Press Release -- Letter to Paul Martin Press Release Ktaqamkuk (da-hum-goog) Mi’kmaq Alliance August 1, 2005 Kippens, NL Newfoundland Mi’kmaq ask Prime Minister Martin to end discrimination The Ktaqamkuk (da-hum-goog) Mi’kmaq Alliance – KMA has sent a letter to Prime Minister Paul Martin requesting that the federal government end the discrimination, which has been ongoing against the majority of the Mi’kmaq people of Newfoundland and Labrador since 1949. The letter claims that Federal government departments including: Human Resources Canada, Heritage Canada, Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Aboriginal Business Canada, have refused to provide funding to the organization and its members while at the same time, these departments continue to fund bands affiliated with the Federation of Newfoundland Indians, an organization with which the KMA does not wish to be associated. The Federation of Newfoundland Indians and its affiliated bands are seeking a ‘landless band’ agreement with the federal government. The KMA is seeking equality with the Miawpukek Indian Reserve at Conne River, NL and other First Nation’s peoples in Canada and along with the St. Alban’s Mikmaw Indian Band of St. Alban’s NL, launched a class action lawsuit against the federal and Newfoundland governments in July 2003. Members of the Federation of Newfoundland Indians as well as members of the Conne River Reserve are excluded from the class action lawsuit. The KMA represents nearly 7500 Newfoundland Mi’kmaq and in its letter, the KMA cites specific cases of discrimination against its members and it is inviting Prime Minister Martin to come to Newfoundland to see for himself exactly what is going on. The letter to the Prime Minister Martin, along with a copy of correspondence from Heritage Canada confirms that the federal government has shown complete disregard and neglect for the majority of Newfoundland’s Mi’kmaq people. A copy of the letter has been sent to a number of federal cabinet ministers, leaders of the opposition and all of Newfoundland and Labrador’s members of parliament as well as the national media. Bertram Alexander Chief Ktaqamkuk Mi’kmaq Alliance Phone: (709) 643-9679 Without Prejudice July 29, 2005 Right Hon. Paul Martin, P.C., M.P. Prime Minister of Canada House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6 Dear Prime Minister: We are hereby requesting that the Government of Canada end the discrimination that has been effected against members of the Ktaqamkuk Mi’kmaq Alliance – KMA, which represents the majority of all Newfoundland Mi’kmaq presently living outside the Conne River Reserve. Our membership totals approximately 7500 individuals, who, since 1949 when Newfoundland joined confederation, have been deliberately, denied registration under the Indian Act. At that time, Canada, without any consultation with our people, imposed a plan and made a decision not to bring the Indian Act into force in Newfoundland in order to deny the Mi’kmaq people here the right to be Indians under the Indian Act. This was the only place in Canada where such a decision was ever made. We find it totally unacceptable that for many years, your government has been providing funding to the Federation of Newfoundland Indians, an organization that represents other Mi’kmaq bands (KMA excepted), while at the same time your government has totally ignored the KMA including our requests for federal funding. We are not members of the Federation of Newfoundland Indians, nor do we wish to be, now or ever. We cannot join any organization which, for over 20 years, deliberately avoided inviting our people to join and which refused to represent our members in establishing bands and reserves similar to Conne River. Also, we do not agree with the FNI’s objectives in seeking a ‘landless band’ agreement for all Mi’kmaq in the province under a one-band concept. Our members wish to establish bands and reserves for themselves and their families. There is no valid reason to deny funding to the Ktaqamkuk Mi’kmaq Alliance and its members. Why are our people forced to suffer in the areas of culture, education, social and economic well-being? Why are we being penalized for seeking only equality with other First Nation’s peoples in Newfoundland and Labrador and other parts of Canada? Why are our members being told by officials of various government departments including; Human Resources Canada, Canadian Heritage, Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Aboriginal Business Canada, that in order to qualify for any type of government funding, we must belong to the Federation of Newfoundland Indians? What has happened to freedom of association in Canada? The following is an example of how we are being treated by the federal government. In 2003, we received a letter dated February 27, 2003 (copy attached) from Canadian Heritage inviting the KMA to submit a proposal for funding under the Aboriginal Representative Organizations Program. We then forwarded a completed application for funding under the prescribed guidelines of AROP. Two years passed and still we did not receive any response from Canadian Heritage. Consequently, we sent a follow-up letter dated February 4, 2005 (copy attached) to Ms. Teresa Dore, Director of Aboriginal Peoples’ Programs, Department of Canadian Heritage, requesting a response to our previous correspondence. We still have not received any reply. Most recently, one of our members made a request to Aborginal Business Canada in Halifax. She was told not only did the federal government not recognize the KMA, but that unless she was a member of the Federation of Newfoundland Indians, she would not even be sent an application form so that she might apply for business funding. We have been operating this large organization for the past 3 years on a totally voluntary basis. The elected chief and council receive no compensation whatsoever. Notwithstanding any litigation in progress, we are requesting that you take immediate action to provide funding to the KMA so that we may carry on the business of the organization and help our people in the areas that the federal government has chosen to neglect. Currently, we have seen you and your government argue vehemently on behalf of various other minority groups in Canada for their respective rights. We are dismayed that the discrimination and cultural genocide that was imposed upon our people by the Government of Canada in 1949, when Newfoundland joined Canada, still continues to this day. We look forward to an appropriate and speedy response from you and your respective departmental officials and we are inviting you and your officials to come to our part of Newfoundland at the earliest possible time, to meet with our people and see for yourselves exactly what is happening here. Respectfully submitted, Bertram Alexander, P.Hrc. Chief Ktaqamkuk Mi’kmaq Alliance Copies to: Hon. Andy Scott, Minister of Indian Affairs & Northern Development Hon. Lisa Frulla, Minister of Canadian Heritage Hon. Irwin Cotler, Minister of Justice and Attorney General Hon. Belinda Stronach, Minister of Human Resources and resp. for Democratic Renewal Hon. Ken Dryden, Minister of Social Development Hon. Raymond Chan, Minister of State (Multiculturalism) Hon. Claudette Bradshaw, Minister of State (Human Resources Development) Hon. Joe McGuire, Minister of Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Hon. John Godfrey, Minister of State (Infrastructure and Communities) Hon. Tony Ianno, Minister of State (Families and Caregivers) Hon. Stephen Harper, MP – Conservative Party of Canada Hon. Gilles Duceppe-Bloc Quebecois Hon. Jack Layton-New Democratic Party Hon. Danny Williams, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador Hon. Gerry Byrne, MP, Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte Hon. John Efford, MP, Avalon Mr. Bill Matthews, MP, Random-Burin–St. George’s Mr. Todd Russell, MP, Labrador Mr. Norman Doyle, MP, St. John’s East Mr. Loyola Hearn, MP, St. John’s South-Mount Pearl Mr. Scott Simms, MP, Bonavista-Gander-Grand Falls-Winsor Phil Fontaine, Grand Chief of the Assembly of First Nations APTN National Media Back to the News and Events Page ©2003=2008 KMA - Ktaqamkuk (Taga-ma-goog)Mi'kmaq Alliance   Hosted by Your Community, Online!