Canada's First Nations - CF help, protests, solutions, etc. (merged)

[skyhigh10]

A variety of good posts written, many of which I agree with. A sensitive subject to be sure. Lots of different opinions!  From Ezra Levant stating that it's the first time he's ever seen someone gain weight during a hunger strike to Mr. Martins apologetic sermon. Quite the mess. 

Something I can't seem to understand.... why doesn't the CBC, Toronto Star and so on take a trip up to Attawapiskat and interview the community? Wouldn't it be nice to see if they support all of these claims by Ms. Spence?

Members of her own band were heckling her yesterday questioning where the money went. Her response was "consultants"!

I don't think it's too much to ask for this investigation to continue instead of being distracted by unreasonable threats which would land most of us in a jail cell. 

Ms. Spence has failed to communicate to me how "we" inhibit first nations ability to succeed. She has failed to communicate how I am responsible for the issues plaguing aboriginal youth.  She has also failed her transparency test.

I think the political high ground needs to be bypassed in order to put these recurring issues to rest.

 

[ModlrMike]

Something I can't seem to understand.... why doesn't the CBC, Toronto Star and so on take a trip up to Attawapiskat and interview the community? Wouldn't it be nice to see if they support all of these claims by Ms. Spence?

Global News did just that... and were thrown off the reserve at the insistence of Ms Spence.

 

[Rifleman62]

I forgot to add that since they are "sovereign nations" the Supreme Court of Canada is meaningless to them.

Nothing will ever satisfy them. Give them every breathe of air and they will argue about that.

 

[brihard]

I understand we who are not Indians are "Newcomers".

This pisses me off more than the rest. I do not use the term 'natives' to refer to aboriginals. I was born in Canada. I am as 'native' as anyone else who was.

Aboriginal conveys the proper ethnic and political nuances. But I reject this notion that somehow those of us who cannot claim that ethnicity owe anything to those who can any more than we owe to all Canadians equally. I do not believe in two-tier citizenship.

 

[Edward Campbell]

Ezra Levant tweeted this:

It's a Miracle?

Levant is not, I think, the originator but I cannot trace the source.

 

[ArmyGuy99]

[Begin Delusion  :stars:]  What has been done has been done.  What is, is.  Wake up, smell the coffee, move on with life.  We're all Canadian end of story :cdnsalute:.  My wife is German/Canadian on both sides.  Our Children will learn about both the paternal and maternal sides.  But they will be taught that they are Canadian first, no matter what.  Let's just all agree that we live in the best country in the world, shake hands be friends and go grab a  :cheers: and some fishing poles.
[Delusion ends  k:]

 

[Remius]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2013/01/12/pol-the-house-matthew-coon-come-calls-on-theresa-spence-to-end-hunger-strike.html

Some common sense.

 

[Dissident]

Ezra Levant tweeted this:

It's a Miracle?

Levant is not, I think, the originator but I cannot trace the source.

To be fair Ghandhi started out pretty thin. A month ago Chief Spence was asking for Solo and the Wookie.

 

[Jarnhamar]

If there is a flood of people trying to get on the train I know exactly where some of the money can come from to pay the ticket.

 

[The_Falcon]

Ezra Levant tweeted this:

It's a Miracle?

Levant is not, I think, the originator but I cannot trace the source.

I made a similar one for my FB wall.

 

[George Wallace]

I forgot to add that since they are "sovereign nations" the Supreme Court of Canada is meaningless to them.

But they are not.  They gave away the "sovereign nation" status with Treaties # 5 and # 9.  If they want to conveniently forget this "sin of their forefathers" then we should not be held accountable of any of the "sins of our forefathers" (which they (all visible minorities) so often remind us of and hold us accountable for), and we are left with this:

Nothing will ever satisfy them. Give them every breathe of air and they will argue about that.

