Native Council 'very disappointed' to be left out of meetings

Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Carolyn Bennett will be on P.E.I. Wednesday to meet with Island Indigenous groups, but the Native Council of P.E.I. won't be one of them.

Bennett is scheduled to meet with Chief Brian Francis and Chief Matilda Ramjattan as part of her national engagement tour to develop a recognition and implementation of rights framework.

Bennett's office told CBC P.E.I. she doesn't have time for an additional meeting during her visit.

"I think it's a missed opportunity by Canada to meet with P.E.I.'s off-reserve and non-status Indigenous peoples. That's the largest population on the Island," said Native Council president Lisa Cooper.

The Native Council represents off-reserve and non-status Aboriginal people.

Bennett should have made time to meet with the council, Cooper said.

Daniels v. Canada ruling

She hopes Bennett changes her mind "so we can show her what our programs and services are about and what our community is about, and why it's important to be included in the framework."

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in 2016, in Daniels v. Canada, that off-reserve and non-status Aboriginals fall under section 91(24) of the Constitution, which says the federal government is responsible for addressing their issues.

The council was part of that case as an intervener and thought things would change after the ruling, but they haven't, Cooper said.

'Jurisdictional wasteland'

"Is the government ever going to reconcile with the Indigenous people or are they going to keep us in this jurisdictional wasteland where we're going to continue to suffer more so than any other peoples in Canada?

"I was hoping this government, when they talked about nation-to-nation, government-to-government, would recognize the only way we're ever going to overcome that is through conversations. Sometimes they're difficult ones, but it absolutely needs to include the Native Council."

Everyone affected by the issue has to be at the table, Cooper said.

'Choosing to miss a great opportunity'

"If you need to change something, you need to bring the people that are going to be affected by that change. This framework is absolutely going to affect my community."

Bennett has been holding discussions across the country focusing on legislative changes necessary to reform government policies to recognize Indigenous rights.

"The prime minister stated a desire for a brighter, more inclusive future for Canada's Indigenous people," Cooper said. "If that's the case, then why are they choosing to miss such a great opportunity to meet with us?"

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