Electioneering could be premier’s Aboriginal summit motivation: Beardy

Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Stan Beardy says Premier Dalton McGuinty should heed his own words.

McGuinty on Wednesday called on the federal government to follow through on a promise made five years ago to host a national Aboriginal summit.

Beardy, reached on Thursday by phone in Muskrat Dam, said while the federal government has not made any attempt to organize the summit to the best of his knowledge, until now the province hasn’t done much either.

Beardy suggested McGuinty’s call is little more than election-year stumping.

“The premier, because of the upcoming provincial election is saying the right words,” Beardy said. “But it’s his inaction from the past year. We had great difficulty with the Far North Act as First Nations people living in Ontario. We had difficulty with the Mining Act and the free-entry system, as well as the forest-tenure system.

“So there is no real indication that there is really any sincere attempt by the government of Ontario to work with us.”

McGuinty told reporters in Toronto that the desire to hold a summit is there, drawing on a call made in April by several provincial Aboriginal affairs ministers to do so.

“There is a very strong consensus among Canadian premiers, all 10 provinces and three territories, that we should be hosting a summit devoted to our aboriginal communities,” McGuinty said.

Since 2000, seven teens have arrived in Thunder Bay for schooling and subsequently disappeared, the latest being 15-year-old Jordan Wabasse, whose body was pulled Tuesday night from the Kaministiquia River.

Police on Wednesday gave the cause of death as drowning, ruling out foul play.

Beardy said he’s not sure why the summit has been forgotten, but guessed small First Nation population numbers have something to do with it.

“We don’t have the numbers in terms of votes to make any impact on the outcome of the election in any part of Canada,” Beardy said, noting aboriginals make up about three per cent of the entire country’s head count.

“It’s relatively small. But I think on the other hand, First Nations have the greatest needs in terms of our land and resources. We do have a lot to offer in terms of opportunities as well,” he said.

Should a summit be called by the prime minister, education and basic infrastructure needs are first and foremost on Beardy’s mind.

“We have to make sure that there are schools for our children to go to and we also have to make sure there is housing in our communities.”

He also wants to see a discussion on resource extraction and economic development, and is encouraged they were included in the Conservative platform in the lead-up to the recent federal election.