From Treaty No. 5, 20 September 1875:

The Saulteaux and Swampy Cree Tribes of Indians and all other the Indians inhabiting the district hereinafter described and defined, do hereby cede, release, surrender and yield up to the Government of the Dominion of Canada, for Her Majesty the Queen and Her successors for ever, all their rights, titles and privileges whatsoever to the lands included within the following limits, that is to say:

http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100028699/1100100028700

From Treaty No 9, 18 June 1931:

Copy of an Order In Council


Copy of an Order in Council, approved by the Honourable the Lieutenant Governor, dated the 18th day of June, A. D. 1931

The Committee of Council have had under consideration the report of the Honourable the Minister of Lands and Forests, dated June 8, 1931, therein he states that, by a Commission dated the thirtieth day of May, 1929, issued in pursuance of an agreement dated the first day of March, 1929, between the Superintendent General of Indian Affairs on behalf of the Government of Canada and the Minister of Lands and Forests of the Province of Ontario on behalf of the Government of Ontario, and in accordance with a Minute of a Meeting of the Committee of the Privy Council approved by His Excellency the Governor General on the said thirtieth day of May, 1929, Mr. Walter Charles Cain, Deputy Minister of Lands and Forests for the Province of Ontario, and Mr. Herbert Nathaniel Awrey, of the Department of Indian Affairs, were appointed Commissioners "For the purpose of negotiating an extension of James Bay Treaty No. 9 with the Ojibeway and other Indians, inhabitants of the territory within the limits hereinafter defined and described, by their chiefs and headmen, for the purpose of opening for settlement, immigration, trade, travel, mining and lumbering, and for such other purposes as to His Majesty may seem meet, a tract of country bounded and described as hereinafter mentioned, and of obtaining the consent thereto of His Indian subjects inhabiting the said tract, and of arranging with them for the cession of the Indian rights, titles and privileges to be ceded, released, surrendered and yielded up to His Majesty the King, and His successors forever, so that there may be peace and good-will between them and His Majesty's other subjects, and that His Indian people may know and be assured of what allowances they are to count upon and receive from His Majesty's bounty and benevolence, which said territory may be described and defined as follows, that is to say:

All that tract of land and land covered by water in the Province of Ontario, comprising part of the District of Kenora (Patricia portion), containing one hundred and twenty-eight thousand three hundred and twenty square miles more or less, being bounded on the south by the northerly limit of Treaty Nine; on the west by the easterly limits of Treaties Three and Five, and the boundary between the provinces of Ontario and Manitoba; on the north by the waters of Hudson Bay, and on the east by the waters of James Bay, and including all islands, islets and rocks, waters and land covered by water within the said limits;

the said treaty to release and surrender also all Indian rights and privileges whatsoever of the said Indians to all or any other lands wherever situated in Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba or the District of Keewatin or in any other portion of the Dominion of Canada."

That the said James Bay Treaty amongst other things provided for the laying aside of reserves for each band in the proportion of one square mile for each family of five or in that proportion for larger or smaller families, such reserves when confirmed to be held and administered by His Majesty for the benefit of the Indians free of all claims, liens or trusts by Ontario.

That adhesions to Treaty Number Nine, copy of which Adhesions is hereto annexed, marked Schedule "A", entered into between the said Commissioners and the Indians under the authority heretofore referred to, provide for the setting aside, through the said Commissioners, such reserves for each Band as is provided for by the said aforementioned Treaty at such places or locations as may be arranged between the said Commissioners and the Chiefs and Headmen of each Band.

That, by Ontario Statute, 1912, ch. 3, the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario consented to recognize the rights of the Indian inhabitants in the territory added to and now included in the Province of Ontario by The Ontario Boundaries Extension Act, Statutes of Canada, 1912, Chapter 40.

  http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100028863/1100100028864

 

[Rifleman62]

Thought I read that Chief Spence signed a do not resuscitate order yesterday, but I cannot find the link today.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/Column+Idle+More+Demon+Harper+There+another+choice/7797913/story.html#ixzz2HmrIsWUU

Idle No More or the Demon Harper? There’s another choice

By Terry Glavin - Ottawa Citizen - January 10, 2013

It all sounds so wonderfully simple. On the one side, we have Canada, a genocidal, racist, colonial settler state that just wants to rape the land and poison the water. On the other, we have sacred indigenous nations that just want to protect Turtle Island and be spiritual about everything. Now, pick a side.

Thank you, Idle No More. Joining a “revolution” has never been so easy, and already, the ramparts are being breached. Prime Minister Stephen Harper hosts a delegation from the leadership of the Assembly of First Nations on Friday. It’s actually a meeting the AFN was supposed to have had with Harper some time ago, but never mind that.

Don’t spoil the excitement.

