To use a phrase often used by Harper, “Let’s be clear”, and
realistic: the meeting between Harper and First Nations on January 11, 2013
will in no way address or achieve the goals set by the #IdleNoMore movement or
the goals of Chief Theresa Spence’s fast.
I heard Harper’s press conference on this matter and I have
the statement Harper issued before me.
It is manifestly clear that he is determined to drive the agenda for
this meeting. Not a word about Chief
Theresa Spence, and in response to a question from the media, he said it was up
to Grand Chief Atleo whom he includes in his delegation at this meeting. First
he neglects her, and then exploits a divide and conquer tactic to put the issue
of her attendance in the Grand Chief’s court.
In a tweet I put out a couple of weeks ago, I predicted that
Harper would not meet with Chief Theresa Spence. So far he has not proved me wrong. Harper has clearly stipulated that the January
11, 2013 meeting will be a “working” meeting and solidly within the framework
of the Crown-First Nations Gathering of January 2012. Nothing of any substance has taken place
since then, and the same outcome will prevail after next week’s meeting.
Yet Harper spins that “some progress has been made” since
January 2012 without giving any specifics.
If any progress had been made, would Chief Spence be sitting outside of
Parliament in the cold on a 25 day fast?
Would the #IdleNoMore movement been spawned, not only across Canada but
across the world? As it went with the
January 2012 meeting, so it will go with the January 2013 meeting as long as
Harper and his cabal are in charge.
How can I be so confident about this prediction? First of all, look at how Harper words his
conception of the agenda. Not a word
about land claims or resource protection, nothing about the collective nature
of Aboriginal realities, and not a word about a Nation to Nation discussion or
agreement. But he does talk about accountability of Aboriginal governance,
success for individuals, economic development and maximizing benefits for all
Canadians. Loaded words – it’s the rhetoric
of the status quo market economy which has guided all his policy about the
environment as well.
I’m particularly amused by his reference to Aboriginal and
Treaty rights “as recognized and affirmed in the Constitution Act, 1982”. Well, the Constitution Act certainly
recognizes Aboriginal rights but it does not define them, let alone affirm them. How could you affirm rights that have yet to
be defined. The courts have done a
partial job of defining Aboriginal rights but no mention of that in Harper’s
agenda for the meeting.
But the clincher comes in the last paragraph of Harper’s
statement. He asserts that the
Government of Canada and First Nations have had an “enduring historic
relationship based on mutual respect, friendship and support.” Anyone who knows even a smattering of history
will understand this to be an outright misrepresentation of the truth. If this is how Harper sees relations between
the original inhabitants and the white immigrants who came here post 1763, what
positive outcome can there be of this meeting.
At least Harper is consistent. Two or three years ago, he told a G-20
meeting in Philadelphia that Canada has no
history of colonialism. I guess when one
is so completely stuck in a colonialist mentality, you can’t see that what you
are foisting on others is actually colonialism.
Through omnibus bills and other administrative and regulatory measures,
Harper’s agenda is to completely dismantle any Treaty obligations on the part
of Government. And this is the “relationship”
that he is “committed to strengthening” as the last sentence in his statement
indicates.
