REMARKS GIVEN BY CONGRESS OF ABORIGINAL PEOPLES NATIONAL CHIEF PATRICK BRAZEAU AT THE 5th ANNUAL NATIONAL ABORIGINAL CONNECTIVITY & E-SERVICES FORUM
(Ottawa, ON - March 14, 2006) Thank you for the kind introduction. Before I begin my remarks, I would like to recognize and pay tribute to the leaders present here this evening.
Minister Prentice, welcome -- it’s nice to see you again, and I can’t tell you how pleased I am to have you leading the charge, as we move forward together, in pursuit of a better life for off-reserve and non-status Indians, and Métis across Canada.
President Kusugak, I am pleased to be here with you this evening, and I continue to applaud your efforts in ensuring that the Inuit peoples are recognized, embraced and accommodated by government leaders and the officials whose job it is to serve them, and all the people of Canada.
Ms. Lewis, I am delighted to share the podium with you this evening, and I send greetings to your President, Bev Jacobs, of the Native Womens’ Association of Canada.
Minister Prentice, I know from our discussions that you and I share a strong belief that Aboriginal women are too often considered as the forgotten people, just as our constituents are.
Together, we have a long road ahead of us, and you have our unwavering support as we move forward.
National Chief Fontaine, it is always a pleasure to see you. You continue to be a strong and effective advocate for the needs of on-reserve status Indians.
I want you to know that I see us as allies in the crusade to improve Aboriginal quality of life, and full partners in the struggle to eliminate the poverty and lack of sustainable opportunity that bedevils our peoples.
I’d like to begin my remarks this evening, by commenting on the importance of events such as this. The greater the focus that is applied to the urban Aboriginal reality – and to the tools needed to improve conditions around it, the better.
This evening, I would like to speak about the urban Aboriginal environment in the broader context.
The Aboriginal Portal and the pursuit of increased connectivity are key steps in better enabling Aboriginal peoples across Canada to take full advantage of this country’s tremendous wealth, prosperity and promise.
I was especially pleased the inclusion of the Urban Roundtable panel as one of the components of this excellent event.
The objectives for this panel included the identification of, and the assigning of priority to, key policy and program investment areas that can benefit Aboriginal peoples.
To the team at Indian Affairs and Northern Development who set this objective, we offer both our thanks and our recognition for tackling this key issue.
It is one issue that we believe is at the heart of the direction in which Aboriginal public policy must migrate.
It is ironic -- if not downright sad -- that this migration must occur, in order to catch up to the migration of Aboriginal peoples to urban centres.
Nevertheless, it is gratifying to see this group gathered together here this evening to discuss such change.
Let us hope that those in authority here tonight, who have shared in this event over the past two days, will take with them the wisdom you have applied, and work to ensure that it becomes a matter of public policy, in short order.
I say this because the need for sustainable action around urban Aboriginal issues has never been greater. And sustainable action requires more than just throwing money at the issue.
Sustainable action requires Will – from politicians of all stripes and jurisdictions – Federal, Provincial and Municipal governments, as well as community groups, working in conjunction with Aboriginal governments and National, regional and local organizations to bring real help to real people in real need.
Sustainable action also requires Commitment – from Officials in all levels of government, to challenge the status quo, move beyond doing things because “that’s the way it’s always been done”, and considering new options, new ideas, new partners and new ideals.
Perhaps most importantly, sustainable action requires Partnership – in the truest form of the word. It means give and take, honesty and respect, delivering on promises, and getting and giving the best effort for the collective good of the many, versus gaining an edge over the few.
Now, while these tenets are critically important…so is ensuring that there is sufficient investment in urban Aboriginal programming.
Many of you here this evening are aware of the debate over the percentage of Aboriginal peoples living off-reserve – our figures, based in Census of Canada data, place the figure at seventy-nine per cent.
Add to this, the figure that fifty-one per cent of First Nations peoples now live off-reserve, the majority of them of course, migrating to urban centres.
Regardless of where you might sit in respect of the numbers, one fact is unassailable: For every eight dollars the federal government has spent for the last twelve years, in on-reserve programs and services, one dollar has been spent off-reserve.
This 8:1 ratio is quite troubling. It just doesn’t make sense. How could a federal government so purposefully exclude and dismiss Aboriginal peoples’ needs and aspirations?
The good news is that we believe that change is on the way. The fact that I stand before you today discussing this is an encouraging sign.
And, as many of you know, the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples endorsed the Conservative Party and its Aboriginal affairs platform in the recent election.
The platform was authored by Jim Prentice, who is of course, here tonight in his capacity as Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians.
We are confident that the new government will deliver on its commitment to recognize and accommodate the needs of the off-reserve and non-status Indian, and Métis constituencies, under the diligent stewardship of Minister Prentice.
As the youngest leader of a national Aboriginal organization, I want to share with you my views on how we can best move forward, in harmony, to bring about the changes needed to ensure sustainable solutions to the challenges before us.
After all, future generations and our youth today are depending on us.
First, we must bring about the equitable and sustainable distribution of resources across the Aboriginal landscape, not to the detriment of others, or in a seemingly punitive measure to “one-up” one organization over another.
Rather, Aboriginal women and service delivery organizations require rationalized levels of funding.
Our organization has begun its own renewal exercise, in an effort to increase capacity, particularly in the regional affiliate organizations.
Enhanced capacity is required not only within national Aboriginal organizations and First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities.
The machinery of government must also learn to adapt, pro-act, and react to the changing landscape in Aboriginal affairs.
This is key if we are to achieve real success. For all the goodwill and vision of political leaders is of no value or use if officials inhibit or stifle efforts to effect real change for real people to bring about real improvements.
Others involved in these endeavours across the Aboriginal community, such as the National Association of Friendship Centres, need to see more recognized engagement.
With the full engagement of the National Aboriginal community, there must also be a comprehensive strategy for moving forward.
Quite frankly, in the last twelve years, Aboriginal public policy was determined by the Courts, rather than by Parliament.
Minister, I trust I can speak for all the leaders assembled here today, in saying that we are committed, ready, willing, and most certainly able, to assist your government in charting the way forward.
In less than three weeks, we will all learn from Governor-General Michaëlle Jean, in her Speech from the Throne, the ways and means the Harper government intends to pursue to achieve its plan for ending the plight of Canada’s Aboriginal peoples.
Let us hope that the efforts of all of you here today, and the potential solutions you have identified, can and will contribute to the express inclusion of urban Aboriginal measures in the government’s public policy roadmap.
Urban Aboriginal peoples want to stake the same claim in the fortunes of Canada as
Non-Aboriginals do. They deserve the recognition and accommodation of governments at all levels.
And they need the support of all of us whose efforts comprise Canada’s Aboriginal public policy in action.
And so in closing, the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples applauds the good work you have continued in these past days at the
2006 National Aboriginal Connectivity and
E-Services Forum.
We encourage you all to keep fighting the good fight on behalf of Urban Aboriginal peoples.
Together, we can bring about the sustainable prosperity they so richly deserve.
Thank you, merci, Meegwetch!
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Al Fleming
Director
Public Affairs
613-747-6022 (office)
613-867-8696 (mobile)
al@abo-peoples.org
