All Things First Nations - CF help, protests, solutions, residential schools, etc. (merged)

[MilEME09]

Bold move, lets see if they follow though though.

PM Carney says it’s time to move beyond Indian Act

Mark Carney says he will instruct his ministers to work with First Nations to move Canada beyond the Indian Act, which could mean reforming it or abolishing it altogether.

www.ctvnews.ca

 

[lenaitch]

I can hear the drums being beaten now. They will all want their settlements before they agree to anything.

What has often struck me curious is through all of the conferences, conventions, agreements, etc. over many, many years, I don't recall if I've ever heard a call for abolishment from any FN or their NGOs. up until today. Wab characterizes it as a race-based identity, but it carries a lot with it, including First Nations Territories - those plots of land held in trust by the Crown for their "use and benefit" and boatloads of federal money to keep them operating. You can't have a status, benefit or consideration set apart from other Canadians without some form of legislation. It might well be an Indian Act by another name.

It will be interesting to see what the various visions are, considering that FNs are not a single bloc across the country.

 

[Brad Sallows]

You can't have a status, benefit or consideration set apart from other Canadians without some form of legislation.

Either there is one class of citizenship - as so many people opposed to Harper and some of Harper's citizenship ideas in 2015 demanded - or not.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Back in the news, nothing done yet ...

MP Jeff Kibble presses federal government over uncleaned Cowichan dump site​

Conservative MP Jeff Kibble is calling on the federal government to step in and immediately clean up a massive illegal landfill on Cowichan Tribes land before potential contaminants cause further damage to the nearby Cowichan River watershed.

Kibble urged government officials to bypass administrative delays and jurisdictional disputes in favour of immediate remediation.

“A river this important should not have to wait for proof of harm before the government takes action,” Kibble stated during a parliamentary session. “Despite years of warning, meaningful federal enforcement and remediation of this water travesty has not materialized.”

In an interview with CHEK News, Kibble emphasized that establishing fault should take a backseat until after the dump has been cleared.

“The site sits on reserve land but, importantly, outside the nations land code and under law that makes this a clear federal responsibility. Not a grey area not a shared file and not a matter for another government to resolve,” Kibble said.

MP Jeff Kibble presses federal government over uncleaned Cowichan dump site

A Conservative MP is calling on the federal government to step in and clean up a massive illegal landfill on Cowichan Tribes land.

cheknews.ca

 

[Halifax Tar]

Bold move, lets see if they follow though though.

PM Carney says it’s time to move beyond Indian Act

Mark Carney says he will instruct his ministers to work with First Nations to move Canada beyond the Indian Act, which could mean reforming it or abolishing it altogether.

www.ctvnews.ca

Wab Kinew was more explicit.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/wab-kinew-indian-act-abolish-9.7396565

Ok. The balls on you PMMC!

 

[foresterab]

What has often struck me curious is through all of the conferences, conventions, agreements, etc. over many, many years, I don't recall if I've ever heard a call for abolishment from any FN or their NGOs. up until today. Wab characterizes it as a race-based identity, but it carries a lot with it, including First Nations Territories - those plots of land held in trust by the Crown for their "use and benefit" and boatloads of federal money to keep them operating. You can't have a status, benefit or consideration set apart from other Canadians without some form of legislation. It might well be an Indian Act by another name.

It will be interesting to see what the various visions are, considering that FNs are not a single bloc across the country.

It's tough as there are alot of clauses in the Indian Act that have been revised over the years and then there are those that vary by application as the different Treaties also vary by agreeement.

So to your point there would need to be some form of legislation...but what is it.

Does it update the term "Indian" to that aligning with the Canadian Constitution and allow for Metis and Inuit? What level of descendent is considered "Indian" - 1/4? 1/8? 1/64? for the purposes of the Act.

What does the holder of a "Treaty Card" get entitled to when off reserve lands? Especially in the case of hunting and gathering vs. conservation? Do provincial boundaries then apply (currently not) as natural resources are provincial but post-date treaty.

Does it still prevent ownership of Reserve Lands (lease is however okay but not owning) which can limit both internal and external investment within Reserves?

Does it still require a form of leadership recognized by Canada (i.e. democratic and elected) vs. traditional leadership/hereditary leadership?

Education and Medical Care provisions which may not align with provincial levels? What happens if those clauses are removed and the funding handed straight to the province so all citizens, regardless of race, are funded equally?

Unfortunately I don't know the Indian Act legislation well so this is a subject that has a ton of nuances and clauses that would need to be examined by folks much better informed than me and would also need buy in from a large number of First Nation folks.

 

[Czech_pivo]

It's tough as there are alot of clauses in the Indian Act that have been revised over the years and then there are those that vary by application as the different Treaties also vary by agreeement.

So to your point there would need to be some form of legislation...but what is it.

Does it update the term "Indian" to that aligning with the Canadian Constitution and allow for Metis and Inuit? What level of descendent is considered "Indian" - 1/4? 1/8? 1/64? for the purposes of the Act.

What does the holder of a "Treaty Card" get entitled to when off reserve lands? Especially in the case of hunting and gathering vs. conservation? Do provincial boundaries then apply (currently not) as natural resources are provincial but post-date treaty.

Does it still prevent ownership of Reserve Lands (lease is however okay but not owning) which can limit both internal and external investment within Reserves?

Does it still require a form of leadership recognized by Canada (i.e. democratic and elected) vs. traditional leadership/hereditary leadership?

