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As Chief of Attawapiskat, Spence oversees a $31.2 million annual operating budget.<ref>{{cite news|last=Milke|first=Mark|title=Mark Milke: Crunching Attawapiskat’s numbers|url=http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2011/12/09/mark-milke-crunching-attawapiskats-numbers/|accessdate=December 31, 2012|date=December 9, 2011}}</ref> As of 2011, the on-reserve resident population of Attawapiskat was 1884.<ref>{{cite web|title=Detailed Tables - Registered Indian Population by Sex and Type of Residence by Group, Responsibility Centre and Region 2011 - Ontario|url=http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1351774203440/1351774405311|publisher=Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada|accessdate=December 31, 2012}}</ref> |
As Chief of Attawapiskat, Spence oversees a $31.2 million annual operating budget.<ref>{{cite news|last=Milke|first=Mark|title=Mark Milke: Crunching Attawapiskat’s numbers|url=http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2011/12/09/mark-milke-crunching-attawapiskats-numbers/|accessdate=December 31, 2012|date=December 9, 2011}}</ref> As of 2011, the on-reserve resident population of Attawapiskat was 1884.<ref>{{cite web|title=Detailed Tables - Registered Indian Population by Sex and Type of Residence by Group, Responsibility Centre and Region 2011 - Ontario|url=http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1351774203440/1351774405311|publisher=Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada|accessdate=December 31, 2012}}</ref> |
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Spence has five daughters.<ref>{{cite web|last=Galloway|first=Gloria|title=As protests swell, Attawapiskat chief stands firm on hunger strike|url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/as-protests-swell-attawapiskat-chief-stands-firm-on-hunger-strike/article6734968/|publisher=The Globe and Mail|accessdate=December 30, 2012|date= December 26 2012}}</ref> Her common-law husband is Clayton Kennedy, who is currently Deputy Chief of Attawapiskat. Kennedy was previously hired by the band council to co-manage spending and monitor accounting procedures.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ross|first=Oakland|title=Ottawa blaming the ‘victim,’ chief charges|url=http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1095847--ottawa-blaming-the-victim-chief-charges|accessdate=December 31, 2012|newspaper=The Toronto Star|date=December 1, 2011}}</ref> |
Spence has five daughters.<ref>{{cite web|last=Galloway|first=Gloria|title=As protests swell, Attawapiskat chief stands firm on hunger strike|url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/as-protests-swell-attawapiskat-chief-stands-firm-on-hunger-strike/article6734968/|publisher=The Globe and Mail|accessdate=December 30, 2012|date= December 26 2012}}</ref> Her common-law husband is Clayton Kennedy, who is currently Deputy Chief of Attawapiskat. Kennedy was previously hired by the band council to co-manage spending and monitor accounting procedures at a cost of $850 per day.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ross|first=Oakland|title=Ottawa blaming the ‘victim,’ chief charges|url=http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1095847--ottawa-blaming-the-victim-chief-charges|accessdate=December 31, 2012|newspaper=The Toronto Star|date=December 1, 2011}}</ref> |
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==As chief== |
==As chief== |
Revision as of 02:13, 6 January 2013
Chief Theresa Spence | |
---|---|
Chief of the Attawapiskat First Nation | |
Assumed office August 27, 2010 | |
Deputy Chief of the Attawapiskat First Nation | |
In office July 2007 – September 2010 | |
Personal details | |
Born | 1963 (age 60–61) Kenora District, Ontario, Canada |
Theresa Spence (born 1963)[1] is the current Chief of the Attawapiskat First Nation in Canada.[2] She is a prominent figure in the Attawapiskat housing and infrastructure crisis,[3] Idle No More,[4] and other First Nations issues. Prior to serving as Chief, she was the Deputy Chief of Attawapiskat.
