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Canada native chiefs in disarray ahead of PM talks Boycott and protests over Canada native talks
(about 1 hour later)
Plans for crunch talks between Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and native chiefs over treaty rights and other issues are in disarray. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and a group of First Nations chiefs have begun talks over treaty rights and native groups' historic grievances.
Some First Nation chiefs say they will not join Friday's meeting because the governor general is not attending. Friday's talks come amid raucous protests in Ottawa by native Canadians who have boycotted the meeting.
Other grievances on the agenda include resource revenue and laws affecting environmental oversight. First Nations chiefs sitting out the talks are angered the governor general did not attend and dispute the terms of the talks.
Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence, who went on hunger strike four weeks ago, has refused to attend. On the agenda were resource revenue and laws affecting environmental oversight.
She began her protest against a budget bill critics say weakens native land rights and environmental safeguards.
'Stand in solidarity''Stand in solidarity'
Governor General David Johnston - who is the representative of Queen Elizabeth, but is not involved with everyday government matters - has offered to attend a separate ceremonial meeting with the chiefs after the discussions between the government and the Assembly of First Nations delegation. On Friday, Mr Harper and a group of native leaders met at government offices beside the Canadian parliament in Ottawa.
But Ms Spence has said this would not be sufficient, and chiefs from the provinces of Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories joined her, saying they would also not participate in the talks. He was joined by several cabinet ministers, including Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq and Treasury Board Secretary Tony Clement.
Among those skipping the talks was Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence, who went on hunger strike four weeks ago in protest against a budget bill that critics say weakens native land rights and environmental safeguards.
Governor General David Johnston - who is the representative of Queen Elizabeth but is not involved with everyday government matters - has offered to attend a separate ceremonial meeting with the chiefs after the discussions between the government and the delegation of First Nations chiefs.
And Mr Harper has offered to hold a second meeting with Mr Johnston and Ms Spence, the Globe and Mail has reported.
Ms Spence and other native leaders have said this would not be sufficient, arguing the treaty rights in question were first established under a royal proclamation.
In addition to Ms Spence, chiefs from the provinces of Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan and the North-West Territories have boycotted the talks.
"We want to see the governor general and the prime minister and have it opened up to all of the chiefs," said Perry Bellegarde, chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, according to the Globe and Mail newspaper."We want to see the governor general and the prime minister and have it opened up to all of the chiefs," said Perry Bellegarde, chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, according to the Globe and Mail newspaper.
"That's what we are saying, that's what Chief Spence is saying, and we support that and stand in solidarity.""That's what we are saying, that's what Chief Spence is saying, and we support that and stand in solidarity."
Mr Harper is only scheduled to attend the beginning and end of the talks, which will take place at his offices. The dissenting chiefs have also demanded Mr Harper come to them - that the meeting be held in a larger room at Ottawa's Delta Hotel, where they are based, and have said more chiefs should be involved.
The dissenting chiefs have also demanded that the meeting be held in a larger room at Ottawa's Delta Hotel, where they are based, and that more chiefs should be involved. Assembly of First Nations Chief Sean Atleo is attending the meeting after calling for unity on Thursday evening.
Correspondents say it is not clear how many chiefs will attend the meeting with Mr Harper. "We need to continue to stand united - chiefs, delegates," Mr Atleo said, href="http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/native-protesters-block-entrance-to-prime-minister-s-office-1.1109963" >according to broadcaster CTV. "If we are to be divided at a moment like this, the governments will see that."
The grassroots movement Idle No More, which has held protests across Canada, has planned events to coincide with Friday's meetings. Some chiefs are threatening a no-confidence vote over his attendance at the talks.
It has threatened to block major roads and rail lines in Ontario if its demands are not met, Grand Chief Gordon Peters told reporters on Friday. Rail blockade
His delegation has raised the prospect of holding a no-confidence vote for the head of the Assembly of First Nations, Shawn Atleo, if he attends talks with the prime minister. It is not clear how many chiefs were attending the meeting with Mr Harper.
Idle No More has been critical of the First Nations leadership. The grassroots movement Idle No More, which has held protests across Canada, threatened to block major roads and rail lines in Ontario if its demands are not met, Grand Chief Gordon Peters told reporters on Friday.
Idle No More has also been critical of the First Nations leadership.
Since her hunger strike began, Ms Spence has faced questions about an audit of Attawapiskat's finances that showed a lack of documentation of how federal funds transferred to the nation were spent.
In a statement to reporters on Friday, she accused Mr Harper of making "false statements about funding".
"Most of the funding that we have, it goes back to your the taxpayers, it goes out of the reserve," she said, citing construction and consulting costs.