Harvey Yesno is the Grand Chief of NAN (Nishnawbe Aski Nation).
The following is excerpted from an opening address by Grand Chief Harvey Yesno at the Nishnawbe Aski Nation Chiefs Assembly in Mattagami First Nation, April 9, and his follow-up comments to chiefs about resource development and infrastructure, April 10.
It’s time to get down to business for Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN). The First Nations across James Bay Treaty 9 and the Ontario portion of Treaty 5 will not be bystanders or a stakeholder or an interest group as Ontario and Canada prepare to take our interest in the lands and resources to market. …
I am committed to ensuring that there be a balanced treaty and economic approach. NAN First Nations and our future generations will benefit from the development in our territory as was intended at the time of the treaty. … How do we provoke the implementation of our treaties?
We must develop a strategic approach that includes ensuring that our treaty partners, Canada and Ontario, are equally responsible to uphold the promises made at the time of the treaty. Canada and Ontario cannot opt out of addressing the needs and concerns of NAN. Ontario cannot wash its hands of the duty to consult and accommodate First Nations, nor can it download its responsibility to industry. …
I ask you to consider the counsel of Elder Louis Waswa, who recently shared with me his concerns about the future of NAN. Elder Louis’ concern is the approach of government to divide First Nations by separately working with and striking agreements with each First Nation by First Nation. The treaty cannot be signed away one First Nation at a time. …
The treaty can be the backbone and workhorse of our First Nations economy. The treaty has always been intended by our former leaders to be a perpetual agreement to share in the benefits of the land. …
The driving force of regional infrastructure and the economy is usually industry. As industry is established and grows, so do the highways, the railroads, townships, hospitals, and grid lines.
NAN First Nations require infrastructure investments in order to bring down the cost of living. And NAN First Nations must be involved in the planning of these developments. NAN First Nations must also have an opportunity to have ownership, participation and business opportunities that will emerge from these developments. …
NAN is ready to get down to business with our partners in government and industry, and we’re not accepting pocket change or handouts. NAN First Nations and our people will be part of the new and emerging economies of Canada and Ontario. …
We must put forward not only our political position but our economic position. …
The engagement (with the federal and provincial governments) I’m trying … it’s not writing letters and passing resolutions because that’s been done – we’ve got hundreds of resolutions; we’ve got 160 different resource development resolutions. … So, my approach is to get to the decision-makers (including the prime minster’s office and the premier’s office). …
We’re going to be talking about resource development and so on. Right now it is ‘the’ thing.
To me, one of the top priorities I have is in regards to major infrastructure, transmission lines and all-weather roads into our communities. …
We need to build all-weather roads. … If I’m pushing the government to build all-weather roads in the North, I don’t want to be standing around here the next three or five years studying this and talking about it and passing more resolutions. My question is: “Do you want a road?” You give me an answer.
Same with the (hydro) grid lines. There are some initiatives that are going on; have been going on, actually, for many years. … There’s also an opportunity for (power) generation. …
There’s capacity that has been developed (by First Nations) in other regions. Road access communities have small construction companies, they’ve got engineering firms, design firms, project management. … We need to start partnering with those businesses. …
We should be building our own enterprises, building that capacity, because those roads are going to cost a billion dollars, a billion and a half, … so there’s going to be a lot of jobs for construction. … And same with transmission lines. …
You can’t just create a business today that will have a $100-million contract because there are insurance issues, bonding issues, and so on. We need to wake up to that and start building capacity where it already exists in our communities.
This is where I think all of NAN gets involved. For the 17 road access communities, if you have companies there that we can utilize for engineering, surveying, mapping or construction, well, the first thing we should do from the North is partner with them – build that business up so we can get those contracts. If you’re going to partner with somebody else, then you’re not really building any equity and creating wealth in our communities; you’re creating wealth in Toronto and other places. …
We need to work together. There’s enough for everybody here.
When it comes to revenue sharing, I think we all agree that the lion’s share will go to the community that’s closest to that economic activity. But there are just so many other things that can be done. We need to make that dollar circulate in our communities to grow our economy.
Right now we’re, all of us are probably, mostly dependent … I would say almost 100 per cent are dependent on government transfers. … We need to do more. …
If we put more money into your hands – you as representing your communities – whether that’s building up a business in your community or partnerships, owning real estate and companies, that’s where you’re going to get the autonomy and the independence to do more. …
I’m concerned about the environment like you are. But I think there’s a greater evil in our communities, and that’s poverty.
We cannot be on welfare. Welfare is not a treaty right. Welfare is basically just to keep your pulse going, keep you alive. And that’s not good.
People want to work. Our kids want a future. They want something to look forward to. …