Letters: May 27

Re: “Of cigarettes and land claims”, Doreen Davis

Re: sustainability and viability, Lynn Shwadchuck

Re: Sharbot Lake library undersized, Patrick Maloney

Response to “Of Cigarettes and Land Claims”

We would like to share our views of your May 13th, 2010 Frontenac News editorial in the spirit of building better relations between and among First Nations peoples and other Canadians.

Particularly during this time, which the United Nations has declared the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures and also the Year of Biodiversity (more on that subject later), we believe it essential that the historic facts and realities that constitute our identity and sustained existence be clearly understood and acknowledged. Referring to the Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures:

“The main goal of the Year will be to demonstrate the benefits of cultural diversity by acknowledging the importance of the constant transfers and exchanges between cultures and the ties forged between them since the dawn of humanity. As cultures encompass not only the arts and humanities, but also lifestyles, different ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs, the protection and promotion of their rich diversity invites us to rise to new challenges at the local, national, regional and international levels. This will involve integrating the principles of dialogue and mutual knowledge in all policies, particularly education, science, culture and communication policies, in the hope of correcting flawed cultural representations, values and stereotypes.”

Though your editorial mixed a number of points we see two fundamental issues that you present. The first is your objection to the level of confidentiality associated with how the provincial and federal governments deliver their mandates. Indeed, it is the responsibility of Canadian citizenry to speak to its government representatives about the transparency of their governance and delivery of their mandates, just as the Algonquin people speak to us and hold us accountable for our deliberative public processes. The editorial, however, did not make clear that Algonquins are not responsible for the provincial and federal delivery of their mandates any more than they are for ours.

Consider that the implementation of the Canadian Comprehensive Land Claim policy has been the subject of criticism domestically and internationally because of its failure to address long-term injustices experienced by Aboriginal peoples within Canada. Respecting the minority position of First Nations in any negotiation process requires great care to balance conflicting interests. Your newspaper may also want to look at municipal, provincial, and federal standards of confidentiality more carefully to see that when negotiating land issues, with any party, great care is exercised.

The second issue in your editorial contains the perspective that individual rights within the law must be the same for all entities existent within Canada, rather than recognizing the historic chronologies and contexts that must be considered within legal practices and principles in order to arrive at justice. Though your editorial’s point of view is common it is problematic and potentially dangerous when it serves as a catalyst for racism directed at Algonquin people. Why, you and many others may sincerely ask? Because, at the time of contact there were several nations already here in advance of the foundation of the nation state we now know as Canada. Those nations had rights that were acknowledged by the French and English in instruments such as the Articles of Capitulation and the Royal Proclamation of 1763 among others. Later, the Constitution Act of 1982 recognized and affirmed existing Aboriginal and treaty rights.

The first settlers to this area were not only greeted by the Algonquins, but various genealogical and other records indicate many families would not have survived their first winters without the assistance and generosity of the Algonquin people. See also “The Algonquin presence” by Claudia Smith in the 2010 Travel & Recreation Guide published by the New Lanark Era.

The generosity experienced by local settlers from area Algonquins was not a local phenomena but a commitment that was expressed on a trilateral national basis with French and English representatives in the early 1700’s. This commitment is imbedded and sustained within the Friendship and Sharing Wampum Belt carried by our esteemed Elder William Commanda. The belt reveals three figures that represent three nations. The French and English Nations are positioned on each side of the Algonquin Nation, located in the centre of the belt. The newcomers agreed to partake in the equitable sharing of the “Grand Resources of the land” and accepted the sacred responsibility of caring for “ginawaydaganac” (the web of life) not only for their generation but also for future generations. Given the circumstances and realities of that time, the Aboriginal responsibility symbolized in the belt was to share millennia old traditional knowledge and to guide the newcomers in caring for this wonderful land without being overcome by greed and ignorance.

It is also interesting in this UN Year of Biodiversity that the world has begun to recognize the value of Indigenous knowledge and cultures as powerful and irreplaceable tools in reversing the rapid extinction of species. In fact, article 8j, which refers to Indigenous peoples and traditional knowledge, will be a major part of the agenda for ratification in Nagoya Japan by the nearly 200 countries that are party to the Convention on Biodiversity.

Algonquin people and indeed many other First Nations helped Canada defend and define its boundaries leading up to and throughout the War of 1812. As allied Nations we contributed significantly to the sovereign existence of Canada. However, for over 200 years the Crown and more recently Canada have ignored our repeated pleas for mutual affirmation, for honor and justice. Throughout these long and dark ages our Nations, our peoples, have done what was needed to do to in order to survive unrelenting land and resource dispossession and Canada’s interminable termination policies. We remain the poorest people within a wealthy country built upon our resources — made all the more symbolic by the existence of Canada’s capital, Ottawa, built upon unceded Algonquin land. We also live with a national press that remains silent on the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People — and by that silence being supportive of Canada’s moral displacement from the rest of the world. For these reasons and others we find that the Frontenac News’ editorial ignores our shared histories and current realities, as well as Section 35 of the Constitution.

Finally, and for all that we have stated about the complex and challenging nature of our ongoing relationship, we remain optimistic. We still believe we have an opportunity to return to the values imbedded within the early 18th Century Friendship and Sharing Wampum belt, to restore the honour of the crown, and to truly reconcile our nation-to-nation relationship by forging new alliances one neighbour and community at a time. Rather than feeling threatened by our parallel histories we have an opportunity in eastern Ontario to build an enlightened and dynamic future for all of our children.

