UN Taking Feds to Task

A United Nations official is taking the federal
government to task over its treatment of the Attawapiskat First
Nation and aboriginal communities in general.
James Anaya, the UN special rapporteur on the rights of
indigenous peoples, issued a statement today after native leaders
asked him to look into living conditions in the James Bay community
and elsewhere.
Anaya says he has communicated his concerns to federal
authorities and wants to see how they plan to address poor
conditions in Attawapiskat and other reserves.
He says he has been told Ottawa is systematically underfunding
reserves and is not responding adequately to cries for help.
He wants to hear the government’s side of the story and says he
will monitor policies very closely.