Atleo faces fire over lack of consulation from Ontario grand chief
Assembly of First Nations national Chief Shawn Atleo is facing accusations of overstepping his authority by holding discussions with Ontario and organizing an energy and mining summit without first consulting First Nations leaders in the province.
APTN National News
OTTAWA–Assembly of First Nations national Chief Shawn Atleo is facing accusations of overstepping his authority by holding discussions with Ontario and organizing an energy and mining summit without first consulting First Nations leaders in the province.
Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Stan Beardy sent a strongly worded letter to Atleo in late March registering his political organization’s displeasure with the national chief for holding meetings with Ontario provincial cabinet ministers and saying the summit in Niagara Falls, ON., would develop a ‘path forward’ on resource development issues.
“We find it unacceptable that the Assembly of First Nations would proceed with this summit without consulting with us directly and would enter in to discussions with the above named ministers without our knowledge and in the addition, that the summit is intended to develop a ‘path forward,'” said the March 29 letter from Beardy. “The majority of new mining and energy development in Ontario will take place in NAN territory and the conduct of those developments must and will be under the control of the First Nations in NAN.”
Beardy said in the letter that Atleo’s office had been in touch with the Ministers of Energy, Northern Development, Mines and Forestry, and Aboriginal Affairs. Beardy also said Atleo met with officials with the provincial government’s Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation.
NAN community territories cover two-thirds of the province.
The AFN is holding the summit from June 27 to 29.
Atleo has touted the summit as a way for First Nations to share information and hear new ideas on how to deal with the increasing global demand for natural resources and develop green energy projects.
“Now more than ever, with the push for green energy and the growing global need for natural and mineral resources, First Nations have the opportunity to build our economies and empower our citizens for the benefit of our communities and future generations,” Atleo is quoted as saying in a brochure advertising the summit.
The summit is being held in conjunction with the National Congress of American Indians from the United States and the British Columbia First Nations Energy and Mining Council.
The summit will have workshops on clean energy projects, carbon credits and the impact of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The brochure shows that there will be presentations from South American Indigenous representatives along with Chinese and German trade officials.
In a response letter to Beardy, Atleo said NAN was welcome to make presentations at the summit which the national chief pointed out was announced during the July 2010 annual general assembly in Winnipeg and again during the special chiefs assembly in Gatineau, Que., in December 2010.
“The summit is being planned at a critical time with Canada’s endorsement of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which signifies that the world is ready to address Indigenous issues, including the environment,” wrote Atleo, in the May 19 letter.
Atleo said he had communicated with federal, provincial and territorial governments about the event, inviting them to participate and contribute funding to “off-set the expense of this event.”
Indian Affairs is a sponsor for the event, along with the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, the Ontario government’s electricity transmission and distribution company Hydro One, the Mining Association of Canada, the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada, Union Gas and Grand River Enterprises, the Six Nations-based tobacco company.
