charter.rights

Since they have a difference system of law and the Supreme Court instituted that Courts must provide Gladue Reports for aboriginal offenders, to avoid incarceration at all possibility. It is the law.

Canadian courts in the past had trouble recognizing aboriginal rights. But not any more.... In Criminal sentencing in Canada a court is required to take into account all reasonable alternatives to incarcerations...

No. The court recognized their right to hunt and dropped the charges. No. Because they are self-governing. When the gun registry was first implemented they quickly created their own law. Because they have their own registry system on reserve. A right they have because they are a different nation than us, and we made an agreement to recognize them as long as the grass grows and the rivers flow.

Fantino is more outspoken than Baird. I bet he will either be silenced pretty quickly by Harper, or he will be sent to the back benches. He really can't keep his mouth shut and that will hurt the Conservatives if Harper doesn't get it under control soon.

Tax exemption is a right, not our choice. They get money because were owe them trillions of dollars that will never be paid off in our lifetime. However, you keep paying because I feel a raise coming soon...And if I raise my consulting fees for 2011 I should be able to get a big piece of it.

Nope. Their rights are license enough. However, while it would side with FN to allow them to sell their game commercially. hasn't been fully tested to date it is likely that the courts. The judgments rendered in the SCoC and more recently in Canada Tax Court are clear the fish caught off reserve and sold commercially are personal property qua Indian and as such is not taxable, or limited. In another case a number of years ago, about 8-10 native hunters went into a provincial park to harvest deer. The first time they went in they harvested about 80 deer. The MNR charged them and the charges were promptly thrown out of court. The second time they culled about 50 deer and were charged a second time. The Crown withdrew the last charges citing that they believed that the aboriginal right to hunt exceed the MNR's jurisdiction over the park (the park was part of the traditional hunting area for the FN). Most of the venison went to Toronto for distribution and some was retained for the reserve. The knowingly did this in front of the MNR and with the court's knowledge. This one move extended the right of possession for personal consumption to distribution (without even inspection mind you) for other's consumption - which in considered illegal under provincial law. However, the have establish a clear right to hunt and share the meat.\ \ In Mitchell v. MNR the SCoC establish that the Mohawks have a clear commercial east-west trading right that would seem to coincide with these actions. BTW. Native people in Ontario do not need to possess tags or licenses to hunt, and may do so unrestricted anytime of the year. They do not have to register their guns in the national registry either so there is a clear distinction between native rights and regulation imposed on us but not applicable on them.

You know nothing in comparison to running a Band administration. I would even bet you have trouble with your household budget.

Band contracts are tendered...another of INAC's checks and balances. So getting a contract for work is not a rip off. Very likely the money eventually was distributed back to the band through their spending on reserve. The Band gets elected. If they think money should be dispersed to its members (which would be illegal under INAC) then they are the ones that should be demanding it. Not some back-woods nose breather. It really isn't any of your business how the money is "dispersed" on a First Nation. It is all controlled by INAC. Take your complaints to them.

Alas you are out of touch with how things work, or the mounds of paperwork INAC requires to clear a dime. It isn't a rip-off. It is a reasonable compensation based on our standards. And no, they are not ripping off their people. Band administration is paid for by INAC. The band benefits are paid from different budgets and programs that have nothing to do the band administration funding.

Poverty is the yoke you wear around your neck. You are no more free than the rich guy that you attempt to imprison. I am free. And I am also very prosperous. And I choose everything that I get. When you learn that your oath of poverty does not benefit you while still envious of the rich man, you might see the door to freedom. But not until then, at least.

^EXCEPT^ People who live in technicolour are not talking down to you. They merely disagree that all life is from your perspective i.e. black and white. Their choices to see colour and live in freshness and invigoration does not change your dull outlook unless you are envious of them. That is the only way you can be put down. Change your mind and choose again. You have that power.

You are out of touch on this subject. That is how I know where your loyalties lie (as well as seeing your participation elsewhere). Accordingly, Sheila Fraser has stated in a number of audits that First Nations are heavily audited - more than any other group in Canada - and that the problem lies not with the First Nations but with INAC who do not either read the reports for months after they are submitted or have failed to act on the issues. The failure is with our government that believes that they are entitled to their entitlements. Band governments are just another department that no one cares about.

First of all the Band has over 300 members. However, the work required for 150 as a Chief is the same as 3500. Same issues. Same paperwork to be filled out and perhaps even more time would be required traveling to Ottawa or the capital of any province lobbying for additional funds. I would admit that $240k seems a tad high but considering that it is not just a salary but includes all kinds of other reimbursable expenses I don't think that it is out of line for the job. I know myself that the Financial Corporations that I sit on the Board of Directors (I am a volunteer) incurred about $25,000 each last year for my service on the board (training, Per Diem, travel to special meetings and executive expenses) certainly isn't part of my income in any form or fashion. So I can sympathize that their travel to Ottawa for a week's stay can add up especially when it has to be done 5 or 6 times a year. So really $240k is not that much more than the mayor of Anytown, Ontario once the full expenses are factored in.

Those 70 or 80 days boil down to maybe 4 hours of work per day in the odd committee. Work that out by the hour.....

