Address of National Chief Phil Fontaine

"I'm back and ready to roll-up my sleeves and work cooperatively"

The following is AFN National Chief Phil Fontaine's speech to federal, provincial and territorial ministers on the SUFA

Date: August 25, 2003,
Yellowknife, NWT

Welcome.

I'm back and ready to roll-up my sleeves and work cooperatively.

We value the good will of the people here today as they strive to improve the lives of Canadians. We know that issues facing First Nations are thought by some of you as being properly addressed.

But, the Final Report on the Three Year Review of SUFA, though it dealt positively in some ways with First Nations matters, failed to address our most important issues.

The SUFA process, and its birth, in 1999, are fatally flawed. Both the Social Union Framework Agreement, and this Council, are designed not to ensure success for First Nations but, rather, failure.

Here's why.

The Social Union Framework Agreement, and the structure of this Council, continue the long ago discredited myth that progress can be made on First Nations issues without the full and equal participation of the First Nations themselves.

But progress under these circumstances will be a fiction, not only because we have a constitutionally mandated right of self governance, but because, as self governing peoples, with unique problems, only we can advance our cause, lay out our needs, negotiate our rightful shares and implement the necessary programs to assist our peoples' development.

A glaring example of how First Nations have been excluded by the Federal and Provincial governments from the development, implementation and evaluation of policies and programs is within the realm of child welfare, with far reaching and profoundly negative effects. Delegation of authority from the Provinces for child welfare service delivery to First Nation operated agencies, with Federal funding, has proven to be detrimental to First Nation families and communities. This move was merely to be a step in the transition process to eventual First Nations jurisdiction over child welfare for First Nations people. But, we have been excluded and the result has been failed policies and the removal of First Nations children from their families at a disproportionate rate.

It is insufficient to have prescribed that we be engaged in the implementation of the Social Union Framework Agreement only when such implementation has implications for Aboriginal people. Everything that you do, and all agreements that are made, have implications for Aboriginal people. In the result, there are two inevitable outcomes. First, our needs are given short shrift. And, secondly, the very important contribution we could make to the benefit of all Canadians is lost.

There is significant impetus for Federal and Provincial governments to move towards more direct First Nations involvement in SUFA processes:

Canada's world status is slipping in the Human Development Index and now ranks 8th due in a large part to First Nations poverty. Most First Nations people are at or below the poverty line.

Many First Nations families live in deplorable, over crowded housing conditions. It has been estimated that 8500 new homes are required nation-wide and 44 per cent of existing homes require renovations.

The Aboriginal population is burgeoning. Aboriginal youth represent an increasing share of Canada's future labour force. The growth rate for the Aboriginal population is five times that of the Canadian population and young people under the age of 15 comprise 35 per cent of the overall Aboriginal population. Yet the labour force participation for Status First Nations on reserve is 47 per cent and 57 per cent for those off-reserve compared to the national rated of 68 per cent.

The suicide rates for registered First Nations youth ages 15-24 are 8 times higher than the national rates for females and 5 times higher for males. Studies have shown that there is a strong inverse relationship between the level of cultural continuity in a community and the youth suicide rate.

Therefore:
As we have said before, the Social Union Framework Agreement itself must not only include First Nations participation as equals with the other governments... but there must be a parallel Accord, negotiated with us, which puts a proper framework into place for the advancement of our issues.

With that parallel Accord, we, the self governing First Nations of this land, must be full and equal participants with Federal, Provincial and Territorial governments on all matters, at all meetings and in all processes.

As for the work of this Council, I believe it is generally accepted, by First Nations as well as by all those familiar with the tri-partite forum, that work at the officials' table has been insufficient to meaningfully address our issues and that the forum does not allow for meaningful access, involvement, engagement and participation on our part.

We are particularly concerned with the lack of focus, and progress, on poverty, welfare dependency, unemployment, housing, health, clean water, economic development and on issues involving persons with disabilities, children, non-insured benefits, fetal alcohol syndrome, data collection, surveillance instruments and more.

We believe there must be a complete rethinking of the very structure of the Social Union Framework Agreement, the need for a parallel Accord and for major changes in the operation of this Council.

We believe there must be a complete reassessment and evaluation of all existing programs directed towards First Nations in order to determine the effectiveness of those programs, the efficiency of related expenditures and also so as to assist in more appropriate development of policy.

We believe that all governments must commit to recognition of our jurisdiction over our peoples, notably in matters of social welfare, education and health, and to a set of principles which guarantee and codify our relationship to all other governments and Canadians in matters of spending, collaboration, accountability, equity, fairness and transparency in all social programs.

We also believe, in reference to this Council, that the tri-partite forum must be made more effective by approaching issues of sectorally (sic). The broad focus approach has not been successful. We must move towards more working groups, with First Nations participation from the get-go. There must be significant increases in the funding of First Nations participation in order to allow for our meaningful participation.

I come not simply to be critical, and certainly not to give offense. I offer you the time, experience, wisdom and effort of First Nations people in improving the distribution of social services and programs in Canada.

We have much to benefit from each other.