Anishinawbe Blog

Well, I’m driving along highway 17 between Sturgeon Falls and North Bay enjoying a leisurely ride to the bank. Leisurely, as in – holidays! Yes!!

Nothing spectacular this summer, only two weeks of R & R with my daughter, and my boyz..
My day started by sleeping in and a nice long bath.

The sun awaits. The Lake awaits. Probably two or three books too.

Take care.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is in Columbia today to talk free trade with the government there. He is on a four nation tour of South America and the Caribbean. He will be visiting Chile, Barbados and Haiti this week.

Many Canadians are pushing for Harper to address human rights during his visit.

There is no doubt that human rights needs to be addressed in many South American countries. Decades of corruption, influence from the drug cartels, intimidation and wide-spread violence has given a black eye to some governments.

However, addressing the issue of human rights is only addressing the symptom on the greater problem – Poverty. When the well-being of the people of these Nations are addressed and improved, they will be enabled to stand up and make the positive changes themselves.

The best example is Venequela and Bolivia. The grass-roots people have stood up and rejected the way their countries have been governed in the past.

In Venezuela, they elected Hugo Chevez and have embraced the principles of socialism and have taken over the oil industry for the benefit of all Venezuelan people, not just the elite.

In Bolivia, the indigenous people have risen up from poverty and oppression and have formed the government through democracy. The people have courageously elected President Evo Morales who has instigated a new era of social and government reform and addressing poverty.

If the Government of Canada is so concerned about human rights, first and foremost, they should focus their efforts in improving poverty in their own backyard – in First Nations communities. There are way too many stats to state here: abject poverty, unemployment, child poverty, overcrowding, unsafe drinking water, instances of HIV-AIDS, diabetes. All caused by third-world living conditions, cultural assimilation, residential schools. theft of land and resources and ignorance of legal obligations arising from the treaties. These are all human rights issues themselves. There is way too much to deal with right here in Canada before we start our righteous preaching throughout the hemisphere.

Canada should also focus on addressing the U.S. war in Iraq. Just today, another major car bomb exploded killing over eighty people. These events are an indirect consequence of this unjust war that doesn’t have a clear objective.

Each and every day the war causes the deaths of coalition soldiers. Sixty soldiers were killed just yesterday alone. Thousands of soldiers have been killed to date.

The war has caused the deaths of tens-of thousands of innocent men, women and children of Iraq. These people have nothing to do with Al Quada, Bin Ladin or the war on terror.

Without a doubt, this is a war that unjustly effects to human rights of the people of Iraq. Unfortunately, I’m sure Prime Minister Harper won’t be making a visit to Washington, D.C. anytime soon to address such human rights atrocities.

—–Original Message—–
From: “Goulais, Bob”
Date: Wednesday, Jul 11, 2007 4:12 pm
Subject: Re: Special Request…

Miigwetch Ray.

With all due respect to our local First Nations autonomy, we are very supportive of this effort and the protection of milkweed and the Monarch Butterfly habitat.

Unfortunately, our Grand Council Chief is unable to attend in Alban on Friday.

It is our sacred responsibility as Anishinaabe to look after all of Mother Earth, the flora and the fauna.

According to our sacred teachings: one of our first sacred gifts given to us as Anishinaabe was the gift of intelligence and freewill. With this amazing gift, we were asked specifically by the Creator to be stewards of the land and the waters and to care for the birdlife, the fishlife, the insectlife, and the four-leggeds.

With the gifts of intelligence and freewill, we are the only beings who can make choices to directly effect our environment and effect those around us.

It is essential that Anishinaabeg need to make good choices so we are effecting the environment positively and effect those around us in only a positive way.

This isn’t only the gifts and responsibility of the Anishinaabeg. These are the gifts and responsibilites of us all.

We encourage all developers and authorities to be vigilant in ensuring they are not negatively effecting sensative, natural habitat. We should not just be meeting the minimum requirements related to the environment assessment – we all need to go above and beyond and respect all those being around us.

We all have Spirit.

Development should be done to the detriment of the environment and habitat.

(HALIFAX, NS) – Things are really looking up for the Assembly of First Nations here in Halifax. Coming of the success of the Day of Action, there seems to be a growing sense of optimism and confidence in what First Nations can do when they work together. This ultimately translates into confidence in the AFN body politic, secretariat and confidence in the National Chief himself.

