intervention, but what sticks out to me is the idea of sending the Canadian Rangers so that there is an "aboriginal face" showing up.

Why? If we're going to send in the Canadian Forces, why can't we send in the the Canadian Forces and all it's white, brown, black, red, male, female, heterosexual, homosexual, transexual, transgendered, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Athiest people.

We are all Canadians aren't we? Why not show that to the First Nations people in Attawapiskat, and let them know that they are, too.

 

[Swingline1984]

I used to be part of a non-status band, but now that they've gotten status and all of a sudden everybody wants to be part of the band so they can milk the benefits (and they are milking the tits off the cow, let me tell ya), I've reneged on that. More importantly, I always grew up proud of my roots and loved the cultural aspects of being Mi'kmaq. Anyway, a lot of aboriginal issues hit close to home for me.

I don't know whether Attawapiskat needs military intervention, but what sticks out to me is the idea of sending the Canadian Rangers so that there is an "aboriginal face" showing up.

Why? If we're going to send in the Canadian Forces, why can't we send in the the Canadian Forces and all it's white, brown, black, red, male, female, heterosexual, homosexual, transexual, transgendered, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Athiest people.

We are all Canadians aren't we? Why not show that to the First Nations people in Attawapiskat, and let them know that they are, too.

Best post ever. 

 

[medicineman]

I'm still trying to figure out what the Rangers will able to bring to bear in way of logistics and such...beyond an Aboriginal face.  Sounds like what they need is engineer support to help sort out infratructure issues as well as folks to distribute supplies.

Please don't get me going about hyphenated Canadianism stuff...

MM

 

[Scott]

ballz, sometimes I think you tread jump up and down on yours. But that was a great post, thanks.

 

[PanaEng]

I used to be part of a non-status band, but now that they've gotten status and all of a sudden everybody wants to be part of the band so they can milk the benefits (and they are milking the tits off the cow, let me tell ya), I've reneged on that. More importantly, I always grew up proud of my roots and loved the cultural aspects of being Mi'kmaq. Anyway, a lot of aboriginal issues hit close to home for me.

I don't know whether Attawapiskat needs military intervention, but what sticks out to me is the idea of sending the Canadian Rangers so that there is an "aboriginal face" showing up.

Why? If we're going to send in the Canadian Forces, why can't we send in the the Canadian Forces and all it's white, brown, black, red, male, female, heterosexual, homosexual, transexual, transgendered, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Athiest people.

We are all Canadians aren't we? Why not show that to the First Nations people in Attawapiskat, and let them know that they are, too.

CHIMO!

 

[a_majoor]

Sending in the engineers is applying a pressure dressing rather than a band aid, but still will do little to resolve the issues of corruption and mismanagment that the band is suffering under. No one can sit there and claim that $80-90 million dollars was "spent" on the people in the reservation; a cheque was sent but where did the money go afterwards?

Ballz has it right about the milking of the cow...

 

[jasonf6]

I'll agree with sending in the Canadian Rangers as an aboriginal face to the operation but maybe some Engineers to shore up/build a proper water & sewer system.  But what they really need is an accounting firm to find out where that $90-million over 6-yrs has gone. I'm not math whiz but that much money should be more than enough to provide the services they require.  And the money hasn't stopped as Im sure they get annual payments. 

It's been reported that there are A LOT of First Nations Chiefs making in excess of $300,000.00/year which is FAR too much seeing as the PM doesn't even make that much and he runs the country (though some may disagree ). 

I don't think we can sit idly by but there is a much larger picture to look at also.

 

[GAP]

The major trouble I see with this is the precedent that would be set....kinda like clearing Toronto's snow......

 

[Rifleman62]

All salary is tax free.

 

[jasonf6]

The major trouble I see with this is the precedent that would be set....kinda like clearing Toronto's snow......

That's what I am thinking as well.  Although, the military is there for operations, both foreign and domestic. 

 

[aesop081]

  Although, the military is there for operations, both foreign and domestic.

That does not mean that everything is an operation for the military.

 

[jasonf6]

That does not mean that everything is an operation for the military.

True enough, maybe operation isn't the word to use.  What would you call it?

 

[aesop081]

What would you call it?

It does not matter what i, or you, call it. This is not a task for the military. Call it whatever you want but saying that "the military is there for operations, both foreign and domestic" is wrong.

In Canada, we have releif agencies who are qualified and capable of dealing with this. It is for them do to it, not the CF.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

That's what I am thinking as well.  Although, the military is there for operations, both foreign and domestic. 

It does not matter what i, or you, call it. This is not a task for the military. Call it whatever you want but saying that "the military is there for operations, both foreign and domestic" is wrong.

In Canada, we have releif agencies who are qualified and capable of dealing with this. It is for them do to it, not the CF.

That being said there are certain instances where we can do more than those agencies, in this case NO. Natural Disasters YES.

My  :2c:

 

[OldSolduer]

True enough, maybe operation isn't the word to use.  What would you call it?

In order for the CF to go in and assist, I beleive the Premier of Ontario has to call the PM and make the case for the deployment of troops, like the Premier of Manitoba did in May, and has done in the past. IF  this were to be done, then I beleive the CDS (and staff at CANCOM) would give the required orders. It indeed would be an operation.


Now, Attawapiskat being a First Nation that is funded by the Federal government, for the most part, and administered through INAC - the question is: Who has jurisdiction? Ontario or the Federal government?





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