Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Mitchikanibikok Inik
The Kichesipirini Algonquin First Nation hereby offers you our full support in your
endeavours.
The Kichesipirini Algonquins have been refusing to cooperate in the severely flawed
“Algonquins of Ontario” land claim negotiations process asserting that it abrogates and
derogates the constitutionally and internationally protected rights of those Algonquins
committed to protecting our traditional rights, identity and culture. We also assert that
there must be some sort of inclusion of all Algonquin polities in any process affecting the
Algonquin Nation. We cannot abandon our relatives in Quebec! The Kichesipirini have
also been drawing international attention to the fact that Canadian Aboriginal policy is
severely flawed and intentionally sabotages the efforts of Aboriginal people generating
layers of corruption and internalized oppression.
The Kichesipirini Algonquin First Nation contends that there must be international expert
third party investigation into the Algonquin situation and our unique history of
dispossession, oppression and colonization. Refusal to examine the complex strategies
used to oppress and colonize the Algonquin Nation will negatively affect global attempts
to eradicate colonization and will have the indirect result of facilitating sophisticated
forms of political and cultural genocide. The Algonquin situation offers a unique learning
opportunity for international applications of the United Nations Declaration of Rights of
Indigenous People, exposing in a modern “democratic” state the very sophisticated
methods of oppression and persecution now used to subvert Aboriginal rights, self-
determination efforts, and very identities.
Traditional Algonquin territory straddles both sides of the Ottawa River. The Supreme
Court of Canada and international case law has affirmed that the title and associated
jurisdiction of Aboriginal polities in place prior to sovereignty assertions of the Crown
have legal recognition and constitutional protection. Currently the Kichesipirini
Algonquins are the only Algonquins meeting such legal requirements for traditional title
and jurisdiction, yet they are consistently denied any recognition within any consultation
or negotiation processes apart from coercive requirements associated with domestic
policy that would first require Kichesipirini to abandon those constitutionally protected
rights.
This critical aspect of Canadian history has immense implications for the recognition of
rights and equal political participation of the Aboriginal peoples in the institutions and
economy of Canada.
The Kichesipirini have been consistently asserting that existing domestic policy is not
consistent with domestic or international law.
We have been blinded by the Indian Act and its false promise of “status” identity. It is a
domestic policy. It is a cleverly contrived assault on the actual independence and
sovereignty of Aboriginal peoples. When you agree to come under a domestic policy you
forfeit your actual independence. When we remove our preoccupation with those clearly
defined state generated “qualifiers” of Aboriginal-ness and return instead to traditional
concepts the Indigenous people genuinely become empowered. State control of financing
Aboriginal activities and identity has impeded equal access to information and equal
access to resources for traditional Aboriginal polities, such as the Kichesipirini, who have
never relinquished any sovereignty by coming under domestic policy. Therefore, through
association with the traditional Algonquin government that was in place prior to
sovereignty assertions of the Crown, the Kichesipirini, the Algonquin Nation can assert
itself as a still sovereign nation and access broad constitutional and international rights
that over-ride the jurisdiction of the provinces and their agents of control.
The Kichesipirini have been actively asserting these rights on behalf of all Algonquins.
We have initiated a number of activities that have the effect of exhausting internal
mechanisms for remedy meaning that we are moving forward in being able to insist on
international intervention according to proper United Nations protocol.
We will be very happy to assist the Algonquins of Mitchikanibikok Inik in our shared
efforts of protecting the rights and freedoms of our collective Algonquin Nation and
reversing the devastating effects of colonization against this proud people. Let us honour
our ancestors and restore the dignity rightfully belonging to the Algonquin people,
citizens of a proud and independent nation.
Paula LaPierre
Principal Sachem
Kichesipirini Algonquin First Nation
algonquincitizen@hotmail.com
www.esnips.com/web/kichesipirini