Chief has budget concerns

maxumpat says:

Guess what???? The whole country is in a crisis! The whole infrastructure of NWO is in a crisis. Hang on!!!!!!!!!!!!

3/5/2010 7:31:00 PM

halfwaygorilla says:

and there is only so much money in the system to go around, IT ISNT BOTTOMLESS

3/6/2010 8:04:52 AM

dar says:

So i guess from what i understand they're setting up blockades (being greedy, nothing to do with "traditional ways"), and stopping a development that would generate much needed funds , incomes and yet at the same time they're running to the government for $ ? I'm not saying that some support isn't needed but how is it justifiable that 5000 houses need REPLACEMENT ? That's an equivalent of a small city. If the government does provide the funds they should be asking how they got to the state they are in ?

3/6/2010 10:16:04 AM

diego1931 says:

"Beardy said 5,000 homes need to be replaced"

And the government should be paying for these homes because...? Maxumpat is right, all of NWO is in crisis. Deal with it.

3/6/2010 10:52:02 AM

pawn says:

Some may want to consider viewing the link I have attached. It is a portion of the speech given by Clarence Louie.

He is a tribal leader and would be a good candidate for the governing part of the federal government.

He would be a good example for Beardy.

3/6/2010 8:10:35 PM

MindYourOwn says:

Whining never got anybody anywhere. Do something about it then, write to your leaders, lobby on behalf of your beliefs, what are YOU waiting for? PFFT!

3/6/2010 9:48:12 PM

tsb says:

People living on reserves aren't allowed to own houses. They're set up like communist states. The government builds the houses for the band, the band owns the houses, and those living in them rent from the band. Give individuals on reserve ownership rights and things will surely change.

3/7/2010 6:59:05 AM

Concerned says:

One thing I have notice is every week there are first nations groups holding meetings or gatherings or social events in Thunder Bay.I'm sure that some of these events are needed to allow the first nation groups to stay informed and conduct thier business.
During times of fiscal restraint governments normally cut back on travel and meetings only having meetings when absolutly needed.
It is time that first nations start to restrict the number of events and travel. By doing this they may be able to reduce expenses and put the dollars saved towards infrastructure.It would be intersting to know the total number of dollars that are spent on meetings and travel by first nations.

3/7/2010 7:59:03 AM

hadenough says:

TWN, there is a lot of negativity regarding Natives.
I would encourage you to continue to participate with your perspective.
We may not agree with you but some of us will listen. As with your people,it's a slow process to accomplish change.

3/7/2010 6:28:26 PM

kdawg says:

The Grand Chief correctly points out that many First Nations communities need a pile of money to support growing populations and infrastructure needs. I think that Canadians need to wake up an ask themselves why we perpetuate the enslavement of a small sector of our population to a cradle to the grave dependency on government handouts. This is an immoral situation that cannot be sustained any longer. The First Nations peoples live in remote places many of which can't be accessed except by air and yet the expectation is that they are entitled to have every modern technological priviledge and opportunity that the rest of Canadians have yet they have no access to any sustainable economy and contribute nothing to the tax base. This situation is purely disfunctional. They are wards of the state by virtue of an ancient treaty that has proven to be a total failure. From abject poverty to child abuse in schools, the First Nations people are the by product of a paradigm that can no longer work. The only hope for the young Aboriginal members is to move off of the reserves and integrate into society and take advantage of the opportunity of larger centers such as higher education and an opportunity to get a job and take care of themselves and their families. This is a fundamental human need for all of us. Self reliance, self esteem, and living in a capacity where we can put something back into society. The migration from reserves is happening more than ever and we see it in Thunder Bay big time. This however is only the first step to a long term solution. Imagine what it is like to grow up on a reserve, go through grade school, high school and in the end there is no hope for a job but to move off of the reserve. The next 5 years will be nothing like the last five years and all Canadians will be making sacrifices. But the First Nations will be hit significantly. In a perfect world, remote communities that can only survive on Federal handouts will eventually dissolve into oblivion and after that every new Canadian baby born will truly be equal and won't be classified as first or second this or that.

