Treaty Nations resist forceful implementation of C-27 Act

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C-27 Compliance Orders:
Federal Oppression Strategy Challenged by Indigenous Treaty Nations

November 24, 2014, Treaty No. 6 Territory:

Indigenous Nations from Treaties No. 4, 6 and 7 are actively organizing
to resist Canada’s forceful implementation of C-27 legislation ( First Nations Financial Transparency and Accountability Act). The government of Canada’s C-27 legislation came into effect July 2014, calling for the public posting of consolidated audits and individuals’ income and expenses on a website hosted by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) in violation of the rights of the Indigenous individuals and the Indigenous Nations.

INAC officials have sent letters to Indigenous Treaty Nations’ governments threatening to withhold funding for non-essential services on November 26, 2014, further, if the Indigenous Nations do not submit to the requirements of C-27, then funding for essential services will cease on December 12, 2014. In fact, on October 27, 2014, federal Indian Affairs Minister Valcourt threatened to cut funding to Indian reserves that resist the imposed legislation. This tactic is designed to force local compliance to an unjust law by denying families access to essential programs and services.

Not only is C-27 a breach of our historic Treaty Relationship, it is a denial of our international right of self-determination as Indigenous Nations. In no other place in Canada do such oppressive conditions exist under the coercive force of the federal government than Indian reserves.

The governments’ oppression strategy is denounced by Indigenous Treaty Nations who stand on the Treaty relationship made with the Crown of Great Britain (to be upheld by the Crown in Right of Canada), which has allowed settlement upon their lands, ‘for as long as the sun shines, the rivers flow,and the grass grows’.

While holding the office as Grand Chief of Treaty 8, Roland Twinn, had stated to the Senate Standing Committee, "The approach taken by Bill C-27 simply reinforces the great-white-father-knows-best syndrome rather than releasing the potential of our people. It will cause great resentment rather than build relationships" (Feb. 12, 2013).

There is wide misrepresentation by the federal government, mainstream media and representatives of the Canadian Taxpayer’s Association that this legislation will address issues of ‘transparency and accountability’ by impugning wrongdoing by Indigenous leadership and Indigenous Nations.

Our Indigenous Nations reject such characterizations, C-27 fails to address the larger systemic issues of chronic federal underfunding and the impact this has on maintaining the poor social and economic conditions of most Indigenous Treaty Nations.

In fact, Indigenous Treaty Nations’ governments are more accountable with annual audits and the onerousrep orting requirements that were already supplied to the Minister each year without the need for C-27. Mandatory disclosure of consolidated audits to the federal government, including information on non-government funds (sometimes referred to as “own source revenues”) is a concern for some Indigenous Nations that top up government funding with monies from their own economic development initiatives as this is an internal matter for disclosure internally within each Indigenous Nations not the Canadian public.

Chief Bear of the Ochapowace Nation, Treaty No. 4 stated "Canada is issuing preconditions of surrender, including sanctions. We are prepared to sit and discuss on a government-to-government basis and come to a resolution, but the Federal Government has to demonstrate goodwill, openness and honesty. The relationship with Canada must be based on trust, goodwill and mutual benefit and the only way that will happen is through the recognition and enforcement of our Indigenous Rights, Treaties and a Nation-to- Nation relationship. We will not settle for anything less."

Indigenous Treaty Nations have begun to organize to resist and reverse C-27.

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