This is not to say that there’s been nothing worthwhile about the impromptu flash-mobbing and the aboriginal-themed block parties that have been breaking out randomly all over the place in recent weeks.

Nobody’s in charge. It can mean whatever you want it to mean. Wow!

What will happen next? Besides, it’s been almost wholly peaceful and lawful and fun.

But to imagine this as a progressive “movement” requires a certain suspension of disbelief. There are just too many bothersome little contradictions that have to be kept off camera or the whole thing falls apart.

Like last year’s so-called Occupy movement, Idle No More offers nothing remotely resembling any achievable and identifiable demands.

Sorry, but calling for the immediate repeal of the ruling Conservatives’ entire legislative agenda doesn’t count. And while Idle No More is supposed to be a function of social media and the emergence of new forms of “horizontal” political organization, it’s now almost entirely a function of the “old” media’s news cycles.

This has meant endless opportunities for journalists and activists who’ve never set foot inside an Indian reserve to declaim gravely and loudly in the matter of what Indians want, what Indians think and how Indians feel. So much for “awareness-raising.” And never mind that Kahnewake Mohawks have about as much in common with Kwakwaka’wakw people as with Corsicans or Marsh Arabs. The contradictions just keep piling up.

It’s true that Chief Theresa Spence’s home community of Attawapiskat was in the grips of a scandalous housing crisis last winter, and that she and NDP MP Charlie Angus deftly handled the serious journalism that Global TV and the CBC put into it all. But it’s also true that Chief Spence’s boyfriend is on the Attawapiskat payroll at $850 a day, the CBC now stands accused of collaborating with shadowy Conservative propagandists in disclosing the contents of a “leaked” financial audit and Chief Spence had a Global TV crew strong-armed out of Attawapiskat only this week.

The contradictions are plentiful and shy-making. Attawapiskat’s own investment portfolio, for instance, includes holdings in oilsands majors like the Chinese National Offshore Oil Corp., the pipeline-builder Enbridge and other such water poisoners and land rapers.

Here’s another thing you’re not supposed to know: The aging hipster activists who are providing so much of the oxygen for Idle No More are the very same “social movement” activists who actively engineered the defeat of the historic aboriginal self-government provisions of the Charlottetown accord in 1992. Hey, thanks for the help, white friends.

But these are “distractions.” There are eagle feather rituals and sacred fires to attend to. Everyone’s in buckskin and colourful headgear, and while most of this stuff is really just powwow performance art that can’t claim even the most tenuous connection to any real aboriginal traditions in Canada, journalists just love this stuff. It means you don’t actually have to do any work.

The phenomenon has reaffirmed that there is an enormous reservoir of goodwill among ordinary working Canadians, and the breathless awe with which we are all exhorted to behold the recent parades has whetted a political appetite that might be slaked only by radical change in Indian Country. This is good. But Idle No More’s wholly unaccountable non-leadership remains fixated on assertions of aboriginal hyper-authenticity and a sweetgrass-clouded rejectionism that guarantees the persistence of a bleak and grotesque status quo. Not so good.

Here’s how that works.

Rob Clarke of the Muskeg Lake Cree First Nation in Saskatchewan would very much like to get rid of the Indian Act (and so say we all). It’s a decrepit, burdensome and unutterably stupid law that is far and away the heaviest of all the statutory millstones around the necks of Canada’s aboriginal peoples. Clarke is now the popular MP for Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River. His riding takes in most of the land mass of Saskatchewan, and his voters are mostly Cree and Métis people.

Clarke’s private members’ bill, C-428, is a modest thing that proposes a handful of immediate amendments, one of which would lift the Byzantine rigmaroles governing the sale of potatoes cultivated on Indian reserves (yes, really). More importantly, C-428 would require the Indian Affairs minister to report regularly and meticulously on the government’s progress as the department consults and collaborates with First Nations leadership on the long-overdue repeal and replacement of the Indian Act.

For his trouble, Clarke has been blasted by the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations for failing to adequately consult with them about his proposal for consultations, and Idle No More’s founding grievance list identifies Bill C-428 as a violation of the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Idle No More’s founders have similarly traduced Innuit Senator Charlie Watt’s proposed law, in Bill S-207, which would explicitly prohibit all federal statues from abrogating or derogating from the aboriginal and treaty rights enshrined in Section 35 of the Constitution. Like that would be a bad thing.

