Chiefs selling out the people

Page 5

If I was a fly on the wall I am sure that fly swatters would be handed out to all Indian chiefs in the country, especially the ones who still consider the Assembly of First Nations a useful place. Bob Nault and Herb Dhaliwal would fund the swatters. Here's why.

In Atlantic Canada, $500 million dollars are about to be passed around to the Atlantic chiefs as an appeasement for government's mishandling of the Marshall decision. Although he has remained evasive on his plans of what to do, DFO Minister Herb Dhaliwal wants to call the planned five-year deals 'Marshall implementation agreements.' The present 'interim fishing' agreements will run out in a few weeks.

My, how things have changed. The purported expenditure of half a billion dollars is unbelievable for a region that is used to handouts. When I lived there you were lucky to get a monthly welfare cheque for $104 per month.

And that was dependent upon your blood relations to the welfare officer, or the chief. Now the welfare cheque is taking on a new face. But first you sign a DFO agreement. What is supposed to get us off of welfare is sending you right back into position, sucking all that we can from the government's lactiferous fiscal discharge.

But guess what? You cannot call this a treaty-based fishery. You know why? Because it is delegated authority. Because the government is afraid of our own authorities and processes. I saw this in abundant example in Burnt Church. It was in Burnt Church where INAC Minister Nault tucked his tail and ran when he saw Ovide Mercredi in the crowd. DFO Minister Dhaliwal never even showed up. Instead he sent in his goon squads to quell the Mi'kmaq fishery with the arsenal usually reserved for places like the Gaza Strip. Helicopters were sent on several fly-overs in Miramichi Bay each day, scaring children and toughening up the local warriors.

Hey Herb: Do you think you can buy everyone out? And these guys are getting help from the chiefs. My own reserve's politicians turned their backs on their own people. The so-called Tobique First Nation called for a community vote on the 'interim fishing agreement'. The community voted NO!

The chief and council were livid that they could not access the $7.4 million that was being waved in front of them by overzealous DFO bureaucrats and consultants. And guess what? They couldn't resist. A quorum of the chief and his council signed the deal turning their backs on what First Nations everywhere are trying to pass off as self government.

Are we supposed to believe our chiefs, the federal politicians and the AFN when they say they are trying to arrive at the best possible solution for 'building new relationships'"

If the government really believes in 'Gathering Strength,' then they better gather up their integrity and honesty. They better make their little chiefs and councils pay attention to what Indians on reserves are voting for. They better practice what they preach instead of paying lip service to their own guilt-laden notions of doing what is right. Don't just pass around $500 million. Pass around the fly swatters, cause there is more to come.

Editor's note: Jeff Flyonthewall is, in fact, Jeff Bear.