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This blog represents my own personal opinions, thoughts and ideas, and should never be relied on as legal advice. My goal is have a national discussion with the grass roots citizens to see where we can affect the changes we want for our families, communities, and Nations. We owe it to our ancestors to protect our cultures and territories for our future generations.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Atleo - Bureaucrat Summit: How Bad Does it Have to Get?
However, there is always the pesky media and public to worry about, so after Prime Minister Stephen Harper tore up the Kelowna Accord, he had to save face publicly by making one of his infamous empty promises. Harper promised that instead of $10 billion dollars to address the crisis of poverty in our First Nations, we'd get a First Nation-Crown Summit. I was very skeptical about this "deal" for 2 reasons: (1) it was unilaterally imposed to save face and (2) it didn't seem like a fair deal to me.
This meeting that was promised by Harper and his Conservative government three times, always failed to come to fruition. During this time, and in Harper's own backyard, we saw the people of Kashechewan First Nation evacuated from their community because they were all sick from the contaminated water due to the chronic underfunding of infrastructure on reserve. We also read the disturbing findings of the Coroner's Death Report about the epidemic of child suicide at Pikangikum First Nation. If that wasn't bad enough, Attawapiskat First Nation called a state of emergency for the third time because people had no homes and were living in sheds.
Given that the media kept its attention on Attawapiskat for more than 24 hours, Harper was publicly embarrassed. Add to this his ineffective Minister of Indian Affairs, John Duncan who could not help but spew stereotypical and inflammatory remarks about First Nations and Harper was once again forced to do something. This was a very difficult position for him because he has no intention of doing anything for First Nations - so he relied on his post-Kelowna disaster promise: a First Nation-Crown Summit.
However, meetings never come together very well when one has no intention of really doing anything at the meeting and you don't want to meet in the first place. But, it was a meeting none-the-less and it accomplished the task of taking most of the media's attention away from Attawapiskat and focusing it on the now "historic" meeting between Harper and First Nations. Yet, this historic meeting was not to be as historic as the First Ministers Meetings with First Nations because the provinces would not be in attendance and now, Harper is bailing out as well.
The First Nations-Crown Summit agenda that was originally posted on the Assembly of First Nations website showed a day which was mostly taken up with ceremony and political speeches. The minimal time actually dedicated to the meeting with Harper and First Nations was to be top secret and not televised or streamed live on the web for grass roots First Nations or the public to see. There was also to be a complete media black-out as no media were allowed to watch or participate in the meeting. A few strategic locations in Canada were to be set up with cameras so that Chiefs could watch the event, but those locations are also top secret - at least to the media anyway.
So, if that were not bad enough, now we have word that Harper won't even stay long at his own meeting. Harper will not even attend the actual meeting itself - if you can believe that. No, Harper is too busy with his international "jet-setting" to attend a "historic" meeting with First Nations to address issues like Attawapiskat. Instead, National Chief of the AFN Shawn Atleo and 400 Chiefs get to meet with a couple of Cabinet Ministers and a whole lot of federal bureaucrats.
So, what will be Atleo's response? He is after all, the National Chief and the one who must set an example for everyone else. He has not only First Nation Chiefs watching him, but all the grassroots people who live or die by what he does and does not do. We look to our leaders, in all forms, to stand up for us, advocate on our behalf and make sure our voices are heard. Alot is riding on his response to this latest slap in the face by Harper. How will the AFN respond?
For those of you concerned about previous comments I have made about Shawn Atleo's weak leadership, please let me assure you that these comments are not about him as a person. I don't know him personally. I have met him a few times, and he seems nice enough. My issue is with his job as a leader and as a First Nations person, I am entitled to expect strong leadership from someone who holds such a powerful position. When I critique his politics, it is not lateral violence against him as a person, but instead a call to act responsibly for our people.
I always say images shape aspirations. If we see our parents treat us with love and compassion, we are likely to treat others that way. If we see Indigenous professors and University Presidents, then we are more likely to think of those jobs as possible for ourselves. If we see strong Indigenous women leaders, we model the way for our youth to know that they can work for their people regardless of gender. In the same vein, when Atleo acts, he is indirectly telling our First Nation children, youth and young adults what is possible.
