Attawapiskat put under third party management

Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence was surprised when the federal government recently imposed a “modern day Indian agent” on her James Bay community.
“It is incredible that the Harper government’s decision is that instead of offering aide and assistance to Canada’s First People, their solution is to blame the victim, and that the community is guilty and deserving of their fate,” Spence said Dec. 1 in a prepared statement.
Attawapiskat declared a state of emergency in late October as the community was facing the onset of winter with families, babies and 80-year-old Elders living in tents and sheds without proper heating or electricity and no running water.
“Our lands have proven to be bountiful in natural resources and have been a benefit to all of Ontario and Canada, but we were left behind,” Spence said. “In our territory, we have a world-class diamond mine, the pride of the Canadian and Ontario governments as well as De Beers Canada. They have every right to be proud of that mine, but each party has failed to acknowledge the First Nation peoples who continue to use the land as our grandparents did.”
When the third party manager arrived in the community on Dec. 5, community leaders asked him to leave, which he did.
“He remains in full control of funding from the department to the community, and is hoping to work with the community to address urgent needs,” Duncan said. “It is extremely worrying that the chief and council are not open to outside assistance. I met with Chief Theresa Spence, and Grand Chief Stan Louttit and reiterated that our government’s priority is to ensure that residents of Attawapiskat have access to safe, warm, and dry shelter.”
In the meantime, the Canadian Red Cross flew into Attawapiskat Nov. 29 to help meet the community’s immediate needs.
“We have been working closely with public officials and Chief Theresa Spence to assess needs, determine the best course of action and how the Red Cross may be able to provide support,” said John Saunders, provincial director of disaster management for the Canadian Red Cross in Ontario.
Electric generators, heaters, insulated sleeping mats, blankets and winter clothing were among the needs identified in the community.
NDP leader Nycole Turmel and Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus also visited Attawapiskat Nov. 29 to see the conditions firsthand.
“I saw lots of people living in tents, living in shacks and not having any water or any heat,” Turmel said Nov. 30. “A mattress on the floor and kids living in this environment. It’s pretty sad in 2011 to see places like this and us letting them down.”
Turmel said the temperature in Attawapiskat was -15 C when she visited the community. She demanded that Prime Minister Stephen Harper visit the community and show some leadership, instead of looking at what happened to the money provided to the community. “I would say this (federal) government is lacking leadership, is lacking support for these people who are living in this environment without having the basic things to survive,” Turmel said.
Instead of visiting the community, Harper and his government announced Nov. 30 that Attawapiskat would be placed under third party management.
“An on-the-ground assessment has determined that urgent health and safety issues demand immediate action,” said John Duncan, minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. “The government of Canada has informed the chief that we are placing the community in third party management to ensure community needs are addressed.”
Duncan also requested a thorough audit to find out how money has been spent and what oversight measures have been taken in the past five years.
Duncan said the federal government had invested more than $90 million in the community of Attawapiskat, with AANDC contributing about $80 million, not including funding for the 2011-2012 fiscal year or $500,000 announced Nov. 21 to renovate five vacant houses.
Spence said the band only received $6 million for housing and minor capital over the past six years; the $94 million received over the past six years was for providing specified services and programs for the benefit and use of on-reserve band members.
Spence said the $94 million was not distributed to on-reserve band members as individuals, but instead the majority was spent on goods, materials, services, contractors, legal advice and auditing services from urban communities such as Timmins, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, North Bay, Toronto, Kenora and Winnipeg.
Turmel asked why federal government officials didn’t raise any concerns after travelling to Attawapiskat at least 10 times this year.
“No red flags were raised,” Turmel said. “Why? We need an answer.”
Turmel also questioned the $50,000 Prime Minister Stephen Harper raised about each person in Attawapiskat receiving over five years.
“Does the Prime Minister want to talk about numbers?” she said. “Outside of First Nations, social spending in Canada is about $18,000 per year per person. According to his own numbers, federal spending in Attawapiskat per person per year is about half of this amount. How is that possible? Why is he blaming the community?”
Last year the federal government spent about $279 billion, which averages about $8,039 per person across the country. Ontario also spent about $111 billion, which averages about $8,315 per person across the province.
So spending on Ontario residents averaged about $16,354 per person last year, not including municipal spending.
Grand Chief Stan Beardy said it was “shameful” that the government of Canada is trying to absolve itself from its responsibility by placing the blame for the crisis in Attawapiskat First Nation on the impoverished community’s leaders.
“The reality is that Attawapiskat was already under co-management with INAC (AANDC) but now that it has been made public and reached a crisis stage, they are absolving themselves from any responsibility and accusing the band of financial mismanagement,” Beardy said. “The dire situation in Attawapiskat First Nation is an extreme example of the health, housing and infrastructure crisis facing all NAN First Nations, where people are forced to live in third world conditions.”
Deputy Grand Chief Les Louttit said the imposed third-party management could compound the housing crisis as AANDC policy dictates a First Nation cannot undertake any housing projects while under third-party management.
“It appears that the federal government is signalling its intention to reassert its paternalistic authority overriding the autonomy of First Nations leadership,” Louttit said. “The sad irony of this is that the federal government will have to rescind its decision before the community can begin to address its housing needs.”
But an AANDC spokeswoman said the third party manager would be able to make decisions and disperse AANDC funds to the community related to renovation and building of housing units.
Louttit said the larger problem, however, is that minor capital funding for housing on a per-capita basis has not increased since Indian and Northern Affairs Canada’s New Housing Policy in 1996.
“It does not take into account the uniqueness of the northern communities, or the population growth,” Louttit said. “Housing shortages in NAN communities are roughly 5,000 units or $1.2-billion.”
Turmel checked out grocery prices while in Attawapiskat, noting juice was double the price in Ottawa at about $10 and milk was more than double the price at about $8 to $9.
“Attawapiskat is one problem, but we know very well that this problem is in other places in Canada and this government has to do something to make sure this doesn’t happen any more,” Turmel said. “We have to make sure we have a short-term plan, but we need a long-term plan to help those communities.”