Another thing we’re supposed to avoid mentioning is that Idle No More constitutes a failed style and a hackneyed polemics that has been percolating mainly at the margins since the 1970s, and it’s precisely the thing the Assembly of First Nations itself resoundingly rejected last summer in its landslide re-election of the eminently competent and dynamic national chief Shawn Atleo.

There had been remarkable progress underway under Atleo’s leadership, on a variety of fronts, until only a few months ago.

The only serious question about Idle No More now is whether it will mobilize public support for the AFN agenda under its brand or undermine Shawn Atleo’s leadership altogether. Sorry, but the choice isn’t between the Folk Devil Stephen Harper and those graceful blue creatures from Avatar. It’s between play-acting in period costume and actual and real political engagement. Unless it’s the latter, Idle No More will collapse under the weight of its own contradictions.

We’ll see.

Terry Glavin is an author and journalist  (+ blogger) whose most recent book is Come From the Shadows.
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

 

[57Chevy]

Quebec Grand Chief calls on Spence to end hunger strike
From CBC NEWS.ca (link)

A top aboriginal chief, Matthew Coon Come, who was among a delegation of chiefs that met with Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Ottawa on Friday, says it's time for Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence to save face and end her hunger strike — now on its 33rd day.

Spence, who attended a ceremonial event with the Governor General at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Friday evening, along with about 100 other chiefs, has since vowed to continue her hunger strike until the prime minister and Governor General meet with First Nations together, in the same room.

In an interview airing Saturday on CBC Radio's The House, Coon Come, Grand Chief of the Grand Council of the Crees, acknowledged that Spence's efforts had "an influence" on the resulting meetings but also questioned the wisdom of her decision to continue her diet of fish broth and medicinal tea beyond four weeks.

"I'm not sure who is advising her," Coon Come told host Evan Solomon.

Coon Come, who also served as former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) from 2000 to 2003, went on to question Spence's rationale for wanting the prime minister and the Governor General to meet with First Nations in the same room.

He explained that while the Canadian Constitution Act places executive powers in the Queen, in practice this power is exercised by the prime minister.

"The prime minister is not going to relinquish his executive powers to the Governor General. That's the reality," said Coon Come.

"I don't know who is advising her. I don't know who she has surrounded herself with," said Coon Come adding "but I think if one is to make statements, they have to be credible based on at least some facts, on some knowledge, and hopefully be able to compromise."

Speaking from his own experience, Coon Come said "when you ask for something in this country, in my experience in negotiations, it's a give and take. There has to be a save-face, for both sides."

Coon Come, a long-time advocate for the rights of indigenous peoples in Canada, is also best known for his fight against the Quebec government's James Bay hydroelectric project.

"I chose to be part of the process, and I think I've done something for my nation that others only dream of," he said.

Coon Come told Solomon he thinks Spence has been successful in her demands, and that it's time to put her health first.

"I would hope that she would [end her hunger strike], for her health. I think she has succeeded. The Governor General responded by saying I will meet. Maybe not the way she wanted it. The prime minister said he was going to meet with First Nations. I think both have been done."

Shared article with provisions of The Copyright Act continues at link above.

 

[Rifleman62]

http://www.globalnews.ca/spence+lacks+support+of+most+canadians+poll/6442789231/story.html

Spence lacks support of most Canadians: poll
Most Canadians believe First Nations receive too much federal funding, and Aboriginals' problems are 'brought on by themselves'

More than a month into her much-publicized protest, Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence is not garnering much support from Canadians, according to a new survey.

The chief received an approval rating of 29 per cent in a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted exclusively for Global News and Postmedia News.

The survey suggests the Idle No More movement hasn't garnered much sympathy for Canada's First Nations, but rather, raised awareness about financial accountability on the reserves.

Nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of poll respondents believe Canada's First Nations receive too much federal funding. About the same number (62 per cent) believe Ottawa treats Aboriginals well.

But Aboriginals are also creating problems for themselves, according to more than half (60 per cent) of respondents. Idle No More spokesperson Pam Palmater insists that simply isn't the case.

In an interview over the phone with Global News, she puts the blame squarely on Ottawa. "First Nations are not to blame for the situation they're in. Indian Affairs controls every single aspect of our lives."

"Our problem is we have more kids in care today because of government policies than we ever did in residential schools. So nothing's changed for us, they just use different policies to accomplish the same thing."

