Aboriginal leaders question Conservative policies

The leaders of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis people of Canada want Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper to explain his view on Tom Flanagan, his senior advisor, and author of First Nations? Second Thoughts.

In the controversial book, Flanagan argues that assimilation is the best policy for Canadian aboriginals. He opposes modern land claims, and says that “current public

policy… is flooding reserves with money, enticing people back, enticing people to stay and weakening their resolve to participate in Canadian society.”

Flanagan, who is also the national campaign chair for the Conservative party, has also called Canada’s Métis an “economically marginal, incohesive assortment of heterogenous groups” that should not have status as aboriginal people.

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Jose Kusugak said in a press release that he is not pre-judging Harper, his party, or his platform.

“We want to know if the new Conservative Party will recognize the legal and constitutional rights of aboriginal people, or will it take the narrow, assimilationist ‘melting pot’ approach that Flanagan advocates?”