Our Agenda. Why Are We Here? All the Dirt on Working Together: AN ABORIGINAL AWARENESS SEMINAR FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF SASKATCHEWAN

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1 All the Dirt on Working Together: AN ABORIGINAL AWARENESS SEMINAR FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF SASKATCHEWAN Presented by: John Lagimodiere, Aboriginal Consulting Services Winston McLean, Iron Wolf Consulting Why Are We Here? UNDRIP, TRC Calls to Action, and the Duty to Consult require change The country needs good information about the Aboriginal community Help remove barriers to retention of Aboriginal employees Improve consultation and reconciliation Dispel myths about Aboriginal people and cultures Did you know? The two oldest settled communities in Saskatchewan are the Métis settlements of Cumberland House and Ile-a-la Crosse in 1774 and Purpose and Introductions Terminology and Demographics Treaty Negotiation Exercise Indians Don t Pay Taxes The Métis Journey After the Treaties Good to Know Turning the Corner Closing Ceremonies Our Agenda 1

2 Planning What Do You Want To Know? Growing demographics INTEGRITY Equality We opened our doors but no one applied Social License ACCOUNTABILITY I am colourblind RESPECT Culture The Aboriginal Market Treaties and special SIMPLICITY benefits Labour PERFORMANCE Business is shortage Sustainability business Duty to Consult Privilege The past is the past. Get over it Reverse Racism EQUALITY REPUTATION Affirmative Action History Political/Legal Factors If government is contemplating an activity that may have an impact on Aboriginal rights then governments must consult and, where necessary, accommodate those rights Wealth and Opportunity Aboriginal market was projected to be $32 billion in 2016 Personal income of Ab. People grown from $6.9 billion (2001) to $14.2 billion (2011) = 7%/year Increased impact and influence on the economy 2

3 Working Together TERMINOLOGY Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982: Existing Aboriginal and treaty rights are affirmed. Aboriginal peoples of Canada include Indian, Inuit and Métis 3

4 For greater certainty, subsection (1) treaty rights includes land claims, agreements or may so be acquired. Aboriginal and treaty rights referred to in subsection (1) are guaranteed equally to male and female persons INDIGENOUS Originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native Indians The term Indian is rooted in Canadian law Government of Canada uses Indian when referring to this Aboriginal group in legal context Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada uses First Nation in most instances a 4

5 Indians Other Terms Status Indian - a person registered as an Indian under the Indian Act. The Act sets out criteria, who is an Indian for the purposes of the Indian Act. Non-Status Indian - an Indian person not registered as an Indian under the Indian Act. Treaty Indian - Status Indian who belongs to a First Nation that signed a treaty with the Crown. First Nation Widely used, no legal definition of it exists Some have also adopted the term First Nation to replace the word band in the name of their community Reserve refers to the land Saskatchewan First Nations 74 First Nations 5 Languages Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations 10 Tribal Councils Assembly of First Nations 5

6 Vice Chief David Pratt Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Protecting Inherent and Treaty Rights, Since 1946 Vice Chief Dutch Lerat FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron with Vice-Chief Kim Jonathan Vice Chief Heather Bear AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde Prince Albert Grand Council A person who self identifies as Métis, is of historic Métis Nation Ancestry, is distinct from other Aboriginal Peoples and is accepted by the Métis Nation Historic Métis Nation" means the Aboriginal people then known as Métis or Half-breeds who resided in the Historic Métis Nation Homeland The Métis Nation 6

7 A person who self identifies as Métis, is of historic Métis Nation Ancestry, is distinct from other Aboriginal Peoples and is accepted by the Métis Nation Historic Métis Nation" means the Aboriginal people then known as Métis or Half-breeds who resided in the Historic Métis Nation Homeland The Métis Nation Saskatchewan Métis Métis National Council Métis Nation of Saskatchewan 12 Métis Regions 130 Métis Locals - smaller organization with locally elected presidents Saskatchewan Métis Regions Métis Nation Glen McCallum, President Métis Nation - Saskatchewan Clem Chartier, President Métis National Council 7

8 The Inuit Live in northern Canada primarily Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Northern Quebec and Northern Labrador The word means people in the Inuit language Inuktitut. The singular of Inuit is Inuk There were only 300 people who self-declared as Inuit people in Saskatchewan, according to the 2011 Census DEMOGRAPHICS 8