Until auditors are appointed to ensure financial accountability, Ottawa should not hand out additional taxpayer dollars to any reserve, according to most Canadians (81 per cent).

Twenty-seven per cent of Canadians believe much of the federal money is managed well by First Nations leaders. Out of all Canadian provinces, Quebec agreed the most with this (36 per cent), while Saskatchewan and Manitoba agreed the least (8 per cent).

The question was asked just days after an independent audit of Attawapiskat First Nation, commissioned by Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan, detailed how the band council had not properly tracked how it spent $104 million earmarked for housing, sewage, and education.

Deloitte and Touche LLP's study showed 81 per cent of the 505 financial transactions reviewed lacked proper documentation. Sixty per cent had no documentation for the reason for payment, the auditors noted.

Chief Lloyd Phillips of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke says one reserve's bad audit reflects poorly on all the reserves. "By far, 90 per cent-plus of the communities are above board in terms – they've always been accounted for. The audit reports are requirements of the federal government every year."

"The vast majority are more than adequate in what they provide. You know, it's unfortunate there are a few – and no one will deny that – that are mismanaging, but those are the ones who make the headlines."

Global National Ottawa Bureau Chief Jacques Bourbeau approached Spence on Tuesday for her reaction to the poll, but she offered no comment, deferring Bourbeau to her spokesperson, Danny Metatawabin.

Metatawabin says many Canadians just don't understand the issues facing First Nations. "We are not money-grabbers. We just get limited funding."


While Spence suffered relatively low approval ratings, First Nations national leaders scored the highest, at 51 per cent.

Harper came in second at 46 per cent. Ipsos Reid points out that when the Conservatives were elected to a majority government in 2011, the party received 40 per cent of the vote.

The Idle No More movement placed third, at 38 per cent, ahead of Spence. But only 51 per cent of Canadians say they've been paying "close attention" to details of the recent First Nations protests.

A lack of knowledge is contributing to Aboriginals' negative reputation, according to Palmater. "These people participating in polls – for the most part – don't have that historical, legal, political, social, factual context. They're giving opinions based on what they hear in the media – and not based on fact." (The media party, led by the CBC, was fully in support against the devil, Harper, so I don't know what she is smoking)

Phillips echoes Palmater's sentiment. "The movement certainly needs to send a much clearer message to the Canadian public through the media... (I'm) not being critical of (all) the media, but I've witnessed some media outlets who have not shown the best light on the whole issue."

To Phillips, the message is simple: First Nations want a better life in Canada. "We want to assert our jurisdictions, and have a new relationship – you know, respective of our historical relationship with Canada."

Palmater is urging Canadians to give the Idle No More movement "a chance. Ask questions. Self-educate. Start understanding what are the root causes of these problems."

In the meantime, Spence insists she will remain on a liquids-only diet until she is granted a meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Gov. Gen. David Johnston, and other First Nations leaders.


'Legitimate protest' and cooperation

The views on what constitutes a "legitimate protest" varied across Canada. Nationally, 31 per cent believed shutting down roads and railways was appropriate. Forty-three per cent of Atlantic Canadians agreed, but only 21 per cent in Saskatchewan and Manitoba concurred.

As for cooperation, a majority (56 per cent) of Canadians believe neither Canada's First Nations nor the Harper government is being fair. When the results were dissected by political party support, 56 per cent of Conservative supporters thought the Harper government has been reasonable during this dispute. Twenty-eight per cent of Bloc Quebecois supporters believed First Nations were more fair.

An equal number of NDP and Liberal supporters (58 per cent) agreed that neither side was more reasonable.

Almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of Canadians believe Ottawa should be helping to raise the quality of life for Aboriginal Canadians. Support on this issue was the greatest in Atlantic Canada (68 per cent), while less than half (49 per cent) of respondents in Saskatchewan and Manitoba agreed.

From Friday to Monday, 1,023 Canadian adults were interviewed online for this survey, which was weighted to bring it in line with Canadian demographics, and has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

With files from Jacques Bourbeau and Rebecca Lindell

See a breakdown of the results based on respondents' sex and age: http://www.scribd.com/doc/120545070/Ipsos-Reid-poll-for-Global-News-on-First-Nations-issues

 

[Jungle]

Metatawabin says many Canadians just don't understand the issues facing First Nations. "We are not money-grabbers. We just get limited funding."