In this respect, one innovative example is offered by the City of Edmonton that recently developed a declaration called Strengthening Relationships Between the City of Edmonton and Urban Aboriginal People. Perhaps we can learn something from this unique partnership. Allow us to quote a few lines from the declaration’s section entitled “Appreciating the Legitimacy of Aboriginal Autonomy:”

“We recognize that Aboriginal Peoples have not surrendered their rights to autonomy. Aboriginal Peoples were autonomous at the time of contact and yet have endured regulation for generations. We recognize that for many Aboriginal people, self-governance is rightfully viewed as a first step in community capacity building and resolution of many of the issues experienced by their communities. We value harmony in our relationship and value the willingness of Aboriginal people to work in partnership with the rest of the community to enhance the development and prosperity of Edmonton.”

It is important to realize that unforeseen events foster change and constantly generate new challenges to our historic relationship. However, it is also for these reasons that we must extend our understanding to accommodate the dynamics of a heightened consciousness. We therefore respectfully recommend that the Frontenac News embrace the responsibility of ensuring that it does not fuel the fires of discord, but rather builds bridges of reconciliation and rapprochement to create a respectful and hopeful future for all of our children.

Miigwech,
Doreen Davis, Chief
and Council, Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation

Sustainability and viability

I am replying to Shastri Ablack's letter (Re: What Do We Get for Our Money? Letters,  May 20) asking for our thoughts on sustainability and viability.

I've been involved in similar conversations locally, where people are worried that once the present wave of retirees dies, the villages of Central and North Frontenac will be ghost towns. In fact, the baby boomers have only just begun to retire, with the teachers among them the first to go. I think there's vast potential for new retirees to find their way here. There's no need to assume that these are do-nothing gray-hairs who will only build monster homes on the water and consume expensive services. In fact many people only half retire –relatively young and on a modest income, continuing to do some sort of paying work from home, often requiring high-speed internet. These are people who enjoy the peace out here like Shastri, participate in local culture, as Shastri and I do, and spend most of their income right here. 

There is concern that we need young families here. It's pretty silly to talk about needing employment opportunities for them. Are we looking for a plastic molding factory or a cement plant? Maybe a wind turbine manufacturer or a solar panels factory? No, we need knowledge workers who can telecommute from anywhere. I believe we're a well-kept secret, close to three attractive cities. Rather than promoting high-end waterfront development that raises property tax levels and drives out all the owners of smaller homes (which consume less energy), we could encourage more small lower-tax homes on parcels of a few acres fairly close to the villages, promoting the fact that land is still affordable here. This would build a more vibrant community of creative people who could support things like libraries, farm markets, specialty shops, cultural activities, and local trades. 

Shastri also mentioned another wave of back-to-the-landers. This is quite possible with all that's been learned over the past few decades about organic gardening and rebuilding poor soil with aggressive composting. It would be excellent to highlight local success stories at mixed farming and market gardening in order to bust the myth that up here on the Canadian Shield you can't grow much. 

Lynn Shwadchuck

Re: Sharbot Lake Library Undersized

In his letter (Sharbot Lake Library Undersized, Letters,  May 20/10) rebutting comments made in my letter (Reasons for Resignation, Letters, April 29), Marcel Giroux exemplifies the very myopia I was referring to. The only facts that are pertinent are these: according to the Kingston Frontenac Public Library’s own criteria of 0.5 gross sq ft per capita, the Sharbot Lake Library branch at 1,000 sq ft is over sized for the population that it serves (Oso Ward -1,500 pop.) and the only reason the KFPL 'Branch Services Review Final Report Aug 2004' gave for expanding it was to centralize library services and close the libraries in Arden, Mtn. Grove and Parham.

“This area currently has 0.69 sq ft of library space per capita exceeding both the planning guideline of 0.5 sq ft and the average for KFPL of 0.56. . . . the supply of library space will meet the 0.5 planning standard through 2026.” (Pg 30)

“Recommendation #14 - Provide one new library of about 4,000 sq ft in Sharbot Lake to provide a higher level of library service in Central and North Frontenac”

“Recommendation # 16 - The Arden, Parham and Mtn Grove libraries should be closed after the new neighbourhood library in Sharbot Lake becomes available.”

Despite Mr. Giroux’s assertion, at no point in that report is there any mention of an interim expansion to 2,000 sq.ft for the Sharbot Lake branch. The 9,000 sq.ft figure was being touted by Library Board member Ralph Gatfield at a recent Multi-Use Centre committee meeting.

Mr Giroux finishes his letter with “ There is nothing myopic about wanting the same level of service available throughout the system” referencing Sydenham, which unlike Sharbot Lake, is considered a major growth area into the future (projected pop. 8,297 by 2026 - table 5.3).

Having started my own long, enlightening time as a library user in a Saturday morning Bookmobile, I understand the sentiment that Mr Giroux espouses. Unfortunately, as Mr Giroux well knows, the consultant's report points out repeatedly that such a level of service will only be possible with centralization. To promote such expansion of one branch while willfully ignoring the centralization plan which would be extremely detrimental to the committed library users in Arden, Mtn. Grove and Parham is not only myopic, it is self serving and selfish.

Circulation at the Sharbot Lake branch is indeed significantly higher than the other 3 branches but it is worth noting that Junior circulation in 2003 was almost one half of total circulation in Mtn Grove & Parham.  In Arden, even without a local school it was 20%. Sharbot Lake was only 19% (pg 34). It is the children and retirees (40% of users) who will be most affected by the centralization plan, and seniors surveyed said they were satisfied with the level of service in their local libraries.

The entire issue is wrapped up in the not so subtle transmutation of the proposed township multi-use cultural centre into a Sharbot Lake multi-use centre. Once again another spokesman for Sharbot Lake would have us believe that what is good for them is good for us all. . . oh, and send your cheque.

Patrick Maloney