9 Inuit % Saskatchewan Demographics Metis 57, % First Nation 114, % The average age of the Aboriginal population in Saskatchewan was 28.2 years, compared with 40.6 years for the non-aboriginal population. The average age was 26.4 years for First Nations 31.5 years for Métis 28.7 years for Inuit. Saskatchewan Urban Demographics 9

10 Aboriginal children aged 14 and under = 33% of the total Aboriginal population Non-Aboriginal children aged 14 and under = 17.4% of the non- Aboriginal population Aboriginal Children WELFARE $6,900/yr PROV L JUSTICE $73,000/yr YOUTH JUSTICE $75,000/yr FED L JUSTICE $110,000/yr The Challenge CARPENTRY TRAINING $19,000 AVERAGE WAGE CARPENTER $50,000 /yr By 2045, 32% of Sask. s population will be Aboriginal For the benefit of all Saskatchewan people, increase the education and employment levels of Aboriginal people Improving the levels of education and employment for Indigenous people would boost the provincial economy by up to $90 billion dollars. Eric Howe, Economist TREATY NEGOTIATION EXERCISE 10

11 Planning INTEGRITY Questions About Treaties Future Equality The Treaties are keeping us from being equal Where do Treaties come from? RESPECT Fairness How do Treaties fit in with selfgovernment? When can we get rid of these Race-based Treaties? Culture Only Indians ACCOUNTABILITY Fair Share Negotiation benefit Indians and free education REPUTATION SIMPLICITY and health care? Privilege Honour PERFORMANCE Did the Indians get taken in Legacy Sustainability Treaty negotiations? History You are independent, proud and on the land since time immemorial The buffalo provides everything 11

12 You trade, make war and make treaty Engaged in fur trade across Canada The Fur Trade Beaver pelts all the rage HBCo given trade monopoly and wide reaching powers in Ruperts Land 1670; fierce rivalry with Northwestern Company Introduced technology, alcohol, disease 12

13 The Royal Proclamation, 1763 Recognized existence of Indian nations as sovereign states Acknowledged pre-existing ownership of land Recognized Indian title to lands not already colonized Land not taken away by purchase or treaty is still First Nations land Troubling Developments (late 1860 s) The bison are disappearing The fur trade is drying up Diseases sweep the prairies You hear.your land has been sold to Canada by HBCo eastern Tribes have been making treaties with the Queen Mother TRANSITIONS As a First Nations leader, you see your people in a period of transition You have what the Canadian government wants control of the land and resources 13

14 YOUR TASK For as long as the sun shines, the grass grows and the waters flow As a First Nations leader, your task is to bring forward at least 10 Treaty benefits Remember, the Queen Only wants to share the land Only wants to add on top of what you already have Look to the future MYTHBUSTING: INDIANS DON T PAY TAX The Williams Case The Supreme Court of Canada, 1992, ruled tax immunity is conditional upon 5 connecting factors 1. Residence of the employer 2. Residence of the employee 3. Location where the work was performed 4. Nature of work (cultural or economic benefits) 5. Location where payment took place You need to satisfy 2 of the 5 criteria 14

15 THE MÉTIS JOURNEY Two Worlds Meet European Métis First Nations Bison Hunt Symbolized the independent, nomadic spirit and sense of justice and order in Métis culture Democratically run with a President and Captains Thousands of people were involved 15

16 Red River Settlement Original features of the classic Métis strip farms north of Winnipeg can still be made out today. Established in 1812 with HBCo blessing Lord Selkirk s plan to resettle starving Scottish farmers Located in Northwest Company s transport and provisioning route Pemmican Proclamation Birth of Métis Nation in 1816 Confrontation over pemmican transportation the fuel of the fur trade Anthem, The Battle of Seven Oaks, written by Pierre Falcon Battle of Seven Oaks Resistance and Aftermath Confederation leads to negotiations with the HBCo to annex Rupert s Land in 1867 Métis excluded from talks, concerned over land with no voice in government Form a provisional government 16

