This week Prime Minister Stephen Harper granted Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence's wish and met with First Nations Chiefs. But while the gathering was long requested, the details -- no Governor General in attendance and Harper's own working office as a venue -- apparently didn't meet everyone's standard. The still-hunger-striking Spence was one of many chiefs who chose to boycott the three-hour talks. So what to make of a leader who's willing to forego solid food for weeks to further her goal of meeting with the nation's leadership -- but who doesn't consider a conversation with merely the PM good enough? Apparently she's not an incrementalist. On the negative side, Spence's stubbornness has fanned the flames of cynicism about First Nations leadership -- and the release of the findings of the Attawapiskat audit certainly didn't help. On the positive, there's no denying that Spence's strike -- be it activism borne of desperation or pure publicity stunt -- has combined with the Idle No More movement to force the nation into a difficult conversation that's long overdue.
