Earlier this evening I was asked if this was the right platform to launch this fight. The answer to that question has perplexed me since the very first time I was asked to take on my role in community leadership as a Chief. The truth that I have arrived at is a difficult personal reconciliation informed by the years I have been doing this kind of work, which extends back many years. I have been a Chief now for 7 years, with 8 years prior learning and listening before speaking. The question each and every one of us has to ask ourselves is quite simple. That is, when you decide to stand and fight for something, which tools will you have in your tool belt to make your contribution? Keep in mind, all those laws that the government was passing in the Omnibus bills that we marched against are now in the documents that are binding our communities into containment and control contracts each year they are signed. It can be argued very clearly that the Indian Act leadership platform (Chief and Council) is not the appropriate vehicle to fight for inherent and / or treaty rights as long as we are accepting federal government contribution funding. I have even been chastised for attempting to support treaty work from the Indian Act platform that I stood on as a Chief, and continue to stand on as the Grand Chief of the AMC. I have learned over time that although the Indian Act platform of leadership may not be the tool to enforce treaty (treaty as a sharp knife), it may still be a tool to protect treaty (treaty as shield). I believe that is exactly what Okimaw Wallace Fox has undertaken to pursue in this lawsuit. A chance to protect treaty by not allowing politically expedient politicians working outside of s.35 of Canadas Constitution from undermining our rights. He is not alone. He has many of us who know the issue thoroughly standing with him and willing to fight with him. It is not about disclosure of salaries to community members. The disclosure addendum on leadership salaries requiremen to annual audits has been in place for years already. Until we reach a generation of people who are willing to leave the Indian Act behind and take back our freedom, take back our rights to identity and start fresh in a brave new world where we self-determine who we are going to be in our ancestral lands, the imperfect tools of governance under the Indian Act will have to make do for those who are willing and wanting to fight now to protect the estate / legacy of our children. Myself and others may not win all the battles working with the Indian Act system, but we will do what we can with the tools we have.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Nov 2014 23:15:07 +0000
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