CAP turns to a Senate committee after multiple snubs from federal government
After being left off the guest list at a number of meetings between the federal government and other national Indigenous organizations, the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP) has decided it will turn to the Senate for help.
After being left off the guest list at a number of meetings between the federal government and other national Indigenous organizations, the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP) has decided it will turn to the Senate for help.
National Chief Robert Bertrand appealed to the Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples to explain what CAP does, and why it should not be left out of meetings.
In its New Relationship policy with First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples, Canada has so far continued its past colonial policies of divisiveness, assimilation and extinguishment by deliberately consulting and negotiating with only 3 of the 4 recognized National Indigenous Organizations representing indigenous peoples in Canada. In effect, it has so far ignored and excluded the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples from all discussions at the table and have discriminately dealt only with the Assembly of First Nations which represents the interest of only those communities and members who have Status under the Indian Act; the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami which represents only those Inuit communities and citizens who are beneficiaries of Inuit treaties as signed with Canada; and the Metis National Council and its citizens who were only recognized recently by Canada following the Supreme Court decisions in the Powley and Daniels cases.
Furthermore, in keeping with its past policies of denial, assimilation and/or of discrediting indigenous peoples, Canada has so far made no efforts whatsoever to publicly acknowledge the legitimacy of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples from the myriad of organisations and individuals who have sprouted up in recent years claiming to be Indigenous in order to try to benefit from the hard work, discrimination and struggles that CAP and its citizens, such as Steve Powley and Harry Daniels and many others like them, had to endure over the years which resulted in their landmark Supreme Court decisions.
As a result, the legitimate indigenous identities of thousands of off-reserve Non-Status Indians, Inuit and Metis people in Canada represented by the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples since 1971 are being denied as it has been since Confederation and their ancestral rights continue to be ignored under both the Constitution of Canada and UNDRIP……. It seems that with colonialism, the more it changes, the more it’s the same.
In its New Relationship policy with First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples, Canada has so far continued its past colonial policies of divisiveness, assimilation and extinguishment by deliberately consulting and negotiating with only 3 of the 4 recognized National Indigenous Organizations representing indigenous peoples in Canada. In effect, it has so far ignored and excluded the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples from all discussions at the table and have discriminately dealt only with the Assembly of First Nations which represents the interest of only those communities and members who have Status under the Indian Act; the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami which represents only those Inuit communities and citizens who are beneficiaries of Inuit treaties as signed with Canada; and the Metis National Council and its citizens who were only recognized recently by Canada following the Supreme Court decisions in the Powley and Daniels cases.
Furthermore, in keeping with its past policies of denial, assimilation and/or of discrediting indigenous peoples, Canada has so far made no efforts whatsoever to publicly acknowledge the legitimacy of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples from the myriad of organisations and individuals who have sprouted up in recent years claiming to be Indigenous in order to try to benefit from the hard work, discrimination and struggles that CAP and its citizens, such as Steve Powley and Harry Daniels and many others like them, had to endure over the years which resulted in their landmark Supreme Court decisions.
As a result, the legitimate indigenous identities of thousands of off-reserve Non-Status Indians, Inuit and Metis people in Canada represented by the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples since 1971 are being denied as it has been since Confederation and their ancestral rights continue to be ignored under both the Constitution of Canada and UNDRIP……. It seems that with colonialism, the more it changes, the more it’s the same.
Poncho
I for one do not get a vote for a cap chief or vice chief so what does the organization do for status people?
Poncho
I for one do not get a vote for a cap chief or vice chief so what does the organization do for status people?