OPEN LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER RE FIRST NATION CROWN GATHERING
February 2, 2012 Open Letter
The Right Honourable Stephen Harper
Prime Minister of Canada
80 Wellington Ottawa, On
K1A 0A2
Dear Prime Minister,
On behalf of the Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians (AIAI), I offer my thanks for your contribution in making the Crown-First Nation Gathering a reality. This gathering provided Canada and First Nations with a historic opportunity to begin clearing the path to a more balanced and equitable relationship. Given the level of importance of the gathering, I commend your decision to attend the entire event.
This correspondence is being forwarded to express the AIAI leadership’s disappointment in the lack of concrete progress made at the Crown-First Nation Gathering held on January 24, 2012. In preparation for this gathering, the Association created a proposal that clearly outlines steps to clearing the path to peace and friendship. These steps include:
1) a mutually agreed upon process to achieve a staged withdrawal of federal jurisdiction from First Nation governance;
2) the creation of an independent mechanism/tribunal to oversee the process; and
3) reporting requirements for all parties on progress made.
Bearing this proposal in mind, the AIAI leadership was deeply discouraged that you came to the gathering with little more than a recycled pledge to replace elements of the Indian Act and inhibited statements to continue work based on the Canada-First Nations Joint Action Plan.
While these assurances have been labeled as “outcomes” by the media, they have in fact been in place well before the Crown-First Nation Gathering was announced. Legislation aimed at “modernizing” First Nation governance is already before Parliament, including Bill S-2, Homes on Reserves and Matrimonial Interests or Rights Act; Bill C-27, an Act to Enhance the Financial Accountability and Transparency for First Nations; and Bill S-6, First Nations Elections Act.
These Bills continue the long-standing Canadian tradition of paternalism over First Nations under the guise of delegated authority. Additionally, the Canada-First Nations Joint Action Plan has been in place since June 2011 and has yet to produce a viable initiative that is acceptable and beneficial to all First Nations.
Perhaps the most disappointing outcome of the gathering is the clear message that the course of your government has already been set. Despite the solutions presented in AIAI’s proposal, your government appears fixated on the enduring strategy of imposing unwanted policy and legislation on First Nations. This strategy has failed to produce a relationship based on trust and respect for all previous governments and must be abandoned. First Nations will determine their own priorities in their own way, and must not be endlessly pressured into a mold of Canadian-defined success.
I acknowledge that dismantling the Indian Act is a large undertaking. However, its violation of international norms and resulting inequality demands urgent action. Canada’s current policy of assimilation, extinguishment and orchestrated dependence is more than “misguided” and “harmful”. Canada’s current policy is malicious and designed to neutralize the power of our Nations. It is curious that in one breath you speak of learning from past mistakes, yet affirm Canada’s commitment to maintaining the status quo through a smoke screen of working groups, task forces and incremental enabling legislation.
Although Canada remains unable to come to terms with its Treaty obligations, the member Nations of AIAI are committed to the implementation of these living agreements. With or without Canada, we will continue our efforts to clearing the path to the original relationship envisioned by all of our ancestors.
Sincerely,
Denise Stonefish
Grand Chief
cc. AIAI Chiefs Council
Ontario Regions Chief Angus Toulouse
National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo
Signed letter(pdf)
