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First Nations - CF help, protests, solutions, residential schools, etc. (merged)

Spence and her handlers had a plan.  but it has been completely derailed.  She never expected for second that the PM would meet with her.  which is why she made the demand to start with.  It played to her base and to the media.  After all she's up against big bad Harper.  She was going to keep up her diet until it was convieniant to collapse or some other theatrical show and solidify her name.  But with the release of the well timed audit and the PM agreeing to meet with her now, everything is screwed up.  It's too early for the fake collapse and she certainly can't stop her new year's resolution diet.  She can't meet with Harper because she never thought she would have to and likely, truly has nothing real or constructive to say or ask for other than whatever platitudes about dialogue she's been vomitting from her tee-pee.  No, now the plan is to use the convienient excuse about the GG to continue with her original plan, collapse or be taken "forcefully" againts her will by her handlers to some aboriginal healing centre where they will declare how close she came but is recovering.  No actual real doctor will confirm anything.  the media will be shooed away citing her health and hopefully the questions about her incompetence will go away.  Her mouthpiece will declare whatever meeting that happens without her a failure. 

I'm calling this.
 
No one who's been following this thread would take that bet. You sir, have pretty well got it spot on as far as I'm concerned.
 
Crantor said:
Spence and her handlers had a plan.  but it has been completely derailed.  She never expected for second that the PM would meet with her.  which is why she made the demand to start with.  It played to her base and to the media.  After all she's up against big bad Harper.  She was going to keep up her diet until it was convieniant to collapse or some other theatrical show and solidify her name.  But with the release of the well timed audit and the PM agreeing to meet with her now, everything is screwed up.  It's too early for the fake collapse and she certainly can't stop her new year's resolution diet.  She can't meet with Harper because she never thought she would have to and likely, truly has nothing real or constructive to say or ask for other than whatever platitudes about dialogue she's been vomitting from her tee-pee.  No, now the plan is to use the convienient excuse about the GG to continue with her original plan, collapse or be taken "forcefully" againts her will by her handlers to some aboriginal healing centre where they will declare how close she came but is recovering.  No actual real doctor will confirm anything.  the media will be shooed away citing her health and hopefully the questions about her incompetence will go away.  Her mouthpiece will declare whatever meeting that happens without her a failure. 

I'm calling this.


:goodpost:

You've nailed it Cranton. This was a PR stunt, timed, by a media savvy lady, for the "slow news" Xmas holiday period ~ but she bumped into some media pros: the boys and girls from the Conservative Party "news management" team and they have washed the floor with her.
 
E.R. Campbell said:
:goodpost:

You've nailed it Cranton. This was a PR stunt, timed, by a media savvy lady, for the "slow news" Xmas holiday period ~ but she bumped into some media pros: the boys and girls from the Conservative Party "news management" team and they have washed the floor with her.
Washed the floor with her.........Ew that sounds messy.
 
E.R. Campbell said:
:goodpost:

You've nailed it Cranton. This was a PR stunt, timed, by a media savvy lady, for the "slow news" Xmas holiday period ~ but she bumped into some media pros: the boys and girls from the Conservative Party "news management" team and they have washed the floor with her.

Agreed that Crantor has nailed it but there is still significant sympathy for her on the left. Most people do not understand the difference between the Idle no More protests and her media stunt. This is part of a wider media story of the victimization of natives at the hands of the rest of Canada. The details of an audit that clearly shows how "innovative" a manager she is, to put it in a way that will not get me sued, or the fact that her hunger strike is not actually a diet is probably not well known to most people. Anyone who is paying attention realizes that Crantor is right but I suspect that the vast majority are not.
 
Crantor said:
Spence and her handlers had a plan.  but it has been completely derailed.  She never expected for second that the PM would meet with her.  which is why she made the demand to start with.  It played to her base and to the media.  After all she's up against big bad Harper.  She was going to keep up her diet until it was convieniant to collapse or some other theatrical show and solidify her name.  But with the release of the well timed audit and the PM agreeing to meet with her now, everything is screwed up.  It's too early for the fake collapse and she certainly can't stop her new year's resolution diet.  She can't meet with Harper because she never thought she would have to and likely, truly has nothing real or constructive to say or ask for other than whatever platitudes about dialogue she's been vomitting from her tee-pee.  No, now the plan is to use the convienient excuse about the GG to continue with her original plan, collapse or be taken "forcefully" againts her will by her handlers to some aboriginal healing centre where they will declare how close she came but is recovering.  No actual real doctor will confirm anything.  the media will be shooed away citing her health and hopefully the questions about her incompetence will go away.  Her mouthpiece will declare whatever meeting that happens without her a failure. 

I'm calling this.

I like the cut of your jib.
 