Yeah... and we're swimming in cash... this is fucking insulting.

 

[a_majoor]

More on how Canadians are reacting to the INM and other aspects of the "Indian Industry":

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/01/15/majority-of-canadians-concerned-about-financial-accountability-on-first-nations-reserves-poll/

Majority of Canadians concerned about financial accountability on First Nations reserves: poll

Michael Woods, Postmedia News | Jan 15, 2013 6:29 PM ET
More from Postmedia News

OTTAWA – More than four out of five Canadians don’t want more money sent to aboriginal reserves unless proper, independent audits are conducted to ensure financial accountability. And fewer than one in three thinks the money spent by the federal government on reserves is well-managed by the native leaders and communities who receive it, according to an exclusive Ipsos Reid poll conducted for Postmedia News.

The issue of accountability on First Nations’ reserves wasn’t on the radar until recently, according to Ipsos Reid CEO Darrell Bricker.

“People are looking for explanations and they’re pointing at a lot of people here,” he said, adding accountability isn’t seen as just an issue among non-aboriginals.

He suggested Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence’s much-publicized protest fast, which has gone on for over a month, hasn’t achieved much traction with Canadians. Indeed the poll showed Spence, who was still continuing to refuse solid foods as of Tuesday, has only a 29 per cent approval rating among Canadians.

Thirty-eight per cent of those surveyed approved of the grassroots Idle No More movement, which was reportedly planning a day of protest Wednesday.

Related

    Idle No More co-founder distances movement from planned blockades, hunger-striking Chief Spence
    Ditch the Indian Act and give First Nations more control over their land: taxpayers federation
    Timing of Attawapiskat audit’s release is a ploy to ‘discredit’ me: Theresa Spence

Spence came under fire last week after an audit of Attawapiskat’s finances dating back to 2005 showed evidence of mismanagement and a lack of financial documentation. She dismissed the audit as an attempt to discredit her.

The Assembly of First Nations, whose leadership took heat from some aboriginal chiefs for meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other government officials last Friday, had the highest approval rating in the poll, at 51 per cent nationally.

Harper personally drew the approval of 46 per cent of those polled for his actions on the aboriginal file – an encouraging number for the prime minister considering his Conservative government was elected in 2011 with less than 40 per cent of the popular vote, the pollster noted.

Canadians’ overall level of concern about the problems plaguing First Nations communities is solid, but remains unchanged from two years ago, despite the Idle No More movement and Spence’s action, the poll indicates. Sixty-three percent of Canadians think the federal government should act to raise the quality of life for Aboriginal peoples, the same as in July 2010.

Canadians are frustrated with the conditions on some First Nations reserves but are pointing fingers at everyone involved, the poll shows. While only 27 per cent feel that the Harper government generally is being fair and reasonable on First Nations issues, fewer – only 17 per cent – think Canada’s First Nations are being fair and reasonable.

People “think that this has been going on for a long time, and nobody seems to have a plan to fix it,” Bricker said. ‘There’s a lot of blame to go around.”

The belief that most of the problems First Nations people face are brought on by themselves has risen among Canadians from 35 per cent in 1989 – just before the Oka crisis began – to 60 per cent today, an increase over time that Bricker calls “shocking.”

That rise is partly caused by Canada’s changing demographic over the past quarter-century, with millions of new immigrants who have arrived since 1989 and “aren’t really in touch with these issues,” thus taking a harder line on them, Bricker said.

The Ipsos online panel surveyed more than 1,000 Canadians and is considered accurate to within plus or minus 3.5 percentage points, 95 per cent of the time.

This level of support should give the Prime Minister, the AFN reformers and the government room to move, and negate those idiots who try to use the race card to block change, and those who feed off the current status quo in the so called "Indian Industry". Time to move

 

[Pandora114]

Milkshakes are still considered a "liquid" 

 

[Journeyman]

Milkshakes are still considered a "liquid"

So is Jack Daniels.    :nod:

 

[OldSolduer]

So is Jack Daniels.    :nod:

Now that is a liquid diet I could get into!

 

[medicineman]

Milkshakes are still considered a "liquid"

And I put six pounds on as a teenager living off of them when I had my jaw wired shut for 8 weeks...

MM