Just who should be putting who under trusteeship?

I am the first to admit that, lamentably, I know very little about the problems that face First Nations people.

That did not stop me from having an opinion about the federal takeover at Attawapiskat.  My first reaction was that the Chief and Council should have thrown the keys to the federal government and said, “Buster, you broke it, you bought it.”

I have come to think, however, that I had it 180 degrees in the wrong direction.

I am beginning to think that perhaps what the First Nations should be doing is putting Canada under trusteeship.

Think about it. We have a government that was found guilty of contempt of Parliament. By their actions on Kyoto they have shown they are unable and unwilling to live up to international treaties.  The Conservatives lied to people in Montreal about the possibility of their Liberal MP resigning. Even the Conservative Speaker of the House of Commons called that action “reprehensible.”  They broke election laws that allowed them to outspend their opposition so clearly their commitment to democracy is pretty minimal.

And don’t get me started on financial propriety. Year after year the Auditor General raises a litany of issues about that.

So after 400 years of trying to work with our governments I think First Nations might be getting a little impatient. I’m thinking that maybe we should hope to see a First Nations consultant walking up the steps of the House of Commons with instructions to take the thing over.

But the consultant should take doughnuts. After all, that’s what Harpers takeover guy did when he showed up unannounced at the Council offices at Attawapiskat. I hear Harper likes the ones with sprinkles.

Topics: First Nations & Indigenous