December 14, 2014
Priority one for newly elected Assembly of First Nations’ chief Perry Bellegarde: Bring prosperity and stability to Canada’s aboriginal population.
The chief — who won on the first ballot with over 60% of the vote — said in his fiery speech on Wednesday, “Canada will no longer develop pipelines, no longer develop transmission lines, or any infrastructure, on our lands as business as usual. That is not on.”
We agree progress won’t come if it’s business as usual. But it’s difficult to build or share wealth from a position of confrontation. Here’s hoping the election of Bellegarde represents a fresh start for both sides of the resource development equation.
Bellegarde also made it clear that he wants to see increased resource revenue sharing and jobs. If he can find a way to get more benefits for the people he represents while simultaneously supporting the growth of the broader Canadian economy, everybody wins.
Read More: http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/2014/12/14/high-hopes-for-new-chief
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