Saturday, November 06, 2010

Cons blacklist Sisters in Spirit

The Cons will consider further funding for Sisters in Spirit but only if they stop using that name and give up lobbying all levels of government and maintaining their database and research into the nearly 600 missing Aboriginal women. Unbelievable.

It was only last week that Status of Women Minister Rona Ambrose praised Sisters in Spirit when she announced details of a $10 million national strategy to address "the disturbing issue of missing and murdered Aboriginal women" :
"The journey truly began with an initiative called Sisters in Spirit that was led by the Native Women’s Association of Canada. The association has undertaken an incredible amount of research... they have brought to light the shocking extent of these horrendous acts of violence."
Yet in Rona's Status of Women government webpage announcing the new strategy makes no mention of Sisters in Spirit at all and now the APTN News reports that Sisters have been excluded from receiving any of that $10M.
Instead they must apply to Status of Women for less money under new rules which will prohibit them from their use of the name Sisters in Spirit, or maintaining and extending their research database of nearly 600 missing Aboriginal women, or lobbying government.

Con MP Shelly Glover, Parliamentary Secretary for Indian and Northern Affairs :

"That project was finished. Don’t mix apples and oranges. That project was finished, now we’re working with them to pursue other projects."
Other projects? Bullshit.
Sisters in Spirit is their database and their advocacy work and their vigils. That's who they are.

So where's that $10M going? A good chunk to the RCMP.

Details in a very good 2 minute news vid from APTN. Go.

Then write an effing letter :
Rona Ambrose : Ambror@parl.gc.ca Phone : (613) 996-9778
Shelly Glover : Glover.S@parl.gc.ca Phone : (613) 995-0579
SWC NDP Irene Mathyssen : Mathyssen.I@parl.gc.ca Phone : (519) 685-4745
SWC Lib Anita Neville : Neville.A@parl.gc.ca Phone : (204) 983-1355
SWC Bloc Nicole Demers : Demers.N@parl.gc.ca Phone : (450) 686-2562).

10 comments:

Pam Palmater said...

I agree - insane. http://nonstatusindian.blogspot.com/2010/11/neanderthal-politics-shame-on.html

Anonymous said...

Back in Britain a soccer manager who receives "the unconditional support of the chairman and the board," knows that they are about to be fired.
It appears that if a ngo hears that the Minister has praised them for their good work then they are going to have their funding cut.
It is reverso world when the tories are in charge.

Oemissions said...

my gawd, if it isn't one thing it's another with this bunch of ...

Beijing York said...

Hopefully, this issue will have traction. The lion's share of the $10 million going to the RCMP is just a slap in the face.

Alison said...

Thanks, Pam. Appreciated.

Neanderthal Politics: Shame on Conservatives for Trying to Disempower Indigenous Women AGAIN

Alison said...

Just when I think Harpie and his minions can't sink any lower, they find another way to be complete and utter bastards.

Dave said...

Thanks for this Alison. If you hadn't brought it to the front page I would never have known about it. I read it over at Creekside and was quite literally blown away.

Honestly, I am just fucking stunned. When do these assholes find the bottom?

Dave said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dave said...

For what it's worth Pam, we've added you to the blogroll.

For everyone else. Good reading. Go there.

Rev.Paperboy said...

just when you think the government of King Stephen the Deadyed can't sink any lower, just when you are sure they have hit the bottom of the barrel, you hear a scraping sound like this underneath it. You move the barrel and find some fishbelly pale cabinet toady in a pit under the barrel with a miner's light and a shovel. And still a quarter of the voting population thump their chests and foam at the mouth on command for these evil shits...