Danjanou said:
Gee check His bio out:

Obert is the founder and publisher of the Canadian Progressive. Fearless and passionate activist, progressive political blogger, writer, journalist, publisher. Former speechwriter to Margaret Dongo, a former Independent Zimbabwean MP. Former senior international development executive with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a Germany international development agency, and CAP AIDS, a Canadian charity. Accomplished public speaker.

Published or quoted here: The Huffington Post, CBC News, Ottawa Citizen, The Canadian Progressive, Toronto Sun, Rabble.ca, Metro News, The Charlatan, EMC Kanata, The Dominion, Ground Report, AfricaFiles & New Zimbabwe
Canadian Progressive. Obert is driven by these issues: social justice, equality, progressive politics, immigration, war on drugs, homelessness, criminal justice system, public policy, foreign policy and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

A legend in his own mind.
 
E.R. Campbell said:
You've nailed it Cranton. This was a PR stunt, timed, by a media savvy lady, for the "slow news" Xmas holiday period ~ but she bumped into some media pros: the boys and girls from the Conservative Party "news management" team and they have washed the floor with her.

I wonder how much of this was of her doing, or whether she had some help in the background. We've already had reports that the blockade in Sarnia had outside, non-native help; may be some that was also present with Chief Spence.
 
Anyone want to take a bet that the GG may actually drop by informally, on short notice, to chat briefly with the meeting attendees? ;)
 
Go Christie  :salute:

Christie Blatchford: Attawapiskat audit reveals reserve finances in complete disarray


Reading the newly released Attawapiskat audit, coupled with the affidavit sworn last year by Clayton Kennedy, Chief Theresa Spence’s boyfriend and co-manager of the beleaguered reserve, I am reminded of one of my favourite episodes of the old Seinfeld series.

Kramer is pitching a scam to Jerry, whereby he wants Jerry to claim his broken stereo, which Kramer has conveniently insured, was damaged in transit, and thus get the post office to pay for it.

Jerry objects, albeit feebly, and Kramer protests that “It’s a write-off for them.”

“How is it a write-off?” Jerry asks.

“They just write it off,” Kramer replies.

“Write off what?” Jerry says, then snorts, “You don’t even know what a write-off is, do you?”

“Do you?” Kramer asks.

“No, I don’t,” says Jerry.

“But they do,” Kramer explains slowly. “And they’re the ones writing it off.”

I was put to mind of this by a couple of the regularly occurring “account descriptions” in the Deloitte and Touche audit so much in the news — “write-offs,” to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars in some cases, and “writedowns” — all with the regularly occurring descriptors, vendor “unknown” and “incomplete documentation” or “No supporting documentation.”

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2013/01/08/christie-blatchford-attawapiskat-audit-reveals-reserve-finances-in-complete-disarray/
 
More trouble from the court system. Expect thousands of people to suddenly "discover" their Indian heritage thanks to this ruling. Anyone who watched the antics in Nfld a while back when a tribe was legaly resurrected there (despite the fact the native population had been exterminated long in the past) would have seen what was coming at once:

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2013/01/10/tasha-kheiriddin-the-problems-with-the-daniels-decision/

Tasha Kheiriddin: The problems with the Daniels decision

Tasha Kheiriddin | Jan 10, 2013 12:01 AM ET | Last Updated: Jan 9, 2013 6:28 PM ET
More from Tasha Kheiriddin

Who is an Indian? According to the Daniels decision rendered by the Federal Court this week, the category includes a lot more people than previously thought.

The judgment concludes that Métis and non-status Indians are “Indians” within the meaning of the Constitution Act, 1867. By extension, they could be eligible for rights and benefits granted to many status Indians, including hunting and fishing privileges, tax exemptions and post-secondary educational assistance.

Even though the judgment may be appealed to the Supreme Court, it is likely to have two immediate effects: increasing traffic on genealogy websites, as Canadians track down potential native ancestors, and undermining any sense of equal citizenship in this country.

The concept of Indian “status” already divides Canadians into two camps, discouraging aboriginal citizens’ sense of belonging to the Canadian nation. The Daniels judgment would extend that sense of disengagement to an additional 400,000 people, including 200,000 recognized Métis persons and 200,000 Indians living off reserve.

That number could rise, however, since the 2006 census reveals that 200,000 additional persons self-identify as Métis, but are not officially recognized by provincial Métis organizations. These groups foresee a spike in membership applications, including from persons seeking purely financial benefits. David Chartrand, president of the Manitoba Métis Federation, told the Winnipeg Free Press that, “We don’t want people coming out of nowhere saying, ‘Wow, there’s a place I can get a free ride here.’ ”

At the same time, Métis organizations have a vested interest in growing their numbers, regardless of individuals’ motivations, because higher numbers mean more political clout.

Currently, each provincial association sets its own rules for membership. So how would Ottawa decide who is Métis? Would the government accept the decisions of bodies that are completely unaccountable to voters and taxpayers? Or would it set up a parallel registry and bureaucracy that would inevitably be denounced by the Métis community?