Kdawg

3/7/2010 7:26:14 PM

one_question says:

kdawg,

I think it is amazing that Aboriginal leave confines of the reserve for better prospects. They have no jobs on the reserve and their education is not at the level expected of a Ontario student. How can the reserve flourish when better homes and jobs are available in Thunder Bay and else where. Am I mistaken that the reserve wants to be independent? Then how are they going to make a market in a world where we compete globally. The treaties must be settled so Aboriginal nations can rid themselves of the intitlement and begin some sort progress where they can compete.

3/7/2010 9:00:28 PM

Rick says:

I agree 100% with Pawn,

Mr. Beardy should speak with Clarence Louie, and maybe then Beardy could wrap his head around the situation as it relates to this new century.

See below:
Straight Talk From Osoyoos Chief Clarence Louie

The biggest employer,” he says, “shouldn’t be the band office.”

He also says the time has come to “get over it.” No more whining about 100-year-old failed experiments. No foolishly looking to the Queen to protect rights.

“You’re going to lose your language and culture faster in poverty than you will in economic development,” he says to those who say he is ignoring tradition.

The first step, he says, is all about leadership. He prides himself on being “a stay-home chief who looks after the potholes in his own backyard” and wastes no time “running around fighting 100-year-old battles.”

The biggest challenge will be how you treat your own people.

“Blaming government? That time is over.”

3/8/2010 7:29:53 AM

ZipItRednecks says:

It never fails to amaze me. The audacity contained within these anti-Native remarks are old, redundant stereotypes. Break down the ideologies that your parents spoon-fed you and experience what it feels like to think for yourselves. It is so easy to tear people down; why not try to bridge the gap and seek parity.
Educate yourself and your children about the truths about First Nations Peoples so that I don't have to embarrass them when they spout ignorance. It's obvious where children get their edification from when it comes to having a dialogue about what their beliefs are and why they think the way to do.

Instead of perpetuating stereotypes, why not deconstruct them?

3/8/2010 9:42:21 AM

Steven says:

Hey Zip it Redneck, isn't your name racist? Or is ok because we are not native?

But to your remarks: The fact that Clarence Louie and others stand up and say that the status quo isn't working, and the fault does not rest with the government means that the rest of us who say this aren't just spewing anti-native remarks as you suggest, but are actually saying things that many progressive native people agree with.

Many people on here are educated about First Nations Peoples and are not ignorant as you suggest. In my case I have had many great conversations with many native people who agree that the problem isn't with the government or lack of funding but with band councils and native people asking for handouts to fix their problems instead of looking for their own solutions.

I would suggest that a re-allocation of money that is already being spent on this issue is one big way to fix things. Second, moving far-off native groups in unsustainable communties is a second part of the solution.

3/8/2010 12:26:47 PM

ZipItRednecks says:

Meh. My name is more stereotypical than racist.

Regarding your remarks; the government is responsible for the disenfranchisement of Natives and somehow, somewhere along the line a maxim of enough is enough has become mainstream society's mantra.

First Nations Peoples were saying enough is enough when their children were being taken away and their culture was being wiped clean.

Lest I forget, good for you Steven. You've had many great convos with Native people. Apparently the people you've spoken to are reactive versus proactive.

One thing that is entertaining; I've spoken to many European people and I hear their dissatisfaction with their lives, their jobs and the government and yet there is no need for me to stand on a soapbox and bellow that these conversations have occurred.

Regarding your suggestions: 1) First Nation Agencies are transparent. Unlike the government who likes to milk the public domain for useful things like expensive dinners and fun-filled exotic trips. So. Re-allocation of money; from where to where? 2) So, after years and years of living in swampy lands where there is no electricity/sewage/water facilities First Nations Peoples are to relocate? I get it! Now that Western society has discovered the usefulness in what lays under the lands where communities are located, it's time to move. From their "unsustainable communities" where mining companies want in without culpability. Gotcha.

3/8/2010 3:24:55 PM

Steven says:

I think there have been terrible decisions on the part of government in the past; we can all agree on that.

However keeping people in communities in the middle of nowhere just because thats where the government forced them to go probably isn't the best idea for anyone.

I wonder if these people, if offered new land IN ADDITION to their existing land, but closer to other cities, would allow them a better quality of life? They would still have the existing land (and all rights that go with owning land in regards to natural resourses) but they might not be living on it. I wonder if many people might prefer that to their current situation?

