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

[GAP]

While I agree with the sentiments on watching your language....I don't think a lot of opinions on this thread differ much from what the general
public is expressing.  In a lot of cases, some of the chiefs are their own worst enemies.....

 

[Canadian.Trucker]

And not to be disrespectful, but how do you know this?

That our opinions may be used somewhere?  I don't.
That the involvement of the CF is potentially being reviewed?  I work with the Canadian Rangers.

We were all talking about Libya before the CF went.......we made out just fine.

Okay.  All I was doing was just saying we should be cautious, that's all.  No big deal.

 

[OldSolduer]

That the involvement of the CF is potentially being reviewed?  I work with the Canadian Rangers.
Okay.  All I was doing was just saying we should be cautious, that's all.  No big deal.

I should have been clearer in my intent. My apologies.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

That our opinions may be used somewhere?  I don't.
That the involvement of the CF is potentially being reviewed?  I work with the Canadian Rangers.
Okay.  All I was doing was just saying we should be cautious, that's all.  No big deal.

Thanks for your concern.

We've been through these situations before.

The board is composed of, mostly, intelligent adults.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled broadcast.

Milnet.ca Staff

 

[Jarnhamar]

I'm so sick and tired about hearing about the plight of First Nations in Canada.

Everyone laughs, it's like a big joke. We're firing off millions of dollars at First nations and it goes up in smoke. They ask for more money, SOMEONE has the inkling to ask where the last batch of money went. They get upset start throwing around the usual accusations of "the man" trying to muddle in their affairs, then ask when they are getting more money.

We're a month away from 2012, we need to start acting like it's 2012AD and not 1220AD (ie clueless).
Why do we even waste time with this?
Wheres the money? You don't want to tell us? Okay you're not getting another penny-problem solved.

The CF has much better things to do than get involved with this stuff. There are people in the world that not only want our help but need it. People that haven't put themselves in the position they're in.
Again the big joke is that the chiefs have million dollar houses and 90% of the community lives in shacks- no one seems inclined to do anything about it let alone mention it. 

If you want to use the CF for anything send out a few battalions to search for illegal weapons, confiscate them and remove the capability for armed stand offs with police on Canadian soil.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Just to be clear, as far as I can tell, the only ones that have asked specifically for the CF to intervene are the NDP.

No one else, including First Nations representatives have asked for us.


The local MP, Charlie Angus (NDP) has had seven full years as the representative for this riding, to do something or watch out for these constituents.

He waits til now to start mewing about it and trying blame the Feds?

Pffftt.

 

[Journeyman]

...that the chiefs have million dollar houses and 90% of the community lives in shacks...

Maybe that 90% should 'Occupy the Reserves' and live in tents to protest the inequality. 

 

[CountDC]

Interesting look through the Financial reports, specifically the Consolidated Schedule of Salaries.

Keep in mind that in Dec 2010 the population of the tribe was listed as over 2800 but only 1929 actually lived on the reserve.    The report reflect Elected officials at 21 - Chief, Deputy Chief and 19 Councillors.  That is approx 1 councillor for every 100 reserve members.  Wages range from $22k to a high of $73k for full year.  As this was apparently a transitiion year hopefully the number of councillors is actually around half, 10, but even then it gives 1 for every 200 population.  Toss in unelected officials - Band Manager ($74.8k), Tech Svcs($87.3k), Day Care Mgr($45.2), Soc Serv Mgr($65.8k). One of my fav entries is the Acting Band Mgr for 2 months Salary and Honouraria of $12.3k and travel expenses of $68.4k.  For 2 months he cost almost as much as the regular guy cost them for 12 months who had $8.8 in travel.

Can't forget the Education Authority

12 Members (2 of them are also listed as councillors so perhaps it is actually 10 members?) - $113.5k and 2 Administration - $43.4k and $58k.  This actually seems to be a resonable dollar figure but do they really need 12 members?  Seems to me with the population they could get by with a 3 or 5 member Authority and save about $50k.

Going off the Salaries schedule the Elected and Unelected Officials totaled $846.5 k added to the Education and Admin this is $1,061,400 in wages to run a community of 1929. 

Now the Consolidated Financial Statement shows Wages and Employee Benefits of over $11 million and Admin of $3.3 million for 2011 (Admin dropped by approx a mil but w&e went up approx a mil from 2010 so most likely an accounting shuffle).

 

[a_majoor]

Good find! Now where is the rest of the money?

 

[ballz]

Good find! Now where is the rest of the money?

http://www.attawapiskat.org/financial-statements/

It's all there somewhere. The problem is you would actually have to look at their books to see exactly how the various expenditures came to be. I mean, sure, Theresa Spence made 70k a year but how much did she write off as an expense under various things that really wasn't justified as an administration expense ($3,290,047 for FY 10/11) or as a part of "program delivery" ($12,229,769 for FY 10/11) that really benefited her instead?  If you dug up the books you might find receipts for things not even related that are being written down as an administration expense.

