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National Chief Fontaine presented the following speaking notes to members of the Canadian Club. The CBC news article that follows his speaking notes highlight the key points of Chief Fontaine's presentation along with comments by INAC Minister Prentice's comments calling these facts "more rhetoric".

"June 21st, the first day of summer, is National Aboriginal Solidarity Day in Canada and following those celebrations we will be holding a National Day of Action on Friday, June 29th to reach out to all Canadians who want to join us in demonstrating that we all want to work towards solutions.

We want this to be a positive experience and an educational one for all Canadians. Events are being planned across Canada and in the National Capital. As a show of support, we invite you to come out and participate in them, either as a group, or as individuals. And bring your families."

From Chief Fontaine's Speaking Notes (see below)

SPEAKING NOTES

ASSEMBLY OF FIRST NATIONS
NATIONAL CHIEF PHIL FONTAINE
CANADIAN CLUB, OTTAWA
TUESDAY, MAY 15, 2007

“Negotiation or Confrontation: It’s Canada’s Choice.”

Traditional greeting

First, I’d like to acknowledge the site of our meeting here today. We are gathered on the traditional territory of the Algonquin people and their chief, Kirby Whiteduck of Golden Lake.

I’d also like to thank the Canadian Club for your invitation to speak. We have a lot in common to talk about… goals for ourselves, our families, our country.

Today I’d like to discuss how we can work together to achieve those goals – for each other and for Canada as a whole nation. And yes, there are ways that you can act… as individuals, as members of the Canadian Club, and as employees and officials of your respective companies and organizations.

You see, since the first treaty was signed with us in 1701, our peoples have believed that cooperation must pave the way to progress. We like to believe that all Canadians feel this way.

Our modus operandi to date has been respect…relationship building… negotiation… consensus… agreement.

We prefer to hold our heads high when dealing with the federal government of Canada. It is always our way.

We also believe it is the way of all Canadians.

We also prefer to avoid the negative… disagreement… confrontation… or worse.

And we believe that confrontation pits one side against another in what can only make for negative results.

Consider where that attitude has gotten us.

Obviously, not very far.

First, let’s look at the state of our First Nations Peoples.

We must admit that First Nations People in Canada live in the most disgusting and shameful conditions imaginable in any developed country.

In Pukatawagan, in Northern Manitoba, Chief Shirley Castel tells us that some two-bedroom homes have as many as 28 people living in them. People are forced to sleep in shifts and many parents often go without sleep to ensure their children are able to learn and play.

Overcrowding in Canada generally is 7%, according to Statistics Canada. For our people in rural areas it is 19 per cent.

How many of you would be able to function as parents on a Monday morning without sleep?

Survivors of the Residential Schools policy will soon be receiving a compensation package. It is one step towards healing the loss of culture, language and a number of abuses that were inflicted on First Nations people.

However, the number of First Nations children who have been removed from their families and placed into state care is now three times the number of children who were placed in Residential Schools at the height of their operation.

It is my understanding that this is not usually because of deliberate physical or sexual abuse. It is because of poverty and its terrible consequences.

We have laid a complaint at the Canadian Human Rights Commission regarding this.

Further, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that child welfare providers should not remove children from their homes due to poverty. Instead, impoverished families must be provided with the means to safely care for their children.

The Convention spells out the rights of children very clearly: the right to survival; to develop to the fullest; to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life.

Remember that Canada is a signatory to this convention.

But aside from this breach of the UN Convention, imagine the effects on our children of removing them from their homes.

Imagine the fear, the loneliness, the loss of language and culture, and family ties – all over again.

And imagine if you returned to your home today to find that your child had been taken away and put into state care. Think of what it would do to them emotionally… and to you.

In November of 1989, all parties in the House of Commons joined to vote unanimously to work to eliminate child poverty by the year 2000. The statistics for 2006 show that one in every six children in Ontario lives in poverty – and for Aboriginal children across Canada that number is one in four.

Unfortunately, while programs do exist to assist First Nations families and children, for the past 11 years there has been a 2% arbitrary funding cap on core Indian Affairs services.

As a result, First Nations child welfare agencies receive 22% less funding per child than provincial agencies. Indian and Northern Affairs has to reallocate funds from other essential services just to meet the 11% annual growth in maintenance costs for these agencies.

This is blatant fiscal discrimination.

It doesn’t keep pace with inflation and is certainly outstripped by our young and growing population.

The UN Human Development Index ranks Canada at about sixth in the world. First Nations on reserves rank somewhere around 63th, according to Indian and Northern Affairs.

And remember Chretien used to rave about Canada being the number one country in the world.

The Department’s own officials have warned the federal government that First Nations’ socio-economic status will continue to worsen and the gap widen -- yet these warnings have not been heeded.

And frankly, we are fearful of the effect this is having on the well-being and public safety in our communities.

