Chiefs are desperate, hint at occupations

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Several speakers at the Feb. 20 and 21 Assembly of First Nations' special confederacy spoke about using civil disobedience to bring attention to their complaints about the governance package being proposed by the federal government.

After National Chief Matthew Coon Come and Dan Gaspe, the AFN's Parliamentary liaison, updated the delegates about what had been happening since the last chiefs' gathering in December, several chiefs arrived at the conclusion that playing within the rules of the legislative system might not be the answer.

"We're on the last hour," said Quebec vice-chief Ghislain Picard. "How far are we willing to go?"

Saying the Indian Affairs minister had cut the AFN's budget and left the organization poorly prepared to fight the government within the system, the normally moderate vice-chief then hinted the chiefs in his region were prepared to do their part in any plan that might go a bit outside the lines.

"A majority of chiefs in Quebec are willing to do whatever it takes, but direction needs to be provided. How far are we willing to go," he asked again. "I can certainly commit on behalf of the chiefs of Quebec that we will be there."

Kahnawake Mohawk Nation councillor Keith Myiow urged the chiefs to unify against what he sees as an attempt at further assimilation.

"What I see is great weakness. Our people are not together," he said. "What are we willing to do? Our clock is ticking and they're going to make us more white and you're going to be history."

Gesgapegiag Mi'kmaq Nation Chief John Martin said the Governor General of Canada, as the representative of the Crown, should be brought to task for not speaking out against the assault on treaty rights he sees in the governance legislation. He said the mainstream press has provided one-sided coverage of the dispute because they're influenced by a widespread Euro-centric bias against First Nations. Since the chiefs were finding it hard to be heard using conventional means, unconventional means were now necessary, he said.

"I'm not a social activist or a proponent of violence," he said, "but if the chiefs in this room can't get up and occupy something-I don't care if it's McDonald's but it should probably be the Governor General's place-then we're all just a bunch of conference Indians."

Six Nations Chief Roberta Jamieson turned the attention back to the afternoon's planned lobbying effort on Parliament Hill and Day 1 of the assembly ended without further discussion of the matter. It was well into Day 2 when the subject re-surfaced.

Abenaki businessman Roger Obonsawin told the chiefs he believes the government of Canada has declared war on Aboriginal rights and is seeking to severely limit or eliminate them.

"They've structured the rules so we cannot win and Nault is laughing," he said. "The only time I ever saw the government back down from a fight like this was when we occupied the Revenue Canada building in Toronto for 28 days. The deputy minister made concessions then. Where are you going to be when the real fight begins? I hope we will all be there when that happens."

No answers to that question were offered. The chair moved on to the next item on the agenda, a resolution dealing with two committee co-chairs who were alleged to have been lobbying on behalf of a government bill, something the mover saw as a direct violation of an AFN resolution.

Chief Martin rose to criticize the luke-warm response to his call to action.

"This resolution has taken away from our motivation, our drive to get people moving," he said. "We have resolutions raining down like confetti while we are at war. We are facing bureaucratic political terrorism, extinction through legislation. They are trying to domesticate our treaties. Domesticate us!"