THeBlueCashew

Quote from: "Gary Oak"Chuganbooze are entitled to everything. They want it, so give it to them....after all ...they are chugabooze

Quote from: "Gary Oak"You don't agree Seoulfag ? Do you believe that we shouldn't give them anything ? What do you believe ? Anything ?

QuoteJoint Statement Supporting Chief Spence and 'Idle No More'



Indigenous and human rights organizations stand in solidarity with Chief Theresa Spence in her appeal for full respect for Aboriginal and Treaty rights by the government of Canada. There is an urgent need for Canada to demonstrate genuine respect and long-term commitment, initiated by a meeting between First Nations' leadership, the Prime Minister and the Governor General.



Full honour and implementation of Indigenous peoples' Treaties are crucial to the evolution of Canada and the principle of federalism.  Cooperative and harmonious relations cannot be achieved by devaluing Treaties or by unilateral government actions.



We firmly support grassroots actions of the "Idle No More" movement. It has put the spotlight on federal policy and legislative agendas that are trampling the inherent rights of Indigenous peoples affirmed in domestic and international law.



Human rights, not colonialism



In 2012, the Supreme Court of Canada highlighted "the history of colonialism, displacement, and residential schools and how that history continues to translate into lower educational attainment, lower incomes, higher unemployment, higher rates of substance abuse and suicide, and... higher levels of incarceration."



Canada must abandon out-dated, discriminatory approaches from the colonial era, especially in relation to Indigenous peoples' lands, territories and resources. What is urgently required is a principled framework consistent with international human rights law.



Currently countless amendments and laws are being adopted that undermine Indigenous peoples' human rights, including Treaty rights. These legislative measures were developed with little or no consultation with Aboriginal peoples and without their consent.  Such actions erode democracy, the rule of law and integrity of Parliament.



Indigenous peoples' rights and related government duties are an integral part of Canada's Constitution. They are affirmed in the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The government should address this grievous situation in good faith.  Justice, peace and reconciliation remain crucial objectives.



The omnibus budget bill C-45 introduced far-reaching changes. Amendments include changes to complex land provisions in the Indian Act that compound existing problems. It also re-writes environmental laws, including Navigable Waters Protection Act, Fisheries Act and Hazardous Materials Information Review Act, which were used to promote and protect a sustainable environment, clean water and healthy oceans. The integrity of the environment is being assaulted, to the detriment of present and future generations.



Canada is estimated to contain nearly 32,000 major lakes and more than 2.25 million rivers.  Yet a new Navigation Protection Act reduces federal environmental oversight and covers only three oceans, 97 lakes, and portions of 62 rivers. Certain key rivers in British Columbia along the path of the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline are not included.



Resource development projects on traditional lands of Indigenous peoples will be much less likely to be subject to rigorous public environmental impact assessment. These changes are on top of cutbacks on environmental safeguards already passed in the previous omnibus budget bill C-38. As concluded by the David Suzuki Foundation: "In reality, amendments to environmental laws account for about half of the 452-page bill. These amendments will weaken Canada's capacity for environmental governance, threatening our land, climate and water."



International human rights standards require that decisions affecting the rights of Indigenous peoples be made with their full and effective participation. In the face of very serious issues concerning lands and resources of Indigenous peoples, the appropriate standard is free, prior and informed consent.



Canada's Supreme Court has said that the "Crown... cannot cavalierly run roughshod over Aboriginal interests." There must be "reconciliation" between the power of the state and the pre-existing sovereignty of Indigenous peoples. "In all its dealings with Aboriginal peoples... the Crown must act honourably. Nothing less is required."



It is tragic that a hunger strike and Canada-wide protests are necessary, in order for Indigenous peoples to bring attention to violations of their dignity, Treaties and human rights.  Our organizations strongly support human rights education. We urge all Canadians to engage with Indigenous peoples, to help educate others, and to support the current movement of awareness raising and ensuring vital reforms.