So here I am again today… hammering away at yet another group.

Many of our communities have reached the breaking point. The anger and frustration are palpable. People are so tired and fed up with this type of existence – especially when all around them is a better life… and hope.

Living without hope is perhaps the worst aspect of life for so many of Canada’s First Nations peoples.

That lack of hope plays out in many ways. Desperation breeds abuse… suicide… crime… civil disobedience.

And what shame this brings to a country like ours… one of the wealthiest countries in the world. What a black mark it is against Canada internationally.

How can Canada continue to hold itself up as an example for other countries.

By now you’re probably thinking, yes, we’ve heard this. The conditions of First Nations communities have been reported on extensively by the media. They’ve done their part to tell this story and continue to tell it.

And honestly, notoriety due to the state our peoples have been reduced to is not something we wish to continue.

We realize that out of sight is out of mind. And most of our people are conveniently out of sight in rural and isolated communities.

But perhaps this scenario will bring home to you exactly how our people exist.

Consider the situation of Kelly Morrisseau.

This is a woman - a mother of three - who was stabbed more than a dozen times and left to die off Gamelin Boulevard, near Gatineau Park, a few weeks before Christmas.

She was seven months pregnant at the time.

Kelly left the Sagkeeng First Nation community, north of Winnipeg – where I come from -- when she was three. She moved with her family then to Winnipeg and more recently to Ottawa, where her mom, some of her siblings and other relatives lived.

But life in Ottawa was not what she had hoped. There were no opportunities for her here either. No work. Little hope.

Kelly was found in a parking lot by someone walking their dog early in the morning. She was still alive. She made it to the hospital, but died within an hour, along with her unborn child.

This happened right across the river here.

This was a woman like any other woman in Canada. She had hopes for her children, dreams for her unborn child. She could have been any one of us… our sister…  our mother.

There, but for the grace of God, as the saying goes.

And so where is the public outcry about the loss of Kelly Morrisseau… especially now with the Robert Pickton trial underway in BC.

It’s estimated that more than 500 First Nations women have disappeared or died violently during the past 30 years.

These are shocking images to think about, I know. They make people feel uncomfortable… It’s unfortunate that I have to speak about these realities. But hopefully you’ll feel uncomfortable enough to do something about it.

So that’s the situation we’re left with.

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Now, consider what we’ve done, as First Nations, to try to eliminate these circumstances.

Think about the number of times and ways - and the number of years - we’ve been working on these and the other issues that get in the way of our making decent lives for ourselves and our families.

We have been involved in discussions and round tables and negotiations and commissions of inquiry for decades now… decades.

Let me give you a few examples.

In the summer of 1990  –  a full 17 years ago now -- the Oka Crisis erupted. It led to the establishment of a Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples in 1992 and the Specific Claims Commission. And after four years of study what happened to the report’s 400-plus recommendations.

The language used in the report was so hopeful…

In the Highlights of the report, in a section perhaps appropriately titled Last Words, the commissioners stated:

All of us have a part in securing the new relationship - people and governments, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal organizations, big and small. We have 20 years of building and experimentation to look forward to - using, for the first time in many decades, all the energies of Aboriginal people as they create and live the dream of a Canada that they can share with others and yet be fully at home.

During that time - and beyond it - we can look forward to a Canada that celebrates Aboriginal heritage and draws strength from Aboriginal peoples as full partners in a renewed federation. 

So where did the authors of this report go wrong. Why have so many peoples’ ideas and opinions been left to collect dust.

I call for a new relationship… one of mutual respect.

The report also clearly spoke of the consequences of inaction:
History and human decency demand restoration of fair measures of land, resources and power to Aboriginal peoples.

On those foundations, self-respect and self-reliance will grow steadily firmer in Aboriginal communities. In their absence, anger and despair will grow steadily deeper - with conflict the likely result.

The Commission proposed a 20-year agenda for change… 20 years. It would have been completed in just a few years from now.

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Here’s another example of our efforts.

In 2004 we embarked on another plan to try to get things moving – the Canada-Aboriginal Roundtable process. Over 18 months we engaged approximately 1000 people across the country to put forward their best ideas and best solutions to issues we and the government of Canada face.

This was First Nations peoples – individuals like yourselves – coming forward with open hearts, open minds, and in the spirit of good faith.

The solutions that were reached then were agreed to in Kelowna, in a First Ministers’ meeting in 2005 and – as you are all aware – the Kelowna Accord was shelved by the current government. What a missed opportunity…

Is this a government that thinks it can do better than First Nations peoples on issues regarding our own self-determination?

Is it prepared to do better?

Does it have better ideas?

If so, let’s hear them.

