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

Theresa Spence will still not be attending the meeting tomorrow.  Because the PM and GG are to attend the meeting together, not separately.

Further to that, if the GG and PM don't stay for the full meeting, there may not be a meeting.

video attached in case I missed something else in the details.
http://www.cbc.ca/video/watch/News/Politics/Power & Politics/ID=2324468297

I'm curious, when will it be enough?? 
I've appreciated the dialogue here, without the racial bashing and constant racist slinging as there is elsewhere.
 
She seems to be making a mockery of the PM, GG and the Gov't of Canada.!  I, for one am fed up hearing her name. Somebody please toss in a few BK Whoppers  into her lodging and maybe add a "diet coke" to wash them down and call it a day.!!! 

Theresa Spence....your 15 mins are now up.!    :salute:

Note:  Wonder if there will be any sort of inquiry to the lack of paper trail of the money and its purpose.?
 
Diet Coke?....Diet Coke only has a minimal amount less of calories than regular Coke, but way more carcinogens..... >:D
 
George Wallace said:
Diet Coke?....Diet Coke only has a minimal amount less of calories than regular Coke, but way more carcinogens..... >:D
Click to expand...

Either way George, it's making me  :boke:

(but mikeninercharlie's post is spot on.!!!)
 
Yes, but it makes us fatties feel like we're doing something to mitigate the 9 piece family meal and quart of slaw from KFC.
 
They sound like children.  It looks like the care more about making the government loose face with this concession and that concession,  than helping anyone.

It's vital that a mayor the size of a small village attends because she mismanaged millions of dollars and committed a HUGE fuck off conflict of interest hiring her boyfriend to get his hands dirty with the money mismanagement? We totally need her at that meeting I'm sure she has LOTS to contribute. She's clearly worried about her people.

Pay no attention to how fast they closed the castle gates and bullied away the media (who previously they couldn't speak to enough) when that audit was published.

I hope Canadians read between the lines with all the bullshit threats about attacking the economy and warriors rising up and the guy from the CBC link above blatantly saying violence is an option.

Hopefully if violence erupts our police forces won't take their cue from the Sarnia police.
 
I think the PM has outsmarted everyone yet again. He has gauged the situation nd allowed the protesters and Cheif Spence to beclown themselves enough to neutralize anyone who wants to play the "race" card before moving in to undercut INM and strengthen the native reformers. He and the GG have set up a meeting in such a style that everyone (who counts) will get something (Edward has the entire scenario laid out upthread) and go home with a much better position to work from.

Oddly, Thomas Mulcair has also shown some good political instincts. Being perceptive enough to recognize Chief Spense and the INM for what they are, he has allowed some members of his caucus to weigh in, but has been relatively mute himself, staying well clear of the splatter and so will not have spent political capital on a worthless cause. The Liberals have shown no such restraint, including both Mr Dithers and the Young Dauphin in a parade of useful idiots. More fun filled sound bites ready and waiting for the CPC attack machine....
 
:violin: For Spency Boo Boo. 

the First Nations attack the economy?  With what?    "We won't let you buy our tobacco or our gas and alcohol anymore eh, oh and no casino's either"

They've already been "attacking" our economy for a very long time with the extortion.  They're like leeches, or ticks.  Thing is once a leech or a tick get full they drop off and go on their merry way.   

In a way I hope the Harper government tells them "No more money to the reservations,  Get out, you're Canadian like everyone else.  Assimilate into society like every other Canadian, immigrant or born here" and that's that.  They want "Equality" they need to give up their little pie in the sky view on things and the reservations. 

I really hope this wakes the general Canadian public up.  The Natives want to be the Pigs in the barnyard.  I don't think that is able to happen.
 
Pandora, I get the jist of what you are saying.  But...

Assimilate is really the wrong word to use.  I assume you meant integrate. 

Not trying to patronise you or anything.
 
Crantor said:
Pandora, I get the jist of what you are saying.  But...

Assimilate is really the wrong word to use.  I assume you meant integrate. 

Not trying to patronise you or anything.
Click to expand...

Yeah that.  Sorry. 
 
Chief Thud and company are seeing more and more bad press. Just today the CP did a story about the boyfriend's financial woes and the fact that he has zero education to back up his claims of being a financial manager mangler.

