Harper defends native policy

By Michael Tutton

The Canadian Press


Canada’ s largest aboriginal group criticized Stephen Harper for attending a meeting of a rival organization on Friday, through the prime minister responded he’ s merely seeking “common ground” with groups he can work with.

In a speech to about 200 delegates of the Congress of Aboriginal people, the prime minister cited statistic that the majority of aboriginals now lives in cities, and said his Conservative government will make their concern a priority. Those living off reserves now account for nearly half of the population on the federal Indian Registry”, noted Harper.

“These people cannot be forgotten or ignored any longer”, he told the members of the Congress, which was the only national native group to support the Conservative in the last federal election.However, Harper didn`t announce any fresh initiatives to assist aboriginals living in cities or off-reserves.

Rather, he reminded the audience that his minority government has “refocused” funding into a training and employment program for the aboriginal. Harper also said a joint agreement the federal government has with British Columbia and reserves in that province to provide added funding for education, is a model of the kind of arrangements we`d like to enter into with provinces.
Harper said he wants record of “real results through concrete, tangible actions” with “willing and able partners."

Still Harper`s mere presence at the meeting drew some harsh criticism from the Assembly of First Nation, which represents 633 reserves across the country.
This summer, Harper declined an invitation to attend an Assembly of First Nation meeting in Halifax.

Rick Simon, Atlantic regional chief of the Assembly of First Nation, said, the chiefs of Canada snubbed at that point, and here’ s is a group (the Congress of Aboriginal People)that has no structure and accountabilities and the prime minister finds the time to come in and address.”
He said the assembly is disappointed.

The Congress of Aboriginal people represents Métis, off reserves aboriginal and Inuits people.