A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said Monday Stephen Harper will meet with Assembly of First Nations’ National Chief Shawn Atleo “in the coming weeks,” and has no plans to abide aboriginal leaders’ demands for a summit Thursday.
“[First Nations people] are very insistent on having the Governor-General there, but the Governor-General says this is a policy matter with the government and that [he] shouldn’t be there,” Andrew MacDougall said. “We agree with that.”
On Monday afternoon, Mr. Atleo broke his silence since announcing his medical leave on Jan. 14, saying in a statement he will return to the assembly’s helm “later this week.” The AFN executive formally requested a Jan. 24 meeting with the Prime Minister and the Governor-General to discuss treaty implementation, but the question of whether Mr. Atleo would be back in time for such a gathering is now moot.
“I don’t anticipate there will be a meeting this week,” Mr. MacDougall said.
Mr. Atleo will return to an assembly divided over his decision to meet with the Prime Minister on Jan. 11, pitting his allies against chiefs who say he never should have engaged in treaty discussions with Mr. Harper in the absence of the Crown.
Ms. Spence, who on Sunday told CTV News she has lost 30 pounds since starting her liquid diet over a month ago, maintains that First Nations bands signed nation-to-nation treaties with the Crown — not Canada.
Constitutional expert Ned Franks said the British Crown did, indeed, enter into historic treaties via colonial governors, but that it is today a “myth” among aboriginals that First Nations leaders should negotiate treaty implementation with anyone other than the elected government — a myth, he fears, that could now prove fatal.
“My greatest fear in this whole thing is that [Ms. Spence] will die of this hunger strike and then she will become a symbol of the intractability,” said Mr. Franks, a retired Queen’s University political studies professor. “On the other hand, it’s just not constitutionally acceptable for her — without the wishes of the Prime Minister being taken into account — to meet with the Governor-General.”
McGill University political science professor Christopher Manfredi echoed the Prime Minister’s position, saying discussions between Mr. Harper and Mr. Atleo involve policy and have nothing to do with Mr. Johnston. But NDP MP Charlie Angus, whose Northern Ontario riding includes Ms. Spence’s Attawapiskat community, said the Prime Minister should allow the Governor-General to open any future meeting in order to build trust and “dial down the rhetoric.”
“I’m concerned about the symbolism if [Ms. Spence] got sick or something happened — I think it would really throw everything off track,” he said. “If [Mr. Harper] sends some message of goodwill, we could ratchet this down a lot.”
The Governor-General ceremonially opened last year’s First Nations-Crown summit and on Jan. 11 hosted a reception with First Nations leaders, but Mr. MacDougall said there are no plans to include Mr. Johnston in a future meeting with Mr. Atleo.
“[Last year’s gathering] was meant to signal the start of a renewed commitment,” Mr. MacDougall said. “What we’re really trying to focus on now is policy work and trying to improve outcomes. That’s solely the domain of the government.”
In his statement Monday, Mr. Atleo acknowledged divisions within the First Nations community but did not specifically mention the Idle No More movement or Ms. Spence’s liquid diet. He also skirted grumblings of a potential non-confidence vote to remove him from office in favour of a more radical voice, instead calling for unity.
“The National Executive of the AFN and I are going to maintain this pressure on [Canadian] governments, as it presents the greatest opportunity to make real progress for all of our peoples in too many years,” he said.
A Rideau Hall spokesperson said Mr. Johnston was not available for an interview Monday.
Original Article
Source: national post
Author: Kathryn Blaze Carlson
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