As Chief of Attawapiskat, Spence oversees a $31.2 million annual operating budget.[5] As of 2011, the on-reserve resident population of Attawapiskat was 1884.[6]
Spence has five daughters.[7] Her common-law husband is Clayton Kennedy, who is currently Deputy Chief of Attawapiskat. Kennedy was previously hired by the band council to co-manage spending and monitor accounting procedures at a cost of $850 per day.[8]
As chief
Attawapiskat housing and infrastructure crisis
The Attawapiskat reserve has been the subject of several state of emergency announcements by Chief Spence in recent years, due to the reserve's poor housing conditions. The announcements have received national media coverage. On October 28, 2011, Chief Spence called a state of emergency for the third time in three years. On December 30, 2012, a spokesperson for the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs stated that by the end of 2012-13, the federal government will have spent $131 million on the Attawapiskat reserve since 2006, including the construction of 60 new and renovated houses and a new school.[9]
Controversy has grown around the question of how the money received from the federal government is spent by the reserve's own government. Detailed financial records have not been made public to reserve residents or to the media; some residents of the reserve refused to discuss the matter with media, saying that they feared repercussions.[10] The De Beers company, which owns a diamond mine nearby and employs around 60 residents of the reserve full-time, has donated trailers for housing to the reserve in the past. The Attawapiskat reserve's government receives a payment from De Beers, but Spence has declined to say how much or how it is spent.[11]
Grand Chief Stan Louttit has criticized media coverage of the Attawapiskat reserve finances for misconstruing the true cost of living in remote locations such as Attawapiskat, which is significantly higher than more populated areas in southern regions of Canada. The Attawapiskat band council agreed to a comprehensive audit, the results of which are pending review by the Aboriginal Affairs Department and Health Canada.[12] Attawapiskat had been placed under third party management by the federal government following the state of emergency declared by Spence in 2011, however, this arrangement was overturned by a court ruling.[13]
Idle No More and hunger strike
On 11 December 2012 Chief Spence declared a hunger strike, and has stopped eating all solid food and limited her liquid intake to occasional consumption of lemon water, medicinal teas and fish broth.[14] This hunger strike is intended to focus public attention on First Nations issues, to support the Idle No More indigenous rights movement, and to highlight concerns about the government's omnibus bill C-45. Opponents of the bill argue that it would remove many of the rights of the First Nations', including rights to self-governance and control of their landbase.[14] "Bill C-45 includes changes to the Canadian Indian Act regarding how Reserve lands are managed, making them easier to develop and be taken away from the First Nation people; the bill also removes thousands of lakes and streams from the list of federally protected bodies of water."[15]Proponents argue that the bill would demand more accountability from highly paid chiefs and their support staff, and reduce corruption and nepotism. [16]
Her hunger strike is an action she stated "won’t end until Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Gov. Gen. David Johnston agree to sit down and talk about Canada’s treaty relationship with First Nations leadership."[14] As she fasted in a tipi on Victoria Island (Asinabka) near Parliament Hill in Ottawa, she issued a call for First Nation traditional women healers and other women - including Laureen Harper, the wife of the Prime Minister - to come and join her "to pray for Canada."[17]
Her hunger strike has brought worldwide attention to the Idle No More movement,[18] which has expanded from a primarily Canadian First Nations movement to an international phenomenon, with support events held across the U.S. and as far away as Europe and New Zealand.[19][20] One supporter stated, "She has become a national symbol and has bravely highlighted the gross public policy extremes of the Harper government and has deservedly shamed them nationally and internationally."[21] She has the full backing of the Attawapiskat community.[22]
A bank account for accepting direct donations was set up for Theresa Spence, which Spence's spokespersons indicated would be under the sole financial control of Spence's spouse, Clayton Kennedy, rather than the Attawapiskat band council. A columnist with Canadian news weekly magazine Maclean's questioned the propriety of the arrangement, as well as questioning who was authorized to speak publicly on behalf of Spence.[23]
Reponse to hunger strike
Federal Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development John Duncan sent a letter to Chief Spence on December 25, 2012, expressing concern for her health and urging her to end her hunger strike.[24]
Spence called for a day of protests in support of her cause to take place on December 30, 2012, bringing peaceful demonstrations in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, and other locations, while a VIA train was detained by demonstrators near Belleville, Ontario. Spence was visited by 21 senators and members of Parliament representing opposition parties.[25]
Amnesty International has issued a statement in her support and has urged the Canadian Prime Minister to meet with Chief Spence.[26]
Meeting with Prime Minister and First Nation leaders
Shawn Atleo, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, has met with Spence repeatedly and has tried to convince her to end her hunger strike, without success. On January 1, 2013, Atleo invited the Prime Minister to a January 24 meeting with First Nation leaders, but this date was rejected by Spence who said her health condition required a meeting within 72 hours.[27]
On January 4, 2013, Prime Minister Harper announced a meeting with a delegation of First Nation leaders coordinated by the Assembly of First Nations, to follow up on the issues discussed during the Crown-First Nations Gathering on January 24, 2012.[28] A meeting is scheduled for January 11, 2013. John Duncan, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, will attend. A spokesperson for Spence stated that she would attend the meeting, but that Spence and her supporters want Governor General David Johnston and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty to attend as well. Spence's spokesperson stated that the hunger strike would not stop and could continue after January 11.[29]
References
- ^ Galloway, Gloria (December 26 2012). "As protests swell, Attawapiskat chief stands firm on hunger strike". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ Attawapiskat First Nation (August 1, 2012). "Chief Spence Comments on Court Decision" (PDF). Attawapiskat First Nation. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
- ^ CBC (December 1, 2011). "Attawapiskat crisis sparks political blame game". CBC News. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
- ^ Jeff Denis (December 20, 2012). "Why 'Idle No More' is gaining strength, and why all Canadians should care". thestar.com. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
- ^ Milke, Mark (December 9, 2011). "Mark Milke: Crunching Attawapiskat's numbers". Retrieved December 31, 2012.
