It's time the federal government "smashes the status quo" and allows aboriginals to become full partners in Canada, Assembly of First Nations Chief Shawn Atleo says.
At least that's one of his objectives going into the upcoming First Nations summit in Ottawa on Tuesday.
Speaking on CTV's Question Period Sunday, Atleo said First Nations are looking for real change from the government in terms of education, adherence to treaty rights and economic development.
But more importantly, First Nations need to be cut loose from the "remote control" that Ottawa has used in native affairs in the past so they can become "full partners" in Canada.
"Those are very fundamental, really important pieces that First Nations have been working on for a long time," he said.
While he's not expecting a full-day of budget talks, Atleo wants to see positive movement from Ottawa in these areas.
"You know, we're building on literally decades of work and reams of reports in areas like education," he said, adding the summit will not be a day for starting from scratch.
And, a lot of groundwork is already in place to take these key issues forward, he said.
Atleo said it's also a chance to move past First Nations' mistrust of Ottawa that's built up over years.
"It's an opportunity to be both practical and lay out those specific action areas that require change," Atleo said.
Although Harper won't be there for the entire event, it will be his first time to officially meet with native leaders since taking office in 2006.
That doesn't worry Atleo, who said the prime minister has shown his commitment to the process by having at least one-third of cabinet present at the summit, or the "whole machinery of government."
It's also important that Gov-Gen David Johnston will be present, reaffirming First Nations' relationship with the Crown, he said.
"What's really important in our interactions with this government and my conversations with this prime minister . . . we in fact are not working from scratch," Atleo said, referring to the joint action plan agreed to by Harper and First Nations leaders last year.
One northern Ontario chief attending the summit is optimistic progress will be tangible.
"There's been millions and millions of dollars spent on consulting but now we need to address the real needs in our communities," Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee told CTV Sudbury.
The meeting comes at a time when the northern Ontario First Nation of Attawapiskat declared a housing emergency, which highlighted some of the problems faced on native reserves.
The federal government stepped in and appointed a manager to look after the band's finances, a move that angered native leaders across the country.
"There's been nothing but really tragic news in the media about the conditions in the Far North and those conditions exist in a lot of First Nations (overcrowding)," Madahbee said.
"So we have the solutions built into all these reports that have been done and we need some political will to effect some action," he said.
Madahbee would like to see a first ministers' conference held in the next 12 to 18 months.
Harper had earlier downplayed the summit's potential, stressing that the meeting will not be a "big bang" event with grand announcements and big funding boosts.
The prime minister is said to favour an approach that starts with pilot projects and builds on small successes.
With files from CTVNews.ca staff
