It illustrates the level of power and control that Chiefs have, and raises the question of whether such power and control is appropriate in a free and just Canadian society.
What is worth noting, in addition to the attempt to avoid transparency and accountability, is that the Band Council has the authority to ban anyone from the reserve, including band members themselves. As quasi-sovereign nations, bands have control of their reserve land (thus the need to ask permission from some Band Councils before entering on their reserves), and through traditional law, band councils use banishment to control who is or is not permitted to be present in the community, including their own members
Note that, as touched upon up-thread, band councils tend to be controlled by one family, and band resources flow through the band council, such that when one family comes into power, the extended family and its friends reap the economic benefit until at a subsequent election another family comes into power. Band council resolutions to ban people from reserves can and have been used to stifle political dissent. The current banning of the Global news crew (banned by order of Chief Spence) is the most recent example, but there are other examples elsewhere, including the banishment of reserve members for what they are saying about an incumbent candidate for chief prior to an election.
This raises some fundamental issues. Should any Canadians be prevented from travelling through or visiting any community in Canada by any local political body? Should residents of a reserve, particularly a remote reserve, be prevented from having any visitors they choose? Should people be banished by a local political body from their own community, including losing access to their home or their business that they own? What business in its right mind would build in a community which could ban employees or owners from being present? If banning is to exist, should it be a judicial rather than a political process, and should it be codified the way criminal law is so as to clearly set out what does and what does not justify banning?
Most importantly, when working through these issues, should the rights and freedoms set out in our Constitution and in the common law be applicable to reserves?
When I first heard of “Idle No More”, I thought it might be some sort of employment thing, and wondered why people would label themseves as being idle.
Looks like she’ll be getting pretty skinny, 'cause it would not be constitutionally appropriate for the GG to participate in the government’s negotiations.
I am starting to think that she has been doing whatever she pleased and answered to no one for so long that she doesn’t understand that things are changing now.
On a completely different note, I’m in Edmonton for the next 4 weeks, rehearsing for a production of ‘The Tales of Hoffmann’ for Edmonton Opera.
I’m not sure about a side trip to Calgary - it depends heavily on weather and schedule. As it stands at present, we don’t get more than a single day off in a row. And I sense they would be quite ticked with me if I got storm-stayed in Red Deer and had to miss a show.
Keep us posted. If you can make it to Calgary somehow, I’m sure that the Calgary Dopers can arrange something–and if they do, I will do my best to be there.
It is amazing how some people think. I said in the past that throwing money won’t solve all their problems but they have gotten enough money that the people shouldn’t be living in the conditions they are.
I would love to get millions of dollars with no need to account how I spend it. But I live in the real world.
I usually work in accounting departments of companies of all sizes. The very thought of having audit results like those of the Attawapiskat band come back gives me cold shivers - I can’t even imagine what the fallout would be. Revenue Canada moving you to the top of the list to audit every six months? Shareholders screaming bloody murder? Criminal charges of embezzlement for everyone in charge of not recording any transactions?
Mrs Piper is storm-stayed in Saskatoon. She’s been in Saskatoon the past two days on business. Tried to come back this afternoon, but the plane from Saskatoon circled over Regina for 20 minutes. The snow is so heavy, it couldn’t land and had to fly back to Saskatoon.
So, correct my understanding if I have it wrong - the Native Chiefs want a meeting with Prime Minister Harper and the Governor General, to try to make conditions better on reservations. But conditions are terrible on reservations because the chiefs take all the money and don’t provide for their people like they’re supposed to. How are PM Harper and the GG supposed to fix that?
Again, it isn’t about ‘fixing’ anything. It is about how much graft you can get manipulating people’s guilt over something that only they have control over. If they fix the problem, then the gravy train stops.
It is no different than all those places around the world that blame the ‘Jews’ or other people for their problems.