The conservatives’ own campaign material states the following:
A Conservative government will:

-- Accept the targets agreed upon at the recent Meeting of First Ministers and National Aboriginal Leaders, and work with first ministers and Aboriginal leaders on achieving these targets and…

-- Replace the Indian Act with a modern legislative framework which provides for the devolution of full legal and democratic responsibility to aboriginal Canadians for their own affairs within the Constitution, including the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Has this happened? No.

Imagine if First Nations people were in the position of making decisions on self-determination for non-Aboriginal Canadians.

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Let’s discuss land claims for a moment.

Currently, there is a backlog of about 1100 specific land claims.
And at the current rate that they’re moving through the system the Senate has estimated it will take about 130 years to resolve them – more than a century… that would take us past the year 2100. It’s hard to imagine what Canada will even look like by then.

The Senate Committee, chaired by Gerry St. Germain, has stated that in every case where land claims have been settled it has meant an immediate improvement in the lives of our people.

The Senate’s report, by the way, is the title of my speech today – Negotiation or Confrontation: It’s Canada’s Choice.

I’m sure many of you are aware how slowly lawyers and courtrooms operate. In some instances it has taken 28 years of legal wrangling just to get a claim moving.

Most recently, on the issue of the latest federal budget, our organization, the AFN, made more than 21 presentations to Parliament on many critical issues. We tabled extensive and detailed plans throughout the pre-budget consultation process.
And almost weekly our people continue taking their plans and proposals to officials at every level.

And what was the result of this process… We were virtually shut out of the budget.

So, as you can see, First Nations people are beginning to question the so-called rational process.

Many people ask why First Nations peoples are so angry… at this point you must realize we have a right to be.

The question for you is, how can we make this right.

And I’m not talking about some sort of stop-gap measure. We’ve had our Royal Commission, our round tables and negotiations for decades now… decades.

Our people won’t be put off any longer… or side-tracked.
Side-issues aimed at deflecting attention away from our core problems will not work.

And whisper campaigns that try to undermine the confidence non-aboriginal Canadians have in our ability to responsibly govern our own affairs are being met with the facts – clear and simple.

Our governments have proven they are accountable and are more than willing and able to take on new challenges. The will of the Canadian public includes action on First Nations issues.
Canadians want this resolved.

The deal that came out of the First Ministers Meeting in Kelowna had widespread support from Canadians because it was viewed as a solid plan.

We have a number of ideas and initiatives that you, your colleagues and the leaders of your organizations and companies, can be involved in.

We’ve reached out with the Make Poverty History campaign to engage all Canadians. Go to our website and sign the petition.
E-mail the link to your children. See how fast they’ll spread it around. Help organize or participate in an event. Be part of a world-wide initiative that is making a difference.

Closer to home, push for land claim settlements. Push for the settlement of the claim right here in your own backyard, at the old Rockcliffe airbase, on Algonquin territory. Land claims settlements are one of the most direct routes to self determination for us. Call or e-mail your Member of Parliament. 

It’ll take two minutes of your time.

Hold your officials accountable.

The Conference Board of Canada, as long ago as 1993, stated that unresolved land claims create a major barrier to investment on First Nations lands. This doesn’t have to be.

As we’ve seen in BC recently, First Nations have become so frustrated trying to resolve land claims they’ve begun direct negotiations with the companies involved in resource development on their lands. In effect, they’ve started bypassing the federal government.

Demand that First Nations be given a fair share of resource revenues. Canada’s economy was built on its natural resources and they have made it one of the wealthiest countries in the world.

Non-aboriginal peoples have taken full advantage of this richness. It’s time that we received our fair share.

Get involved in procurement and investment. We believe there are tremendous opportunities in the area of procurement. And large companies can easily encourage their suppliers to work with First Nations. We are open for business.

Start providing employment opportunities. Target our people.
Lately the media has concentrated on stories relating to the aging population and impending shortage of labor. Just to give you an idea of our population figures, we have more than 750,000 status people – that’s equal to the population of Ottawa. And more than half our population is under the age of 23.

We also know companies that are moving employees from other countries to Canada when we have this largely untapped source of labor right here at home.

We’ve established the Corporate Challenge to make our plans for recognition, investment and implementation known and we’re looking for new partners in this initiative. To date Siemens Canada and Bell Canada have signed Memorandums of Understanding…and companies like Adobe, SixTech, Encana and the Royal Bank are all stepping up to this challenge.

Join them.

Sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the AFN. Draft a plan for addressing any or all of our four key areas: procurements, investments, partnerships and employment. These are the areas where many of you excel.

Take a seat at our Corporate Table for Peer Review and Dialogue where we discuss business relationships and ventures to directly reduce the economic gap between our people and other Canadians.

The Corporate Table will publish an Annual Report on the state of the First Nations Economy.

We are also planning an Economic Summit where the results of the National Chief’s Corporate Table will be made public.

And from there the Corporate Table will provide a forum for international dialogue and action on sustainable economic development with indigenous peoples, internationally.

