Prime Minister won’t abolish Indian Act, plans to "tinker" with it By Lynda Powless, Editor
OTTAWA - The historic Crown/First Nations meeting may have been billed as a way forward, but it seems the Indian Act "tree" is blocking the path.
First Nation leadership did not react well to Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s announcement his government will not repeal the Indian Act.
Instead, Harper said he will work in it and around it to make modern legislative change.
He likened it to a tree saying "after 136 years, that tree has deep roots," he said. "Blowing up the stump would just leave a big hole.
He told the gathering "we have no grand scheme to repeal or rewrite the Indian Act." Instead, he said "there are ways, creative ways, collaborative ways, ways that involve consultation between our government, the provinces and First Nations leadership and communities, ways that provide options within the act, or outside of it, for practical, incremental and real change."
At the same an afronted AFN leader Shawn Atleo told the gathering the act was "Built on the disgraceful premise of our inferiority, aimed at assimilation and the destruction of our cultures, it was a complete abrogation of the partnership between respectful nations," he said.
"Largely unchanged, it remains a painful obstacle to re-establishing any form of meaningful partnership."
"Atleo said the act produced the reserve system and the hated residential schools that scarred generations of natives."This legislation has utterly failed our people and failed Canada."
He said it is time "to undo the damage that act has inflicted on our peoples."
He told the Prime Minister, despite the attacks on First Nations people, culture and nations, "we supported Canada whenever its survival came under threats. Our soldiers were among the first to fight for Canada."
B.C. Regional Chief Jody Wilson-Raybould took up the gauntlet and told the Prime Minister, the Indian Act turns First Nations into impoverished communities.
"With all due respect, Mr. Prime Minister, the Indian Act system of government is an impoverished system of government that became little more than managing programs.
Administering Indian Affairs programs and services is not self government and it is not a system that supports economies or provides a sound investment climate."
She told him, "back home many are afraid and reluctant to vote yes for self government given the colonial legacy, they do not trust the government, and to be frank, Mr. Prime Minister, they do not trust your government."
She said "for change to occur each of our communities must go through their own transformation, through healing. Our colonial period must officially end, as this process of decolonization continues to unfold we all have a responsibility to support basic community development work."
She warned Harper, "we must not add fuel to the fire by trying to circumvent its process. Your government is making a downpayment on our long term goal of self government but we must be mindful that this downpayment is on the right house, where decisions are made collectively. Where First Nations make the decision to uproot the Indian Act tree and knock it over. It is not one where your government rebuilds ours."
She told him his plans to "tinker with the act," imposing change without First Nations input, deciding who First Nations citizens are, how governments will operate and imposing change smacks of neo-colonialism and does not build strong First Nations.
Wilson-Raybould, issued a stern denunciation aimed straight at the prime minister who was seated in the front row.
She said First Nations require "core governance reform." "When we do, the Indian Act tree will topple over. No gaping hole, Mr. Prime Minister, but strong and self-determining First Nations," she said to loud applause.
Ovide Mercredi, a former national chief, also tossed Harper's words back, saying the act "is not just a big hole, it's an obstacle."
"Our treaties should govern our relationship with Canada, not the Indian Act," said Mercredi, who suggested First Nations return to Britain for redress of historic legal contracts made by the Crown.
Six Nations Elected Chief Bill Montour said while the Prime Minister’s speech "has promise, we can’t afford tinkering.
The Indian Act is a hold back. It doesn’t look at deeming any economic authority it was there to keep us in dependency and that bureaucracy makes the decisions we have to live by." Speaking at the historic Crown-First Nations gathering with a wampum belt laying across the stage the Prime Minister told chiefs it's time to bring the Indian Act in line with modern practices.
He acknowledged that the act has been the source of problems, but says he has no plans to do away with it completely.
Instead he says federal provincial politicians and First Nation leaders and bureaucrats must work together for practical changes to improve the lot of native peoples.
He says change will require co-operation.
He said the work his government has initiated on First Nations issues has laid the ground work for change.
“I believe it gives us an opportunity now to strengthen our relations and unlock opportunities for aboriginal Canadians," he said.
He said an education and skilled First Nation labour force is needed to unlock opportunities for First Nations.
“Aboriginal Canadians are the youngest population.
Therefore it is in all of our interest to see them skilled, employed and educated. There is no better point in history to see that happen than now."
He told the chiefs assembled, “Every relationship has its ups and downs, and its moments of concensus and disagreement. I believe it is important in any relationship to emphasis the high points and the relationship with First Nations has had some very high points," he said referring to “all of the historic treaties large and small."
He said there have as well “been less joyful moments some very difficult moments."
He said the reality of Canada is for generations, “the relationship between our people was tainted."
That he said He said the residential school was “an explicit attempt to destroy aboriginal culture and destroy the aboriginal family that wounded so many, so deeply."
“One of my most rewarding days in office was when I rose in the House (of Commons) and delivered an apology to those students. We acknowledged that sad chapter in our history and repudiated the thinking that lay behind it and we went beyond symbolism. We took concrete action to settle the claims of those that had been injured."
He said his government has accelerated the settlement of the specific and comprehensive land claim process settling 65 claims previously held up for decades.
He said his government extended human rights legislation to First Nations people living on reserve.
He cited the new Matrimonial Real Property Act election and governance transparency on reserve,more than $1 billion allocated to First Nations for infrastructure under the Economic Action Plan and new water quality standards are coming.
He said his government - signed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. He said “these are things we have done as a downpayment on what we wish to achieve. Our goal is self sufficient citizens and self governing communities to promote improved governance, increased aboriginal participation in the economy and the country’s prosperity." He said the Canada-First Nation Joint Action Plan, points the way ahead through specific commitments that will change the rules in education, accountability, economic development and treaty.
The chiefs hope their talks with Harper and senior officials can produce a twotrack approach to deliver both short-term fixes for immediate crises and progress toward a fundamentally different long-term relationship within 12 to 18 months.
Immediate challenges could include inadequate funding for housing, child welfare, education and water Longterm issues include crafting a pathway to self-governance and recognition of treaty rights, a more reliable fiscal framework, economic development, financial transparency, and speeding up talks on comprehensive land claims and developing school boards and to change the structure of government financing to provide stability.
The Annishnabek Nation from Ontario brought a replica of the 1764 Treaty of Niagara belt to Ottawa for Tuesday’s summit.
Sewn from 10,076 purple and silver shells, it symbolizes the link forged between First Nations and the Crown in the year following the 1763 Royal Proclamation that defined the relationship between the two sides.
The belt is a replica of an original since lost to history.
The belt had been made as part of the Treaty of Niagara, signed between the Crown and 24 First Nations marking one of the first land deals.
The chiefs presented Gov. Gen. David Johnston with a replica wampum belt. In turn, he presented the chiefs with a painting by John David Kelly showing native and British soldiers fighting as allies at the Battle of Queenston Heights. | 
