Report from the President
President's Report: 2009 Annual Meeting Mary's Harbor
This year has seen many accomplishments and much growth in our organization. There were many "firsts" and also many challenges. The staff and council worked hard to achieve goals.
We have acquired many projects. The Federal Government has doubled our core funding; we have been most fortunate. Many groups in our national organization have had core funding cut, while others experienced modest gains. Such improvements can only come with a dedicated staff.
This year we have continued to help fun university students with bursaries. Over the last two years over 40 bursaries were given. We would like to fund all students, but that can only come with increased status and a land claim.
The Federal Government has also generously supported our Powley Implementation process. This year the funding emphasis was our "Membership." They still look at our organization as being the "Poster Child" for Powley Implementation. Our president is the chairman of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples Powley Committee. Near the end of the fist year OFI offered us another $200,000 to pay for any extra equipment we need regarding membership. We must be doing something right.
For the first time in our history we have received funding for housing repairs. This initiative began in Kelowna and continued with negotiations with the Provincial Government and other native groups in the Province. We received a generous shard for the size of our population. Many people should have improved housing as a result.
We have also worked with local native organizations to set up an AAROM program. This Aboriginal Aquatic Research and Ocean management program will enable us to participate in fish management and conservation. We have already established our office in our MDC building as we will be spear heading this initiative.
We have also experienced much success in business. We have negotiated an excellent price for our offshore shrimp with Ocean Choice International at a time when some in the business said it was impossible. We have also purchased another inshore crab license which brings the total number of inshore licenses to three. We are making clear profits on those licenses, they are fished by independent fishers and we pay for no expenses.
Also in business we still have a partnership with Suez Energy and ESS support service. If development happens in Labrador we will get a share of the profits. We have also entered into a partnership with AGAT to test all contaminated soil samples from 5 wing Goose Bay. They operate out our MDC building, which in itself continues to produce profit.
Our staff is growing and there is high morale. This year we had a staff retreat and reviewed some of our challenges and built on our strengths. Not a great deal can be accomplished without a strong staff and council.
This was above all, a year of success in the courts. The Supreme Court of Canada upheld our duty to consult case. The government is forced to consult with us on any developments in our land. This is now the law. Already we feel movement in such things as consultation on road construction, forestry, and Lower Churchill Development.
In spite of the Supreme Court ruling that our rights should at least include the right to subsistence, hunt and fish, the Government of Newfoundland has still brought our people to court on basic hunting charges. We are engaging lawyers and we will support the basic rights of our hunters. We will also support those who own
traditional trappers tilts. There is only one was to do this, and that is through a land claim.
Here we have made much progress. Again the Federal Government has been very generous. We have received money to fund the gathering and consolidation of research. We have found the most accomplished researchers and have quietly and patiently put together a powerful draft land claims proposal which will be presented to the government in late February or early March.
We and our lawyers are confident in its success. We have presented:
a solid membership criteria
sound genealogies
a review of church records
oral traditions and diaries
company records of Basques, French, and British entrepreneurs.
A treaty with maps with Inuit embellishments and typography(?)
The latest court decisions all synthesized to create an impact that will tell the world the truth about who we are.
With this even our normally cautious lawyer, Bruce Clarke, is convinced of success. We share this enthusiasm because not only did we receive substantial funding for the land claim but we have managed to get yet another key concession so vital to our success. If the department of Justice Canada does not accept this overwhelming evidence our land claim will go to a third party review which means that the Labrador Metis Nation and the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs can get a legal expert to give an independent review of our claim. He/she will look at our evidence and make a decision which can over-ride the decision of the Department of Justice. If we can't get a positive decision then, we probably never will. Our situation for our land claim can't be better.
2008 was a great year. If we maintain our progress 2009 will be even better. In all probability this will be the year that our land claim will be deemed acceptable. We will be granted equal status with the Innu and our Inuit cousins on the North Coast. We will open opportunities to health benefits, education benefits, cultural recognition, resource development and the right to, hunt, fish and gather. This is our dream and in all probability if will soon be realized.
