ATTAWAPISKAT

ABORIGINAL PEOPLE HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE LEGITIMACY OF THE CANADIAN STATE ====> THEY ARGUE THIS COUNTRY WAS FORMED BY (A) FORM BY CONQUEST, (B) BROKEN PROMISES AND EXPANSION BY (C) FORCE AND TRICKERY =====> THEIR CLAIMS THAT THE CANADIAN STATE DOES NOT REPRESENT THEM AND THAT, BY DECEPTION AND FORCE, THEY WERE DEPRIVED OF THE USE OF THE LAND ON WHICH THEY HAD LIVED ======>HAVE BEEN MAKE ELOQUENTLY AND OFTEN IN THE LAW COURTS, THROUGH THE MEDIA, IN POLITICAL PROTESTS, AND IN FORUMS LIKE THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

ABORIGINAL PEOPLE [ALSO] CLAIM A UNIQUE STATUS BASED ON THEIR POSITION AS CANADA’S FIRST NATIONS AND HAVE, BECAUSE OF THAT POSITION, PURSUED THEIR RIGHT TO SELF-GOVERNMENT.

EXISTENTIAL PROBLEM (?) è IN A WIDER DISCOURSE OF “DISENFRANCHISEMENT” AND CREATED DEPENDENCY AND LEARNED HELPLESSNESS

è IT IS CONVENIENT TO TALK ABOUT THE “INDIAN PROBLEM” OR REFER TO THE “GAP[S]” BETWEEN ABORIGINAL AND NON-ABORIGINAL LIFESTYLE AND ATTAINMENT === BUT === WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS[FLERAS] === AND === WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT IN A WAY THAT PUTS BURDENS ON INSTITUTIONS è SO THAT WHAT COMES UNDER THE MICROSCOPE ARE THE POLITICS, THE CULTURE, AND ECONOMICS OF DOMINATION}

{WE HAVE ANOTHER INDIAN PROBLEM – ATTAWAPISKAT [?]è { An isolated First Nation located in Kenora District in northern Ontario, Canada, at the mouth of the Attawapiskat River at James Bay. }

Demographics èThere are over 2800 members of Attawapiskat First Nation, but the local on-reserve population was 1,929 in 2010. More than a third of the members of the Attawapiskat First Nation who still live on their home reserve are under the age of 19 and three-quarters are under the age of 35 (2010-12-03).[1]

Language è Almost all of the Aboriginal population of Attawapiskat spoke Cree (n-dialect) as their first language [3] Many elders understand very little English; they speak Cree and other Aboriginal languages.[4]

The current chief (2008) is Theresa Hall. The current deputy chief is *Theresa Spence (2008). The band council is currently under Third Party Intervention.

{{Third party intervention is a typical response to destructive and persistent social conflict and comes in a number of different forms attended by a variety of issues}}

HARPER SAID ATTAWAPISKAT GOT $90 MILLION, WHERE DID IT ALL GO!?

PRIME MINISTER HARPER IS APPARENTLY SCRATCHING HIS HEAD ABOUT WHERE $90 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING TO ATTAWAPISKAT HAS GONE. MANY COMMENTATORS CHARGE/ MAKE CLAIMS ABOUT LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY{?}, AND NO ONE KNOWING WHAT HAPPENS TO THE MONEY ONCE IT IS 'HANDED OVER' BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

[ATTAWAPISKAT PUBLISHES ITS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS GOING BACK TO 2005.]

LET'S START SIMPLE.

1) SECTION 61(1)(A-K) OF THE INDIAN ACT DETAILS THAT: "WITH THE CONSENT OF THE COUNCIL OF A BAND, THE MINISTER MAY AUTHORIZE AND DIRECT THE EXPENDITURE OF CAPITAL MONEYS OF THE BAND" FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES. (?)

WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT MINISTERIAL APPROVAL IS ACTUALLY A REQUIREMENT BEFORE ANY CAPITAL EXPENDITURES CAN OCCUR ON RESERVE. IN PRACTICE, A BAND WILL GENERALLY PASS A BAND COUNCIL RESOLUTION (BCR) AUTHORISING A CERTAIN EXPENDITURE (SAY ON HOUSING), AND THAT BCR MUST BE FORWARDED TO INAC FOR APPROVAL è SO, ABORIGINAL PEOPLE CANNOT JUST ‘DO WHAT THEY WANT’ WITH THEIR MONEY

IN FACT, ABORIGANALS CLAIM è BANDS ARE MICROMANAGED TO AN EXTENT UNSEEN IN NEARLY ANY OTHER CONTEXT THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE A MINOR OR SOMEONE WHO LACKS CAPACITY DUE TO MENTAL DISABILITY.

