Treaty 8 First Nations join chorus calling for removal of Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt

Treaty 8 First Nations are joining a growing chorus calling for the removal of Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt for what they describe as disrespectful and offensive statements made during a March 20th meeting with First Nations leaders in Calgary.

In a letter sent to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Grand Chief Steve Coutoreille said the minister was “rude, demeaning, blaming, and condescending” during the meeting.  Valcourt had said 70 per cent of murdered Aboriginal women were killed by Aboriginal men. He cited an unpublished RCMP report, but when challenged on the statistic, the minister could not produce the document.

“Mr. Valcourt did not provide us with any evidence. He was challenged by a lot of people who heard him but did not give us any proof,” said Courtoreille.

“It is clear, Prime Minister, that this leaves an extremely problematic dynamic in our ongoing efforts to strengthen our communities and this country,” he wrote. “We cannot and will not work with someone who exhibits such blatant disrespect for First Nation people. As such, we demand the immediate removal of Bernard Valcourt as the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada.”

In a letter April 2 from Lubicon Lake Nation Chief Bernard Ominayak, Valcourt was also called on to cite the source of his “deplorable commentary” made at the March 20th meeting.
“On behalf of the Government of the Lubicon Lake Nation, we too demand that you answer for this despicable commentary and clearly uneducated and willful misunderstanding of the issues facing Aboriginal people in this country today.” Ominayak demanded that Valcourt retract his statements and issue a public apology.

“If you cannot do so, or cannot understand why the commentary you made is inappropriate, you are clearly unqualified to continue as a Minister of the Crown for Aboriginal issues. Accordingly, you should tender your immediate resignation, as your service to the Crown is without honour and clearly without the intentions of good governance e or even basic human service.”

In December 2014, the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, called for the resignation of Valcourt for his statements blaming First Nations communities for contributing to the numbers of missing and murdered Indigenous women across Canada. Saying the tribal council was “shocked, distress and appalled” at his statements, the Nuu-chah-nulth called for an immediate public apology and retraction of the “insensitive, disrespectful, prejudiced and absolutely unacceptable comments”, and if a retraction was not forthcoming, they demanded the minister’s resignation.  The statement was made in response to a video posted by the Ottawa Citizen’s Web site, in which the minister stated “Obviously there is a lack of respect for women and girls on reserve…obviously. If guys grow up believing women have no rights, that’s how they are treated.”

Video can be seen here: http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/bernard-valcourt-rejects-inquiry-on-murdered-aboriginal-women