Supported by: Amnesty International Canada; Arctic Athabaskan Council; Assembly of First Nations of Québec and Labrador/Assemblée des Premières Nations du Québec et du Labrador; Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers); Chiefs of Ontario; Dene Nation/AFN Regional Office (NWT); Earthroots; Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations; First Nations Summit; First Peoples Human Rights Coalition; Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee); Haudenosaunee of Kanehsatake; KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives; Lawyers Rights Watch Canada; MiningWatch Canada; Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs.



//http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2013/01/04/Joint-Statement-Supporting-Idle-No-More/

Quote from: "Obvious Li"i read one article this morning that said her and her "partner" are being paid in excess of $350K in salary alone.......now c'mon Homy......why in the hell do you need a 350,000 salary on that reserve and then cry poor to Ottawa....this whole protest business reeks and needs the army to step in and close it down....harper is stupid if he caves in to this blackmail....his core supporters in the are almost 100% against giving more to these leeches

Quote from: "Romero"

Quote from: "Obvious Li"i read one article this morning that said her and her "partner" are being paid in excess of $350K in salary alone.......now c'mon Homy......why in the hell do you need a 350,000 salary on that reserve and then cry poor to Ottawa....this whole protest business reeks and needs the army to step in and close it down....harper is stupid if he caves in to this blackmail....his core supporters in the are almost 100% against giving more to these leeches

Spence makes $70,000 a year.



Harper has scheduled a meeting with Spence and First Nations leaders for next Friday.

Quote from: "Shen Li"

Quote from: "Obvious Li"now if we could just get the MSM to report these criminal audit infractions.....it might help



it bloody amazes me that the govt. has to take the police to court to enforce the law where injuns are concerned...unfuckingbelievable

Don't get me f*cking started on this sh*t. They are anarchists who act like they are above the law well because they are above the law. We need a Lee Kuan Yew to take over all federal management of this country and go Confucian on their anarchist heinnies. If he can't handle the pressure, then it's up to you and I Obvious to rule this country with a firm, but benevolent fist. They'll thank us for it later.

Quote from: "Shen Li"

Quote from: "Obvious Li"

Quote from: "Shen Li"
Don't get me f*cking started on this sh*t. They are anarchists who act like they are above the law well because they are above the law. We need a Lee Kuan Yew to take over all federal management of this country and go Confucian on their anarchist heinnies. If he can't handle the pressure, then it's up to you and I Obvious to rule this country with a firm, but benevolent fist. They'll thank us for it later.

oh i agree sweetpea.....it would be a blast to set this place straight.....and believe it or not it would take very little effort to turn the ship around........i would need to get myself a whip..you know those kind the military brass use to hit their boots as they walk along inspecting the troops....yes definitely a whip.....and some boots

Whips, leather boots and discipline.....I'm having one!!!

QuoteImagine a country where the national government introduces and passes legislation that detrimentally affects all of its First Nations communities but it doesn't bother to consult with them. Then a chief of an impoverished northern First Nation community goes on a hunger strike to get a meeting between the First Nations leadership and the government several months after this legislation was passed. Does this have implications for all Canadians? You bet it does. This will not be the last time that individuals or groups will take such extreme measures in response to the federal government's public policy process or lack thereof.



Of major concern to First Nations and many other Canadians are two omnibus budget bills (C-38 and C-45) that were imposed upon the country during the past year. These bills each comprised hundreds of pages and contained legislative changes that went far beyond what was contained in the budget.



The omnibus bills will have an especially damaging impact on First Nations communities. Bill C-45 amends the Navigable Waters Protection Act to ensure that future resource projects will no longer trigger a federal environmental assessment or force corporations to notify the federal government of their plans. Certain key rivers in British Columbia, along the path of the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline, for example, will now be excluded from federal government environmental oversight.



This same bill also changed the Fisheries Act in ways that First Nations believe will adversely affect their traditional fishing rights. The omnibus bills also replaced the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act with new laws that will limit First Nations involvement in environmental assessments on their own lands, as well as doing away with assessments entirely for some projects. All of this will limit the ability of First Nations, and the public at large, to present views and concerns on the environmental impact of various resource development projects.



