The Harper government’s initiative to speed up Indian claims settlement is overdue, but represents but a small piece of a puzzle crying out for completion.
Only when such leaders as Phil Fontaine and Bill Wilson stand up and say as much will Canadians be able to look to a prospect of socioeconomic equality between Indians and non-Indians. At present, Fontaine, chief of the Assembly of First Nations, and B.C. chief Wilson – defeated by Fontaine last July for the top aboriginal job – are trapped in a victim mindset.
They’re pandering to the hotheads in their communities rather than speaking on behalf of innovation and the taking of personal responsibility.
