Jacques Marion, the so-called third-party manager sent into Attawapiskat, high-tailed it back to Ottawa after an unfriendly welcome in the northern First Nation community today. He is at this moment peeling tar and feathers off his backside.
Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan, who appointed Marion, says that's tough luck for the natives.
"Jacques' got their money" Duncan said. "He remains in full control of their finances. If they want any help at all they'd better get over themselves."
Band Chief Theresa Spence fully approved of the move to run Marion out of town. She claims that the appointment of a third-party manager is just an attempt to silence the band and blame the victim.
It should be pointed out that calling the government appointee a "third party" is a misnomer. There are two parties involved here; the federal government and the Attawapiskat First Nation. One party has the hardship and the other party has the hard cash. When the party with the cash nominates an agent to hold the money, that doesn't make that agent a "third party".
But it does speak volumes about the nature of the relationship between the government and the First Nations. In theory the relationship is between two nations. In reality, the federal government feels perfectly content to say to the natives "if you don't do it our way go ahead and freeze to death."
Good for them for running the arrogant bastards out of town.
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