His platform includes a proposal for a legislative framework to achieve Aboriginal self-government in a nation-to-nation relationship with Canada, and would revive the Kelowna Accord. Ignatieff prepared his Aboriginal platform in extensive consultations with Aboriginal leaders, so it wasn’t prepared in isolation.

Gary Merasty, MP for Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River and former Grand Chief of PAGC, accompanied his colleague Ignatieff to the annual assembly. He introduced Ignatieff as a world-renowned author, academic and scholar who has worked in the area of human rights and has been a consultant with many countries around the world on international issues.

Merasty said that he had met with Ignatieff in Prince Albert almost two years ago, when he was PAGC Grand Chief and Ignatieff was preparing to challenge for leadership of the federal Liberal Party, and that both discussed First Nations and Aboriginal issues.

“We talked about the different situations and issues that confronts our people, from housing to education, to health, and since that time two years ago, we’ve maintained that contact, we’ve established a friendship,” Merasty said.

Ignatieff began by saying that here is a new generation of Aboriginal leadership in this country, not all of the political variety, as it includes professionals and entrepreneurs.

Ignatieff acknowledged that there is a special relationship between the Crown and Aboriginal Peoples that needs to be respected, but that there needs to be changes made to the Indian Act, and that a new legislative framework needs to be created to allow First Nations that wish to do, move beyond the Indian Act and enter into self-government agreements with the federal government.

“How can our Federation be strong if First Nations feel trapped in the dependency relations set out in an Indian Act that dates to 1876?” he asked.

In his consultations with First Nations leaders across the country, Ignatieff said that they don’t want to want to tinker with the Indian Act—they want to do something more radical—a new relationship based on recognition, respect and reconciliation between the Crown and First Nations.

“As recommend by the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, we should explore the possibility of working together on a new legislative framework, to enable First Nations who wish to, to move past and beyond the Indian Act. Those First Nations who want to remain in the Indian Act, could do so, but those who don’t, could aggregate their nations together, form agreements, and then enter into self-government agreements with the federal government to administer and deliver services to their communities.”

The legislative proposal would not be an attempt for the federal government to duck out of its obligations under the Indian Act, Ignatieff said. The new legislative framework for those Aboriginal peoples who want it “would be consistent with s.35 and would reflect the needs that we have for accountable and transparent government.”

It would enable Aboriginal governments to have the governance capacity to deliver effective services to their members, and would be financed by a combination of transfers, own source revenue and resource revenue sharing.

Ignatieff did not elaborate on how resource revenue sharing would be achieved.

Aboriginal governments, which he said would include Metis governments, would deliver annual reports to their community and the federal government.

It would be, Ignatieff reiterated, “a new legislative framework to move those First Nations peoples, who want to move beyond the Indian Act, to a new, long-term, in effect, nation-to-nation relation with the federal government of Canada,” to applause.

A second measure would be the creation of an Office of the Treaty Commissioner responsible to the Parliament of Canada, and reporting on treaty negotiations and in fulfilling existing treaty and modern land claim agreement obligations.

The third idea, to which there was applause, “is that we’ve got to deliver on Kelowna,” Ignatieff said. (He didn’t say “Accord.”) He described Kelowna as not only a commitment but when the federal government walked away from it, they were rejecting a process that took years to develop.

Ignatieff concluded his speech by talking about his dream where Aboriginal Peoples of Canada live in harmony with their neighbours, are respected, their languages still flourish, along with traditional practices, “where entrepreneurship is esteemed, good citizenship is practiced and hope is everywhere.”

Following his speech, Ignatieff said that everywhere he goes, he sees discontent with the Indian Act.
Post-Speech Interview
“Everywhere I go, I see discontent with the Indian Act.”
Wants to create a voluntary legislative framework.

“My key instinct is that we’ve got to bet the future on enhancing and increasing the capacity of Aboriginal self-government across the country—build its capacity, build its administrative strength—create the legislative framework in which these communities can stand on their own, develop their own resources….”

As long as we have an Indian Act relationship that traps Aboriginal communities in a kind of dependency relationship, it’s bad for pride, it’s bad for responsibility, it’s bad for accountability.

“I am committed to responsible and accountable Ab self-government. That’s what I hear from Aborginal leaders.”

“I didn’t say eliminate, because some Aboriginal groups feel they need that relationship enshrined in the Indian Act.”

“If the incentives are right, and we create a new legislative framework that enhances ASG, enhances Ab capacity, enhances the capacity of Ab com to stand on their own as an order of government, with their own powers, I think we will move, eventually, beyond the Indian Act. But it’s going to take time, it’s got to be done in consultation, we’ve got to get the details right. I’m prudent, I’m cautious.”

“The key to this speech is that we’ve got to bet the store as a country on the kind of Ab leadership that Gary and other Ab leaders across the country have provided. They are pointing the way and we have to listen and help them get to the destination that they’ve pointed out. That’s the key political thing that I’m saying today.”

“I’m saying that the future of Aboriginal Canada turns on the quality of Ab leadership, and Ab leadership has been shown in an amazing way in Prince Albert. I don’t want to make him blush, but it’s an impressive record. When I’m talking today about the Credenda distance learning high school program, you can’t sit there for more than 20 minutes and think, ‘we ought to have this in all remote comms in Canada, Ab and non-Ab,’ because it is the future of our country here. Now that’s the kind of leadership that I, as a federal leader, want to support.

For too long, we’ve had this idea that you do it out of Ottawa—that you do it from the top down. What I’ve learned…is that there is success at the grassroots, at the band council level, at the tribal council level, and we’ve got leadership examples, entrepreneurial success. Everywhere I go. The future of federal policy is to find the success, find the sparks, and blow on them so they burst into flame. And that’s what I’m trying to do here, and I want to lend my support to the tremendous leadership that’s been show here. It’s really been inspiring, and the whole country needs to know about it.”

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