Nation 2 Nation News

By: Angela Lavallee

The entire list of Ontario Conservative MPP’s listed on former Alderville Chief’s Facebook page should adhere to his request and refrain from attending any traditional Pow-wow gathering across the province for the rest of the year.

Chief Dave Mowat who served the Anishnaabe community of Alderville First Nation either as councillor or Chief, continues to be a big part of leadership and in environmental aspects of First Nations across the country. Mowat who also demonstrated his Treaty and sovereign right as a Chief of a First Nation and removed a drug dealer from the community in 2023 where he spoke to the Northumberland News and vowed the community of Alderville would not be a victim to such activity, and gave his own lesson to other First Nations on how to deal with such matters has spoke out on the passing of Bill-5 last week in the Ontario legislature and is adamant in his request.

In his Facebook post, Mowat posted his disdain and why and listed several names of MPP’s in the area all along Treaty 20 it seems, to avoid coming to Anishnaabe pow wows because they support the bill and simply cannot mean to gather and pretend they are for the First Nations of Ontario and this after Bill-5 the Special Economic Zones Act passed. To Mowat, it just seems too much, and like a stab to the back with the biggest knife the province could find.

“I hope PC MPPs get escorted out of the respective pow-wows this year,” he wrote on his Facebook Page.

Yet, hours before Bill-5 passed, Premier Doug Ford told reporters he was in (constant) consult with Ontario First Nations and would continue to his duty to do so. He said many First Nations Chiefs in Ontario are happy and glad development is on the horizon in their communities. He also went on to say what is wrong with providing roads to First Nations where they didn’t have one before. “I can’t believe they don’t want this or the roads built.” Said the premier to bunch of reporters outside City Hall on June 4.

This is not the case with Chief Soloman Atlookan and Eabametoong First Nation Council who is not going to be bulldozed over by the feds or province of Ontario. He issued a warning to the Premier of Ontario, as well as Prime Minister Mark Carney. “If you want to consider a positive way forward time is running short. Ontario’s action this week have sown the seeds of conflict. As I stated in March, I recommend a joint meeting together with the leaders of the remote First Nations in the Matawa homelands,” he wrote in his statement on June 12.

The lands of Matawa is in The Ring of Fire, and that’s a big deal to Premier Doug Ford. His steamrolling attitude is not going to end well and he needs to take a lesson and learn of what is in front of him, and it’s the First Nation’s of Ontario who he has repeatedly said up and down his windpipe that he is consulting with. Well, if he is, then why are many Chiefs not on his side on Bill-5? Why won’t he tell the public the Ontario Chiefs who are happy that Bill-5 is on their doorstep? Except perhaps those who can’t see the land and rights of their own for the all-mighty dollar.

Regional Chief Scott McLeod from Nipissing First Nation briefed OPP at headquarters in Orillia where he said he has no issues with shutting down the economy, something that Chief McLeod said in not off the table. Almost always when the federal and provincial governments start getting pushy and think they can treat the First Nations of Canada and Ontario as though we don’t need consultation, and when we take our treaties and lands into consideration, the police are always called upon. Chief MeLeod stated to the media outlets that police need to understand First Nations positions and avoid another incident like Ipperwash, referring to where Dudley George was shot and killed by OPP sniper while in protest over the land at Stoney Point Provincial Park in 1995.

Even as of late, the Assembly of First Nations is battling the feds on Bill C-5, One Canadian Economy Act, but with National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak’s statement, Prime Minister Mark Carney could also benefit and take a lesson and learn the art of consultation, even if he can’t fully understand why.