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Gathering Place First
Nations Canadian News Special
August 21,
2002
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Algonquins Return Quarter
Tossed by Nault Aide During Ottawa Demonstration Ottawa August 21, 2002 -- The Algonquins
of Barriere Lake have returned the quarter tossed at them by a member of Indian
Affairs Minister Robert Nault�s staff during a protest last week in Ottawa. The
quarter, which has been the subject of increasing controversy, was retrieved
after it was tossed from Nault�s car. The incident occurred when Algonquins,
concerned about terrible conditions on their reserve, attempted to meet with the
Minister after a press conference in Ottawa held on August 15. The Minister
refused to meet and as his car sped away, a quarter was tossed from the car.
Now Chief Harry Wawatie has returned the two-bit gesture to its rightful owner. In a letter attached to the coin, he stated his concern over Nault�s action. �Enclosed is the quarter, which you or one of your staff threw at us during our recent interaction in Ottawa in front of the National Press Gallery. We are returning it to you and want you to know that what you did was very disrespectful, considering that we are trying to demonstrate to you the deplorable social and economic conditions that our people are living in at the Rapid Lake reserve.� The incident occurred at a press conference held to unveil Nault�s Fiscal Initiative plan. The Algonquins are concerned that Nault�s initiative, which would allow bands to tax their members as a way of raising capital, would do little to help the community escape its terrible cycle of poverty. The Barriere Lake people live at the Rapid Lake reserve, only 280 kms north of Ottawa. The community suffers from terrible overcrowding and high levels of unemployment. Barriere Lake�s poverty could have been alleviated if the Federal Minister honoured two signed agreements the Trilateral Agreement and the Memorandum of Mutual Understanding which would have given the Algonquins the tools to develop a long-term development plan for their community. Since Nault abrogated these agreements, the Algonquins of Barriere Lake have been left to struggle with substandard housing, a lack of hydro and an ongoing medical transportation crisis. �We were hoping to at least get you to listen to our plight, so that we could work together to try and re-establish a process to solve some of our issues, � wrote Chief Wawatie. �But you refused to listen and brushed us aside�.This is shameful for a Minister whose mandate it is to support and try and help the cause of First Nations people�.We insist that your government honour your commitments to us and I urge you to apologize for the disrespect that you have shown us.� Barriere Lake has been crippled by the fact that the Federal government is arbitrarily holding back approximately $1.2 in normal program funding owed to the community for this fiscal year. Leadership in the community fear the government is withholding the money to try and stop the Algonquins from publicizing the violations of the two agreements (Trilateral Agreement and Memorandum of Mutual Intent) on the part of the Indian Affairs Minister. - 30
- For More Information
Contact:
Grand Chief Carol McBride (819) 723-2019 Russell Diabo (613) 260-3722 / 296-0331 Hector Jerome (819) 435-2181 OPEN LETTER - OPEN LETTER - OPEN LETTERAugust 20, 2002Honorable Robert Nault Minister, Indian Affairs and Northern Development Government of Canada House of Commons Ottawa, CANADA Dear Minister: Enclosed is the quarter, which you or one of your staff threw at us during our recent interaction in Ottawa, on August 15, 2002, in front of the National Press Gallery. We are returning it to you and want you to know that what you did was very disrespectful, considering we were trying to demonstrate to you the deplorable social and economic conditions that our people are living in at the Rapid Lake Reserve. We were hoping to at least get you to listen to our plight, so that we could work together to try and re-establish a process to solve some of our issues. But you refused to listen and brushed us aside. As you may remember, we met with you on May 29, 2000 in our community. We gave you a full description of the problems facing our community, including overcrowded housing conditions, where we have up to 22 people living in one home. We told you about our 80-90% unemployment rates; the high age-grade deficits amongst our school children; and the lack of adequate infrastructure, including electricity and basic telephone services. We had high hopes that all of these issues would be solved under the Memorandum of Mutual Intent, which I signed with former Indian Affairs Deputy Minister Scott Serson in 1997. That Agreement was signed in a solemn manner and it had attached to it a Global Proposal for Rebuilding our Community, which included commitments for solving all of these issues. When I signed that agreement in good faith, Mr. Serson and I viewed it as a blueprint for addressing our social conditions. In May 2000, when you came to Rapid Lake, you appeared to be sympathetic to our situation, and your officials in the Regional Office seemed supportive. But, not long after our meeting, your officials turned very negative toward us. They no longer felt obliged to honor the commitments your department made in the Memorandum of Mutual Intent and your department breached its funding commitments under the Trilateral Agreement. Given your latest gesture, it seems you were never serious about trying to help us. In fact, it seems like you instructed you officials to kill not just the Memorandum of Mutual Intent, but also the Trilateral Agreement. This is shameful for a Minister whose mandate it is to support and try and help the cause of First Nations people. It is even more shameful that the Government of Quebec has had to step in to pay for the federal share of expenses under the Trilateral Agreement. We insist that you and your government honor your commitments to us and I urge you to apologize for the disrespect that you have shown us. Meegwetch, {Original Signed By} Chief Harry Wawatie <> <><><> <><><> <><><> <><><> <><><>
ATTENTION
Lets Show Mr
Nault that he does not speaks for First Nations People
....... We would ask every one
who receives this to
Please send a letter
of support to National Chief Matthew Coom Come .......and the Chiefs of the
AFN
At
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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* This news letter
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