Read your constitution President David Chartrand!

Truth To Power

wwww.accesstoinfo.blogspot.com

Good Day Readers:

We found this posting by The Public Eye a Canadian attorney who anonymously operates the excellent Blog Truth To Power.

We'd again like to remind David N. Chartrand of ARTICLE II POLITICAL AFFILIATION of the MMF's Constitution ratified during the 37th Annual General Assembly September 11, 2005 which clearly states at page 2:

This organization shall not be affiliated with any policical party.

Exactly what is it you do not understand, Sir, perhaps we can help explain it to you.

Clare L. Pieuk
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Manitoba Metis Federation Inc. (MMF) President David Chartrand

May 2009

Hitler remark sparks furor - Metis leader apologizes for trivializing the Holocaust

by Mary Agnes Welch

As originally published: Winnipeg Free Press June 22, 2004

THE leader of the Manitoba Metis Federation yesterday compared the Conservative party's national campaign manager to Hitler, but later apologized for trivializing the Holocaust.

David Chartrand, who was urging aboriginal people to vote Liberal in the June 28 general election, said the Tories have a "hidden agenda" that could strip First Nations and Metis people of their rights. He singled out Tory campaign manager Tom Flanagan, who wrote a controversial book four years ago called First Nations? Second Thoughts.

"We know what's behind the curtain. We know Thomas Flanagan is behind there. If you were us, your hearts would start to panic," said Chartrand. "Just like, no disrespect, when people talk about Hitler, they see such hatred, that a man could be so cruel. You look at Thomas Flanagan writing about us, saying that we shouldn't even exist, that we're not even a people..." said Chartrand.

Asked if he was comparing Flanagan to Hitler, Chartrand said: "If Flanagan had his way, if he had an army behind him, yes I would."

Later, Chartrand said his emotions got the better of him and he went too far in his comments.

"I do apologize," he said. "I didn't want to ever trivialize the hardships certain people experienced under Hitler's regime and that all of their families still feel today.

"In his book, Flanagan attempts to debunk current thinking about aboriginal issues and makes a case for assimilation.

Flanagan, who rarely does media interviews, could not be reached for comment yesterday, but Conservative party spokesman Yaroslav Baran condemned Chartrand's comparison.

"It's absurd, it's outrageous and it's an insult to Jewish Canadians and to the memories of the millions who perished in the Second World War," said Baran.

Chartrand made the comments during a press conference with Grand Chief Dennis White Bird of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, where the two formally endorsed the Liberal party. It's the first time the MMF and the AMC have endorsed a national party.

White Bird said he feared a Conservative government would invoke the "notwithstanding" clause to override Charter rights that protect First Nations people from ssimilation.

"Mainstream politics have misrepresented a lot of aboriginal issues and we have to get involved in the decision-making process in government," said White Bird.

Chartrand noted that Conservative Leader Stephen Harper took a day off from the campaign trail on National Aboriginal Day.

"That is an insult and a clear sign of what he has to offer to the aboriginal people," said Chartrand.

But critics point out aboriginal people have not fared well the last decade under the Liberal party, which championed a new governance act that was hated by many aboriginal leaders and has failed to speed compensation packages owed to residential school survivors. Land claim deals are still outstanding, living conditions on reserves are still abysmal and money has to flow to Winnipeg from the federal government's urban aboriginal strategy.

With files from Paul Egan

maryagnes.welch@freepress.mb.ca