An Elder Speaks: “Total Change Would Bring Chaos”

“You see, you hear proposals these days; let them be like everybody else or turn all the funding of Indian Affairs over to the individual. That kind of total change […]
Published on February 23, 2021

“You see, you hear proposals these days; let them be like everybody else or turn all the funding of Indian Affairs over to the individual. That kind of total change would bring chaos and would eventually strengthen the hands of the system as it exists today, because they would re-enter into their empire.”

-Jean Allard

 

Jean Allard is an honorary member of MAWG (Modernized Annuity Reference Group), a founding co-chair of the Treaty Annuity Working Group, and author of Big Bear’s Treaty: The road to freedom. A significant excerpt of the original manuscript was published in the policy journal Inroads in 2002. Jean had a fiery, short-lived political career representing the vast northern riding of Rupertsland in the government of NDP premier Ed Schreyer after being elected to the Manitoba Legislature in 1969. He quit the NDP to sit as an Independent after clashing with the party over Indigenous policy. In 1994, Jean hit upon the idea of modernizing annuities while chained to the statue of Louis Riel to protest its removal from the grounds of the Manitoba Legislature. Jean has a long and deep history in Manitoba’s Métis community. He is a direct descendant of Jean Baptiste Lagimodière and Marie-Anne Gaboury (as is Louis Riel). He served 26 years as president of the Union Nationale Métisse Saint-Joseph du Manitoba, the oldest Métis organization in Canada.

Elders are very important members of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit communities. The term Elder refers to someone who has attained a high degree of understanding of First Nation, Métis, or Inuit history, traditional teachings, ceremonies, and healing practices. Elders have earned the right to pass this knowledge on to others and to give advice and guidance on personal issues, as well as on issues affecting their communities and nations. First Nation, Métis, and Inuit peoples value their Elders and all older people, and address them with the utmost respect.

 

 

Featured News

MORE NEWS

Indigenous-led Projects Hold Key To Canada’s Energy Future

Indigenous-led Projects Hold Key To Canada’s Energy Future

A revived push for the Northern Gateway pipeline has sparked fresh debate over Indigenous-led energy development. Frontier Fellow Maureen McCall highlights how leaders like Calvin Helin and Dale Swampy argue that Canada’s energy future—and its global competitiveness—depends on Indigenous equity, regulatory reform, and responsible resource partnerships. With support growing among First Nations for LNG and pipeline projects, they are calling for the repeal of restrictive laws and the embrace of Indigenous leadership to advance both economic reconciliation and national energy security.

False Unmarked Grave Claims Mirror Historical Blood Libel Tactics

False Unmarked Grave Claims Mirror Historical Blood Libel Tactics

An Oscar-nominated documentary spreads the explosive, evidence-free claim that Catholic priests impregnated Indigenous students and incinerated their babies. Sugarcane fuels anti-Catholic hate, much like past Blood Libels targeted Jews. Brian Giesbrecht demands a full public inquiry into the unmarked graves hoax, church burnings, and millions in taxpayer-funded fraud. Will Canada expose the truth—or let lies rewrite history? Injustice thrives when deception goes unchallenged. Read more.