***Much of this speech was directed to the government of canada but I felt the visit of the UN special rapporteur was the best place to voice it at the time.
Treaty 4 Territory October 2013. We were only given 5 minutes as INM founders so I cut mine down pretty short.
I had a Janice Switlo look it over a few days prior and she helped me with a bit of the wording towards the end (the uppercased selection)
I firmly believe that we MUST build nationhood locally for our sovereignty to be taken seriously by the government. In the passage towards the end, I am speaking to what the governments should be doing to honour us. We as Indigenous peoples know what must be done and we do not need any government to give us the go ahead. The resurgence of our ways will be the answer.
Indigenous laws, justice, rights and privilege go beyond any colonial laws
My people have been disconnected, disillusioned and disheartened.
This is not by their own doing. This DOES NOT mean they are
lost. They land in a place of strength. They find their purpose. They are useful. They become
something bigger than what they once were. We are still here and we will never be
gone even when the government of Canada continues its attempts at genocide.
As a woman and as a Mother, compassion for MY people will never end.
I have watched many of my people suffer the effects of genocide.
My people are homeless, lack safe
drinking water, go hungry, our children are taken away or are
threatened to be taken away daily. Our men and women are the first to
be taken into cells, incarcerated and given sentences that are unlike
those of our non-indigenous brothers and sisters. Our Women go
missing, our men disappear. Our youth are unable to access proper
education and employment.
Our access to living and practicing our traditions, speaking our languages, accessing our lands is denied by the government which is supported by
the extractive industry. WHY? Because we are connected to the land.
The government disregards our people so they can continue to rape the land
for profit. The trinkets they give us is only to keep us quiet. They
give lip service and purposely send our people to training programs
and jobs that are part of the industry that destroys earth and thus
destroys our race.
The legislation, laws, policies and regulations that
government has imposed on us has been purposeful and systemic to ensure our people cease to exist. The Indian act is perpetuated and has created a state
of dependency on our people. The ongoing policies of racism,
oppression and genocide is purposeful. The governenment justifies a
terribly unequal relationship of paternalism and facilitates
government control of lands and resources. We have an illegitimate
government because the treaties have not been honored. Not only in
the laws of the colonial government but also in the spirit and intent
of the treaties. These laws and legislation breaks indigenous laws
which are older than this colonial government.
What are some of the ways we break free from this genocide?
AMMEND AND REPEAL ALL ACTS OF CANADIAN GOVERNMENT LEGISLATION SO AS
IT DOES NOT CONSTRUE, ABROGATE OR DEROGATE FROM OUR INHERENT LAND AND
TREATY RIGHTS AS AFFIRMED IN THE GOVERNMENTS OWN CONSTITUTION
NO ACTION BY THE COLONIAL STATE OF CANADA TO BE TAKEN OR THREATENED
AGAINST OUR LAWFUL USE OF OUR LANDS AND SOVEREIGNTY
RESOURCE EXTRACTION AND NEGOTIATIONS OF RESOURCE EXTRACTION CEASE
AS WE RESTORE OUR COMMUNITIES AND STRENGTHEN OURSELVES SO THAT WE AND OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS CAN CARRY ON to OUR TRUE PATH;
.....
SOCIAL SERVICES MUST CONTINUE AT LEVELS COMPARABLE TO FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL STANDARDS
POST SECONDARY CAP IS TO BE LIFTED AND SCHOOL FUNDING ON RESERVE AND
ANY FUTURE INDIGENOUS SCHOOLS TO BE AT PAR FINANCIALLY WITH PROVINCIAL
STANDARDS ACROSS THE BOARD
THE SPIRIT AND INTENT OF TREATIES AND INHERENT RIGHTS BE DETERMINED AS
OUR NATIONS , WITH CERTAINTY, BELIEVE THEM TO BE UNDER ORAL HISTORY AND THE SPIRIT AND INTENT WITH WHICH THEY WERE AGREED TO
FUNDING FOR NATIONHOOD PLANNING, GOVERNANCE AND CAPACITY BUILDING TO
BE DIRECTED STRAIGHT TO THE BAND LEVEL ONCE INTERIM TRADITIONAL
SPOKESPEOPLE ARE SELECTED BY OUR OWN PEOPLE ...BY METHODS ....OF OUR OWN
CHOOSING AND MOST CERTAINLY NOT TO LOBBY OR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT
ARE NOT OUR GOVERNANCE. THEY CANNOT DO THIS WORK FOR US.
UNTIL OUR RESTORED GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES ARE SUFFICIENTLY IN PLACE.;
COMPENSATION FOR ALL PAST RESOURCE
EXPLOITATION FROM THIS DAY FORWARD BE PLACED IN TRUST ON OUR
CONDITIONS AND TERMS
RECOGNIZE THAT THE ASSEMBLY OF FIRST NATIONS, FEDERATION OF
SASKATCHEWAN INDIAN NATIONS AND ALL OTHER STATE IMPOSED AND STATE
FUNDED POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS, NON-PROFITS AND LOBBY GROUPS DERIVED
FROM THE INDIAN ACTION (1951) AND OTHER CANADIAN STATE LEGISLATION AND
OR POLICY, ARE NOT OF US, ARE NOT TITLE HOLDERS.
ALL NEGOTIATIONS WITH THESE ENTITIES MUST CEASE. NONE OF THESE ENTITIES BINDS US. EVERYTHING MUST BE ADDRESSED WITH US ONLY.
GOVERN YOURSELF ACCORDINGLY, RESTORE YOUR HONOUR AND RESPECT CONSISTENT WITH THE RELATIONS BETWEEN OUR PEOPLE AND YOU WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED BEFORE THE CREATOR
ACT HONORABLY AND CONSTITUTIONALLY RESPECT THE RULE OF LAW
NOW...
It has been said time and time again that my people will rise up.
That we will be the ones to ensure Mother Earth is protected. We have
been kind and patient. My people have suffered enough and we know it
will only get worse. We as human beings of this land know this. We
have given this government far too much time and credit. We are tired
but not tired enough to sit and wait. WE WILL, by any means necessary
ensure we do not stand idly by as the government continues their
attempts to destroy us a a people.
