IAA official warns of corporate plan

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A three-man "dictator-like" committee armed with widespread powers and the ability to control the purse strings of every Indian nation has been put into place by the federal government warns IAA official, Peter Many Wounds Jr.

In an emotional address at the assembly on the new corporate plan released by the Department of Indian Affairs recently, Many Wounds demanded that all DIA officials immediately leave the room.

Department official, Robert Laboucane, based in Edmonton was the only DIA official in attendance and after his removal, Many Wounds explained that many of his comments would be frank and to the point.

Many Wounds expalined that according to the new DIA corporate plan, a three-man steering committee comprised of Associate Deputy Minister Fred Drummy, chairman; the Assistant Deputy Minister of Finance and Professional Services and Assistant Deputy Minister of Human Resources, has been structured and effectively controlled more power than the minister of Indian Affairs, Bill McKnight, himself.

"These people have a mandate to control 5,500 person years, resources of approximately $256 million, plus capital assets, along with administration of alternative funding arrangements, provided year by year. And the total amount of these monies is to be transferred to Alberta tribes," he says.

In a seven page analysis of the corporate plan, Many Wounds explains that local DIA officials can only provide advice and direction to the Steering Committee. Only the Steering Committee, without any consultation with the minister, would make final decisions for all Indian nations right across the country.

"Dennis Wallace, (Alberta Regional Director General) has no control over the process, all the power lies with the committee," says Many Wounds.

In his analysis, Many Wounds asserts that the man objective of the corporate plan is the downsizing of the department and the devolution of programs. The department undertakes to transfer programs and service delivery, called devolution, to the control of the bands. However, Many Wounds points out that only administration control will be transferred to the bands. Policy, legislative and financial control will remain with the department.

Some sections of the DIA control will not transferred. These include the Minister's residual responsibilities under the Indian Act and other legislation, remaining administration function and the administration of financial transfers to Indian tribes.

The proposed transfer does not include the establishment and funding of Indian child care agencies, the transfer of policing ? now handled by the RCMP, Indian and Inuit management development programs, and the Indian Economic development fund.

The report goes on to point out that the transfer of programs and services and alternative funding arrangements will be implemented with full consultation with Indian nations. The report also indicates that wherever possible, DIA staff will also be transferred.

"When a tribe does not want to take the DIA official, the tribe will loose those person years," says Many Wounds. "They (DIA) are putting their own officials before the people they are supposed to be serving."

Many Wounds accused the government of including several "well-worded traps" such as: the fact that tribes will not receive increases in funding after devolution has occurred; no program enhancement plans are allowed; complete program transfers are preferred over selected section of services within programs.

"This corporate plan sets a blue-print to force tribal governments into preparing them for a lesser level of government than they have been seeking. The whole thrust is to force us to adopt policies of only administrative control," he says.

In an interview after the discussions, President Gregg Smith said he felt the whole thrust of the department was to again follow the infamous Neilson Task Force paper which advocated the dissolution of the Department of Indian Affairs and the transfr of jurisdiction for Indian nations to the provinces.

"If there is one person whom I blame, it is (Deputy Minister of Indian Affairs) Bruce Rawson. He is the same person who tried to deprive Indian people of the right to health care when he was deputy minister of Health and Welfare. He hasn't changed," says Smith.

Smith also pointed out that former Department of Indian Affairs Minister, David Crombie, had been quite approachable and in cases where Indian people had received unacceptable treatment from officials, they had approached the minister.

"These officials have circumnavigated this process. The minister is now just a figurehead," he adds.

Many Wounds was speaking on the second day of the three-day IAA annual assembly held on the Eden Valley reserve, one of two Stoney Indian tribe reserves, southwest of Calgary.