Exactly,this is a two way street.
Its easy to condemn the the government whether Liberal or Conservative,rightfully so…but that said one can not nor should ignore the complicity and incompetence of the Indian Act Chiefs and their self serving orgs/,such as AFN etc..(government funded)
Where is the talk about the grassroots,Phil Fontaine is a national chief only in name,he speaks for AFN and the Indian Act…period,indeed they legitimize it.Talk about a conflict of interest.
When push comes to shove the Indian Act chiefs back down.After all they know who they serve and,who they are accountable to…and it’s not indigenous peoples.To believe otherwise is to be naive to the enth degree.

Every time the head of ITK or AFN meets with a government official, they legitimize the delay. Every time the Premier or a Cabinet Minister from Nunavut attends a photo op with a Federal official, they legitimize the delay. Every time NTI asks for the Federal Government’s help on an issue (seal ban), they legitimize the delay.

When our “leaders” continue to compromise (even indirectly), they legitimize the delay. Say what you want about the Shawn Brants and Mohawk Warriors – they managed to focus a spotlight on these issues better than any highly paid lazy-assed “official” aboriginal leader.

Maybe I’m just young and radical – but conventional means are obviously not cutting it. Obviously, Canada is at fault here – but so are aboriginal “leaders” who are afraid to do think outside the box. I’m not calling for roadblocks or standoffs – but I am calling for an in-your-face national effort to draw attention to this issue. Canadian Tamils get it – they did what they had to do to be heard (even though they have yet to be officially heard). They were sick of being ignored, and took action. Now more and more Canadians are becoming aware of the situation in Sri Lanka. Good for them I say – but why haven’t our aboriginal “leaders” done the same?

With the resources and manpower at their disposal, National Aboriginal Organizations, Land Claims Associations, and Band Councils could really coordinate a good ruckus. Why isn’t this being done?

We could always just make more posters though.

Originally Posted By rroe: I would have thought that we as a country would be able to live up to current promises.

You’d think so wouldn’t you rroe, possibly if the Crown actually had some honour in this respect instead of just talkign abotu it things would be different – but they are are.

The governemnt would like you, and everyone else for that matter, to believe that they have done, or are doing, everything within their power to honour both the spirit and the intent of the various treaties and land claims that have been signed – in practice they do neither, and have little intention of doing so.

The issues relating to the Nunavut Claim are identified in this report by Justice Thomas Berger.

Here is a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers that makes interesting, if depressing, reading.

See also the various OAG reports on DIAND.

I’m curious about why you are going back 30 years on this. Are you referring to the most recent round of land claim settlements? And if so, what are the issues or unfulfilled promises related to those. I would have thought that we as a country would be able to live up to current promises.

The media will not cover this unless the LCAC decides to work really (really) hard at making it news – and (unfortunately) even then it is doubtful the legs it grows will be sufficient to lift it above what the media considers to be “news”; swine flu panic, the BC election, Mulroney/Schreiber, and Ruby Dhalla, seem to be at the lead of the line these days.

I checked the LCAC website this morning for their initial statement on Strahl running off to his photo op – there is nothing.

I’m on their mailing list – I received nothing.

I’ve been checking our national propaganda website for the last week for mention of the conference – there is nothing.

I’ve watched our national propaganda station for news segments on the conference over the last few days – there is nothing.

– and I am afraid b that, according to Comrade Google blog search anyway, your post is the only mention of this conference — let alone the federal governments decision to implement Plan A Avoidance

If I was running with this one I would have organized at least one question in the House yesterday (it’s still not to late to do that), if the LCAC doesn’t have some reasonable level of access to, or couldn’t find one single Opposition leader willing to put that sort of question on their list somebody needs to be asked why that is.

If this hasn’t been leaked to the media with some sort of unofficial and controversial spin on it to tweak their interest somebody needs to be asked why that is.

And somebody definitely needs to be asked why the LCAC hasn’t released a formal statement (complete with backgrounder and time line) on Strahl’s recent overwhelming urge to renege on his commitment and visit the Yukon.

This should be a scandal but that depends on our ever-vigilant media who are more concerned about the Heckle and Jeckle show (Mayor Larry OBrian and Brian Mulroney) in Ottawa than Strahl’s no-show at a conference that might actually lead to improvement in lives in Canada.

Which is why there should be a theme song whenever any prime minister of minister of Indian Affairs enters the room, like “Hail To The Chief” is played for the President of the United States.

Here’s one suggestion: Alice Cooper’s “Welcome To My Nightmare.”

And another: J. Geil’s Band’s “Love Stinks.”

Or Richard Wagner’s “Die Walkure” (Ride Of The Valkyrie) (cuz they just love the smell of napalm in the morning)

There was a meeting that Robert Nault was at. A group of elders had shown up to ask him to work with them on achieving better governance. Nault (escorted by police–the first Indian Affairs Minister who actually needed police protection) raced to his big black government car. The natives tried to approach the window with their petition,

Nault rolled down the window and threw them a quarter.

“Here’s a quarter – call some one who cares”

Cool huh?