In this blog post, I described the curious case of the Caucasian hereditary chief of the Buffalo Point First Nation - located in the South East corner of Manitoba.

As you can see in the previous blog post, I wrote an email to the chief, asking him about how he and his father could decide to use band funds to purchase $900,000 worth of cottages from him.

Well, he responded.

Below is his response as well as a response I sent back to him. We ended up having a back-and-forth email exchange a few times after the initial response, but as of yet he hasn't really responded to questions about his genealogy; he has simply suggested the Manitoba Genealogy Society be contacted.

In terms of how he could purchase cottages from himself with band funds, Mr. Thunder's defence seems to amount to - because he can and feels it's in the best interest of the community. He also suggested the cottages were purchased based on the initial capital investment.

He also suggested the CTF honour his accomplishments.

Anyway...here is his initial response...

CHIEF THUNDER'S RESPONSE:

On Sat, Nov 17, 2012 at 12:47 PM, John Thunder <[email protected]> wrote:

Colin,

Thats my business that I built with my own money through loans with Anishinaabe Maski capital and Southeast Development. They are 14 cabin rental units not cottages. I'm financing it over 6 years interest free. Pretty good deal if I say so my self. Yes there was a conflict of interest but when my family started all this we were the only ones here and the only ones willing to work and invest. I believe in private enterprise as does my father who is also being bought out of the family business. Our ownership has been questioned over the years by these people which I totally understand because at the end of the day all it is about is to stop our success that does not sit well with them.

Perhaps you should be asking why we are in court by our cottage owners for finally implementing our own land taxes. You could write about the fact that I pay income tax to the First Nation. Or that I was found guilty for creating the first First Nation sales tax in Canada and now have an agreement with Manitoba that was signed last September by Stan Stuthers but his people refuse to abide by it and continue to steal our taxes. Isn't it rather sad that what little land we have left the other levels of Government have had to tax our land and businesses? I guess having 96% of all the land in Canada isnt good enough for them so they need our land as well!!!!

My commitment to creating a economic powerhouse or super municipality with total independance does not sit well here in Canada. My goal of hosting a contribution ceremony in giving the Department of Indian affairs money back should have you excited. We have been subsidizing non aboriginals here for 35 years while their population numbers are used to subsidize Manitoba. Not a bad deal when you can pawn off your expenses on to some else while pocketing their money. You ever question why Manitoba recieves equilization payments while First Nations are capped based on population formulas?

What is really funny is our court cases with our cottage owners. I have listened to your organization bitch and complain about First Nations living off the vails of tax payers and now we have these same non aboringinal telling us we have no right to tax them on our land. Talk about hippocritical. Oh well my father's vision is too far advanced for most but I can guarantee you that no one is going to rain on his parade. You could do this a world of justice if your heart is in the right place. But now that your article is done and I now need to repair the damage you have created, perhaps you can find it in youtself to correct your mistake and retract your statement.

Chief John Thunder

MY RESPONSE: