News & Events
Steps taken toward Grand Chief's vision for SCO at Summit
May 19, 2010
At a Summit this month, the Southern Chiefs' Organization took steps toward the vision I held for our organization when I agreed to become a candidate for SCO Grand Chief three years ago.
The vision I had was for SCO to become an organization that our Chiefs would use to enable our people to take control of their own lives, rather than be treated like children by the provincial and federal governments.
Progress was made on many fronts at the May 5-6 Summit at Dakota Tipi. Issues dealt with included:
· legal actions to hold governments and Manitoba Hydro accountable for damage to the environments of SCO nations;
· securing true Indigenous control of child and welfare services;
· developing economic strategies, and employment and training strategies that put us in control of our own destinies;
· giving SCO nations greater control over health and justice initiatives so that more control will rest with our people, not non-Indigenous politicians or board members hand-picked by officials from outside of our communities.
We must remain true to who we are as Indian people. We must control our own lives. That is the only way we can ensure that our values will guide our peoples.
We took another step forward in our campaign to gain input over family services. For many months SCO and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs have been working to have SCO replace AMC on the AJI-CWI Leadership Council representing Indian nations in southern Manitoba. The province has agreed to this change as a result of SCO's firm stand on this issue.
At Dakota Tipi, Chiefs passed a resolution to create a Chiefs' Committee on Child Welfare, which would work to establish a comprehensive process to undertake construction of an Indigenous child welfare law in our southern FN communities.
Traditional values are so important. Several Chiefs said the lifegivers - our mothers and grandmothers - must be the people who will determine how our system of child care should work.
There was also a strong feeling that much more emphasis must be placed on approaches that will prevent family and child-care problems from occurring. Money spent on prevention is more effective than money spent responding to problems. This is true regardless of whether we are talking about child and family issues, or the legal system which loves to sink money into jails.
SCO is investigating opportunities for wind energy projects and there have been obstacles created by government and Manitoba Hydro but, with perseverance, we will succeed.
During the Summit, John Beaucage, president of Wind Dancer Power
Corp., described how his company in Ontario is building the largest First Nations-owned wind farm and transmission line project in North America. His presentation provided our Chiefs with a picture of how a wind energy and transmission line project could succeed for Indian nations in southern Manitoba.
Jeff Rath, legal counsel to SCO, outlined the strong positions SCO had in its favor in pursuing intervener status in Public Utilities Board hearings, pressuring the federal and provincial governments to pursue an environmental audit of damages caused SCO nations by Manitoba Hydro, and the failure of the federal and provincial governments to protect the environments of Indian nations.
The Rath law firm has a strong record of successfully representing Indian nations and the end game for SCO could involve a class action law suit. The potential benefits for SCO nations could be huge.
There was also a very strong feeling that Southern nations in Manitoba should have more influence in how services are provided and in how programs are developed and implemented. Resolutions that reflected this stance were passed on health as well as employment and training.
One resolution called on the federal government to provide financial resources so that a multi-year SCO Southern Health Plan could be developed using an on-going dialogue with Southern health technicians. Other health resolutions included lobbying for funds to hold a Traditional healers and youth gathering July 26-29 at Opaskwayak Cree Nation and support for West Region Tribal Council in its plan to design and establish a First Nation treatment centre. Another resolution called on the SCO Health Unit to continue to participate in planning and feedback sessions on the Manitoba First Nation Health Council Strategic Plan and related documents.
Chiefs also supported a resolution calling for SCO's economic development arm, Danehco Inc., to develop a business plan to secure funding under the federal government's Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy. Danecho and First Peoples Development will work together to develop an "entity'' that will represent Southern nations in signing a new master agreement.
A full listing of resolutions from the May 5 & 6, 2010, SCO Summit will be posted on the SCO website under the Recent News & Events heading. The website is www.scoinc.mb.ca.
Grand Chief Morris J. Swan Shannacappo of Southern Chiefs' Organization