Media reports are carrying excerpts from a speech by Assembly of First Nations (AFN) national chief, Matthew Coon Come, at the AFN's annual national meeting of native leaders in Halifax.

Reportedly, Chief Coon Come "has come to the conclusion - it has been federal policy to not provide for adequate sanitation, drinking water, housing, health care infrastructure and services to our people. What is happening is the continuing implementation of policies of assimilation and extinguishment through infliction of conditions of social despair."

These are strong words. But Chief Coon Come went further and said "Canada's social policies are killing and stunting large numbers of our people - these conditions are tolerated because of racism."

It's reality check time. Chief Coon Come is facing mounting pressure if not an outright revolt against his national leadership, spearheaded by militant factions in the aboriginal community, who want him to take a more aggressive stance vis-à-vis Ottawa on issues ranging from treaty negotiations to traditional hunting and fishing rights to more money for a variety of programs.

Indeed, he was swept to the highest elected aboriginal office in the land precisely on this platform of greater militancy and political aggression when dealing with the feds. Given dissension within his ranks, the Chief has employed one of the oldest political tactics in the book: lash out at an external and perceived common enemy to blunt and masquerade internal criticisms.

This is not to belittle his frustration. Indeed, Canada's 1.4 million natives have some longstanding and justifiable grievances about their historic and present treatment at the hands of the federal government. As well conditions for a large proportion of over 600,000 status Indians living on reserve are abysmal.

As native leaders (Indian, Metis, and Inuit) themselves have pointed out, aboriginal rates of teen suicide, substance abuse, spousal abuse and domestic violence, tuberculosis and other maladies, all exceed the national average. And conditions on some of Canada's reserves are deplorable where the basic necessities of life such as clean water, proper sanitation, and access to timely health care (not unique to natives) are limited to non-existent.

But to lay blame solely at the feet of the federal government is not only unfair it is duplicitous. Ottawa disburses some $4.9 billion directly each year through Indian and Northern Affairs. Almost 80% of this money goes directly to band councils and chiefs.

Add in other federal programs targeted to aboriginals through Health Canada, Industry Canada and other departments, the federal contribution rises to almost $7 billion. Counting various provincial initiatives, the sum is $10 billion. Yet the instances of bands and reserves in financial receivership or under third party management - some with incredible resource and other sources of revenue - are troubling and far too commonplace.

This is not due to a lack of capacity or training. Many aboriginal leaders are well educated, articulate and passionate/driven individuals. This is more an issue of accountability and transparency. Moving to a system of individual property rights on reserves, transparent band governance and a welcoming stance to build further financial capacity would help Canada's aboriginals more than vicious rhetoric.

Chief Coon Come must outline a realistic vision for aboriginal peoples that need not be immense, but large enough to house a multitude of aboriginal and non-aboriginal Canadians. His recent speech in Halifax failed in this regard.