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Conversation with Sarah Gabrielle Baron
Why hasn't this happened? It's really sad it's come to this. I hope someone from Federal Council will explain this in this comment section.
What I've heard, yet never fully understood, is that Indigenous Peoples' Advisory Circle requested more time to develop something like a "vetting" procedure that IPAC would guide to qualify and recruit potential Candidates for the seats on Council.
I'll sum this up. The Indigenous Peoples Advisory Circle (IPAC) had some founding members, some of whom had put forward a motion to have 3 indigenous representatives on Federal Council, which was approved at the 2022 General Meeting and by an all member vote. At that time, IPAC wanted to develop a vetting procedure, which they did, but it was never officially adopted by Federal Council due to postponing the election a few times. Later on, some resigned from IPAC or were not invited to IPAC meetings... it's confusing. In any case, this changed the composition of IPAC and, as it stands, this "new" IPAC does NOT want indigenous representatives on Federal Council at all, even if that contradicts the GPC constitution. The core argument from this "new" IPAC is that including indigenous representatives on Federal Council would be colonial (indigenous members should not be part of colonial governance like Federal Council). Thus, Federal Council sided with this view and decided that there would be no election of indigenous representatives on Federal Council, even though respected indigenous members like Bruce Weaver, Krystal Brooks and Lorraine Rekmans think there should be indigenous representatives on Federal Council as per our Constitution.
As for most issues in the GPC, we may share the same values but our interpretations may differ on how to implement it. Needless to say, I think it's a good thing that ultimately GPC members at a General Meeting will have a say on this. Do we consider electing indigenous representatives on Federal Council to be colonial or not? Do we want to respect our constitution or ignore it? (And, rather than ignoring it, it should be amended then.)
Thank you for this summary. I joined GPC , knowing it was a colonlal construct. If we, indigenous people, aare going to have a vooice in politics then it has to be within a colonial frame. W IPAC can meet in circle and share leadership as it chooses but FC is bound by a constitution. IF SIPAC had wished to change , where are teh amendments? Would defeating my motion mean no action until 2026 and teh next AGM?
From observing a brief discussion of this at a FC meeting, it is my understanding that discussions have been going on. FC unilaterally calling an election would be highly disrespectful. This motion should be defeated.
It is , in my view, far more disrespectful to ignore those of us who founded IPAC, before it became an officlal wing of the party, worked for over a yeare to formulate 3 motions to bring to the last VGM and get them passed, only to see FC not act on the will of the party. Discussions have been going on with some members of IPAC and another group whose composition seems to be indigenous but not necessarily Green. Those discussions began last summer. IF FC had acted, we woudl now be able to ask questiosn about the rightness of the process and offer amendments at this AGM. As it stands, those seats may not be filled unless an elction is held or FC chooses to fill them. I have seen several good indigenous GPC members leave tepearty because twe see this as a betrayal of many years of work. Failure today will mean I will not renew my membership. I have put up with disrespect but if a party cannoy and will not abide by its own constitution then what?
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