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Watkins’ worries

McIntyre Ward candidate Christopher Watkins says First Nation communities are banishing undesirable band members to live in nearby municipalities.
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McIntyre Ward candidate Christopher Watkins. (Jeff Labine, tbnewswatch.com)
McIntyre Ward candidate Christopher Watkins says First Nation communities are banishing undesirable band members to live in nearby municipalities.

Watkins sent an information letter to potential voters highlighting his stance on a number of municipal issues. In the letter Watkins said he believes city council is out of control in its spending and is focusing on waterfront condos for the rich instead of new sports areas and bike paths.

But its his belief that band councils from area First Nations are sending misbehaved citizens to Thunder Bay that seems to be generating the most attention.

"We are having downloaded into our community people who were banished for misbehavior by their own First Nation governments through BCRs (band council resolutions) while your council pretends the issue doesn’t exist," he writes in his letter to McIntyre Ward residents.

"It’s a downloading of a greater issue," Watkins told reporters on Wednesday. "My fear is the federal government isn’t providing opportunities for these people directly to assist them in the type of treatment that they need. Sometimes the band resolution is removed if they do certain things for instance getting alcohol and drug treatment. That seems to be the most prevalent ways those resolutions are removed."

Banished First Nation members often find themselves looking for other communities to receive treatment, which could lead to other difficulties and problems, he said.

Aboriginal people who come to Thunder Bay often seek a better life in the larger community but past problems, such as the residential schools, has created serious issues among those living in First Nations communities. Those problems include drug abuse, alcoholism and poverty, he said.

While the federal government has provided some funding, it doesn’t solve the root cause of the problems in these communities, he said.

"Part of the solution I think is that the federal government and our federal politicians, who seem unable to bring that issue out and talk about it, have to get their heads out of the sand," he said. "I’m not an ostrich. I believe in saying what I believe is the truth from my experiences. We need to get federal money, we have to petition as councillors of our community and seek assistance for these people."

Watkins added that there needs to be more education programs, treatment for conditions such as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and ways to eliminate poverty in those communities.

Watkins said First Nation communities already recognize many of the issues he raised and he didn’t think his comments would offend anyone.

Nishnawbe-Aski Nation Grand Chief Stan Beardy said he isn’t so sure that banishment from First Nations communities is widespread.

"I’m not necessarily aware that large numbers of people are banished," Beardy said. "There are incidents where people are asked to leave the community for a certain amount of time to seek some help."

He added that people are forced to leave their First Nations homes because the services that may best help them are not available where they live. Those services, which include addiction and treatment centres, are usually found in nearby municipalities.

Beardy couldn’t say whether or not most people would find Watkins’ statements offensive, but did say people would likely be able to accept them if they were seen to be based on facts.







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