17 Negotiations Government formed and negotiations begin between Canadian and provisional governments John A. MacDonald stuck; can t send troops for fear of Americans; begins negotiating again and a great deal is struck July 15, 1870, Manitoba becomes a province The Manitoba Act, 1870 Government sends out 400 troops for a peaceful takeover from the Métis provisional government Riel sees writing on the wall and goes underground Land or Money Scrip Manitoba Act set aside 1.4 million acres of land for Métis children 240 acres or $240 each; Adults receive 160 acres Government saw scrip as a way to extinguish Aboriginal title to lands Program easily defrauded 17

18 Scrip Speculators Lots improperly surveyed, were divided and claimed by settlers from the East Speculators preyed on illiterate Métis Banks ended up with most of the Métis land and scrip 89% of Metis land is lost 1885 Northwest Resistance Métis Settlements after fleeing the Red River District Métis people resettle in central Saskatchewan Gabriel Dumont governs, based on the law of the buffalo hunt In 1880 s, Métis face increasing number of settlers and land speculators CPR threatens to cut through area 18

19 Duck Lake, March Métis and Indians from One Arrow and Beardy s fought 100 soldiers, 12 Canadian and 5 Métis casualties Tourands Coulee (Fish Creek), April 24 Canadian militia of 400 loses to 200 Métis, 50 Canadian casualties Batoche, May Métis and Indians dig in for 4 day battle, Métis overrun and starving with no ammunition. 14 Métis die the last day, Canadians have Gatling gun 1885 Northwest Resistance Repercussions Gabriel Dumont goes into exile Métis farms are burned and looted Métis disperse further north and west Riel turns himself in to face trial The Trial of Louis Riel Riel charged with treason Court held in Regina (not Canada), limiting the jury to six English men 72 men charged with treason: 71 under an 1868 law 1 under a 538-year-old statute that allowed execution Riel s lawyers shushed him during trial 19

20 Métis Settlements in Alberta Alberta was the leading jurisdiction in developing Métis settlements Métis allowed to squat on unoccupied Crown lands and the road side allowance CCF government proposes the Green Lake experiment Road side allowance people moved to Green Lake farm lots; some communities burned Lebret also hosts a large farm colony Saskatchewan Solution 20

21 National Definition A person who self-identifies as Métis, is of historic Métis Nation Ancestry, is distinct from other Aboriginal Peoples and is accepted by the Métis Nation. G a b r i e l D u m o n t I n s t i t u t e CCDF and SMEDCO 21

22 Year of the Métis Artist Pat Adam and President Doucette alongside Métis sash, Cree made table runner and beaver pelt Mace holder. Métis Locals Run programs dedicated for Métis people President, Vice-President, Secretary and Board; responsible to membership Pinehouse Business North and Kineepik Métis Local signed an historic collaboration agreement with Cameco and Areva in 2012 Métis Nation - Pinehouse 22

23 Central Urban Métis Federation Inc (CUMFI) U r b a n M é t i s L o c a l s Hunting Rights Métis qualify for hunting rights under s. 35, Constitution Act, 1982: A Métis community has existed continuously since Europeans established effective control of the area in which the community is located That the activity the community seeks to protect as an Aboriginal right has been and continues to be of central significance to the community The Bell of Batoche 23

24 Re-emergence of a Nation Constitutional recognition SCC Powley Decision Métis registry Scrip class-action lawsuit Gains in economic development and education The Bell of Batoche/Frog Lake Daniels decision AFTER THE TREATIES: The Indian Act & Residential Schools Planning HEALING Future CRIME INTEGRITY Equality Employment Poverty ACCOUNTABILITY SIMPLICITY Legacy HOPE ABUSE Common Concerns Get over the residential schools already Drugs WELFARE PERFORMANCE Sustainability Why are they such lousy parents? BURDEN RESPECT Culture OPPORTUNITY Fair Share Privilege It s terrible what happened, but why should I pay? JUSTICE How do we fix Aboriginal culture? Fairness YOUTH Race-based Negotiation Why do I need to know this? REPUTATION Honour History 24

25 1. Manage gov t responsibility (liability) for Indians and lands reserved for Indians 2. Assimilate Indians (civilize and Christianize) 3. Define who is (and is not) an Indian Indian Act Objectives The Indian Act - Policies Who is an Indian Ban on culture Land surrenders Ban on lawyers Permits and Passes Leadership and accountability Residential schools Indian Residential Schools Concept emerged in 1600 s Government strategy to assimilate and civilize Schools chronically underfunded and poorly managed 25