I’m encouraged by the genuine interest of people I’ve talked to about this and together I do believe we can achieve important results.

So in closing I have to repeat that we’ve had the discussions, the talks, the negotiations. The time for that is coming to a close.

As First Nations People we want the same things you want, as written in your Constitution Act in 1867. In fact, it’s what all people want -- peace, order and good government.

There has been a lot of discussion in the media about the possibility of a long, hot summer – about the possibility of blockades like the one we saw recently on the Toronto-Montreal rail corridor.

I am not about to dispel this concern. The frustration people feel is very real. And as I’ve tried to explain today, there are other ways.

June 21st, the first day of summer, is National Aboriginal Solidarity Day in Canada and following those celebrations we will be holding a National Day of Action on Friday, June 29th to reach out to all Canadians who want to join us in demonstrating that we all want to work towards solutions.

We want this to be a positive experience and an educational one for all Canadians. Events are being planned across Canada and in the National Capital. As a show of support, we invite you to come out and participate in them, either as a group, or as individuals. And bring your families.

Thank you. Meegwetch.

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CBC News ... http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/05/15/fontaine.html

Fontaine warns of 'palpable' anger in native communities
May 15, 2007 - CBC News

National native leader Phil Fontaine warned a blue-chip audience on Tuesday that the anger felt in many First Nations communities has reached a breaking point.

"Frankly, we are fearful of the effect this is having on the well-being and public safety in our communities," said the chief of the Assembly of First Nations in an eloquent speech to the Canadian Club of Ottawa.

Assembly of First Nations Chief Phil Fontaine, speaking to the Canadian Club of Ottawa on Tuesday, suggested his tactic of favouring diplomacy over barricades has garnered few results.

"So here I am again today, hammering away at another group. Many of our communities have reached the breaking point. The anger and frustration are palpable."

A report in Tuesday's Globe and Mail quoted a First Nation leader in Manitoba threatening widespread economic disruption and a potential blockade of CN rail lines connecting Eastern and Western Canada. 

Fontaine did not dismiss worries about possible confrontations this summer.

While he has a track record of favouring quiet diplomacy over barricades, he suggested to his audience that this tactic has yielded few results.

"Consider where that attitude has gotten us — obviously not very far," he said.

Fontaine also urged governments to work harder to settle more than 1,100 outstanding land claims, noting that at the current pace of negotiations, it would take 130 years to resolve them.

Pointing to severe overcrowding in many native communities, Fontaine spoke of visiting Pikangikum, an Ontario reserve about 300 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, where he witnessed as many as 28 people living in small two-bedroom homes where people are forced to sleep in shifts.

Some parents go without rest so that their children can sleep, he said.

"How many of you in this room would be able to function Monday morning without sleep?" Fontaine asked.

The Conservative government has pledged $46 million over the next five years for the embattled community, which has been plagued by suicides and a lack of basic services such as indoor plumbing.

Fontaine has repeatedly called on the federal government to spend an additional $5 billion over five years to help ease aboriginal poverty.

"We only want what you already have," he said Tuesday.

'A great deal of rhetoric': Prentice

The Conservatives shelved the previous Liberal government's $5-billion Kelowna Accord to address the gap in quality of living between Canadians and First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. The deal set targets to improve education, housing, economic development, health and water services, but details of how much of the money would be spent and who would provide the services were left to be negotiated at a later date.

Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice responded to a speech by national native leader Phil Fontaine by saying blockades are 'counterproductive.'

Speaking outside the House of Commons on Tuesday, federal Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice said Fontaine had a responsibility to convince aboriginal communities and their leaders not to hold blockades, which he called "counterproductive" and harmful to the "goodwill" Canadians show toward First Nations communities.

"Someone is going to get hurt and I call on all chiefs, and the national chief in particular, to make sure that doesn't happen," Prentice told reporters.

He added the government is making progress at land claims tables, and suggested Fontaine was not accurately representing the state of negotiations.

"There seems to be a great deal of rhetoric," the minister said.

Children taken from families due to poverty: Fontaine
Fontaine also spoke of how deep poverty in many First Nations communities leads child welfare officials to remove children from their families.

"The number of First Nations children today who have been removed from families and placed into state care is now three times the number of children that were in residential schools at the height of this terrible experience.

"It is my understanding that is not usually because of deliberate physical or sexual abuse, but because of poverty and its terrible consequences.… It isn't because of lack of parental love, as has been suggested," adding that the Assembly of First Nations has filed a complaint about First Nations child welfare with the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

Fontaine pointed out that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Children states that child welfare officials must not remove children from homes due to poverty.

He then drove the point home by asking his audience to imagine how they would feel as parents if they were to return home to find their children had been taken into state care.

"Think of what it would do to them emotionally, and to you," he said. "Hopefully, you'll feel uncomfortable enough to do something about this."