Manitoba chief condemns inaction

JOE FRIESEN

From Saturday's Globe and Mail

September 13, 2008 at 12:27 AM EDT

Manitoba's Grand Chief has urged the province's native leaders to stop communicating with the acting regional director of Indian and Northern Affairs to protest against what he calls a revolving door of inaction at the federal agency.

Ron Evans, head of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, said no schools are going to be built on Manitoba reserves this year or next year because the province's INAC office has had four acting regional directors in the past 10 months and has done almost nothing as a result.

A school infested with snakes in Lake St. Martin is just the worst example of the kind of problem that needs to be dealt with, but which has been bandied back and forth by administrators trying to acquaint themselves with a new job, he said.

“There's all kinds of problems and we're not able to even sit down with someone we can work with on a long-term basis,” Mr. Evans said.

“There's no one that comes here with the sincerity to make the changes for the communities, to address the needs for them to have a safe and healthy community for their people.”

Indian Affairs spokeswoman Patricia Valladao said department officials were unable to provide her with an adequate update Friday, so she could not explain why the office has had four directors in 10 months.

Mr. Evans said he met with each of the directors and, not only did they have little knowledge of Manitoba, they didn't seem interested in the issues he raised.

“As a matter of fact, they gave the impression that they were just killing time,” he said. “They should put someone in here permanently right away.”

In December of last year, the INAC office in downtown Winnipeg was raided and three top civil servants, including the regional director Mary Blais, were marched out of the building and placed on paid leave pending a forensic audit.

The forensic audit wrapped up this summer, and Ms. Blais and former associate director Martin Egan were demoted as a result.

No public explanation for their demotions has been provided, Mr. Evans said.

Mr. Evans identified two other communities, Manto Sipi Cree Nation and Shamattawa, that also need new schools but can't get anyone to listen to their concerns. A native community in Fairford, Man., needs a new system for clean drinking water, he said. In Garden Hill, an area that has struggled with gangs and violence, and where a 22-year-old was slain Friday, Mr. Evans complained, the RCMP can't find anyone willing to live and work there. Officers rotate through for a few weeks at a time, he said.