So, if Atleo sees the Prime Minister:
- tear up Kelowna Accord;
- watches as Harper refuses to sign the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
- Denies that colonialism ever happened in Canada;
- makes amendments to the Indian Act that continue both gender discrimination AND legislative extinction;
- blames Attawapiskat for their own suffering and refuses to vist the First Nation;
- Does not act when conditions in Pikangikum get so bad that nine year old children commit suicide;
- Allows his Minister of Indian Affairs to deny that residential schools were acts of genocide; and
- watches Harper duck out of the First Nation-Summit;
then does nothing about it - then the message he sends to First Nations children living without water, food or a warm home is that we are not worth standing up for.
All the murdered and missing Indigenous women in this country are not worth standing up for.
All the Chiefs that have been ignored, insulted, stood up, stone-walled, and belittled are not worth standing up for.
After all, if Atleo does not think we are worth standing up for, why would anyone else thing we are worth it? Children will see that their suffering takes a back seat to the risk that by standing up for us like a real leader, Atleo might lose some funding for the AFN. Perhaps the Conservative government might not attend their AGMs for a year or two. Or Harper might even refuse to meet with Atleo for a while.
We all know that this is a serious risk. We saw the Native Women's Association of Canada lose its Sisters in Spirit funding when they brought international attention to Missing and Murdered Indigenous women in Canada. We saw the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society lose their funding when they filed a discrimination complaint against Canada for chronically under-funding child and family services putting our children at risk.
But our Indigenous leaders take risks. Our warriors put their lives on the line for our territories and our people. Our ancestors gave up their lives to protect us. We still have our pride, our cultures and our communities because of them. The least Atleo can do is take a risk and finally say enough is enough. - tell Harper that we will not settle for scraps anymore.
This First Nation-Crown Summit has now been reduced to an Atleo-Bureaucrat summit where most of the time will be taken in fluffy, empty speeches to make Harper look good, some gift giving and ceremony and then Harper leaves before anyone has a chance to talk about the hard issues. If Atleo would stand for this on behalf of all the Chiefs, this makes me wonder - how bad does it have to get? What would it take for Atleo to say enough?
His lack of action and bizarre defense of Harper makes me wonder if Atleo is the new Brazeau? No progress has been made, yet Atleo is always defending the Conservatives. That may have got Brazeau a Senate seat, but it didn't improve the lives of First Nations people.
I guess I'll get my answer when Atleo responds to this latest development. If he defends Harper's no-show at the upcoming meeting - I guess there is nothing more I can say about it. We'll see on the news tonight or tomorrow if he stands up for us or supports Harper.
Here's naively hoping....
7 comments:
- AnonymousJanuary 22, 2012 at 8:50 AM
I have seen this type of attitude by the Government of Canada all of my life and the rest of the Native community has It not only seems that the Government don't care it should be apparent and they have shown the entire world that they don't care about the native population We can't blame our Native leaders for the way the leaders of the Canadian act, But we should be able to stand up and make our feelings known for Our leaders inactive use of the power we placed in them.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 22, 2012 at 10:01 AM
Are you going to this summit? Do you know if it is open to the grassroots people?ReplyDelete
I appreciate your comments and also await responses made to the serious problems facing our communities. I also think that many of our "First Nation" leaders are thinking inside a box that is set up to limit our power and authority. Under-funding keeps the power structure of elitism in our communities where the political structure reinforces the concentration of power and advantage to specific family units. Feds love the structure and the result.ReplyDelete
- SakoietaJanuary 24, 2012 at 3:36 AM
I agree completely. ithink it is always important to show respect for the person but address behaviors. I think in this article you have done that very well. I am hoping that once again our people will see how even the AFN National Chief if he questions Harper and tries to make him and his government accountable will be closed down and ignored or only given lip service, to the point our people start to work to take back our power and to demonstrate to the powers that be that we cannot be ignored any longer. I realize this is risky for many chiefs who totally depend on Indian Affairs funding to help keep their communities at least inches close to the top of the water so they don't completely drown, but things have to be done to individuals like Harper and Manny Jules who are leading the charge toward devestation of Indian communities and total assimilation.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 25, 2012 at 6:06 AM
the conservatives played our chiefs like metis fiddles, beginning with atleo at the, photo-op, vacuum of substance, harper's PR is great, lined up central canada as indication that he's moderate, and left the Provinces a free hand to push extraction full speed ahead as he ties up our chiefs in 'tables' for the next 1-4 yearsReplyDelete
except one thing - it's going to be paid by the blood of mother earth, our women, men, children, elders and spiritual ancestors on the land
- AnonymousJanuary 25, 2012 at 2:29 PM
So get the roadblocks out, I say! Embarass Harper in front of the world. I don't respect Atleo, just like the actions or lack of action by Cooncome and Mercredi - we don't need 'leaders' like this. They get talked out of action by the Feds wallet, one way or the other.ReplyDelete
International relations diplomacy aside, being polite (deferential) to the Conservative government from fear of funding cuts does nothing to stop funds from being cut.ReplyDelete


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3 cups mashed roasted, sweet potatoes or yams
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
1 tablespoon dark rum
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until will mixed. Stir in egg. Pour into a prepared pie shell, it is excellent with sweet potato chip pie crust. Smooth surface with the back of a spoon or spatula. Bake 20 minutes.

