Omnibus Bill C-45 is a HUGE bill The biggest ever pushed through parliament. Covers a host of things. Some good. Some very bad, vague & confusing for people who do not take the time to read the legislation in its entirety, and the accompanying legal documents, and historical references.
First, Bill C-45 on its face would make it appear that it makes it easier for Natives to lease our own lands to corporations, development, and the like. Not so. As the amendment to the Indian Act did NOT include an amendment to the Land Management Act, all decisions on what sort of development must still go through INAC (Indian and Northern Affairs) INAC isn't for the Native people....its for the government regulation of Native people. Since resources taken from Native lands benefit the general population, those are the only sort of development that INAC will push through
That means that the government...whom holds all titles to Native lands in trust......can lease out our lands, without our consent or consultation, for whatever project they deem okay. Like the Lubicon Cree....whom are living feet away from oil and gas extraction on their lands, yet see none of the profit from it. Where does the money go? To the Federal government, to be dispersed throughout the rest of Canada.
Or like the now famous Attawapiskat. A tiny Reserve in Northern Ontario.......where a De Beers diamond mine was built, and subsequently leaked toxic waste into their lands, leading to them having to be moved to another site (in a flood plain), and leading to the housing crisis that was all over the news last year. The Chief of Attawapiskat has been on a hunger strike since mid-December (you will get several ignoramuses claiming it is a diet and making crude references to her weight) in order to garner attention to many things.....including this movement, entitled IDLE NO MORE. She is the scapegoat for finger pointing and name calling.....because a government audit (by a company that has been found to have serious flaws in their audits when they themselves were audited) that points to a lack of paperwork for moneys ON both part of the Band, and INAC. No one is trying to tun INAC out with pitchforks as of yet though. The problem with the audit, is that it dates back to a period starting in 2005.....and the Chief only became Chief in late 2010. The Band was also cleared in a Federal Court case this summer, of mismanagement......but that part doesn't make for reader ratings. One of Canada's "regular" trustees was audited and found to have 'misplaced' 50 million dollars over the course of a summer. He wasn't tarred and feathered. HE was given a promotion.
Is there corruption in the Band councils of some Reserves? Sure....definitely. Just as there is corruption in many of the political teams in charge of many of Canada's cities and towns...right on up to the Federal govt. Do keep in mind that there are over 600 First Nations communities in Canada....most of which the general public has never heard of. Why? Perhaps it is because they are doing well..thus no need to be in the news or garner the attention of average Canadian. Yet when an Indian in Canada does do something to make the news, suddenly the claws come out & ALL First Nations are painted as lazy, welfare drunks, living off the tax payer's dime. Is that even close to the truth? Not at all. There are 3 million Aboriginals in Canada. That is Metis, Inuit & First Nations. Less than 30% of Canada's First Nations do live on Reserve. The other 70+% live all around you. In cities & towns. We are your coworkers, your neighbours, your peers & contributing community members. Lots of myths float around about us. People are happy to believe these myths, as they make them feel it justifies colonialism & the many genocidal tactics Canada has used at one time or another..most within the lifetimes of people still alive today. Just how much money does Canada's federal government put into all things Native each year? A portion of the 6.7 Billion dollar allotment that also must cover Veteran's Health, health research programs, and programs for public health. Pennies compared to the 31 billion that goes to Canada's debt, the 20 billion to EI benefits, or even the 10 billion that goes to Public Safety/Emergency Preparedness.....or the 196.3 billion other dollars put into various other areas....& of course, let's not forget the 555 million that represents the pay of parliament salaries.
ALL Aboriginals in Canada KNOW the Indian Act needs a reformation.....but it must be on terms that benefit us all. Many Aboriginals would like to see the things the Royal Commission Report on Aboriginals entails put into play. It is a report that has been gathering dust since 1995.