We have acquired many projects. The Federal Government has doubled our core funding; we have been most fortunate. Many groups in our national organization have had core funding cut, while others experienced modest gains. Such improvements can only come with a dedicated staff.
This year we have continued to help fun university students with bursaries. Over the last two years over 40 bursaries were given. We would like to fund all students, but that can only come with increased status and a land claim.
The Federal Government has also generously supported our Powley Implementation process. This year the funding emphasis was our "Membership." They still look at our organization as being the "Poster Child" for Powley Implementation. Our president is the chairman of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples Powley Committee. Near the end of the fist year OFI offered us another $200,000 to pay for any extra equipment we need regarding membership. We must be doing something right.
For the first time in our history we have received funding for housing repairs. This initiative began in Kelowna and continued with negotiations with the Provincial Government and other native groups in the Province. We received a generous shard for the size of our population. Many people should have improved housing as a result.
We have also worked with local native organizations to set up an AAROM program. This Aboriginal Aquatic Research and Ocean management program will enable us to participate in fish management and conservation. We have already established our office in our MDC building as we will be spear heading this initiative.
We have also experienced much success in business. We have negotiated an excellent price for our offshore shrimp with Ocean Choice International at a time when some in the business said it was impossible. We have also purchased another inshore crab license which brings the total number of inshore licenses to three. We are making clear profits on those licenses, they are fished by independent fishers and we pay for no expenses.
Also in business we still have a partnership with Suez Energy and ESS support service. If development happens in Labrador we will get a share of the profits. We have also entered into a partnership with AGAT to test all contaminated soil samples from 5 wing Goose Bay. They operate out our MDC building, which in itself continues to produce profit.
Our staff is growing and there is high morale. This year we had a staff retreat and reviewed some of our challenges and built on our strengths. Not a great deal can be accomplished without a strong staff and council.
This was above all, a year of success in the courts. The Supreme Court of Canada upheld our duty to consult case. The government is forced to consult with us on any developments in our land. This is now the law. Already we feel movement in such things as consultation on road construction, forestry, and Lower Churchill Development.
In spite of the Supreme Court ruling that our rights should at least include the right to subsistence, hunt and fish, the Government of Newfoundland has still brought our people to court on basic hunting charges. We are engaging lawyers and we will support the basic rights of our hunters. We will also support those who own
traditional trappers tilts. There is only one was to do this, and that is through a land claim.
Here we have made much progress. Again the Federal Government has been very generous. We have received money to fund the gathering and consolidation of research. We have found the most accomplished researchers and have quietly and patiently put together a powerful draft land claims proposal which will be presented to the government in late February or early March.
We and our lawyers are confident in its success. We have presented:
a solid membership criteria
sound genealogies
a review of church records
oral traditions and diaries
company records of Basques, French, and British entrepreneurs.
A treaty with maps with Inuit embellishments and typography(?)
The latest court decisions all synthesized to create an impact that will tell the world the truth about who we are.
With this even our normally cautious lawyer, Bruce Clarke, is convinced of success. We share this enthusiasm because not only did we receive substantial funding for the land claim but we have managed to get yet another key concession so vital to our success. If the department of Justice Canada does not accept this overwhelming evidence our land claim will go to a third party review which means that the Labrador Metis Nation and the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs can get a legal expert to give an independent review of our claim. He/she will look at our evidence and make a decision which can over-ride the decision of the Department of Justice. If we can't get a positive decision then, we probably never will. Our situation for our land claim can't be better.
2008 was a great year. If we maintain our progress 2009 will be even better. In all probability this will be the year that our land claim will be deemed acceptable. We will be granted equal status with the Innu and our Inuit cousins on the North Coast. We will open opportunities to health benefits, education benefits, cultural recognition, resource development and the right to, hunt, fish and gather. This is our dream and in all probability if will soon be realized.