subset: commoncrawl


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text: Beans Bounce after Multi-Month Drop December 8, 2012 10:50 AM Tweet TAGS: Marketing, Overseas December 18, 2014 By Sara Schafer Top Producer Editor Email Soybean prices bounced up this week, almost hitting $15. Jerry Gulke explains what is behind the rally. Soybean prices ended lower on Friday, but for the last few weeks have been on an upward trend. See the January 2013 soybean chart: "Beans had a rally, but it just couldn't get above trendline," says Jerry Gulke, president of the Gulke Group. "There was some overhead resistance at $15, but we got to $14.98." He says the market is waiting for new information, which will likely come in Tuesday's Crop Production and World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates. Will the soybean crop be increased again? Gulke says the odds are likely. The big question will be where in the balance sheet they put this increase in production. "In the past, we have found new beans, but didn't increase carryover because we dumped it back into exports or crush. When can you quit increasing exports and actually put it in ending stocks?" Listen to Gulke's full audio analysis: See full coverage of the Dec. 11 Crop Production and World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates reports on AgWeb.com, following the report releases at 7:30 a.m. (CDT). For More Information Is the Low in for Soybeans? Read Ted Siefried's The Ted Spread blog to find out. See the latest market quotes with AgWeb's Market Center Related Video: Can Soybean Prices Put in a New High? Back to news


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"The U.S. and world economies have evolved over 100 years to rely on petroleum. It will take time to transform the entire economy to rely on biomass instead," says Brent Erickson, executive vice president of the industrial and environmental section of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), www.bio.org.
Complicating matters is that with current economic woes, the investment community is more than a little gun shy. Investments in the biobased industry, as in other businesses, have slowed down. For this reason, BIO, which represents 1,200 biotech companies, academic institutions and state industry development organizations, is fighting for major federal investments in the commercialization of advanced biofuels and biobased products.
In fact, BIO recently took several policy recommendations to legislators on Capitol Hill.
Focus on Infrastructure
First, BIO recommends that the government implement a systems approach to advanced biofuels and biobased products deployment that recognizes the need for coordinated end-to-end infrastructure development.
"Our policy recommendations include government support for key biofuel infrastructure—including pipelines, E85 pumps and Flex Fuel Vehicles—because that infrastructure is necessary to the growth and success of our member companies," Erickson says.
The development of infrastructure for producing, collecting and delivering second-generation feedstocks (such as corn stover, cereal grain straws and trees) is also necessary. "These feedstocks are needed by our members in the biobased products sector so we're advocating a full range of policies to support the parallel growth of all parts of the industry," Erickson says.
While there is currently no coalition supporting this kind of infrastructure development, BIO does meet informally with other concerned parties, including vehicle and farm equipment manufacturers, small engine manufacturers and agricultural groups to discuss policy options and overall industry development.
More than Biofuels
Another of BIO's policy recommendations is to" incentivize the full range of biobased products produced by biorefineries by extending programs beyond support for liquid fuels."
Erickson points out that nearly any product that can be made from petroleum can also be made from cellulose through fermentation processes. Biobased products include plastics (such as PLA and PHA), bulk and fine chemicals (such as succinic acid and furfural) and food ingredients, such as flavorings.
"There are also many enzymes that can naturally replace chemicals in common household products or manufacturing processes," Erickson says. "So, just as a petroleum refinery produces more than just gasoline, a biorefinery can make the most of cellulosic feedstocks by adding other production units for these products. Many biofuel producers—POET and BioEnergy International, for example—are pursuing this business model."
BIO understands that the biofuel and biobased industries face many hurdles. That is why it is fighting for these industries in Washington. As Erickson says, "It will take continual effort to get legislators and policy leaders to understand that biobased industries are developing in every region of the U.S."