The people i've spoken to are proactive. They don't look to the past and whine. They look to the current, and look at two different paths to the future and see the current one as a dead end, and see a different one where native communities aren't so isolated, and see that it might be best. Whats going on now is awful.

As for first nations agencies being transparent, vs. govt. which isn't. Ummmm.... check your facts. You can get every cent accounted for from almost every single branch and division of government. Many even keep photocopies of every cheque and disbursement ever issued, and they are all public record.

I see your hate for all things government, like assuming that since the suggestion is a movement from the current reserve locations that its just the government trying to steal the land again; but i'd wish you'd just stop and look at the plight of first nations people on these reserves and realize that things CANNOT get worse than they are now. Things need to change.

The government has learned their lessons on screwing over native people: They did it, and they have been paying BILLIONS every year for their mistakes of the past. Do you really think they'd want to repeat them just to help out a couple mining companies? If you do, you're dellusional. I believe the idea put forward included natives keeping their current land, as well as being settled into other new land that they would own as well. This is not the government trying to grab their reserves to drill on them and mine them. Good theory though.

3/8/2010 6:29:48 PM

hockeyday says:

Its easy to start name calling on this type of topic. I'm a simple man and I think the main concern of non-natives hinges around 2 main concepts:
1) We're all CANADIAN and we should all be treated the same way in terms of tax status, infrastructure and services, and rights within this country. This is seen as not being the case related to the demands for native housing and other services such as free drug and free schooling without normal taxation rules.
2) No one should be discriminated or rewarded based on the colour of their skin, race or blood line.
Much of the issues by non-natives hinges around the fact that there is a feeling many native leaders want the benefits and services of being canadian but somehow assume there should not be the same personal cost or taxes associated with having this right that every other non-native is responsible for. . i.e. income tax or sales tax exemption. I am firmly against all forms of racism and I think the real issue revolves around the fact that many of us simply want the same treatment, rules and privileges for all canadians no matter what the race.

3/8/2010 6:53:20 PM

tsb says:

People like Stephen aren't agreeing with pro-active aboriginals. You're simply latching onto an aspect of it that you agree with (relocation and assimilation) and repeating it. First Nations communities in remote areas like Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug or Kashechewan CAN be sustainable. Our government (the Indian Act) is simply set up to prevent it. The Indian Act itself was originally created to suppress and white wash aboriginal people, and it hasn't changed much. It's just more subtle about it. If there was a higher level of aboriginal government with an aboriginal justice system, they would be able to solve their corruption problems themselves. They would see aboriginal leaders rising to a national level and be inspired to truly change who they are. We have to give them responsibility. They're dependent on us because we took responsibility away from them and then only gave back a few pieces (while patting ourselves on the back for doing so, of course).

3/8/2010 11:10:54 PM

ZipItRednecks says:

Steven; You're speaking in intangibles. I mean, we can all postulate and make broad sweeping statements - but what is exactly is your basis? Has there been an offer from the governement to allocate more land to the people in communities? Given the fact that there is reluctance in even making the existent communities livable I find it laughable that more parcels of land will be doled out. I mean, there may be gold (or something else Western society wants sole control over)under these new communities and then you and I will be back to verbally sparring.

Hockeyday; I like your second point - seeing that you're not a minority, it is easy to point out what should be just a simple truth. As a minority I live on the flipside of your coin; my heritage indicates how I will be treated when I go into a store or walk down the street. Assumptions are made and stereotypes are molded to fit me. I don't think that parity is what most "non-Natives" are looking for; you're one person - how did you arrive at your conclusion?

3/9/2010 11:32:47 AM

panzerIV says:

So zipitredneck your trying to find a common peace between all canadians and you make a comment like that. basically what you just said was with the exception of one person every other white person hates natives. That works out well with ur attempt at equality. You may have been insulted because your a minority but guess what it goes both ways. I personally have been insulted by a group of native people because i was white. So, do i think that every native person is a jerk because of it? No, i think those people are (place swear here) but not the whole population. Basically, you just did attack the whole white population in NWO. TSB i dont ever believe that there will be a pure aboriginal government and justice system other then what there is now. No, new justice system will be brought in espically after the attempt to bring in Sharia.

3/10/2010 7:56:39 AM

eddylives says:

There is something wrong with this picture.....

3/11/2010 4:20:43 PM