Related

    Andrew Coyne: Meeting with Harper won’t settle aboriginal people’s problems
    John Ivison: Whatever the Canadian state cedes to Theresa Spence, it will never be enough

Another impact of the judgment, should it stand on appeal, lies with the recognition of Indians living off-reserve. By breaking the link between status and residency, the ruling might prompt more First Nations members to move to urban Canada, where they generally earn higher incomes. While leaving the reserve could entail a loss of cultural identity, this loss must be weighed against the economic gains of members and their children, who would have a better chance of moving out of poverty.

That’s good news for aboriginals who leave the reserve, but not for those who stay. By producing a brain drain, the judgment could undermine the economic viability of reserve communities, as more ambitious and higher-achieving members move, leaving less able and well-off members behind.

For the federal government, this judgment represents payback for decades of inadequate action on aboriginal issues. Instead of implementing policies to encourage economic development and self-sufficiency, such as those proposed by the current government, generations of politicians preferred to avoid the attendant controversy, and by default passed the buck to the courts.

It is ironic that the ruling comes at a time when Ottawa is finally taking concrete steps to improve the economic prospects of First Nations in Canada and require greater accountability of their leaders.


True, the Conservative government is far from perfect. It has failed to be financial transparent on a series of files, from the G20 Summit to the F-35 debacle. It has pushed omnibus bills through the House of Commons, thereby limiting debate on important issues. It has not yet balanced the nation’s books, while increasing spending on a range of questionable projects.

But on the First Nations file, it is doing what so many other equally imperfect governments have failed to do before it: seek to end the dependency that holds Canadian aboriginal communities back. This ruling will not help in that quest, and should be appealed.

National Post
tjk@tashakheiriddin.com
 
This actually may be the way to do away with the reserve system. If there is no impact on leaving the reserves, there's no reason to sustain them to the lengths we do.
 
ObedientiaZelum said:
Does anyone know what exactly Moo Shum Enterprises Inc is about?
Cree- Moo Shum  English- Fuck the white Government
 
I've looked and I can't find what they do anywhere. One of Spencer defenders made a post about how inaccurate the $850 a day claim is. This guy went on to say his contract is only for 3weeks a month, at $850 a day. Not 4 weeks. Now it makes total sense  ::)

I'm still curious what this consulting company actually does.



http://www.nationalpost.com/m/wp/news/canada/blog.html?b=fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2013/01/08/john-ivison-theresa-spences-hunger-strike-obscures-the-key-first-nations-issue-resource-revenue-sharing

There is hope for the future of relations between natives and non-natives in Canada.It is embodied in leaders like Glen Nolan, a former Cree chief from Northern Ontario, who is the president of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada.He doesn’t support the Idle No More movement because he says he’s never been idle. “There are too many examples of [native] individuals and communities who have broken away from the notion that government is there to look out for them,” he said.Attempting to get at the truth involves abandoning stereotypes and clichés. That is hard when the subject matter conforms to easily attached labels, like Theresa Spence, the chief of another Cree community in Attawapiskat, who points the finger of blame at Ottawa with one hand, while extending the other for more handouts.It is a welcome reminder when more sober voices like Mr. Nolan point out that many First Nations reject dependency on transfers from the federal government.
 
Agreed that Crantor has nailed it but there is still significant sympathy for her on the left.

I believe that as far as the "Left" is concerned, it is more of significant "Anything Against Harper" then significant sympathy for her
 
GAP said:
This actually may be the way to do away with the reserve system. If there is no impact on leaving the reserves, there's no reason to sustain them to the lengths we do.

Not that I think it would actually happen, but in my opinion it would be nice to break the direct link between the Reservations and residency for First Nations peoples.  Have the Reserve lands owned in some type of trust for the members and allow them to use the resources there for income or lease use of the property for development, etc with the income from the Trust put to use by the members as they decide.  The band members would then have the freedom to live wherever they wish without losing their rights by moving off the Reserve. 

Other rights such as education and healthcare could be handled in a way more similar to transfer payments to the Provinces.  Give a base per capita amount to the First Nations and allow them to set up and deliver the programs for those members that elect to remain resident on the Reserves.  I'd be willing to allow the Reserves (collectively) to elect member(s) to Parliament based on their numbers and have a Senate seat in return for paying Federal Taxes...and the Reserves in return could be granted the power to collect taxes similar to Provincial and Municipal governments.

So long as First Nations peoples have to stay on Reserves (which are for the most part economically unviable for the numbers of people that reside there in relation to their ability to generate income from the resources present) in order to obtain their treaty benefits they will continue to be reliant on benefits and handouts.  We need to give up some control and accept that in doing so there will be mistakes made in the process.  We'll also have to pay more in the short term to help them make the transition away from dependence but it would be worth it in the long term in my opinion.

Like I said though...can't see it happening in my lifetime.  :-[
 
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