Ontario minister of natural resources walks out on chiefs during Union of Ontario Indians meeting
Ontario minister walks out of meeting with Aboriginals
August 29, 2008 - by Murray Sinclair
The personal and the political clashed August 27 when Ontario’s natural resources minister walked out of a meeting with aboriginals in the province’s north.
Donna Cansfield said she left when one of the chiefs started to make comments attacking her personally while she was at a joint 'leadership forum' between her ministry and the Anishinabek Nation at Nipissing.
The minister said she has no problem with tackling the issues and speaking frankly, but the chief 'went beyond that.
'I thought ‘I don’t have to sit here,’' Cansfield said.
In a press release, forum participant and Serpent River band chief Isadore Day said his fellow chiefs 'regret her feelings that she was disrespected and offended.
But he added 'it’s arguable that she showed a measure of disrespect to our women and youth, because they had no opportunity to bring their issues forward once she left.'
Day, who wasn’t the one whose comments prompted Cansfield to leave, said many of the chiefs were blunt, but always tempered their comments by adding 'with due respect' when speaking to the minister.
'The issues that were presented during the meeting were indeed frank, but they were very well-thought out in terms of our issues and concerns,' said the chief, noting how the talks were 'frustrating'.
'Walking out of the meeting clearly tells us that the Ministry of Natural Resources is not prepared to deal with the issues we've been outlining.'
Day later listed the issues as selling Crown land, sharing resource revenue, consulting and accommodating bands, and building capacity for band members through ways like on-the-job training.
He said there needs to be a clearer process when it comes to determining rights for aboriginal hunters and fishers, on matters like whether they can sell commercially, as some band members have been 'harassed' by the authorities.
Day is concerned that a similar walkout will happen when it comes time to discuss treaties.
The chief specified that he wants to see an 1850 treaty for northern Ontario updated, inline more with the spirit and intent of what was originally signed, for instance in updating the $4 annuities given to band members.
He’s said he’s concerned the Ontario government is responding with its own 'tailored process' to aboriginal issues, instead of taking a 'nation-to-nation' approach to the matter.
'If Ontario wants to successfully deal with treaties, they will need a more effective approach and be prepared to sit at the table. Ontario needs to fully commit to getting more work done and less political posturing,' charged Day.
Cansfield said chiefs should know that the newly formed aboriginal affairs ministry should discuss treaty issues, which were transferred from her department.
'That’s not my mandate,' she said.
The minister noted that aboriginals from across Ontario had requested such a ministry, and its formation was one of the recommendations of the Ipperwash inquiry, into the shooting death of a native protester in a scuffle with police at a provincial park.
Her ministry still deals with some native-related issues like forestry, Cansfield said, and has worked with Day on other matters.
She also stressed that she has a 'very good working relationship' based on mutual respect and genuine issue discussions with John Beaucage, grand chief of the Union of Ontario Indians, who also attended the meeting.