Protestors demand Kelowna Accord be honoured (fwd)

[phil cash cash]

Protestors demand Kelowna Accord be honoured

author: Greg Horn
http://www.easterndoor.com/news.php?id=466

“Liar!” protestors shouted, as Federal Minister of Indian Affairs Jim
Prentice tried to explain that it was not his Department’s
responsibility for a $160 million cut in funding meant to preserve
Native languages.

The funding cut was announced by Canadian Heritage last month, and has
since been replaced by $5 million a year for the next seven years. The
$160 million was to be divided up for First Nations, Métis and Inuit
language preservation initiatives.

 “Let’s just be clear,” Prentice said. “We didn’t cut that money. The
money was earmarked [for language] years ago, and it was never used.”
The minority Conservative government said that it would use the money to
create more effective programs to keep about 50 struggling languages
from dying.

This national protest “To Save Our Legacy” was organized by the Chiefs
of Ontario in response to this cut in language funding. The protest got
underway at 11:30 a.m. on Parliament Hill, with several Native leaders
speaking to some 400 Native protestors gathered at the foot of the
Canadian Parliament.

“This government is trying to do real work to improve the living
circumstances of Aboriginal Canadians,” Prentice said to the group.
One protestor shouted out a response: “Kelowna does that!”
While Prentice was speaking, he was nearly drowned out by boos and
catcalls.

“It’s another black mark on this Party’s record that we have to go to
these lengths,” Mohawk Council of Kahnawake Chief Mike Bush said in
Ottawa.

Last year’s $5-billion Kelowna Accord’s goal was to improve education,
housing and economic conditions of First Nation’s People. The Kelowna
Accord was negotiated and accepted by the various national Native
organizations with the previous federal Liberal government, as well as
with all the provincial and territorial governments across Canada.
However, earlier this year, the Harper government scrapped it.

There were also protestors who were upset over the Canadian Government’s
refusal to back the United Nations Draft Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples. The Harper government said it did not support it
over concerns that it would be contrary to Canada’s Constitution,
defense laws and existing land deals with Native Peoples.

National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Phil Fontaine said the
Conservative government has broken promises to Canada’s Aboriginal
People, and has made very little progress in other areas. In fact,
Fontaine said the Conservative government’s budget commits just $450
million in new spending for 630 First Nations communities across the
country.

“Our people are frustrated and angry,” Fontaine said. “And they have a
right to be. We feel betrayed and we simply can’t be silent about this
betrayal.”

“It was a good feeling to see how the protestors listened attentively
and cheered their chiefs and representatives from across the country,”
MCK Chief Keith Myiow said of the protest.

New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton spoke to the protestors
following Prentice. Layton criticized the Tories for backing down from
the Kelowna Accord and for not doing enough to improve the quality of
life of Canada’s Native people.

Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitiohkwa Executive Director Donna
Goodleaf said that this cut in funding prevents further expansion of
KOR’s facilities, and of the services it offers to Kahnawake.

“It keeps us down to operating on a shoestring budget,” Goodleaf said.
KOR offers various language and cultural initiatives to Kahnawake,
including the Kanien’kéha Ratiwennahní:rats adult immersion program and
Kanien’kéha programming for our local television station, including the
popular Tó:ta tánon Ohkwá:ri children’s television show.

gregh at easterndoor.com