As the Globe and Mail reported earlier today, “A wide-ranging group that includes former prime ministers Paul Martin and Joe Clark is launching what it calls ‘a major new organization’ that will focus on aboriginal issues.”
This “major new organization” will be officially announced on September 4th, with a splashy new website, press conference, live stream on nationtalk, and presumably much self-congratulatory applause, so let’s take a second to look at what we know thus far about this “new partnership” and advocacy organization for First Nations in Canada.
THE ORGANIZATION: Canadians for a New Partnership is a registered corporation in Ontario based in Ottawa.
THE ADMINISTRATION: "Stephen Kakfwi is currently the President and CEO and is being paid through contract. The second is Michael Laughton who is performing administrative and program and policy coordination services for CFNP."
Acting directors also include:
Melody Morrison, director
Stephen Kakfwi (President & CEO)
THE MISSION: CFNP’s goal appears to be to “establish and support a broad-based, inclusive, leadership initiative to engage Canadians in dialogue and relationship building aimed at building a new partnership between First Peoples and other Canadians. This initiative holds the promise of better living conditions, education, and economic opportunities for First Peoples, which must be the tangible results of that new partnership.”
THE PLAN: CFNP plans to develop a “Speaker’s Bureau”, a national “Lecture Series”, public research and reports, an Indigenous youth engagement strategy, and diverse “networking” opportunities and “and brainstorm collaborative solutions with First Peoples”.
THE MONEY: Last year, “CFNP secured $330,000 for a period of two years from the J.W McConnell Family Foundation for its activities as well as an extra $5000 from the Foundation in the very early stages of the organization.
CFNP has also received $5000 and substantial in kind support from the Canadian Boreal Initiative.
The Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation provided $10,000 for the first meeting of the organization.
McGill University has also contributed $2000, volunteer time, as well as hosting meetings of the organization.
TE Wealth has also given $10,000 for a second meeting of the organization.”
THE MEDIA: CFNP is working in partnership with the following media organizations
THE DECLARATION: To wrap it all up, CFNP is issuing a declaration that invites “all Canadians” to “declare our resolve to build a new partnership between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples of this country - a partnership based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful co-existence and equality”.
THEIR GOAL: “to bring a new energy and reconciliation to the project of building a better Canada”
We’ll see what the public response is like tomorrow. But this should give us pause to consider what kinds of organizations, individuals and institutions — with what goals, ethics and values — we want to represent us in our struggle for decolonization, freedom and liberation. Who is leading the conversation, doing the organizing, and where is the money coming from?
CFNP is the new face of the reconciled future: where government, industry, Aboriginals and Canadian citizens set aside their respective “historical” disagreements and work, hand in hand, to build Common Prosperity For All Canadians. Just don’t talk about taking back land or asserting autonomous nationhood and governance. The energy companies and investment firms might get upset…and then who’s going to fund the revolution?
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