Political update from GCC Madahbee and Deputy GCC Hare

Political Update – September 2015
Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee
Deputy Grand Council Chief Glen Hare

Aanii,

The Political Office has been busy during the summer months. We devoted significant time preparing for the Anishinabek Nation – Ontario Summit to ensure that the summit was successful. We express our appreciation to the Leadership Council and Union of Ontario Indians staff for their efforts in planning and participating in the summit. It was gratifying to see the turnout of Anishinabek leadership at the summit. The attendance of the Anishinabek Nation leadership demonstrated our strength as a Nation. I would like to express my appreciation to the Leadership that attended the planning session on August 25th. The feedback that was provided strengthened our presentations at the summit. I would like to commend our Leadership for the political discipline that was displayed at the summit, this discipline contributed to a successful summit.

The Anishinabek Nation made significant progress at the summit with Premier Wynne and the eight Cabinet Minsters that attended the summit. We will be working with our Ontario colleagues to ensure that the progress is maintained. We were successful at coordinating several side meetings between the Anishinabek Chiefs and appropriate Cabinet Ministers during the summit. Premier Wynne and I also had a one on one meeting during the summit.

There were important resolutions passed at Grand Council. The Union of Ontario Indians staff are developing work plans for the Grand Council resolutions. Implementing these resolutions will be our priority moving forward.

The Anishinabek Nation has been engaged in education self-government negotiations with Canada for over 20 years to secure Canada’s recognition of First Nation jurisdiction. This year marks the completion of the negotiations with Canada and the start of the First Nation decision-making process on those negotiated arrangements. We are pleased to report that nineteen Anishinabek First Nations have passed Band Council Resolutions approving the initialling of the Anishinabek Nation Education Agreement.

The Province of Ontario will move forward to negotiate a Master Education Agreement with Anishinabek First Nations. The Master Education Framework Agreement and the proposed Master Education Agreement are separate agreements between the Anishinabek First Nations and Ontario which are complementary to the Anishinabek Nation Education Agreement (ANEA) between the Anishinabek First Nation and Canada.

The Anishinabek Nation has developed draft laws in consultation with Anishinabek First Nations in the areas of matrimonial real property and Anishinabek citizenship. I encourage the Anishinabek First Nations to review these draft laws and consider adopting these laws in consultation with your community. We are under constant threat of federal legislation in areas where we have not developed our own laws. Implementation of our own laws is a significant amount of work; however, it is worth the effort. A resolution referring to the implementation of Anishinabek Nation Laws was passed at Grand Council.

The Leadership Council held their preliminary meeting on July 28th and 29th. Leadership Council portfolio holders were determined at this meeting. Elder Gordon Waindubence provided us with a teaching about the responsibility of our bonnets. We look forward to working with the Leadership Council members over the next three years. The Leadership Council portfolio holders are listed below:

LEADERSHIP COUNCIL OF THE ANISHINABEK NATION

Anishinabek Nation Government & Communications (Crane Clan)

Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee
Chief of the Anishinabek Nation Government

Deputy Grand Council Chief Glen Hare
Deputy Chief of the Anishinabek Nation Government

Ogimaa Duke Peltier (Alternate)
Joe Miskokomon (Alternate)

Intergovernmental Affairs / Aboriginal Treaty Rights (Loon Clan)

Joe Miskokomon
Chief of Intergovernmental Affairs

Ogimaa Duke Peltier
Deputy Chief of Intergovernmental Affairs

Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee (Alternate)
Deputy Grand Council Chief Glen Hare (Alternate)

Lands, Resources & Justice (Fish Clan)

Chief Paul Eshkakogan
Chief of Lands, Resources & Justice

Chief Pierre Pelletier
Deputy Chief of Lands, Resources & Justice

Chief Barron King (Alternate)
Chief Tom Bressette (Alternate)

Health & Healing (Bear Clan)

Chief Tom Bressette
Chief of Health & Healing

Chief Peter Collins
Deputy Chief of Health & Healing

Ogimaa Duke Peltier (Alternate)

Social Development (Deer Clan)

Ogimaa Duke Peltier
Chief of Social Development

Chief Peter Collins
Deputy Chief of Social Development

Chief Tom Bressette (Alternate)

Revenue, Finance & The Economy (Marten Clan)

Chief Pierre Pelletier
Chief of Revenue, Finance & the Economy

Chief Barron King
Deputy Chief of Revenue, Finance & the Economy

Joe Miskokomon (Alternate)
Chief Peter Collins (Alternate)

Employment, Training & Lifelong Learning (Eagle Clan)

Chief James Marsden
Chief of Employment, Training & Lifelong Learning

Chief Joe Endanawas
Deputy Chief of Employment, Training & Lifelong Learning

Chief Barron King (Alternate)

We attended the Assembly of First Nations Assembly in Montreal in July. We were able to engage with Anishinabek Nation Chiefs at several caucus sessions that were held during the AFN assembly.
We participated in several Leadership Table meetings with Ontario Cabinet Ministers recently. These tables are an opportunity to discuss and resolve Anishinabek Nation issues directly with the appropriate Cabinet Ministers. We held Leadership Table meetings with the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Minister of Transportation, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, and the Minister of Northern Development and Mines. We will be planning the next Leadership Table meetings during the next few months.

The Political Confederacy has been developing a work plan to develop a new relationship with the government of Ontario. We have been extensively involved in developing this work plan. The Political Accord was adopted at the All Ontario Chiefs Conference on June 17, 2015. The Minister of Aboriginal Affairs David Zimmer also attended the conference to address the Chiefs in Assembly and on behalf of Ontario accepted the Accord as a political commitment to work together. The Political Accord was signed by Premier Wynne and Ontario Regional Chief Day on August 24th.

There are several new Chiefs that have been recently elected. Deputy Grand Chief Hare and I will be making appointments to visit the new Leadership in the near future. We welcome the new Leadership and we look forward to working with you.

Deputy Grand Chief and I enjoy travelling to Anishinabek communities. We have visited all of our communities during the last year. If you would like to schedule us for events in your community please contact Lynn Bowerman, Executive Liaison, who manages our travel schedule.

We have attended the following events recently:
• Anishinabek Nation – Ontario Summit
• Assembly of First Nations Annual Assembly
• Political Confederacy meeting
• Leadership Council meeting
• First Nations Information Governance Centre meeting
• Meeting with the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs
• Meeting with the Ministry of Transportation
• Meeting with the Minister of Energy
• Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women’s walk
• Anishinabek Nation 7th Generation Charity Evening of Excellence
• Association of Municipalities of Ontario Annual Conference
• Political Accord signing event
• Rally the First Nation vote event
• Numerous meetings on behalf or with Anishinabek First Nation leadership

Miigwetch,
Grand Council Chief Patrick Wedaseh Madahbee
Deputy Grand Council Chief Glen Hare