Dear Editor:
Regarding the appalling stories about living conditions on many Indian reserves across Canada: The problem started historically with the discriminatory Indian Act. The federal government, through Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, control the political daily lives of our people. This started in the 1860s. Indian agents may have been replaced by band councils. What still remains, however, are the same old disreputable policies: policies that were formulated in the past by people with egotistical colonialist attitudes, and over the ensuing years have been enforced by whatever means deemed necessary by those in control.
Band councils with the approval of the AANDC exercise "carte blanche" powers on reserves. However, a governing structure, without accountability and no financial transparency can lead to all types of negative situations from nepotism to the squandering of the peoples' assets.
Recently the Squamish Band Council closed band offices from Dec. 16 to Jan. 3. Four hundred and fifty employees were off for 10 working days with full pay. The average daily wage paid per employee is approximately $100. As a bonus, employees also received $100 in gift cards. That's $495,000 for a big zero of productivity. This habit of giving oneself Christmas bonuses has been happening for at least 10 to 15 years.
Perhaps this is what the federal government wants: self-serving governments on Indian reserves maintaining a standard of inequality, no financial accountability and no financial transparency. The federal government needs to establish a meaningful dialogue with the general membership at the grassroots level to deal with decades of unresolved issues on Indian Reserves.
William J. Nahanee (Kwel-a-a-nexw,), North Vancouver
