Chiefs hopeful Liberal government will improve relations with First Nations

Unfit housing, chronic water-quality worries and lack of consultation are just a few of the issues a group of First Nations leaders want to see on prime minister-designate Justin Trudeau's priority list as his cabinet is sworn in later this week.

The Tsuu T'ina Nation on Calgary's southwestern edge hosted a meeting on Monday to discuss how to work with the newly elected Liberal majority government.

Perry Bellegarde, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, says he is looking forward to better dialogue with the new Liberal government.

• First Nations chiefs meet to keep pressure on Justin Trudeau's government
• ANALYSIS: Can Trudeau deliver on his First Nations promises?

Bellegarde didn't say whom he hoped to see in the aboriginal affairs portfolio — but he did say he hoped to see more indigenous representation in decision-making.

"We have always stated that the more often that we can get indigenous people around decision-making tables, that's really in the best interests of Canada — and decision-making tables, that means cabinet."

Eight of the Liberal MPs in the newly elected government have aboriginal heritage, and Bellegarde said they each have strengths, experiences and backgrounds that would bring a lot to the table.

The incoming Liberals made a number of promises to First Nations in their election platform, like promising to stabilize spending on reserves and spending $2.6 billion on First Nations education during their first term.

The party also made a commitment to an inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women.

'Build on this new opportunity'

Tsuu T'ina Nation Chief Roy Whitney called the summit meeting a chance to keep First Nations issues on the front burner.

He hopes the relationship between First Nations and the federal government under the Liberals will improve after nearly a decade dealing with a Conservative government in Ottawa.

"The previous government certainly wasn't open to dialogue. You know it was what it was, for whatever reason, and I think now we just continue to build on this new opportunity and move forward."

A number of pressing issues for Canada's First Nations came up during the meeting:

• Better communication and renewed nation-to-nation talks on everything from treaty rights to revamping the Department of Aboriginal Affairs.
• More cash is needed for key areas like housing, health care and clean water.
• An even playing field for funding education on and off reserves across Canada.
• An inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women.
• Scrap C-51: The Conservative's controversial anti-terrorism legislation is seen as a way of limiting legitimate protest over things like pipelines on First Nations land.

Chief Germaine Anderson of Alberta's Beaver Lake Cree First Nation said she would like to see more consultation before new policies are introduced by the federal government.

"There's never any consultations. All these policies come down, they don't talk to us, but they know our problems."

Concerns on each reserve vary

For Anderson, the biggest problem facing her reserve is a lack of housing.

"There is a shortage and the houses that are there are getting really old and you know some should be condemned, but people have no choice but to live in them," she said.

Sitting nearby, Chief Brenda Joly of the Kehewin Cree First Nation nods her head. While housing is also a problem on her reserve, Joly said water is her top issue.

"We have our lakes and they are supposed to be clean, but we don't have that drinking water available anymore, clean drinking water, like we have to get our water from town. We have to buy bottles," she said.

Siksika Chief Vincent Yellow Old Woman's biggest concern hits closer to home.

"We need to do something, we need to push hard — you know — we have a niece that's missing too."

Yellow Old Woman says he would like to see the federal government move quickly to establish the promised inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women.

"We want answers. We want to find out just exactly what is going on. I've always said one missing aboriginal lady is one too many, and we need to find the answers," he said.

The inquiry is one of a number of issues that Bellegarde believes are crucial, including fixing the fiscal framework between the federal government and First Nations and lifting a two per cent cap on funding increases for First Nations programs. 

"That two per cent funding cap, that has been in place for about 20 years, is really a cap on potential and a cap on growth."

Trudeau is set to announce his choices for cabinet on Wednesday.