OTTAWA—Prime Minister Stephen Harper kicked off an historic meeting with First Nations leaders pledging to change parts of the Indian Act to give greater opportunities to Canada’s aboriginal peoples.“Our goal is self-sufficient citizens and self-governing communities,” Harper said.
“In terms of participation, standard of living and quality of life, the time has come for First Nations to fully share with other Canadians from all walks of life,” Harper said.
The prime minister spoke Tuesday morning at the opening of what he called an “historic” session with First Nations leaders meant to address the challenges facing aboriginal communities across the country.
Shawn Atleo, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, and Governor General David Johnston also spoke at the start of the day-long session.
Harper said the “incentives” in the Indian Act “lead to outcomes that we all deplore.”
“To be sure, our Government has no grand scheme to repeal or to unilaterally re-write the Indian Act,” he said.
But he said there are “creative” ways for “practical, incremental and real change.”
“That will be our approach, to replace elements of the Indian Act with more modern legislation and procedures, in partnership with provinces and First Nations,” Harper said.
Atleo went even further, condemning the Indian Act for the “assimilation and the destruction of our cultures.”
“Largely unchanged, it remains a painful obstacle to re-establishing any form of meaningful partnership,” he said.
“It is well past time that began to undo the damage that act has inflicted on our peoples and to our partnership,” Atleo said.
“From it grew the reserve system, the tragedy of residential schools and offensive prohibitions on our cultural and spiritual practices,” he said.
He said the Tuesday meeting must mark the “beginning of renewal” and made an urgent appeal to tackle the problems confronting many aboriginal communities.
“Our people cannot wait,” Atleo said, citing communities like Attawapiskat that to highlight “the pain of broken lives, the tragedy of lost opportunity.”
“They insist we stop lurching from crisis to crisis,” he said.
But he also touched on the skepticism felt by some leaders, who feared the day’s event would turn into another photo op with no real long-term changes.
“Their disappointment, if we were to fail to win real progress, would be powerful and understandable,” he said.
Harper said his goal is to improve governance of aboriginal communities and boost their involvement in the economy but cautioned that “we have no illusion about the enormous work” that lies ahead.
But as Canada’s youngest population, he said aboriginal peoples should be given the opportunity to tap into economic opportunities.
“It is therefore in all of our interests to see aboriginal people educated, skilled and employed,” he said.
“And there will be no better point in history to ensure that happens,” Harper said.
The prime minister touched on what he called the high points of history with aboriginal peoples, notably the War of 1812 when they fought alongside British soldiers.
But he also acknowledged the “very low points” such as residential schools and past efforts to “destroy aboriginal culture and to dismantle the aboriginal family.”
“And the reality that, for generations, the relationship between our peoples was tainted, tainted in a manner that eroded trust and blocked ways forward,” Harper said.
But the prime minister said it was time to “reset” the relationship
“The greatest respect that we can show to First Nations men and women (is) to provide them with the tools, to credit them with the capacity and then allow them to move forward,” he said.
The summit opened with prayers and traditional ceremonies.
“The drums are a reminder of a human heartbeat and meant to instill courage, said one First Nations elder in the opening address.
“We consider today very historical,” the elder said. “We are challenged, as leaders, to be able to gather in circle of life.”
The dignitaries participated in a traditional gift exchange. The federal government gave the First Nations a painting by John David Kelly of the historic Battle of Queenston Heights. The painting symbolizes how First Nations and the Crown can work together.
The chiefs gave the Crown a purple and white, long beaded sash meant to symbolize the resetting of their relationship due to the summit.
Johnston thanked the Algonquin Indians for welcoming the gathering to their traditional territory.
“It is an honour to have us here and we thank you,” he said. “I am inspired and hopeful of seeing us together.”
Original Article
Source: Star
Author: Bruce Campion-Smith, Tanya Talaga
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