An auditor's job isn't to justify every expense, it's to say they are accurately reported. The person who's job it is to make sure these expenses are legit is the co-manager, who's salary is paid by the band and who is currently in a relationship with the chief, Theresa Spence.

 

[a_majoor]

The person who's job it is to make sure these expenses are legit is the co-manager, who's salary is paid by the band and who is currently in a relationship with the chief, Theresa Spence.

No conflict of interest there...

 

[Scott]

Posted with the usual caveats:

http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/41262-new-chief-valley-first-nation-wants-members-set-her-wage

New chief of Valley First Nation wants members to set her wage

December 10, 2011 - 4:37am BY GORDON DELANEY VALLEY BUREAU

CAMBRIDGE, Kings County — The newly elected chief of the Annapolis Valley First Nation is promising more transparency and accountability in her Mi’kmaq community.

Janette Peterson, 61, was elected Thursday, making her the first female chief in 30 years at the small reserve in Cambridge.

She replaces former chief Brian Toney, who had served in the position for 12 years. Peterson had 63 votes to Toney’s 26. There were 199 eligible voters among the 300 band members.

Peterson has been involved in politics for the past 40 years, and currently serves on the board of directors for the Native Women’s Association of Nova Scotia.

"I am really concerned with all the chiefs making these big salaries," Peterson said in an interview Friday. She was referring to the Canadian Taxpayer’s Federation releasing information earlier this year that showed some chiefs were making hundreds of thousands of dollars in salaries and expenses.

"In the new year, I will call a band meeting, where for the first time the band members will vote on what my wages should be," she promised.

"No more going in and taking this and that from the people," Peterson said. "I was elected by the people and I’m in here for the people, and it’s going to stay that way."

She also promised that all financial statements will be open to members of the band who wish to see them. "We’ve been in the dark too long," she said.

"I’m asking for the band membership to join me in making these changes, and what should happen on this reserve. This is their community and I’ll be relying on them."

She said her next big mandate will be creating jobs and applying for funding for special needs on the reserve, located between Kentville and Berwick. "I want the band run effectively and honestly."

Peterson ran unsuccessfully for chief the previous three terms, but said there was a strong desire for positive change in the community this time around.

"The people wanted change and they have spoken," she said. "And there are a lot of changes to be made."

( gdelaney@herald.ca)

 

[Bass ackwards]

From the article posted by Scott:

"Peterson had 63 votes to Toney’s 26. There were 199 eligible voters among the 300 band members."

89 votes from 199 eligible voters. Wow.

 

[Edward Campbell]

From the article posted by Scott:

"Peterson had 63 votes to Toney’s 26. There were 199 eligible voters among the 300 band members."

89 votes from 199 eligible voters. Wow.

Yeah, that's terrible. Aboriginals vote for their local governments with about the same enthusiasm as people in Halifax, Winnipeg and Vancouver - 44.7% voter turnout.

 

[Bass ackwards]

Yeah, that's terrible. Aboriginals vote for their local governments with about the same enthusiasm as people in Halifax, Winnipeg and Vancouver - 44.7% voter turnout.

True enough. What gets me is that the folks in Halifax, Winnipeg and Vancouver -regardless of who gets elected- still have solid walls, roofs, heating, running water, etc etc... They sure as hell never have to worry about the R factor of a tarp.

A couple of months ago, an aboriginal co-worker of mine (Cree) was telling me about young people on the reserves who wanted schooling but were denied the opportunity because they were not in the local Chief's good graces.
I pointed out that if Joe Anglosaxon like me said anything about that, I'd be shouted down as a racist, and I asked why those young people weren't hollering about it.
His response:
"Well...I guess they're too beaten down to do anything about it."

How do you deal with something like that ?
Without being imperialistic, paternalistic, or any of the other bad "istics"... 

 

[OldSolduer]

No conflict of interest there...

Of course not! How dare you place your white man's values on the First Nations!!! :rage:

 

[ballz]

CBC won't show this... I'm even more surprised CTV did...

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20111130/attawapiskat-help-arriving-111130/

EDIT: A very revealing video of the corruption at the link.

 

[OldSolduer]

CBC won't show this... I'm even more surprised CTV did...

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20111130/attawapiskat-help-arriving-111130/

EDIT: A very revealing video of the corruption at the link.

Good.....well done CTV -

NDP won't listen to this....

 

[ballz]

New zamboni bought with the education fund, undocumented salaries, $8400 chartered plane to Toronto Island (wasn't it the NDP kicking up the huge fuss about needless flying in the recent months?).

Like I said before, this woman has con-artist written all over her.

And the reporter indicated that the people on the reserve are more than happy to have her held accountable by a third-party.

 

[a_majoor]

CBC won't show this... I'm even more surprised CTV did...

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20111130/attawapiskat-help-arriving-111130/

EDIT: A very revealing video of the corruption at the link.

And on Sun News: http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/canada/archives/2011/12/20111211-131007.html