Education and Medical Care provisions which may not align with provincial levels? What happens if those clauses are removed and the funding handed straight to the province so all citizens, regardless of race, are funded equally?

Unfortunately I don't know the Indian Act legislation well so this is a subject that has a ton of nuances and clauses that would need to be examined by folks much better informed than me and would also need buy in from a large number of First Nation folks.

I foresee something along the size/scale and emotion of Meech Lake happening.

That didn't end well for Mulroney. This has the potential to be quite the Mill Stone around Carney's neck. To be honest, negotiations with Trump might be less troublesome.

 

[Haggis]

I foresee something along the size/scale and emotion of Meech Lake happening.

That didn't end well for Mulroney. This has the potential to be quite the Mill Stone around Carney's neck. To be honest, negotiations with Trump might be less troublesome.

The Trump administration will have to be involved in this as both nations have their own, similar, definitions of First Nations peoples and the amount of cross border movement by FN is substantial.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Back in the news, nothing done yet ...

An example of why there should not be more jurisdictions than federal, provincial, and local (district/municipality/etc), with all of the last created by and subject to provincial.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I have personally seen where an issue is clearly a federal responsibility and we reneged on our responsibilities because our HQ in Ottawa had no ability to make a decision and take any responsibility that might entail the smallest amount of risk. Eventually the BC ministry stepped in and dealt with it. I spoke to the BC Gov manager and apologized for the cowardly behaviour of my Department. I felt utterly ashamed of my Department and it made it very difficult to enforce our mandate going forward when dealing with the Province as they would bring that incident up. At the local level we had a good plan at minimal cost to solve it, but took a little out of the box thinking and Province was happy with our idea.

 

[lenaitch]

It's tough as there are alot of clauses in the Indian Act that have been revised over the years and then there are those that vary by application as the different Treaties also vary by agreeement.

So to your point there would need to be some form of legislation...but what is it.

Does it update the term "Indian" to that aligning with the Canadian Constitution and allow for Metis and Inuit? What level of descendent is considered "Indian" - 1/4? 1/8? 1/64? for the purposes of the Act.

What does the holder of a "Treaty Card" get entitled to when off reserve lands? Especially in the case of hunting and gathering vs. conservation? Do provincial boundaries then apply (currently not) as natural resources are provincial but post-date treaty.

Does it still prevent ownership of Reserve Lands (lease is however okay but not owning) which can limit both internal and external investment within Reserves?

Does it still require a form of leadership recognized by Canada (i.e. democratic and elected) vs. traditional leadership/hereditary leadership?

Education and Medical Care provisions which may not align with provincial levels? What happens if those clauses are removed and the funding handed straight to the province so all citizens, regardless of race, are funded equally?

Unfortunately I don't know the Indian Act legislation well so this is a subject that has a ton of nuances and clauses that would need to be examined by folks much better informed than me and would also need buy in from a large number of First Nation folks.

Ya, no clue how this will pan out. The one thing I am fairly certain on is the wish by some that there be no special status - no different classes of being Canadian - will not happen.

 

[YZT580]

Ya, no clue how this will pan out. The one thing I am fairly certain on is the wish by some that there be no special status - no different classes of being Canadian - will not happen.

that's sad. Until that happens there will always be discrimination going both ways

 

[The Bread Guy]

What has often struck me curious is through all of the conferences, conventions, agreements, etc. over many, many years, I don't recall if I've ever heard a call for abolishment from any FN or their NGOs. up until today. Wab characterizes it as a race-based identity, but it carries a lot with it, including First Nations Territories - those plots of land held in trust by the Crown for their "use and benefit" and boatloads of federal money to keep them operating. You can't have a status, benefit or consideration set apart from other Canadians without some form of legislation. It might well be an Indian Act by another name.

It will be interesting to see what the various visions are, considering that FNs are not a single bloc across the country.

I've heard a range of Indigenous leaders and NGO's say, "time to scrap the Indian Act," but I've also heard those same folks saying, "but it has to be done right" - which is true, given - as @forestab pointed out - how complicated and how intertwined the lives of some Indigenous folks on reserve are with Club Fed via the legislation.

Folks more cynical than me, though, also say there's also people who benefit from the status quo with the Indian Act in place, so some only give soft support for scrapping the act completely.

Either there is one class of citizenship - as so many people opposed to Harper and some of Harper's citizenship ideas in 2015 demanded - or not.

Not just Team Blue suggestions, either. Chretien was spanked pretty hard for offering up one class of citizenship and getting rid of reserves in his day. And you can google "First Nations Governance Act" for more attempts by Team Red to open up some of the doors where said doors were slammed on their fingers.

 

[RangerRay]

I recall Chrétien tried when he was justic minister, as well as one of Chretien’s justice ministers tried a couple decades later, to scrap the Indian Act. IIRC, they both met stiff opposition from the chiefs organizations.

 

[dapaterson]

I recall Chrétien tried when he was justic minister, as well as one of Chretien’s justice ministers tried a couple decades later, to scrap the Indian Act. IIRC, they both met stiff opposition from the chiefs organizations.

If Kinew as a provincial premier champions it, the AFN will be hard pressed to oppose; they'll be in a position to petition for managing the change, not to oppose it.

 

[FSTO]

I’ve heard a couple of bands say that the AFN doesn’t speak for them. Shocking there is division in FN Country.