First Nations Self-Funding

The Canadian public is hugely sympathetic to the plight of Canada's First Nations peoples. Who wouldn't be, given their desperate straits? Lives of squalor and utter boredom, addiction, violence, ill health and misery. And of course, when it becomes a blame contest between the government and Indian bands there's just no contest. Government is always at fault, inadequate to the task, and the aboriginals long-suffering and their rights continually violated.

Ask any Indian chief, and you'll get affirmation of that, with few exceptions. One exception is sitting in the Senate, but he isn't held in too high regard by most of his counterparts. Attawapiskat made the news in an explosive story of heart-wrenching need, that families were attempting to cope with inadequate housing, lack of potable water, freezing conditions with the onset of winter living in portables, tents, with no indoor plumbing facilities.

And the chief of that geographically isolated community who, along with her band council has denied that she and they could possibly be accused of failing their community. A huge amount of federal money has been transferred to Attawapiskat via their band council, and there doesn't appear to be any reliable record-keeping to account for the disbursement of those funds, to explain the situation that caused the housing emergency.

Chief Theresa Spence's life partner was tasked with the job of overseeing and allocating funding and keeping track of what came in and what went out. But there is nothing concrete to audit. There are no records. So the federal government, shocked at the lack of accountability, appointed an outside auditor. Whom Chief Spence has locked out of the reserve, ragingly indignant at the 'paternalistic', autocracy that confronts her band.

She is supported by The Assembly of First Nations and its National Chief, Shawn Atleo. For if there is anything truly fundamental to First Nations' needs, it is that they be recognized as an independent nation, fully capable of administering their own affairs. Just send money. More of it, far more, than has been and is being transferred to date. And the rest will simply fall into place. No more dysfunction, addiction, abandoned children, health catastrophes, and housing faults.

And there was Chief Spence, addressing the Economic Club of Canada, and posing for television cameras in Ottawa, after attending the Crown-First Nations meeting meant to initiate a new dialogue and path to co-operation to assist in forging a new way ahead for Canada's First Nations with the agreement and assistance of the federal government. Giving Chief Spence the opportunity to tell the Economic Club:

"We have nothing to hide. We believe this decision is not legitimate and the third-party management is meant to take control, silence and punish my community and serve as a warning to other First Nations."

This, from an unabashed, entitled aboriginal leader whose own and her council's inability to balance the needs of her community with ample funding has led to the community's functional collapse. She and they oversaw the construction of the now-mouldy, unlivable houses.

Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence said Wednesday a federal decision to impose thirdparty management on her reserve has cut off funding for nearly a month. Photograph by: Chris Wattie, Reuters, Ottawa Citizen With Files From Thandi Fletcher, Postmedia News

She and they administered not only the cash flow transfers from the federal government but the millions received from the Victor diamond mine owned and operated and located on handsomely leased band territory, which also gives employment to a number of band members, and which has funnelled $325-million in contracts through band-operated companies since 2006.

Her band receives revenues between $200- to $300-million annually for a total population of 2,800, with an on-reserve population of 1,929. Oh, and 345 dogs and 80 cats. That's quite the revenue stream for a relatively small population base. Yet the reserve is short of basic necessities, so much so that the emergency caused the Red Cross to airlift humanitarian supplies to the suffering people of Attawapiskat.

And although Chief Theresa Spence should logically have a lot of explaining to do, she doesn't feel she has. And since her tactic in response to the government's expressed need-to-know has been typical of most such show-downs between the Crown and First Nations, representing a position of offence rather than defence, the cringe-making public display shrinking government's resolve and stimulating Chief Spence to ever increasing accusations escalates.

"Great riches are being taken from our land for the benefit of others, including the governments of Canada and Ontario. They receive huge royalty payments and we receive so little. Herein lies the real problem affecting First Nations - the ability to develop communities with no financial basis," complains Chief Spence.

Welfare-addicted, incapable of being practical in recognition that in geographic isolation there will be no opportunities to advance the interests of First Nations, and nothing positive will be achieved. On the other hand, there is justice and merit in the claims of Grand Chief Atleo when he states: "True partners would design a way forward together and would form a shared vision of how resources development occurs in this country."

Land claims must be settled, finally. They are long overdue for settlement to remove the historical grievances and honour past promises. And when that happens, a fair and just division of the proceeds of resources development must take place. And government should be prepared, on behalf of the people of Canada wishing to do the right thing for the First Nations of Canada, to loosen the apron strings and finally permit First Nations to be fully independent.

Then they will be accountable to themselves, for themselves. And as such they should be in the position of self-funding all the reserves that they keep insisting must be kept and sustained where they are, in honour of their heritage.