GOVERNMENT OF CANADA ATTEMPTING TO DISCREDIT UNITED NATIONS WHILE DOING NOTHING
For Immediate Release:
May 18, 2012
London, ON – The Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians (AIAI) is once again disappointed by Canada’s response to the recent report from the United Nations (UN) by the Special Rapporteur on the right to food.
The UN report finds that despite being one of the richest developed countries in the world, many people in Canada suffer from poverty, inequality, and hunger. The situation is especially dire for Indigenous Peoples. The AIAI agrees with the findings of the report and has long lobbied the government to take action.
Rather than accept the truth of the report and take action, the Government of Canada attempts to discredit the United Nations and the envoy’s report while continuing to do nothing about the issue. Official responses included that the report was a waste of UN money to investigate developed countries like Canada, the UN Special Rapporteur was an ill-informed academic and that there was no hunger issue for Indigenous Populations since they hunt every day.
The AIAI questions whether the Health Minister is the ill-informed one and whether the Peoples of her Northern communities would share her same viewpoint. The Minister also does an extreme disservice to all Indigenous Peoples when she lumps them into the same group. Indigenous Peoples are diverse across Turtle Island and to make a statement that they all hunt is simply inaccurate and a slap in the face.
The AIAI is often baffled by the inaction of Canada but is surprised little anymore with its smoke and mirrors approach. Rather than doing anything about the findings, the Government of Canada will do everything in its power to do nothing and hope that this report will blow over soon. Grand Chief Denise Stonefish questions, “Wouldn’t it be novel if Canada actually accepted criticism for once and made real change?”
The AIAI is mandated as a political territorial organization to defend and enhance the Indigenous and Treaty rights of its eight member First Nations. Visit them online at www.aiai.on.ca , https://twitter.com/#!/aiai_comms , www.facebook.com/aiai.pto , www.youtube.com/user/AIAIAdmin .
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For more information, please contact: John Jones, Communications Coordinator - AIAI at 519-434-2761 or jjones@aiai.on.ca .
