AFN Chief Shawn Atleo just announced a partnership with Habitat for Humanity  to work towards building decent, affordable housing in aboriginal communities across Canada. The goal here should not be just housing but also construction training and housing maintenance  for aboriginal youth. One without the other is just a continuation of the same old paternalistic dependency joke that has been going on for over a century.

For every house built there should be a core of aboriginal youth who emerge more knowledgeable and capable in housing construction and maintainance so that they can continue this work when Habitat has moved on to other more pressing projects. .