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2. SUPPORT FOR A NATIONAL
INDIGENOUS CENTRE ON VICTORIA ISLAND SOUTIEN
EN VUE D’UN CENTRE AUTOCHTONE NATIONAL SUR L’ÎLE VICTORIA |
Committee Recommendation
That Council support a National Indigenous
Centre in the Nation's Capital, and to encourage the Federal Government to work
with stakeholders (First Nations, Province of Ontario, etc.) to establish a
National Indigenous Centre on Victoria Island.
Recommandation DU Comité
Que le Conseil d’Ottawa indique son soutien à un centre autochtone national dans la
capitale et encourage le gouvernement fédéral à travailler avec les
intervenants (Premières Nations, province de l’Ontario, etc.) afin d’établir un
centre autochtone national sur l’île Victoria.
Documentation
1. Councillor Cullen’s report dated 18 November
2010 (ACS2010-CCS-CPS-0034).
Community and Protective Services Committee
Comité des services
communautaires et de protection
and Council / et au
Conseil
18 November 2010 / le 18 novembre 2010
Submitted by/Soumis par : Alex Cullen,
Councillor/Conseiller
Bay/Baie (7)
Contact Person/Personne ressource : Alex Cullen,
Councillor, Bay Ward
(613) 580-2477,
alex.cullen@ottawa.ca
SUBJECT:
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OBJET :
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soutien
en vue d’un centre autochtone national sur l’île victoria |
That Community & Protective Services Committee recommend to Ottawa City Council to indicate its support for a National Indigenous Centre in the Nation's Capital, and to encourage the Federal Government to work with stakeholders (First Nations, Province of Ontario, etc.) to establish a National Indigenous Centre on Victoria Island.
Que le Comité des
services communautaires et de protection recommande au Conseil d’Ottawa
d’indiquer son soutien à un centre autochtone national dans la capitale et
d’encourager le gouvernement fédéral à travailler avec les intervenants
(Premières Nations, province de l’Ontario, etc.) afin d’établir un centre
autochtone national sur l’île Victoria.
Canada's indigenous peoples currently have no place in
Ottawa to showcase their living and traditional culture, knowledge, languages
and spirit.
As well, there is no national centre celebrating all
of Canada's First Nations, Métis and Inuit anywhere in Canada to draw the many
indigenous peoples together, to celebrate indigenous cultures, world views, and
wisdom with other Canadians, and with the world.
In the mid-1980's, Jean Pigott, Chair of the National
Capital Commission, proposed that Ottawa desperately needed a National
Aboriginal Centre (the term Indigenous is currently used since it is somewhat
broader and more inclusive), to be located on Victoria Island in the Ottawa
River at the foot of Parliament Hill.
She saw the lack of such a centre as a major deficiencey in telling
Canada's story in the Nation's Capital, in its role to represent all Canadians,
and to showcase what makes us Canadian.
She and her successor Marcel Beaudry, Chair of the NCC from 1992-2006,
worked hard for many years to make a National Indigenous Centre a reality. The current administration of the NCC
continues to support this initiative, and preliminary work has been done in
developing the concept.
Esteemed Algonquin Elder William Commanda (who is a Grandfather of the Algonquin Nation, and is eminently respected) developed a marvellous vision for this Centre and has been promoting it for over 15 years (see Document 1). Elder Commanda (who turned 97 on November 11) been given the Key to the City of Ottawa and is an Officer of the Order of Canada. This year he was given the Lifetime Aboriginal Achievement Award. The vision which he promotes is supported by all of the Algonquin Communities, which he and Douglas Cardinal toured several years ago. World-renowned Canadian First Nations architect Douglas Cardinal, who built the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau and the Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC, was engaged to develop plans in 2004, and these visionary plans stand ready for implementation.
Ottawa sits on traditional Algonquin territory, and
this confluence of the Ottawa, Gatineau and Rideau Rivers has long served as a
sacred meeting ground of the Asinabka, and so it is logical that the Algonquin
Nation would be the Host Nation of the National Indigenous Centre, which will
draw together and celebrate all of Canada's Indigenous peoples. This will be similar to the way that the Four
Host First Nations in British Columbia, whose traditional territories hosted
the Olympic Games, became the Host Nations for the Vancouver 2010
Olympics.
The Assembly of First Nations are fully supportive of
this initiative, as is MP Paul Dewar, who is MP for the riding (Ottawa Centre)
which contains Victoria Island - he has spoken for it twice in the House of
Commons. Although support for the
project is almost universal, no-one has taken the lead to make it happen. And so everyone waits. It will be a deep sadness indeed if Elder
Commanda is not able to walk its halls some day.
Besides the many ways that this National Indigenous
Centre is needed for our first peoples, it will also create a tourism draw for
the region, and for business reasons alone this would be a good investment for
the Ottawa-Gatineau region. As well as
being good for the City, this project will be good for the Province of Ontario,
the Federal Government, and all Canadians.
But most importantly it will be good for our indigenous peoples, the
descendents of those who showed Champlain the way to survive, to travel up the
great Ottawa River to the continent, to all of what became Canada. As the 400th anniversary of that event
approaches in 2013, the Federal Government, the Cities of Ottawa-Gatineau, and
all Canadians, will be able to show appreciation and recognition that Canada's
first peoples are still here, still amongst us, still with rich culture and
wisdom to share, if we will only listen, and provide an appropriate national
venue in the Capital.
There has been no public consultation on this topic, however, there has been previous media coverage regarding the proposal for a National Indigenous Centre on Victoria Island.
This report asks that the City of Ottawa support the establishment of a National Indigenous Centre in Ottawa, and has no legal or risk management implications for the City of Ottawa.
This report is consistent with the City's Strategic Plan as the National Indigenous Centre would recognize the contributions made to the development of the City of Ottawa by its indigenous peoples.
There are no financial implications to the City of Ottawa, as the establishment of a National Indigenous Centre would be a federal initiative.
A Report on the Vision for the Asinabka National Indigenous Centre
Upon approval by Ottawa City Council, the City's endorsement would be communicated to the Prime Minister of Canada, the Minister of Indian Affairs & Northern Development, the Minister responsible for the NCC, the Chair and CEO of the NCC, the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of Tourism & Culture (Ontario), the City of Gatineau, and to the Circle of All Nations.