Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Phil Fontaine talks about First Nations poverty, health care, suicide rates, the fight for a school in Attawapiskat, Ontario, children, education, safe drinking water, the First Nations housing crisis, unemployment, Indigenous languages, human rights (repeal of Section 67 of the Charter), and success stories.
“There are over 100 First Nation communities that operate under boil water advisories. So what is the response to that? Well the first response is to blame Chief and Council. Well we didn’t pollute and contaminate our water source. It’s someone else that did that but we’re expected to fix that.” (Read about the clean water crisis in Native communities on the Polaris Institute website at http://www.polarisinstitute.org/boiling_point_0 and http://www.polarisinstitute.org/files/Boiling%20Point_0.pdf )
“We don’t want more than ordinary Canadians have, but we certainly want to receive what ordinary Canadians expect, and in fact receive, from their governments.”
Sign the “First Nations Children of Attawapiskat Fight for a School” petition to Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl at http://www.petitiononline.com/FNCA08/petition-sign.html
(From a speech to the Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples (Canada), hearings on Bill C-292, An Act to Implement the Kelowna Accord, April 16, 2008.)
See the entire session at:
Part 1: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3594725264673116493&hl=en
Part 2: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8246203659857238374&q=&hl=en
Part 3: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1933398438865598240&hl=en
Duration : 0:10:0
August 25th, 2009 - 3:54 am
Poverty is caused …
Poverty is caused by greedy control of profits and opportunities of elitist without heart for the uneducated and unaware poor.That a billion dollars could employ 50,000 persons at 20,000 each paid $10./hr to work 2000 manhours fulltime job yearly.Sad not as greedy few less than 1000 persons want to be paid $1,000,000 each plus bonuses for work.Takes 1000′s build a life not a few greedy few no shame. Create new works could clean all water,soil and air sources together 1000 to 10000 days.
August 25th, 2009 - 3:54 am
Sorry, I also meant …
Sorry, I also meant to say that we as Canadians owe it to our First Nations peoples to reach out and care TANGIBLY for them. They need to know that they are loved by their fellow man and I have seen firsthand the conditions that these people live in. Actions speak louder than words. Reach out!!!! Thank you for posting this speech aabitaadibik!
August 25th, 2009 - 3:54 am
This man speaks the …
This man speaks the truth!!!! WAKE UP OTTAWA!!!!
August 25th, 2009 - 3:54 am
Fact mostly …
Fact mostly isolated Canada 672 reserves once our prisons forgot freedom trade.Fact $1 billion could employ 40,000 persons to earn $25,000 each yearly.We need rebuild own towns once ours ie Toronto Odawa.If given $8 billion could employ 320,000 persons yearly.2000 manhours is work year.Need leaders uses heart to build up our peoples 10,000 days Master Plan(almost 25 years) to earn 700 paydays.Prayers we all succeed.Let us help Africa and south america create livelihoods
August 25th, 2009 - 3:54 am
ammmennn
ammmennn