December 4, 2012….Traditional territory of the Algonquin Peoples (Ottawa, Ontario)…Okimaw (Chief) Wallace Fox lead a procession of over 300 First Nation Chiefs, leaders, elders, women, youth and community members during an impromptu rally on Parliament Hill today. The First Nations movement is a result of frustration over the Canadian government’s current legislation. Bill C-45 is being debated in the house and Chiefs wanted to take part in the discussions of what will ultimately affect the future of their Peoples.
“We put Canada on notice today that we are a Sovereign Nation and that we won’t be intimated by them cause we know who we are and the Rights we have as Indigenous Peoples. We are disgusted by this governments lack of respect shown to us today when trying to enter into the House. We were pushed and shoved by security and told we weren’t welcome there. When a pipe is present in which it was today, no force is intended or appropriate. We are asserting our voices as Indigenous Peoples.”
This warning comes after an incident at Parliament today when MP Charlie Angus (Timmins-Kapuskasing) invited Chief Fox and nine other First Nations leaders to enter into Parliament to call out Minister of Indian Affairs, John Duncan and Minister of Natural Resources, Joe Oliver to listen and respond to their concerns over C-45 and the debate that was taking place in the house today.
“We tried to enter into the house in order to deliver our message to all Members of Parliament and Prime Minister Stephen Harper in a peaceful way that our Inherent and Treaty Rights aren’t negotiable. We weren’t consulted on C-45 which outlines a new legislation on land surrender and wanted to be included in these discussions. These actions have strained a already fragile relationship. We have no other choice now but to take a course that will have impacts on all Canadians, ” stated Okimaw Wallace Fox.
Onion Lake Cree Nation is an Indigenous Nation which believes in Sovereignty and the Protection of Inherent & Treaty Rights. The Cree Nation has over 5000 members and is governed by their own Cree Governance Structure. Onion Lake Cree Nation is located 30 minutes north of Lloydminster on highway 17 and is in Treaty No.6 territory.
John Ahniwanika Schertow is an indigenous rights activist of Mohawk (Kanienkehaka) and mixed-European descent. For the past 8 years, he has served as the e... 
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It is truly outrageous that the Chiefs were treated in such a way, and shows the Canadian Prime Minister and the government for what they are. I hope that First Nations people all over the country will unite to stand up for their legal and inherent rights.
I am an adult student in Saskatoon saskatchewan. I am of First nation decent from Beardy’s & Okemasis reserve. I, like my late dad, take our Treay Rights very seriously. The very thought of our Canadian Government and Steven Harper trying to create a new law and call it something else, just proves that him and his FOLLOWERS have no intention of doing what the Treatys are intended to do, and that is to make our peoples concerns valid and dealt with to the utmost priority. I am sickened and darn right ashamed that at one time I agreed that we need to learn to live and embrace the life of unilateral living within these two cultures. Is there unitlateral now..when will the white man government learn to stop using strongarm tactics and decietfulness when dealing with our Treaties. They have to hide behind closed doors and then mislead an entire nation on the true conduct of this so called Bill. What is more disturbing is the amount of negative and vulgar feed back from some of the white community that are so misinformed about what this Bill is really all about. Steven Harper has proven nothing but to be more or less just like any dictator in a country that says he is libiral but proves to be otherwise, typical…did he not appoint a man as the Indian Affairs minister who had verbally made rasists remarks against the very people he was appointed to serve. Come on Canada…when will this man finally be made accountable and ask to step down for his proven deceptive ways of dealing with First Nations issues.
… this is the same government that gave a formal apology to the indigenous peoples… how they were processed through security has nothing to do with the government, it has only to do with the individuals working security that day… Have you forgotten the respect PM Harper showed that day he gave the formal apology? And now you say this government shows no respect? How are they supposed to be able to do anything the indigenous are greatful for if we forget the respect that has been shown on national television and across the world towards the indigenous in Canada?
Respect????! Telly, Harper’s apology is nothing more than words on paper. It didn’t change anything in this country. His actions are all that matters here… and his actions show us that he is not the least bit sorry for what happened during residential schools.
Let’s not forget, the whole purpose of those “concentration camps for kids” was to erase the indigenous identity in Canada (as part of a much larger plan that also involved sexually sterilizing women, among other things.)
The bill mentioned in the above article–that the leaders were invited by an MP to discuss in Parliament–is trying to do the same thing as residential schools. Unfortunately, you’re just not hearing about it in the press.
Please take some time to got through this information, it will inform you about the current situation
http://intercontinentalcry.org/harper-launches-major-first-nations-termination-plan-as-negotiating-tables-legitimize-canadas-colonialism/
http://intercontinentalcry.org/first-nations-and-canada-jurisdiction-and-education-presentation-by-sharon-venne/
Also, for some historical context, I suggest you have a look at this as well http://intercontinentalcry.org/genocide-assimilation-or-incorporation/