Bill C-45 also makes changes to the Indian Act that will make it easier to lease out land for economic development without adequately consulting band residents. The Assembly of First Nations believes this means resource exploitation on reserve land can occur without the solid consent of their community.



Here is the problem. This government drafts public policy and passes laws without facts or evidence to support its positions. Ottawa allows only limited and perfunctory consultation for stakeholders. If you stand up and speak out, you are criticized and attacked in the House of Commons and the Conservative public relations machine goes into overdrive to discredit your position or organization. If you are a recipient of federal government funding, you lose it by the next budget cycle. It's bully American-style politics at its worst.



Many Canadians are deeply ashamed of the persistence of poverty and deplorable living conditions in First Nations communities, and that we still have not settled land claims with them. Many also share First Nations' concerns about the environmental implications of changes to fisheries, environmental assessments, and water protection.



Decisions that leave people behind force them into the streets. This was true of the Occupy movement and the Quebec students' protest, and now we are seeing it with Idle No More. It is likely Canadians will witness more in the future given this government's tendency to make substantive policy changes that alter the fabric of society without consultation.



//http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/ken-georgetti/theresa-spence-hunger-strike_b_2447982.html

Quote from: "Romero"

QuoteImagine a country where the national government introduces and passes legislation that detrimentally affects all of its First Nations communities but it doesn't bother to consult with them. Then a chief of an impoverished northern First Nation community goes on a hunger strike to get a meeting between the First Nations leadership and the government several months after this legislation was passed. Does this have implications for all Canadians? You bet it does. This will not be the last time that individuals or groups will take such extreme measures in response to the federal government's public policy process or lack thereof.



Of major concern to First Nations and many other Canadians are two omnibus budget bills (C-38 and C-45) that were imposed upon the country during the past year. These bills each comprised hundreds of pages and contained legislative changes that went far beyond what was contained in the budget.



The omnibus bills will have an especially damaging impact on First Nations communities. Bill C-45 amends the Navigable Waters Protection Act to ensure that future resource projects will no longer trigger a federal environmental assessment or force corporations to notify the federal government of their plans. Certain key rivers in British Columbia, along the path of the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline, for example, will now be excluded from federal government environmental oversight.



This same bill also changed the Fisheries Act in ways that First Nations believe will adversely affect their traditional fishing rights. The omnibus bills also replaced the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act with new laws that will limit First Nations involvement in environmental assessments on their own lands, as well as doing away with assessments entirely for some projects. All of this will limit the ability of First Nations, and the public at large, to present views and concerns on the environmental impact of various resource development projects.



Bill C-45 also makes changes to the Indian Act that will make it easier to lease out land for economic development without adequately consulting band residents. The Assembly of First Nations believes this means resource exploitation on reserve land can occur without the solid consent of their community.



Here is the problem. This government drafts public policy and passes laws without facts or evidence to support its positions. Ottawa allows only limited and perfunctory consultation for stakeholders. If you stand up and speak out, you are criticized and attacked in the House of Commons and the Conservative public relations machine goes into overdrive to discredit your position or organization. If you are a recipient of federal government funding, you lose it by the next budget cycle. It's bully American-style politics at its worst.



Many Canadians are deeply ashamed of the persistence of poverty and deplorable living conditions in First Nations communities, and that we still have not settled land claims with them. Many also share First Nations' concerns about the environmental implications of changes to fisheries, environmental assessments, and water protection.



Decisions that leave people behind force them into the streets. This was true of the Occupy movement and the Quebec students' protest, and now we are seeing it with Idle No More. It is likely Canadians will witness more in the future given this government's tendency to make substantive policy changes that alter the fabric of society without consultation.



//http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/ken-georgetti/theresa-spence-hunger-strike_b_2447982.html

Quote from: "Fashionista"Hello Romero, nice to see you around.

 :D

Quote from: "Romero"First Nations don't want to be assimilated. They shouldn't have to give up their rights, land and culture.