Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
25/11/14
What
is
C-27?
In
the
spring
of
2013
the
Government
of
Canada
passed
C-27-First
Nations
Transparency
Act
despite
widespread
opposition
across
the
country.
The
new
law
was
to
come
into
effect
in
July
2014.
Indian
and
Northern
Affairs
Canada
(INAC)
claims
the
legislation
is
meant
to
bring
about
more
accountability
and
transparency
from
leadership.
However,
after
careful
review
of
the
legislation
its
purpose
is
aimed
at
more
control
and
paternalism
from
Ottawa.
This
legislation
requires
our
Nations
to
post
audits
on
a
public
website
hosted
by
INAC.
Bill
C-27:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&DocId=6072946&File=4&Col=1
Backgrounder
25/11/14
services
include
things
such
as
education,
health,
water,
sanitation,
Child
and
Family
Services,
Social
Services,
housing,
economic
development.
Essential
services
include
all
but
the
following
non-essential
services:
Band
Support
Funding,
Band
Employee
Benefits,
Indian
Registry
Administrator
(IRA)
Funding,
Band
Based
Capital.
Proposal
driven
project
funding
(Band
based
capital
capital
infrastructure,
national
child
benefit,
Education,
P&ID
Governance)
are
also
considered
non-essential
services.
The
CFAs
are
intended
to
support
Nation
governance
and
operations.
Through
CFAs
the
Government
of
Canada
provides
funding
that
must
be
spent
according
to
agreed
on
conditions.
Spending
is
monitored
and
reviewed
to
ensure
that
these
conditions
are
met.2
In
her
2002
report,
the
Auditor
General
estimated
that
each
reserve
was
required
to
file
168
reports
annually
to
just
the
top
four
federal
organizations
receiving
their
reports.
In
recent
years
the
CFAs
have
been
used
by
INAC
and
other
government
departments
to
lock
Nations
into
agreements
that
leave
them
with
having
little
or
no
say
with
the
contents
of
the
agreement.
For
example,
in
the
2012-2013
funding
year,
Nations
were
presented
CFAs
that
had
newly
drafted
appendices
that
essentially
were
worded
that
the
Nation
who
signed
the
agreement(s)
accept
and
consent
to
new
legislation
such
as
C38/C453
and
in
the
adjoining
Reporting
Handbook
it
states
that
the
Nation
would
accept
any
future
legislation.
Backgrounder
25/11/14
Silence
on
this
matter
means
that
the
government
can
violate
the
constitution
and
the
Treaties.
It
was
the
making
of
Treaties
that
allowed
the
subjects
of
the
Crown
to
settle
in
our
Territories.
Government
and
citizens
of
Canada
want
to
forget
this
legal
fact.
However,
we
maintain
and
uphold
our
Treaties.
Backgrounder
25/11/14
of
Canada,
but,
in
any
case,
by
the
Crown.
No
Parliament
shall
do
anything
to
lessen
the
worth
of
these
agreements.
They
should
be
honoured
by
the
Crown
in
respect
of
Canada
as
long
as
the
sun
rises
and
rivers
flow.
The
promise
must
never
be
broken.
It
is
a
fact
that
our
Nations
and
peoples
are
entitled
through
Treaty
to
fair
and
equitable
compensation
for
the
use
of
our
lands.
Money
is
allocated
from
Treasury
Board
for
use
by
Indian
Affairs.
Treasury
Board
allocates
the
money
for
Indians
and
lands
reserved
for
Indians
because
they
are
legally
obligated
under
the
constitution
to
release
money.
These
funds
are
not
tax
payers
dollars
but
are
entitlements
for
the
use
of
our
lands.
A
Land
Trust
administered
by
the
state
of
Canada
since
the
making
of
Treaties
with
our
Nations
and
peoples
is
in
effect
set
aside
for
this
purpose.
It
is
this
trust
that
is
drawn
upon
to
fulfil
the
legal
obligations
of
the
Crown
in
Right
of
Canada
and
not
tax-payers
dollars.
Canadian
Peoples
presence
upon
our
lands
is
based
on
a
mutuality
of
living
in
peace
and
friendship.
With
a
peace
and
friendship
treaty,
there
is
no
need
for
continued
fear-
mongering
or
misrepresentation.
Through
treaty-making,
we
maintain
a
position
of
freedom
from
coercion
and
domination
to
live
the
life
intended
by
our
Creator.
It
is
with
this
in
mind
that
we
call
to
question
the
intention
of
the
government
of
Canada
on
its
policies
and
legislation
that
claims
to
have
dominion
over
our
Nations
and
peoples.
Domination
is
never
valid;
never
legitimate
or
acceptable
as
long
as
the
people
continue
to
name
it
and
for
the
record
reject
it,
call
it
into
question
and
challenge
it,
stated
Steven
Newcomb
(Nov
2014)
at
a
recent
Sovereignty
Summit
at
Ochawpowace
Cree
Nation,
a
Shoshone-Lenape
scholar
and
author.
Backgrounder
25/11/14
Currently,
there
are
a
number
of
Treaty
and
sovereign
nations
that
have
come
together
and
forged
a
commitment
to
work
with
one
another
to
oppose
the
implementation
of
C-27.
Part
of
this
includes
Nations
rejecting
Canadas
forced
implementation
of
the
legislation
by
not
submitting
to
the
law
vis-a-vie
refusing
to
submit
financial
information
to
INAC
for
public
posting.
Information
on
Thunderchilds
case
and
additional
strategies
that
are
being
undertaken
are
as
follows:
Litigation
initiated
by
Thunderchild
First
Nations
Judicial
Review
o 9:30
am,
December
3,
2014
at
the
Saskatoon
court
house
o Morning
ceremony
followed
by
a
rally
Litigation
initiated
by
Onion
Lake
Cree
Nation
to
challenge
the
legalities
of
C-
27
o November
26,
2014
Press
Conference
at
Ramada
Inn,
Edmonton
o Statement
of
claim
and
a
Q
and
A
in
circulation,
November
26,
2014
Utilizing
international
mechanisms
to
bring
attention
to
Canadas
coercive
threats
Localized
education
campaigns
to
inform
people
o Nations
Day
of
Prayer,
held
on
November
22,
2014
o Media
Release
on
C-27,
dated
November
25,
2014
o Backgrounder
on
C-27,
posted
on
websites,
November
26,
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