2) NOTE THAT $90 MILLION IS A DECEPTIVE NUMBER. IT REFERS TO FEDERAL FUNDING RECEIVED SINCE HARPER'S GOVERNMENT CAME INTO POWER IN 2006. IN THE 2010-2011 FISCAL YEAR, ATTAWAPISKAT RECEIVED $17.6 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS.

THUS, $90 MILLION REFERS TO THE TOTAL OF AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT $18 MILLION PER YEAR IN FEDERAL FUNDING SINCE 2006.

• education per pupil

• education infrastructure (maintenance, repair, teacher salaries, etc)

• health care per patient

• health care, infrastructure (clinics, staff, access to services outside the community in the absence of facilities on reserve)

• social services (facilities, staff, etc)

• infrastructure (maintenance and construction)

• a myriad of other services

BOTTOM LINE è APPROXIMATELY 6 MILLION FOR HOUSING (?)

THE AUDITOR GENERAL OF CANADA SPEAKS UP

[PARADOX è FEDS HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ABORIGINAL PEOPLE {INDIAN ACT} BUT DO NOT HAVE RESPONSIBILITY OR EXPERIENCE IN HOUSING/EDUCATION ETC WHICH ARE PROVINCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES è WHY IS THIS SIGNIFICANT?

The Auditor General of Canada released a report in June of this year examining Programs for First Nations on Reserve. A similar report was published in 2006. This report identifies deficiencies in program planning and delivery by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), Health Canada, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.

{{The reports also provide a number of recommendations to improve these deficiencies.}}

The 2011 report evaluated the progress made since the 2006 report, and in most areas, gave these federal agencies a failing grade.

THE 2011 REPORT HAS THIS TO SAY:

***IN OUR VIEW, MANY OF THE PROBLEMS FACING FIRST NATIONS GO DEEPER THAN THE EXISTING PROGRAMS' LACK OF EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS. WE BELIEVE THAT STRUCTURAL IMPEDIMENTS SEVERELY LIMIT THE DELIVERY OF PUBLIC SERVICES TO FIRST NATIONS COMMUNITIES AND HINDER IMPROVEMENTS IN LIVING CONDITIONS ON RESERVES. WE HAVE IDENTIFIED FOUR SUCH IMPEDIMENTS:

• LACK OF CLARITY ABOUT SERVICE LEVELS, (?) [NO CLEAR PROGRAM DIRECTIVES – LACK OF SERVICE STANDARDS; LACK OF OUTCOME ACCOUNTABILITY; LACK OF MECHANISMS FOR DELIVERY OR PROVISION OF THESE SERVICES; LACK OF ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT LOCAL SERVICE DELIVERY)

• LACK OF A LEGISLATIVE BASE, (?) [NO COMPARABLE FEDERAL LEGISLATION FOR THE PROVISION OF FIRST NATIONS EDUCATION, HEALTH-CARE, HOUSING AND SO ON.]

• LACK OF AN APPROPRIATE FUNDING MECHANISM, AND (?) [

• LACK OF ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT LOCAL SERVICE DELIVERY (?) [GREAT IRONY èTHE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FUNDS SERVICES TO FIRST NATIONS BUT IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DELIVERY OR PROVISION OF THESE SERVICES]

{{JUST THINK ABOUT ALL OF THE IMPLICATIONS AND CONSEQUENCES RELATED TO INSTITUTIONAL/STRUCTURAL INCOMPLETENESS è ON COMPREHENSIVE AND THROUGHGOING COMMUNITY LIFE}}}

IN A WIDER DISCOURSE OF “DISENFRANCHISEMENT” AND CREATED DEPENDENCY AND LEARNED HELPLESSNESS {FLERAS & FOSTER: IT IS CONVENIENT TO TALK ABOUT THE “INDIAN PROBLEM” OR REFER TO THE “GAP[S]” BETWEEN ABORIGINAL AND NON-ABORIGINAL LIFESTYLE AND ATTAINMENT === BUT === WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS[FLERAS] === AND === WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT IN A WAY THAT PUTS BURDENS ON INSTITUTIONS è SO THAT WHAT COMES UNDER THE MICROSCOPE ARE THE POLITICS, THE CULTURE, AND ECONOMICS OF DOMINATION}