OTTAWA — The federal Indian Act treats aboriginals like children and chains them to the government for their entire lives, says Elijah Harper.

The well-known leader from Manitoba's Red Sucker Lake First Nation is to deliver a keynote speech at Carleton University in Ottawa on Saturday as part of a day-long conference organized by the Centre for Aboriginal Culture and Education.

It comes on the heels of the Crown-First Nations gathering in Ottawa this week, where Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn Atleo also complained about the Indian Act, which Prime Minister Stephen Harper said his government has plans to revamp but not to repeal.

Elijah Harper said his talk will pick up on some of the themes raised at Tuesday's meeting. He was there and offered some comments during one of the breakout sessions, despite his ambivalence about the gathering.

"I figured it would be a photo op, which is exactly what happened," he said.

The man whose opposition to the Meech Lake accord helped cause its eventual collapse said most Canadians are independent of the state once they reach age 18, but not aboriginals.

Citing the example of northern British Columbia's Nisga'a First Nation — which settled its land claim with the federal and provincial governments years ago, Harper said it's time for a third order of government in other regions of Canada, designed to give aboriginals control of their own destinies.

Under this model, the federal government would transfer money to First Nations the way it does to provinces and the individual nations would look after their financial affairs and be accountable to their own people.

"It's something we could do so the money could be transferred to these governments, not through the Indian Affairs department," he said.

Harper said traditional bands could be used as the basis for establishing these governments.

A former MP and Manitoba provincial cabinet minister, Harper, 62, spends part of his time in Ottawa now, advising aboriginal groups on a variety of treaty and resource development issues.

Asked about his seminal moment in history, Harper said he opposed the Meech Lake accord for the same reason he wasn't too pleased about this week's Crown-First Nations gathering: aboriginals are still not, in the eyes of the government, seen as equals.

The federal government's apology to survivors of residential schools was a good start, Harper said, but there's much still to do.

"They should have apologized for the whole relationship," he said.

mpearson@ottawacitizen.com

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