Our Prime Minister, Steven Harper, refuses to address the issue, claiming that Spence's protest is blackmail. In reality what she is doing is putting her neck on the line to protect our natural resources, the future well being of life in Canada, and her people's birth right and way of life. Harper has proven his tendency to sell off land rights to the highest bidder with no regard for sustainability. He has also shown his intention to pander to corporations at the expense of the people, especially the oil and gas industry. He has demonstrated contempt for Canadian law and disrespect for indigenous people by attempting to change the treaty agreements without approval from native leaders. His attempt to infringe on treaty rights is illegal, as changes to the treaty can only be made by mutual consent of First Nations leaders and the Crown (or Governor General in this case).
Recently, the federal government and mainstream media has attempted to discredit the Chief's cause by making her the target of some slanderous accusations. Their first tactic was to audit the Attawapiskat Nation and release the results to the public, claiming that record keeping was incomplete for funds allotted to the Nation by the federal government. The implication is that money that was supposed to go towards housing for her people was squandered or misappropriated in some way, at least that is what media is trying to get Canadians to believe. They have highlighted the fact that contractors are not always specifically named, a fact that seems appropriate, given that the Chief probably tried to create as much work for the Attawapiskat people as possible, giving her own people the contracts for building and physical labor jobs, as any good Chief would.
What they are not saying is that Chief Theresa Spence is not the only one to have incomplete financial records. An increasing amount of our federal tax money falls into this category. A few years ago, the Harper government spent $50 million on a gazebo for the G8 summit. When the citizens came to protest peacefully in the allotted "Free Speech Zone", they were arrested without cause and many were brutally abused, illegally detained and treated inhumanely by the police, all under Harper's direction to silence the people and save face in front of other government leaders. If you were unaware of this, I encourage you to watch CBC's Fifth Estate episode "You Should Have Stayed Home." The Harper government has had so many scandals, they are hardly in a position to be slinging mud at the Chief.
The Chief, in her wisdom, has seen through the attack, claiming that the audit and accusations are merely a distraction from the real issue. The real issue is this: Harper is trying to pass a bill allowing a pipeline to be run through First Nations land. This would benefit oil and gas companies while posing significant threat to the people of Canada. Pipelines have a history of being unstable and undependable, and the prospect is quite likely that a malfunction will upset the ecosystem and ruin valuable drinking water. This will affect our children and grandchildren's ability to live in Canada, and more directly affect the First Nations people living nearest the pipeline, already struggling to maintain a decent standard of living. The Chief understands that Harper does not have the authority to pass the bill to make this happen. She intends to speak to the Queen's representative about how the proposed pipeline affects her people. It is not only her right to do so, it is her responsibility, one that she is carrying with courage and grace.
Yesterday, the National Post printed stories on how Harper had finally agreed to meet with First Nations leaders, and Chief Spence was refusing to show up, claiming that she will continue her hunger strike until she meets with the Governor General. The National Post claimed that the Chief's demands are unfounded, and that the Queen wouldn't presume to get involved in these issues anyway, being merely a figurehead in our country. The National Post must not be aware that the Queen, or Governor General, is legally required to approve any changes to the treaty, as are the First Nations Chiefs. Harper can not run a pipeline through reserve lands without the approval of First Nations and the Queen. The National Post story I read was so filled with misinformation, it can hardly be called reporting. It is nothing more than propaganda, at best misinformed, at worst disrespectful and bigoted. The fact that they would allow this to be printed is disgraceful:
"One of the complaints made about dealing with First Nations is that nothing is ever enough. No agreement ever solves problems. There’s always something more, some other offence, often intangible and difficult to comprehend, the origins lost in time."
There is prejudice dripping from this statement, oozing from it's slimy core. Chalking up the Chief's cause as "just another Native complaint" is a low blow, even for mainstream media. The Chief deserves more respect than that.
She is protecting her people, and the rest of us too, trying to preserve some of our resources and ecosystem for future generations. She is saving my children and their children, and I am thankful. Her demand to meet with the queen's representative is perfectly in order, and both the Prime Minister and Governor General should comply if they care about Canada and Canadians at all. If we care about fairness, equality and our children's future, we should support Chief Spence in whatever way we can.
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