APTN National News
OTTAWA–Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence says the outside consultant appointed by Aboriginal Affairs to take over the band’s finances has been kicked out of the community and won’t be allowed back in.
Spence, who is currently in Ottawa, met with Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan in his Parliament Hill precinct office for about an hour late Monday afternoon.
Spence said she told Duncan the community planned to fight his decision to put a third-party manager in charge of the band’s finances.
“I told him I don’t want to see a third-party on my reserve,” said Spence. “He is not coming to the community. He did this morning, we sent him out of there.”
Attawapiskat, a community of around 2,000 people, sits on the James Bay coast in northern Ontario.
Duncan’s office issued a statement confirming the third-party manager had been asked to leave.
“It is extremely worrying that the chief and council are not open to outside assistance,” said the statement. “Our government’s priority is to ensure that residents of Attawapiskat have access to safe, warm and dry shelter. The minister stressed that all parties should put the needs of the people first.”
Duncan imposed the third-party manager on the community last week as his government faced increased political fallout over the persistent, slum-like conditions in Attawapiskat where families live in tents and in shacks with no running water or insulation.
Jacques Marion, of BDO Canada LLP, was appointed to run the band’s finances. Duncan said in the statement that, “Marion wished to respect the volatile situation and is currently not in the community.”
The statement said that Marion, however, is “in full control of funding from Aboriginal Affairs.”
The Ontario government is also in the community and is involved in setting up temporary shelter in the community’s healing centre and arena.
Duncan has, so far, refused to travel to the community, but did arrange a meeting with Spence Monday in Ottawa. The chief is in the capital city this week for the Assembly of First Nations special chiefs assembly where she is expected to speak.
Spence said she found her meeting with Duncan “frustrating.”
“It was really frustrating,” said Spence. “The first thing he said is that the third party (manager) is going in no matter what. He said ‘we need to control the situation.'”
Spence said she told Duncan her band planned to challenge his decision to appoint the third-party manager in court.
“I told him we are going to challenge it,” she said. “He didn’t say much. He said the third party is still on and it is effective immediately.”
Spence said the third-party manager will have to work from an outside office because he is not allowed to set foot on the reserve.
“It will be six months before he can even understand the financial situation,” she said. “He doesn’t even have a connection to the community.”
Spence said she tried to tell Duncan that her community had been trying to improve things. It is one of the few First Nations to post their financial information on-line, including the chief and band councillor salaries.
“I told him that as we speak the people are in crisis right now, they need to have action in place and work together and this is why we declared an emergency,” said Spence. “We are accountable. We also advised him that we had been working hard to improve our financials.”
Spence also met with Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn Atleo and she said he was “very supportive.”
Third party management hasn’t helped this community in the past 5 years it has been in effect. See the video in this story. Disgusting.http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2011/12/05/mb-wasagamack-first-nation-
housing.html
Alternatively, you could allow him in and make him live in one of the shacks and put up that family in his accommodations. That might speed up the federal government action.
It is apparent that all northern communities needu00a0helpu00a0and the kind of helping hand provided is not producing improvement. The living conditions in remote northern communities have, only, worsened. In fact, it is the “modern-day standards” that are killing people! u00a0The desire for good housing and water. And, employment. Whatever help that the government offered and is offering:u00a0 It is not enough and it will never be enough. The costs to have the warm housing and good water are huge. And where is the employment? Theu00a0financesu00a0to build the new housing with good plumbing and heating is nowhere to be found in the north.u00a0The northern communities are reaching, or have reached “rock-bottom”u00a0financially because modern-day living standards and expectations. u00a0Maybe, the citizens of Attawapiskat have yet to reach their rock bottom. And, geologically, there is no rock bottom on the James Bay coastline. The people of the northern communities have called and have known this James Bay region as their land and home. u00a0And they will never leaveu00a0becauseu00a0 there is no where-else that is “home” to go to. u00a0It is right for them to stay where they want and to have what the people are accustomed to. It may be called, alienation and poverty. That is what the people are committed to, by remaining in this “hostile environment”, poverty and more of it is ensured. u00a0The youth will continue to be lost in poverty. u00a0However, industry can change everything. Positive changes for the better may happen on account of industry in the north. u00a0u00a0
Please come visit an online auction:u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 nhttps://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_309719879052047¬if_t=group_activityu00a0 nnOne way to support the families of Attawapiskat!u00a0 Positive Impacts will make a difference~nnOur Elders have taught us to love unconditionally; have respect for everyone including ourself; speak with truth; have courage; seek and share wisdom; be honest and have humility.
I have often wondered why any chief and counsel would enter into a funding agreement in aboriginal affairs when they know very well that the liability of lack of service would become the burden of the First Nation.u00a0 And if it is known that the amount of the funding is short then why accept the terms of the agreement.u00a0 I say let aboriginal affairs take on the job of managing the programs.u00a0 Let’s see if they can do any better with it.u00a0 I have my doubts they can and aboriginal affairs knows this.u00a0 Why else would they be so insistant that the First Nations sign the funding agreements?
good job! way to take a stand against this racist govt
Attawapiskat Community Members are waiting for a public meeting from their Leadership. They don’t know what’s going on, only to hear stuff from the media. This is their lives, they should have a say on their future, they’re the ones that are living on this reserve. Everyone on Wawatay Radio said today that their Leadership should meet with their people.
ever brutal… I hope you all get to voice your opinions and say what you think….
This chief has little experience in politics.
Look but don’t touch,oh and by the way,send more money!
comments like that only shows you are here to write spiteful things about First Nation Issues, and show no remorse in doing so, i guess you have lots of time to search the internet and find an opportunity to do this. At least have some compassion towards the children of attawapiskat, they did not choose to be in this situation or in dire needs.
had to believe that their accounting is transparent. If nothing is to be hid allow the third party in to verify their financial integrity
Go fucking do some research you shitbag. Part of the treaties involved First Nations people having autonomous government, which was denied to them by this shitty country through cultural genocide, assimilation, and racism that ignorant fucks like you continue to perpetrate. FIRST NATIONS PEOPLE DON’T NEED WHITES TO TELL THEM WHAT TO DO, WHITES ARE THE ONES WHO MADE THEIR PROBLEMS TO BEGIN WITH. So this community is well within their right to tell that third party asshole to fuck off because it’s that delusion of dependency that has been ruining us – the belief that Canada is this big white messiah for us poor Indians, that a third party manager is going to fix all these problems us Indians can’t. nnHarper barely even shares half of what he spends as Prime Minister, and yet this community is expected to bare it’s financial information without question? How is that not even a little bit fucked up?nnI would LOVE to see you try to live up North in these isolated, third world communities, where things that your fucking privileged white ass takes for granted are much harder and more expensive to get. Know how much a carton of milk is for some places? Almost $30, in some cases.nnPull your fucking privileged middle class head out of your ass.
If it’s so hard, then move.
If they don’t want the government’s help, then just ask the government to stop sending money.