If you were truly concerned about how our taxes were being spent you would be focusing on the mis-spending of the Conservative government. There are hundreds of examples. No. you concern is nothing more that using FN as an easy target and leaving the realy tough issues up to those of us with some balls to do something about it.

You lose, again. Nothing but ad hominem and straw man arguments out of this one.

So you have made your choice to see gray instead of colours. There is nothing wrong with it, just accept your responsibility for it.

You are not so spiritually advanced as you claim. There is no pain and pleasure. There is just perception that both exist. "Is" is all that there is. Accepting it or rejecting it is a choice we make each moment. Balance is not letting either dominate. It is not about mastering either. It is about ignoring your first automated response to an event, and choosing again. Intelligence is far over rated. Knowledge is easy. However, living in true bliss without a concern for morality, or thought processing or rationalization is true grace. You see death as a contrast to life. Yet our bodies are dying every second of the day. Our cellular life is under constant attack from within. Our clock is ticking. And yet you refuse to truly live preferring martyrdom to prosperity, or silence to injustice. You have chosen. No one is to blame for your choices. And if you don't like the outcome, chose again, but be humble and thankful for the gifts you are about to receive - even if they cause pain and destruction, they are by your choice and for that you should be grateful.

Ah....more ad hominem... And not even inventive stuff.... Your level of debate rivals Mr. Canada. Are you his bum buddy by any chance?

Ya right. A dead link. Your skill at observation is lacking. There are many who interested in discussing this with me and others, given the fact that many of the threads I have been in are still going. You problem is that you have run out of material and repeating your opinion over and over again after it being proven wrong is pretty embarrassing for you. You sir are a liar. You said back about 200 messages ago that you were done and yet you are still here. Quit your lying and suck it up sunshine. You like getting beat up by more intelligent people, like me. Admit it.

Interesting that you think you are "most people" or that you represent anyone here....You opinion is worth nothing and it has been pointed out on many occasions that you are incapable of backing up any of your arguments with references. That you think is of questionable value. That others may not like the truth....priceless.... I wish you wouldn't waste my time, it is true. But you are like a lice infestation and you draw me in to scratch now and then. I will keep scratching and you can keep your blood-sucking on someone else's ass for a while, k?

You do understand that provincial law does not over ride aboriginal rights, regardless if it is provincial regulation or legislation? As I pointed out earlier the Supreme Court of Canad already struck it down, and unless the entire hunting season or fishing resources is completely shut down first for all non-natives, there is no justification to interfere with an aboriginal hunting or fishing rights for conservation purposes. Here is another: "We have the sole commercial hunting rights to a very large bear hunting area immediately surrounding our Perrault Falls lodge location, with a strong bear population to draw from." Not at all. I have provided the examples of commercial hunting and fishing rights are are proof they exist, as well as SCoC cases confirming it. All you have, once again is your opinion, with no substance and only a straw man argument to back it up. And the great defender of bigotry and insult resorts to his own form of ad hominem. A feeble attempt at trying to show your inferiority in the discussion.

These Chiefs are not "self-governing" they are Indian Act Chiefs. It is a systme imposed on them and one that emulates ours. The one Chief who purportedly earn $900k did not earn more than the Prime Minister. The figures released by CTF included all his expenses and reimbursements for doing the job. As I understand it they took everything that passed hands and included it in their estimates. And First Nations do not get $10,000 each from INAC. That is a load of bunk. The actual INAC budget is in the $14 billion range it is true but by the time INAC takes their employee salaries, their employee programs and benefits and First Nations get the table scraps it amounts to about $5 billion a year. That $5b is distributed to all First Nations and off reserve programs, as well as Aboriginal Business Canada which is used to support loans to native businesses for start up and capital resources. The end result is that Band governments receive about $3500 for each member to cover their health system, education system, housing, water, sewage systems, roads, social system and all the infrastructure the band is responsible for maintaining. Compare this to a small municipality which receives about $8,000 a year from provincial tax base, and that does not have to cover health, social services or education which are either paid for by the province directly in part or in whole (BTW Education is funded 60% by the province in spite of the education taxes we typically pay). So ye they are in third world conditions, some doing better than others. In Ontario the First Nations Casino Agreement inputs additional funds into reserves. However, the spending on those funds are restricted to community development projects, and cannot be used to contribute to infrastructure, or administration costs. Even though there may be a little window dressing going on, the reality is the fridge is still full of old food. I would agree that a Chief earning $500,000 per year is an obscene wage. However, I also believe that paying the CEO of some hospital $500k or any CEO of any bank over $500 is equally in not more deplorable. The problem isn't with native Chiefs taking money from their constituents. No. They take it from the taxpayers - the same taxpayers that are paying Federal Senators $500k per year per life to attend a few sessions and do nothing most the time. We all pay for political corruption and greed and if a politician or a business administrator can get away with ripping off the taxpayer, they will and do. So FN Chiefs are merely playing a game that we willing turn a blind eye to. When the rest of you Indian junkies start complaining and doing something about our politicians and our business leaders stealing our money, then maybe you'll be justified at turning your attention to FN Chiefs. But as long as we tolerate it, and ignore our own failings we have no right to criticize.

That's not the issue. Politicians are entitled to their entitlements and First Nation politicians are only entitled to our scraps. I sense a bit of jealousy in the OP. There is more to life than dwelling on one's hatred.

Balance between good and evil over-rules all.