26 40 50 kids per class, all ages Recitation, drills, memorization Teachers overworked or unqualified No standardized tests Wrong answer = punishment Poor Education Steal or Starve New diet led to problems Kids hungry, overworked Harsh punishments Unhealthy Conditions Often poor construction Disease Qu Appelle 344 enrolled but 174 discharged Old Sun and Peigan death rates at 47% Runaways 26

27 It is readily acknowledged that Indian children lose their natural resistance to illness by habitating so closely in these schools, and that they die at a much higher rate than in their villages. But this alone does not justify a change in the policy of this Department, which is geared towards the final solution of our Indian Problem. - D.C. Scott, 1910 Abuses Aggressive Assimilation Our object is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed, and there is no Indian question, and there is no Indian department - Duncan Campbell Scott, Deputy Superintendent, Indian Affairs,

28 Over 150,000 students enrolled between At least 6000 perished Impacts Loss of traditions Knowledge and values Community, decision making Parenting and kinship Impacts Addictions Neglect Unhealthy relationships Crime 28

29 The 60 s Scoop The rise of institutions Broken men Missing and Murdered Women and Girls Return of the Veterans 1951 Buy and sell products in the market Ceremonies not prohibited Can sue government (i.e. land claims) Given the right to vote federally Turning the Tide Bill C-31 restores status to women Treaty Land Entitlement Agreement First Nations Land Management Act Supreme Court on Duty to Consult Residential School Settlement Grand Chief Fontaine October, 1990, Phil Fontaine, Grand Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, reveals he was abused at the Fort Alexander School in Manitoba 29

30 Grand Chief Phil Fontaine reveals he was abused Royal Commission Aboriginal Healing Foundation and Statement of Reconciliation Talks begin, advance payments to Elderly 2006/7 - Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement Harper offers apology Truth and Reconciliation Commission The Apology 30

31 Common Experience Payment Independent Assessment Process for sexual or serious abuse Measures to support healing (Aboriginal Healing Foundation extension) Truth and Reconciliation Commission Residential School Agreement Highlights Truth and Reconciliation in Saskatchewan 31

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41 Calls to Action Implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Invest in Education Aboriginal Languages Act Child Welfare Justice Equity Business National Council for Reconciliation Church Apology 41

42 Learn more On APTN Everyone comes from someplace We have no monopoly on dysfunction This is our story We are just as capable We want pretty much the same things Why this matters TURNING THE CORNER: Education and Employment 42

43 Bridging the Gaps Community engagement Funding for skills and training Creating meaningful partnerships What is the cost of doing nothing? Breaking the Cycle: Government INAC some people get it, some don t... Political direction Partnerships Accountability Breaking the Cycle: Leadership Business opportunities Natural resources The Active Measures program 43

44 Breaking the Cycle: Partnerships Recruiting Recruiting 44

45 Affinity Credit Union Partnership 45

46 Symbols mean something: Raising the Treaty 6 and Métis flags Breaking the Cycle: Children Breaking the Cycle: Equal Opportunity 46

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48 Post Secondary SaskPolytechnic 3,712 Ab. enrollment U of S 2831 Ab. enrollment U of R 1666 Ab. enrollment First Nations University of Canada 850 Ab. enrollment 1,000s more at GDI/DTI, SIIT & regional colleges 48

49 Aboriginal Employment Unemployment, Aug, 2017 Canada 5.6% Saskatchewan 5.3% Aboriginal in SK 13.7% (FN 19.8%, Métis 9.2%) Participation rate FN 56.7%, Métis 67.7% Canadian 70.9% CLOSING CEREMONIES It s all about relationship building! Beliefs and attitudes influence behaviour Mythbusting Awareness Clearing a path for healthy working relationships We all want the same things Applying the Knowledge 49

50 For More Information Truth and Reconciliation Commission at or NCTR.ca Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) Eagle Feather News at news.com/ Straight Talk on Aboriginal Awareness Training at Please complete the evaluation form. Thanks! John Lagimodiere, Aboriginal Consulting Services Cell: (306) Winston McLean, Iron Wolf Consulting Cell: (306)