Grand Chief hopeful for getting traction on issues with new Indigenous Affairs minister
By Kelly Anne Smith
NIPISSING FIRST NATION – There has been a hopeful reaction to Trudeau’s appointment of federal cabinet ministers in the Anishinabek Nation.
Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee has called the new Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs a good choice.
On the appointment of Carolyn Bennett, the head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Justice Murray Sinclair said it was a good day for reconciliation in Canada.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised to call a national inquiry into the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW). Minister Bennett now pledges that dates for pre-inquiry consultations will be announced before the end of November. Bennett has said she will consult with the MMIW families on how to move forward with the inquiry.
While being only about 4.3% of the Canadian population, 1,017 indigenous women have been murdered between 1982 and 2012. 174 indigenous women are considered missing in the same time period.
Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee says Bennett is very capable. “She will hit the ground running with her political experience and extensive knowledge of this file. She is not new to Parliament Hill.”
Grand Council Chief Madahbee says that the previous government was more concerned with counting money than with people’s well being. “Our experience with the past government was that they forgot who they worked for. Decisions were made purely on a financial basis, denying people the basic rights for healthcare. They wouldn’t approve of funding for treatments prescribed by a physician for dental or medical care.”
Madahbee is comfortable with Carolyn Bennett’s huge responsibility. “She has taken the time over many years to become familiar with First Nations issues. She has been a champion in her role in the opposition party as the long time critic of Indian and Northern affairs. She is quite up on the issues.”
The Grand Chief of 39 First Nations says Bennett is very passionate about social issues and has her work cut out for her. “Right now, most First Nation communities have high unemployment, some as high as 80%. Then, it is hard to sustain any hope for the future if the people don’t have any work and housing conditions and health services are bad.”
The Grand Council Chief added, “First Nations are not like other communities. We want good governance. We want our whole social-economic fabric to be stable.” He also calls for a more open way of conducting government. “It’s always been a concern of mine, that the whip of the party cracks it so that members have to vote accordingly to their government. Sometimes the concerns of the constituents and the concerns of First Nations don’t get addressed.”
Madahbee says to initiate change in Ottawa; you have to get to know the movers and shakers. “It might not be the minister I am supposed to talk to but the deputy minister might be the one with the intimate knowledge on the issue who will brief the minister.”
He does think that Trudeau has picked a good team. “I don’t expect that miracles are going to happen overnight. It’s going to take some time to unroll strategies about how this government is going to respond to the many issues.”
Asked what needs to be dealt with immediately by the new federal government, Chief Madahbee seemed to sound tired. “We need to get traction on our economy. Once we have a sustainable economy, it alleviates the many issues. We can then address the social needs—housing, health and education needs. Poverty is a big problem.”