jeudi 23 mars 2017

Press Release: Algonquins of Barriere Lake Call to End Third Party Management: Paying Government-Imposed Accountants 40 Time Initial Deficit



(Ottawa, Algonquin Territory/March 23, 2017) Today, representatives of the Algonquins of Barriere denounced the federal government for imposing financial management on their band by accountants who earned millions of dollars over the last 10 years paid out of meager band funds.

NDP, M.P. Charlie Angus obtained documents that show that Barriere Lake pays much more than other bands under a federal policy of imposed “third party management” of the bands financial management for essential programs and services.

In 2006, the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs imposed third party management (TPM) to the Algonquins of Barriere Lake due to a $83,000 deficit, which has since been paid many times over in government-imposed accountant fees.

While the Third Party Manager Lemieux-Nolet is paid hundreds of thousands of dollars from band funds, a community member is living in the basement of a burned out home with his family because not a single new house has been built in the community in 11 years.

Because 10% of the bands funds are diverted into Third Party Management fees money runs dry for basic programs for the community annually. Youth attending colleges in Sudbury and Ottawa are texting band Councillor Norman Matchewan about going hungry day after day and being unable to pay their fees. Medical transportation services are being offered only once a day to and from the isolated community, forcing sick Elders to go to the hospital at 6 AM and return at 9 PM, despite having only a check-up mid-day.

On top of being forced into Third Party Management over 10 years ago with no exit plan, six years ago the federal Minister of Indian Affairs violated the internal autonomy and leadership customs of the band by imposing a “Section 74” order on the community.

Since then, Barriere Lake has been fighting to restore recognition for their customary government – an egalitarian, direct democracy of the people that existed for hundreds of years – that was arbitrarily and coercively replaced with a band council elective system. “Section 74” is a section of the Indian Act that has been rarely used since it was coercively exercised in 1924 over the Six Nations of the Grand River.

“We just want control back over our lives, the Third Party Manager continues to mismanage the programs meant for the benefit of our People by making financial transactions without our involvement or consent, or knowing anything about how our community is organized through our customs,” Chief Casey Ratt said.

Tony Wawatie, Barriere Lake’s Interim Director-General added “The Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs is doing a study on Third Party Management, which will likely be sent to the INAC-AFN Fiscal Relations consultation process and that will take another year. After 10 years our community services are in a mess and People want Third Party Management ended now as the new fiscal year is starting in a week.”

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For More Information Contact:

Chief Casey Ratt                                                     Cell: (819) 441-8002
Tony Wawatie, Interim Director-General             Cell: (819) 355-3662
Michel Thusky (French) Spokesperson             Telephone: (819) 215-0591

Human Rights Delegates to Barriere Lake Support Community Demands for Immediate End to Third Party Management


SOLIDARITY STATEMENT March 23 2017


We are a group of civil society organizations, concerned citizens, and politicians who visited the Algonquins of Barriere Lake on their Rapid Lake Reserve on Wednesday. 

We sat aghast after presentations on the impact of “third party management” on the community. We learned that Indigenous Affairs hired external accounts to manage the band’s finances in 2006 while being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Despite paying astronomical fees, Barriere Lake’s deficit of a measly $83,000 has not been paid off to this day. 

In the midst of plenty for Third Party Manager Lemieux-Nolet a community member is living in the basement of a burned out home with his family because not a single new house has been built in the community in 11 years. 

We heard stories of money running dry for basic programs for the community. Stories about youth attending colleges in Sudbury and Ottawa texting band councilor Norman Matchewan about going hungry day after day and being unable to pay their fees. Stories about medical transport being offered only once a day to and from the communities, forcing sick elders to go to the hospital at 6am and return at 9pm, despite having only a check-up mid-day. 

The stories of third party management were only matched in their kafka-esque nature by stories of how the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs imposed a “Section 74” order on the community in 2010, abolishing recognition of the community’s customary government. 

Since then, Barriere Lake has been fighting to restore recognition for their customary government – a land-based, direct democracy of the people – that was arbitrarily and coercively replaced with band council elections. “Section 74” is an archaic section of the Indian Act that is only rarely exercised.
“We just want control back over our lives,” Chief Casey Ratt said, addressing the group. 

We believe that the community is suffering from the collateral damage of a federal and provincial system that seeks to terminate the unceded jurisdiction of the Algonquions of Barriere Lake in order to remove impediments to access their rich lands for resource 
extraction and development. As the survival of Barriere Lake community members is put at stake daily by bureaucratic violence, Barriere Lake’s ability to sustain connection to their land is under attack by Toronto-based Copper One. We stand with Barriere Lake as they say no to mining on their territories.

Some delegates on our trip come from places around the world that are escaping civil war, but civil war is exactly what the treatment of Barriere Lake looked like to them. 