But things aren’t always as they seem. Once that confidence fosters into one direction or another, the Chiefs will usually put the AFN Seceetariat and the National Chief back in line.

I’ve seen great ideas, firm support and direction go bad pretty quickly. Cases in point: First Nations Fiscal and Statistical Management Act and proposed Matrimonial Real Property legislation.

But I’ll try to be the optimist in the bunch.

Today, a good set of audited financial statements were accepted by the members showing a surplus.

National Chief Phil Fontaine spoke about the need to build on the successes of the National Day of Action and to hold the government accountable to our demands while continuing to generate necessary grass-roots Canadian support.

The Chiefs are divided on how to treat Mohawk militant Shawn Brant. Friend or for to the cause? I was a bit concerned when his own elected Chief R. Donald Maracle stated during the April demontration in Tyendinaga that Brant and his followers were “close” to picking up their guns. Violence is not acceptable.

The day ended with a caucus of our Anishinabek Nation Chiefs. Grand Council Chief John Beaucage, ANMGI Director Greg Plain and our partner Dale Denis proposed a partnership and purchase of a land assembly deal of the Seguin Valley Golf Course and property south of Parry Sound, Ontario. The deal (really too good to pass up) was supported by the Chiefs in an unofficial show of hands. The UOI Board will meet tomorrow to decide on the future of the deal.

The purchase is for $12.7 million for an incredible piece of real estate, consisting of a operating 18-hole golf course, 3000 acres of zoned land, 100 lots for sale and development, commercial property, and two lakes. All in prime “cottage country”, once of the largest land holdings in the Muskokas.

The federal funding formula for First Nations schools has been untouched for 20 years.

$0 For the funding of libraries in our schools.
$0 For the funding of technology in our schools.
$0 For the funding of sports and recreation in our schools.
———————————-
$0 ? FUTURE for our children.

Would you accept this situation?
The federal government must do its homework!

Visit: www.aventir-future.com

A message from the First Nations Education Council.

The national “Day of Action”, I think, was a resounding success.  It was so nice to see First Nations people from across the country band together under our united cause.  Our messages were (mostly) positive and well coordinated.  The support we received from Canadians was truly overwhelming. Â
Chi-miigwetch Canada.  For the first time in a long time, I celebrated (tongue in cheek) Canada Day.  I spend the whole day in North Bay with April and Alana, enjoying the music, food and the fireworks.
As I said, most of our messages were positive with the exception of a few idiots in the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory.
Sure I understand their plight.  I understand the issues.
But it still doesn’t justify the outcome.  The only thing they did was further alienate Canadians and hurt their cause.
Being a warrior ISN’T about being warlike.  It isn’t about pure emotion.  It isn’t about aggression.
Being a true warrior is about protecting your community, family and children.  It’s about providing a safe environment.  It’s about being disciplined.  It’s about servitude.
From what I see, The Mohawk warrior society’s philosophy does not demonstrate these values.  In Mohawk territory, it seems that hotter heads always prevail.
Consistently, the Mohawk warrior society has put their women and children in harm’s way.
Often times, they go against the wishes of the Clan Mothers and their elected band councils.
The approach favoured by the warrior societies in Tyendinaga (and Caledonia) will not generate the positive support necessary to create change.  It will only generate more hate from red-neck neighbours.  It will generate calls for police aggression.  Aggressions fuels aggression.  Somebody will eventually get hurt.
I have a lot of respect for the OPP and their members who have been seemingly disciplined and peaceful to this point.
But at some point someone is going to go too far.

Greetings from downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia.  I’m in town for the annual Assembly of First Nations General Assembly, which takes place Tuesday-Thursday.  I’m the honourable Proxy representative from Magnetawan First Nation.  We also have a few meetings with our Anishinabek Nation caucus, our executive and the Board of the Anishinabek Nation Management Group Inc.

 The meeting doesn’t get underway until tomorrow morning.  Grand Council Chief is out golfing today in the Peter Gzoski Invitation Golf Tournament.  I’m taking care of business here in my hotel room overlooking beautiful Citadel Hill. 

The highlight of my week is picking up Katherine Faith on Thursday.  It’s always my favorite time of year when Dad is reunited with Daughter.  I haven’t seen her since March Break.  I’m so excited.

This afternoon I’m doing some developing on my website.  Trying our new blogging software called “Wordpress”.  It has a great reputation.  I’m going to see if I can make it compatible with BobGoulais.com.  Talk to you soo.