Speaking of Ford, was it not one solitary complaint that got the wheels rolling to unass him from office? Then why in the fuck won't legions of complaints about Thud get something done? Perhaps those wheels are turning already. They should be.
 
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2010/03/14/ns-shubenacadie-first-nation-election-report-108.html

It took that story for

http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/161812-ex-council-member-elected-as-shubenacadie-band-chief  This to happen.

It can be done...this bad press is exactly what they need. 
 
Funny, I went to high school with Tommy. He's a good guy and is really concerned for his band members. I also know a few of the others named in the stories and there are one or two who I wouldn't piss on were they on fire.

 
The banner image for today's issue of the Kingston Whig Standard was an INM protest. Then, above the fold, is a photo of a new A/SLt and one of the first to participate in the ALOY program at RMC with an article.  Thankfully the Whig did not sully this woman's accomplishments by throwing in comparisons or comments on the current political unrest.

Supposedly there were 8 grads in this first group by the way.
 
Scott said:
Just today the CP did a story about the boyfriend's financial woes and the fact that he has zero education to back up his claims of being a financial manager mangler.
Click to expand...

Check the article I posted (reply #550).  Not quite zero education, but not quite up to snuff, either...
 
Part 1

From Dec 2011.

Interesting to say the least. I have previously read several reports of contracts between De Beers and the community. Contrarily, reports speak of unemployment, no opportunities/businesses (although Global News got kicked out of the "Hotel").

So what are these contracts for, who's businesses are these, how many are employed? Where is the money? Who got it? Tax free I am presuming.

The guy who wrote this is currently listed in the Toronto office of De Beers.

http://www.netnewsledger.com/2011/12/01/attawapiskat-what-is-de-beers-doing-to-help/

Attawapiskat – What is De Beers doing to help?

in Aboriginal News / by James Murray / on December 1, 2011

ATTAWAPISKAT – Many have questioned what De Beers, who are operating the Victor Diamond Mine near Attawapiskat are doing in the community to help out during the crisis. A NetNewsledger.com reader has shared an email received from the company.

Here is the contents of that message:

Like you – we have concerns about the housing situation in Attawapiskat First Nation, as the largest portion of our workforce comes from the community, which is a fly-in/fly-out community located 90 kilometres from the mine. Our company maintains a presence in the community with a two-person office (where I’m currently working from) and a training facility where we fly our training team in to conduct regular training programs with community members.

To help with some background on our activities in the community, the Victor Mine was originally discovered in 1987. Since then, we have been working with the community through the various stages of exploration, advanced exploration, the feasibility study, the environmental assessment, construction starting in 2006 then operations starting in July 2008. At each stage of that development, a variety of agreements were put in place with the community to ensure their participation and local benefits.

In November 2005 after three years of negotiation, a comprehensive Impact Benefit Agreement (IBA) was reached between De Beers Canada and Attawapiskat First Nation. That agreement includes specific compensation and protocols to ensure Attawapiskat First Nation is the primary beneficiary of benefits available during the construction, operation and closure of the Victor Mine. Compensation includes items such as training, employment, business opportunities and direct financial compensation.

The agreement also outlines our requirements and commitments in non-financial areas such as the environment and local cultural activities and practices. This agreement was voted on and ratified by the community in November 2005 before we began the construction of the Victor Mine.

Under the IBA, a series of joint management committees were established to oversee the execution of the agreement.

In 2009, a sewage backup in Attawapiskat displaced nearly 100 people. Although we had only been in operation for one year, we flew crews and project managers into the community at our expense to reconfigure previously donated multi-unit trailers into emergency housing for those displaced by the situation. These trailers are the same type still being used today by a number of our own employees at our mine, which is also fly-in/fly-out.

Working with the community over a period of a couple of weeks, we were able to complete that project just before the first snow. The value of the trailers combined with the costs to deliver them to the community, redesign and install them totaled more than $3 million – a cost covered by De Beers Canada.In 2009/2010, De Beers Canada funded consultant work on behalf of Attawapiskat First Nation so the community could undertake a comprehensive study into their housing situation.

This work included identifying the housing needs and deficiencies as well as the development of a plan for the community to address its housing shortage.

Our understanding is that this was later submitted by Attawapiskat First Nation to the federal government.These two major activities were over and above the formal commitments we have in our IBA.

