Thanks for the education, Steve. Now can you look into some drinking water?

The First Nations peoples just got a gift from the government of Canada.  Beginning in 2016 they will receive some $2 billion spread out over 5 years for education.  Great news... thanks Mr. Harper.

Mind you the improved education will probably disproportionally benefit reserves in the south.  In the north, the problem is not primarily education.  IT IS CLEAN WATER!

There are about 75 reserves living with water problems in 2014; some of the advisories are decades old.

This means that thousands of Canadians do not have access to potable water.  So what do we give them?  Education so that they can move off the reserve?

It is also estimated that 60% of water operators are not even certified.  How about education for them?

The problems of First Nations are many.  Chief Atleo is allowing the government to cherry pick which problem they want to address.  And what are they choosing?

The problems that will win them the most votes, of course.

This government is a joke!!!

So the MPs come back to work for a few days and Harper welcomes his caucus with a speech that outlines his priorities for this session.  Law and order... no surprise.  Fiscal prudence... par for the course.  And few minor things.

But what was most important was what was missing from his priority list.  There was no mention, even casually, of aboriginal issues!!!!

The Idle No More movement is ignored.  The blockades and AFN leaders statements are ignored.  Even the commitments made to Chief Atleo are ignored.  After all, thinks Harper, he is just a little man in a funny hat?

The whole of the First Nations issues are swept out of sight!

Shameful!!

Canada's First Nations Shame

Chief Theresa Spence from Attawapiskat has been on a hunger strike for 4 weeks.  She ends it today.  What did she want and what did she achieve?

What she wanted was decency for her people and for all First Nations Peoples.  She wanted to meet with the Prime Minister (Remember him?  He is the one that meets with foreign dignitaries and goes to hockey games in New York but can't spare a day for his fellow country-persons!) and the Governor General... the representative of the Queen of Canada.

Why did she want to meet with the GG?  The answer is in Treaty Number 9 (the James Bay Treaty) that was signed in 1906.  It was an agreement between the First Nations of the region and... wait for it... His Most Gracious Majesty the King of Great Britain and Ireland - The King of the colony of Canada.

The opening paragraph of the Treaty reads as follows:

ARTICLES OF A TREATY made and concluded at the several dates mentioned therein, in the year of Our Lord one thousand and nine hundred and five, between His Most Gracious Majesty the King of Great Britain and Ireland, by His Commissioners, Duncan Campbell Scott, of Ottawa, Ontario, Esquire, and Samuel Stewart, of Ottawa, Ontario, Esquire; and Daniel George MacMartin, of Perth, Ontario, Esquire, representing the province of Ontario, of the one part; and the Ojibeway, Cree and other Indians, inhabitants of the territory within the limits hereinafter defined and described, by their chiefs, and headmen hereunto subscribed, of the other part: --

And paragraph seven states:

To have and to hold the same to His Majesty the King and His successors for ever.

I think that it is clear that she had a right to ask for the meeting with the GG, as the representation of a successor to the King) as well as the PM.

She got neither, so what did she achieve?

The first thing she achieved was that she got the attention of the government.  The Cabinet Minister as well as the PM were sleeping with their heads on the First Nations file until Spence woke them up.

The second achievement was that she shook up the AFN who were sitting around waiting for the government to notice them rather than advocating for their members.

The third achievement was to galvanize the First Nations People to set up the Idle No More movement.  Whether or not the movement continues is irrelevant to the fact that they woke up Canadians to the continuing issues of First Nations.

 Theresa Spence is Canada's Nelson Mandella.  Warts and all.