- ^ "Detailed Tables - Registered Indian Population by Sex and Type of Residence by Group, Responsibility Centre and Region 2011 - Ontario". Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
- ^ Galloway, Gloria (December 26 2012). "As protests swell, Attawapiskat chief stands firm on hunger strike". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ Ross, Oakland (December 1, 2011). "Ottawa blaming the 'victim,' chief charges". The Toronto Star. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
- ^ McCarthy, Shawn, and James Bradshaw (December 30, 2012). "Idle No More protesters block main Toronto-Montreal rail line in support of Chief Spence". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Attawapiskat: No end in sight to problems of inadequate housing, unemployment, drug addiction". The Toronto Star. December 28, 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
- ^ "Attawapiskat: No end in sight to problems of inadequate housing, unemployment, drug addiction". The Toronto Star. December 28, 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
- ^ "Spence to join Harper meeting with chiefs Jan. 11". CBC News. January 4, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- ^ "Attawapiskat Chief Spence says not "afraid to die" as she launches hunger strike". APTN National News. December 10, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- ^ a b c Smith, Teresa. "Justin Trudeau meets with hunger striking chief Theresa Spence". Retrieved 26 December 2012.
- ^ Craig Brown, staff writer (December 24, 2012). "Canada's 'Idle No More' Movement Spreads Like Wildfire - Chief Theresa Spence on 14th day of hunger strike". Common Dreams. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Levi Rickert, editor-in-chief (December 24, 2012). "Chief Theresa Spence Asks Traditional Women Healers to Come Attend to Her Hunger Strike – Day 14". Native News Network. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
{{cite news}}
:|author=
has generic name (help) - ^ Idle No More official website
- ^ Ball, David P. "Idle No More Sweeps Canada and Beyond as Aboriginals Say Enough Is Enough". Indian Country Today Media Network. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
- ^ Ball, David P. "Chief Theresa Spence Resolute in Hunger Strike, as Her Body Weakens". Indian Country Today Media Network. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
- ^ Johal, Am. "Justice at Stake: Chief Theresa Spence Inspires a Nation". Common Dreams. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
- ^ Aulakh, Raveena. "Chief Theresa Spence's hunger strike has full backing of Attawapiskat residents". theStar.com. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
- ^ Cosh, Colby (December 27, 2012). "The hunger artist". Maclean's. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
- ^ Canadian Press (December 25, 2012). "Aboriginal Affairs minister 'concerned' about health of hunger-striking Attawapiskat chief Theresa Spence". National Post. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
- ^ McCarthy, Shawn, and James Bradshaw (December 30, 2012). "Idle No More protesters block main Toronto-Montreal rail line in support of Chief Spence". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Vaugrante, Béatrice; Neve, Alex (December 28, 2012). "Open Letter Urging a Meeting with Chief Theresa Spence". Amnesty International Canada. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ Alamenciak, Tim (January 3, 2013). "Idle No More protests: Chief Theresa Spence rejects Atleo's meeting proposal, sets 72-hour deadline". Toronto Star. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- ^ Smith, Joanna (January 4, 2013). "Prime Minister Stephen Harper to meet First Nations leaders Jan. 11". Toronto Star. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- ^ "Spence to join Harper meeting with chiefs Jan. 11". CBC News. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
External links
- Attawapiskat First Nation official website