De Beers Canada is continuing to work with the community through the IBA to ensure we maximize benefits to the community.

Since the start of construction, over $325 million in contracts have been awarded to solely owned or joint venture companies run by the community.

Just this year alone, contracts awarded to the community total $51 million. Earlier in this note I referred to the training facility we are operating in the community.

In fact, this was the second training facility that we constructed and donated to the community at a combined cost of almost $2 million. The community runs the other facility. Every year for more than five years, we have been purchasing and delivering new books to every child in the community from kindergarten to Grade 12 as part of a program to grow literacy and education levels in the community.

We also have in place a scholarship program. In support of the efforts for a new school, we donated project trailers, helped the community review a design proposal and offered our project management expertise.

These efforts can help reduce some of the key start-up costs in the construction of a new school. Although the Victor Mine is a small mine by both physical size and production (in fact it is the smallest diamond mine in Canada with the shortest life-of-mine of the four existing diamond mines in Canada), we are proud of the commitment of our team to all of our community partners – including Attawapiskat First Nation – in just three years of operation.

I hope this information is helpful to you and provides you some assurance that De Beers Canada is committed to maximizing the benefits for our community partners in Attawapiskat First Nation and across the country in our other areas of operation.

Since the earliest stages of our relationship, the community has made it quite clear to us that our role is not to become involved in matters that are under the jurisdiction of the community and other levels of government. When community issues arise outside the IBA or our direct responsibility such as housing, we will continue to work with our partners to play whatever support role our resources and expertise allow.

Tom Ormsby
Director, External & Corporate Affairs
De Beers Canada
 
Part 2

From Dec 2011

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/in-attawapiskat-deep-rooted-problems-wont-disappear-in-an-instant/article4201581/?page=all

Exerts from the above article:
Band co-manager Clayton Kennedy managed Attawapiskat's finances from 2001 through 2004, and was rehired in July, 2010.

In the five years he was not with the band, he said, things became “a financial nightmare.” He believes the first nation was in over its head.

“It wasn't so much people pocketing money, or flying to Bermuda,” he said. “It was more, too many trips to Timmins and too many workshops.” The band also hired too many staff, even at the risk of running a deficit, he said. This resulted in young, inexperienced workers “occupying positions, even when they were not capable of doing the job.” Attawapiskat has an unemployment rate of more than 60 per cent, and “there was a mentality to hire as many people as possible in order to get money on the table, so people could buy food and get off welfare.”

In January, Mr. Kennedy implemented a new remedial management plan, drastically changing the way business was conducted. Mr. Kennedy has residents paying for rent, water, sewer, garbage and electrical fees, something that was not well managed previously.
Click to expand...
Ms. Tomagatik struggled with English, continually breaking into Cree then catching herself and searching for words. She said De Beers officials met with her family three times, long before the company cut a deal with Attawapiskat. She claimed that the company offered her and her four siblings $10,000 a year while the mine was in operation and that she has the paperwork to prove it. For the first few years, the money materialized. Ms. Tomagatik used it to support her daughter, living down south in Timmins. But several years ago, the payments stopped.

Tom Ormsby, the company's director of corporate affairs, explained that the rules changed when De Beers signed a deal with Attawapiskat to develop the land. Instead of making payments to individual band members, the money goes to chief and council.

“We don't compensate individuals,” said Mr. Ormsby, who began working for De Beers after the meetings with the Tomagatiks took place. “We have no way of knowing people's traditional hunting grounds and things like that. And we don't designate what the money's for, whether it's for the Tomagatiks or anybody. That's for the chief and council to decide.”
Click to expand...
 
Strike said:
The banner image for today's issue of the Kingston Whig Standard was an INM protest. Then, above the fold, is a photo of a new A/SLt and one of the first to participate in the ALOY program at RMC with an article.  Thankfully the Whig did not sully this woman's accomplishments by throwing in comparisons or comments on the current political unrest.

Supposedly there were 8 grads in this first group by the way.
Click to expand...


That's a great story, Strike; thanks for sharing it. She is, certainly, a good example of what young aboriginals can accomplish with only a wee bit of help from the system.

It's also the first I've heard of ALOY.

Good catch on both counts.
 
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