First Nations unrest depends on concrete action from Harper: national chief

OTTAWA – National Chief Shawn Atleo says the degree of First Nations unrest this summer depends in large part on how much concrete action Stephen Harper authorizes on entrenching ancient treaty rights.

The head of the Assembly of First Nations is giving mixed reviews to the process launched with great fanfare in January when Harper and Atleo last met.

Atleo says in a wide-ranging interview that talks between senior government officials and First Nations from some parts of the country over how to fully implement historic treaty rights seem to be inching ahead.

But at the same time, the federal government continues to fight First Nations in court over child welfare funding, imposes legislation without consulting those who it will affect, and continues to resist widespread calls for a national inquiry into hundreds of missing or murdered aboriginal women.

Activists are already signalling they are not prepared to wait.

Idle No More organizers are working with other experienced groups to stage a “Sovereignty Summer” that will protest resource projects and pipelines across the country, backed up by demonstrations in cities.