Zoe Todd, Assistant Professor, Anthropology, Carleton University
Hayden King, Assistant Professor, Public Policy and Administration, Carleton University 


Representatives from the following organizations endorsed this letter: 


NYC Stands with Standing Rock
Mining Injustice Solidarity Network
Immigrant Workers Centre
Right Relations Network

Council of Canadians 
Ottawa Riverkeeper
Climate Justice Montreal 
Ecojustice
Justice for Adbirahman Abdi
Quebec Solidaire
No One Is Illegal 

Barriere Lake Solidarity 
Barriere Lake Defense

METTRE FIN À LA TUTELLE DES ALGONQUINS DU LAC BARRIERE

INVITATION MÉDIA

BDUGET FÉDÉRAL: METTRE FIN À LA TUTELLE DE LA NATION ALGONQUINE
DES FRAIS COMPTABLES 40 FOIS SUPÉRIEURS À LA DETTE INITIALE

Ottawa, 22 Mars 2017. La Nation Algonquine du Lac Barrière tiendra une conférence de presse aujourd’hui, 23 mars, à 1h00pm, au Parlement d’Ottawa afin de dénoncer la mise en tutelle par le gouvernement fédéral dont elle fait l’objet depuis plus de 10 ans et qui lui a couté des millions en frais comptables, malgré les très faibles moyens financiers dont elle dispose. Le député et candidat à la course au leadership du NPD, Charlie Angus, se joindra à la conférence de presse, de même que des représentants de la société civile. Ces derniers ont participé, hier, à une journée d’information et de sensibilisation dans la communauté Algonquine afin de mieux comprendre les réalités auxquelles elle fait face.

Quand: 23 mars 2017, 1h00pm
Où: Salle Charles Lynch, Parlement d’Ottawa
Quoi: La Nation Algonquine du Lac Barrière exigeant de mettre fin à leur mise en tutelle
Who: La Nation Algonquine du Lac Barrière et le député Charlie Angus

Le député Charlie Angus a obtenu des documents qui démontrent que la Nation Algonquine paie beaucoup plus en frais comptables que d’autres communautés autochtones dans la même situation. En 2006, le Ministère des Affaires Autochtones a imposé une mise en tutelle de la communauté à cause d’un déficit de 83,000$. Ce déficit a aujourd’hui été payé plusieurs fois en frais comptables depuis plus de 10 ans, ce qui est un non-sens.

For more information:
- Chef Casey Ratt, Nation Algonquine du Lac Barrière, 819-441-8002
- Tony Wawatie, Directeur general par intérim, Nation Algonquine du Lac Barrière,  819-355-3662
- Norman Matchewan, Band Councillor, Nation Algonquine du Lac Barrière,  819-441-8006
- (Français) Michel Thusky, member de la communauté, 819-215-0591
- Charlie Angus, Député et candidat à la chefferie du NPD, 613-992-2919

vendredi 3 mars 2017

Brunch et blocages: brunch et projection de deux courts métrages sur les Algonquins du Lac Barrière

Depuis des mois, les Algonquins du Lac Barrière soutiennent un camp de protection des terres de leur territoire, situé à quelques heures au nord-ouest de Montréal. En septembre 2016, la communauté a appris que la compagnie minière junior Copper One planifiait entreprendre du forage exploratoire au coeur de leur territoire, sans son consentement ni avoir consultée. La communauté a répondu en installant un camp indéfini de défense du territoire pour bloquer l'accès à la route principale. Dans les dernières semaines, les droits miniers de la compagnie ont été suspendus suite aux pressions populaires, cependant, la compagnie a juré de poursuivre le gouvernement en cour afin de continuer son projet minier. Les Algonquins du Lac Barrière ont juré qu'aucun projet minier ne se ferait sur leurs territoires, spécialement le projet de Copper One parce qu'il aurait un impact direct sur la culture de la communauté et ses ressources en eau potable. Joignez-vous à nous pour la projection et le brunch afin d'entendre les derniers développements concernant la défense du territoire et en apprendre davantage sur la communauté et l'histoire de ses luttes. Nous projetterons le documentaire de 1989 Blockade: Algonquins Defend the Forest (27 minutes), suivi du documentaire de 2014 Honour Your Word (60 minutes). Quand: Dimanche, 12 mars 2017, 14 heures Où: L'Auditoire, 5214, boul. Saint-Laurent Admission: Gratuit (le brunch est payant) Une garderie sera disponible sur les lieux. L'endroit dispose d'un accès pour fauteuils roulants et de toilettes pour genre neutre. Les films sont en anglais avec sous-titres français et une traduction murmurée en espagnol sera disponible. L'activité s'inscrit dans le cadre de la Semaine contre l'apartheid d'Israël. Nous vous encourageons à en consulter la programmation. Au sujet des films: Honour Your Word est le portrait intime de la vie sous les barricades des Algonquins du Lac Barrière, une inspirante Première Nation dont la dignité et le courage contrastent grandement avec l'njustice politique qu'elle affronte. (2014, 60 minutes) Blockade suit les Algonquins du Lac Barrière alors qu'ils entreprennent la lutte contre le gouvernement et l'industrie forestière pour sauver leurs territoires de chasse et leur mode de vie. (1989, 27 minutes)