First Nations facing more fiscal attacks Press Release by The Anishinabek Nation, September 7, 2012
“It’s a shame that Canada has decided to cut First Nation budgets in order to justify its attacks on First Nations in general,” says Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee. “Canada has made a lot of statements about how they want to work with First Nations, yet every time we turn around they’re cutting funding to health, social services and other key areas that impact First Nations peoples’ day‐to‐day lives. Let’s be truthful here, Canada is aiming to divide First Nation communities so they can create a vacuum in order to gain control over our people and our land.”
“It’s clear to me that Canada and even Ontario to a degree, has three objectives when it comes to First Nations people‐ divide, control and conquer,” says Madahbee. “Our people need to know that they are under attack. The unilateral, incremental changes to policy and legislation regarding First Nation land, water and rights are in direct violation of Constitutional rights, treaty rights and even international human rights that Canada has endorsed.”
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“What the federal government fails to understand is that no matter what tactics they use to divide us we will never be Canadian citizens and we will never surrender our land. We are Anishnaabe and have always been Nations with our own land, our own culture, our own language and our own identity.”