Speaking notes

for

The Honourable Jim Prentice, PC, QC, MP
Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and
Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-status Indians

for presentation at a
Signing Ceremony

Anishinabek Nation Governance
Agreement-in-Principle

Nipissing First Nation
North Bay, Ontario
February 16, 2007

Check against delivery

Good morning.

I would like to particularly acknowledge the participation of the students and staff of N'Bissing Secondary School. I understand you have played a big role in planning for this event. Your singing and drumming, and your warm hospitality in greeting visitors has helped to make this a very special day.

It gives me great pleasure to be here on the territory of the Nipissing First Nation this morning. The Great Lakes Anishinaabe people have deep roots in this area. For hundreds of years, Anishinaabe people have met by these Lakes in gatherings such as this for purposes of trade, politics, celebration and ceremonies.

For over 300 years, the Anishinaabe people have met with representatives of Great Britain and later with representatives of the Government of Canada, to renew their friendship and discuss matters of mutual importance. So it is appropriate that we should celebrate the signing of this Agreement in Principle on the shore of Lake N'Bissing. It is an honour for me to be here.

Thomas Haliburton, a Nova Scotia politician and writer, said back in 1838 that "Government, both in theory and practice, resides with the people." I believe very strongly that the Agreement-in-Principle that we are signing today is an important step in returning government to where it should reside - with you, the Anishinabek Nation.

This agreement provides a framework to re-establish the Anishinabek system of government. It is a real, tangible indication of this government's support for your right, as First Nation people, to govern yourselves - to make decisions about matters that affect your communities.

And not only to exercise the responsibility that comes with self-government, but to reap its benefits also.

We all acknowledge that strong First Nations governance is vital to the development of greater individual self-reliance and to the growth of prosperous, sustainable communities.

Canada's New Government is committed to working closely with First Nations, through agreements like this one, to create the conditions for robust economic and social development in your communities. Working in partnership with you, we are determined to secure a better quality of life and a brighter future for all First Nations people.

Certainly, we can look for no stronger advocates for this process than the leaders of Nipissing First Nation and the Anishinabek Nation. Grand Chief Beaucage, your progressive and forward-looking agenda and your vision of a unified Anisinabek Nation have been instrumental in bringing all of us to this ceremony today.

Grand Chief Couchie, your community's early support of the Governance AIP and your personal commitment to advancing the restoration of First Nation jurisdiction over education in this territory, provide the kind of leadership momentum that will help carry these negotiations through to a Final Agreement.

This Agreement-in-Principle is an encouraging step. Under an Anishinabek Nation Final Agreement on governance - the long-term goal we are all working towards - sections of the Indian Act dealing with elections, membership and some aspects of community governance would no longer apply. You will be able to adopt your own laws in these areas.

With these new authorities, First Nation governments will be better able to attract investments, create partnerships and manage economic opportunities. These are essential to encouraging youth to continue their education and to improving social conditions in your communities.

This Agreement-in-Principle lays the foundation for a new partnership between the Anishinabek Nation and the Government of Canada. It reflects the priority the people of the Anishinabek Nation place on effective governance and the desire of First Nations leaders for direct accountability to their citizens.

As Grand Council Chief Beaucage and the First Nation negotiating team have made clear, self-government in this territory will be guided by your vision. It is your means to achieving and maintaining prosperous, stable communities.

I can assure you, this government is determined to see this vision become a reality. Our shared objective in the final stage of negotiations is to remove some of the most confining parts of the Indian Act, which currently restrict the authority and power of First Nations governments.

The Act has hamstrung Band Councils for more than a century, denying them the most rudimentary governance tools that would allow them to address the needs and interests of their communities. We want to see these outdated provisions of the Indian Act replaced by the Anishinabek Nation's own laws in the four core governance areas: leadership selection; citizenship; culture and language; and management and operations of government.

Once the final self-government agreement is reached, the First Nations that adopt it will have law-making authority in these areas. It is today's Agreement- in-Principle that will make this progress possible.

There are many noteworthy features of this Agreement. Perhaps the most remarkable is the way that it could bring together upwards of 50,000 people of the Ojibway, Odawa, Pottawatomi, Algonquin, Mississauga, Chippewa and Delaware First Nations in a united effort to build and strengthen the Anishinabek Nation. I have every confidence that together you will establish governing institutions that reflect both pride in Anishinaabe tradition and hope for a promising future.

I would like to acknowledge the ongoing work of the negotiating teams, led by the Anishinabek Nation's Head Negotiator Martin Bayer and Chief Federal Negotiator Liz Morin.

This AIP is a testament to the spirit of cooperation and the commitment to mutual respect that has characterized the process leading to today's signing ceremony.

It is also a reflection of the progressive approach that the First Nations represented here take to all of their community affairs. Aside from these governance negotiations, the Anishinabek Nation is currently engaged in self-government negotiations with the Government of Canada in education. We expect a Final Agreement will be reached later this year.

As today's ceremony shows, we are all working hand-in-hand to create strong and vibrant First Nations communities. In the process, we are improving the lives of First Nations people - economically, socially and politically.

Most valuable to me, we are building lasting friendships at the same time as we are setting the stage for a more hopeful future for First Nations.

I am very proud to play a role in this process and have every confidence that the best is yet to come.

Thank you.

Back to Index Page