MP Charlie Angus's (Timmins/St. James Bay) recent asked the rhetorical question"What if They Declared an Emergency and No One Came?" in his recent op-ed piece in Huffington Post (11/21/11) .   The community of the Attawapiskat First Nation certainly knew the answer.  Past experience has clearly demonstrated to this community, no matter how disasterous the situation could possible be, no one would come.  They, along with many of our Native communities, are truly the forgotten people.

Today, November 23rd, 2011, one full month has passed since the dire living conditions qualified a declaration of a state of emergency. To date, no government official has come to even assess the situation, not to mention invoke emergency measures.

While these people have been living in dilapidated houses, tents, sheds and even a trailer left behind by mining company De Beers without electricity nor water for over two years, nothing much has been done to alleviate their suffering.  The federal government has promised a token $500,000 in aid which will barely scratch the surface.How, in one of the world's wealthier nations, is it permissible for our native people to live in third world conditions?

This isn't the first time this community has been ignored by the Canadian Federal and Ontario Provincial government. (Please read about Shannen Koostachin's short life.). I have never been so angered by the Canadian government's ineptitude, disregard and disrespect shown to our aboriginal population.

The outpouring from the community, every day people, has been immense. This situation though is untenable and our government needs to fulfill its duties to its citizens, not only when a crisis arises, but on a continual basis. Please shame our government into providing the assistance needed to re-built this community.

Contact your government officials and demand that act in the interest of all of its population, including our first people. Sign the petition, Demand action for the Attawapiskat First Nation, to shame the Canadian Federal and the Ontario Provincial governments into taking action and rebuilding this community. It is disgraceful that a country like Canada is treating its own people like with complete disrespect.