April political update from Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee
Aanii,
The Political Office has been busy during 2015. We have been working diligently on behalf of the Anishinabek Nation. The following is a summary of some of the areas that we have focused on during the past few months.
The Anishinabek Ontario Action Plan has been developed, has been presented to the Premier, and has been updated by the Secretariat. We have scheduled the next bi lateral meeting with the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs on May 7, 2015 and the Minister of Northern Development and Mines on May 28th. We are also in the process of scheduling meetings with the Minister of Transportation, and the Minister of Natural Resources. We have met with the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, the Minister of Energy, and the Minister of Children and Youth Services during 2015.
The 2015 Grand Council will be held in Curve Lake First Nation on June 2,3,4. The planning for Grand Council is proceeding. 2015 will be an election year for the Anishinabek Nation, Anishinabek Nation regions, and the Chiefs of Ontario.
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. Laws developed and implemented by our communities will always yield better results than laws made in Ottawa.
The Anishinabek Nation hosted a Child Well-Being information session on March 24, 25 2015. The draft Anishinabek Nation Child Well-Being Law was presented and reviewed at this information session.
I hold the Health Portfolio for the Chiefs of Ontario and I have actively participated in many important meeting and events in this position. The 2015 Health Forum was recently held in Toronto and was a success. First Nation Health personnel and leadership from across Ontario attended this annual event hosted by the Chiefs of Ontario Health Sector.
The Little Native Hockey League tournament was a huge success again this year. I would like to congratulate the executive and all of the participants for another successful tournament. Tragically, one of the participants was killed in a vehicle accident while travelling home after the tournament. We offer our condolences to the family of Ember Wynne. Deputy Grand Chief and I attended the funerals of William, Ember, and Myah from Red Rock First Nation with extended families in Rocky Bay on March 28th.
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 six Anishinabek First Nations have passed the first Band Council Resolution approving the initialling of the Anishinabek Nation Education Agreement by the Anishinabek Education Negotiator.
Deputy Grand Chief and I enjoy travelling to Anishinabek communities. We have visited almost 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.
The Political Confederacy has been developing a work plan to develop a new relationship with the government of Ontario as well as develop a comprehensive communications strategy for priority issues. We have been extensively involved in developing this work plan. We met with the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs on February 25, 2015 to further discuss the plan mandated by Ontario Chiefs.
I have attended the following events recently:
- Chiefs Committee on Governance meeting
- Political Confederacy meetings
- Chiefs of Ontario education conference
- Little NHL tournament
- Anishinaabemowin-Teg language conference
- Anishinabek Nation Child Well-Being information session
- Child Welfare presentation at Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians meeting
- Chiefs Committee on Health meetings
- Regional Chiefs meetings
- Numerous meetings on behalf or with Anishinabek First Nation leadership
Miigwetch,
Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee