Hi Friends
I'm astonished by how very little Non-Aboriginals seem to know about Canadian history.
Flip your thinking about Indians around. It was only with the help and care of the First Nations, that allowed the first settlers to survive, and thrive here. It was also the first nations here that willingly shared their land and their knowledge of the same that gave the new comers a home.
So, far from you and your Government allowing us, anything, it is we, who are suffering your trespassing and interference in our lives. If we could remove greed and fright from your minds, maybe this shared existence, could be the utopia we all planned it to be. We would need only to honor the treaties entered into by the First Nations and the new comers in the spirit in which they were written, Nation to Nation with respect on both sides.
It has become incumbent upon first nations to prove, to the letter, what each and every treaty protects...yet the successive Canadian governments give themselves plenty of lee way on their interpretation of these same treaties. Canada and many Canadians have enjoyed untold wealth from the ill gotten gains of this country, and all at the expense, and to, the degradation of the Indigenous peoples. Our plan of a shared existence became, colonization through the work of the Indian Act, and the will of the Canadian Governments.
All treaties have been, and still are being broken. So don't say; "This was in the past. why should it apply today. I didn't do this to you and yours. I shouldn't be held responsible for what my ancestors did."
Yes, you should, and yes you do continue the sad work of your ancestors every time you let yourself off the proverbial hook, over your elected officials further marginalization and abuse of the Indigenous peoples.
These things can and should be solved but it would definitely take will and honesty and fair dealing to do so. You even have a blue print to follow: the Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil, is that good men to do nothing". (Edmund Burke)
debra
Monday, October 26, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
From a Member of the Human Race
Hi Friends
Did you see this?click here
Why is this not hate mongering? Can you imagine what the consequences would be if this were any other ethnic group being maligned in this way? What is the defense offered for this hugely offensive piece of drivel? It was meant as a humorous commentary? Where's the humor in it then?
She has written a book? Wow, my question is has she ever even read a book?...May I suggest that at least one of them should be history book.
What is her alma mater...the university of Hollywood? Fun though the oater genre may be, they are strictly for entertainment, and thus not historically factual at all. Sorry to tell you, there is no Santa Claus either. I know, I know. I've seen movies about him too.
You hear young Black comics and rappers refer to their friends using the "N-word" and have even been asked,.." if you guys use this term, then why can't I?" The answer always is..."I don't know, but you had better not"...inference being you're not black, and as such therefore have no justifiable reason what ever to use this most derogatory of terms. Maybe Ms. Marsden should adopt this as a guide post in her writings, so as to not offend, and or insult the culture of others.
The thing I find even more disquieting than the printing of this racist article (and to all you deniers, it is racist) is the numerous blogs in defense of it. The red necked bottom feeders were out in force, with their bemoaning political correctness,and ranting their "poor put upon me" rhetoric. Amazing to me, how Ms. Marsden and her supporters feel victimized when their intolerance of others is pointed out. Sadly mind boggling!
I want to believe we are better than this. Lets stop the racial hate speak, adopt the term Human Race in relation to each other and...evolve...
debra
Did you see this?click here
Why is this not hate mongering? Can you imagine what the consequences would be if this were any other ethnic group being maligned in this way? What is the defense offered for this hugely offensive piece of drivel? It was meant as a humorous commentary? Where's the humor in it then?
She has written a book? Wow, my question is has she ever even read a book?...May I suggest that at least one of them should be history book.
What is her alma mater...the university of Hollywood? Fun though the oater genre may be, they are strictly for entertainment, and thus not historically factual at all. Sorry to tell you, there is no Santa Claus either. I know, I know. I've seen movies about him too.
You hear young Black comics and rappers refer to their friends using the "N-word" and have even been asked,.." if you guys use this term, then why can't I?" The answer always is..."I don't know, but you had better not"...inference being you're not black, and as such therefore have no justifiable reason what ever to use this most derogatory of terms. Maybe Ms. Marsden should adopt this as a guide post in her writings, so as to not offend, and or insult the culture of others.
The thing I find even more disquieting than the printing of this racist article (and to all you deniers, it is racist) is the numerous blogs in defense of it. The red necked bottom feeders were out in force, with their bemoaning political correctness,and ranting their "poor put upon me" rhetoric. Amazing to me, how Ms. Marsden and her supporters feel victimized when their intolerance of others is pointed out. Sadly mind boggling!
I want to believe we are better than this. Lets stop the racial hate speak, adopt the term Human Race in relation to each other and...evolve...
debra
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Thanks-for-nothing-day
Hi Friends
Lets talk about respect. Respect for the nation to nation dealings we have with each other. Respect for, and the upholding of the Constitution. Respect for the First Nations in their struggle to assume their rightful place in this country.
When governments run roughshod over the rights of citizens, and carry out a campaign of disinformation against the few, this is what can, and has, led to unrest, ethnic cleansing, civil wars and anarchy in extreme situations.
In the sixties, with a liberal government under P.E.Trudeau.
Canada was making it presence known on the world stage as a peace keeper, and a haven to the disenfranchised. We were proudly multi-cultural, yet the government of the day still sought to assimilate the first nations populations with a little piece of legislation known as the white paper.
This was answered by a young first nations man named Harold Cardinal who wrote a paper of his own dubbed the red paper. After this was put forward, the Liberals shelved the white paper proposition. Small victory. Then in 1982 the Constitution was brought home with section 35 guaranteeing aboriginal and treaty rights. Looked upon as a significant victory. Twenty-five years on still not being implemented...
First Nations communities across the country are suffering unspeakable woes. Who but the most callous among us can look into the face of a child and shrug off the pain and sorrow you see there? When ever I see the leaders of these communities begging for help, or read of the loss of lives to suicide in these communities or hear of the missing women or the disproportionate amount of incarcerated native men and women from these communities, I can only wonder 'where is your compassion for your fellow man?'
We as a country have just celebrated that most native of holidays...Thanksgiving. How many native communities had much to be thankful for do you think?
debra
Lets talk about respect. Respect for the nation to nation dealings we have with each other. Respect for, and the upholding of the Constitution. Respect for the First Nations in their struggle to assume their rightful place in this country.
When governments run roughshod over the rights of citizens, and carry out a campaign of disinformation against the few, this is what can, and has, led to unrest, ethnic cleansing, civil wars and anarchy in extreme situations.
In the sixties, with a liberal government under P.E.Trudeau.
Canada was making it presence known on the world stage as a peace keeper, and a haven to the disenfranchised. We were proudly multi-cultural, yet the government of the day still sought to assimilate the first nations populations with a little piece of legislation known as the white paper.
This was answered by a young first nations man named Harold Cardinal who wrote a paper of his own dubbed the red paper. After this was put forward, the Liberals shelved the white paper proposition. Small victory. Then in 1982 the Constitution was brought home with section 35 guaranteeing aboriginal and treaty rights. Looked upon as a significant victory. Twenty-five years on still not being implemented...
First Nations communities across the country are suffering unspeakable woes. Who but the most callous among us can look into the face of a child and shrug off the pain and sorrow you see there? When ever I see the leaders of these communities begging for help, or read of the loss of lives to suicide in these communities or hear of the missing women or the disproportionate amount of incarcerated native men and women from these communities, I can only wonder 'where is your compassion for your fellow man?'
We as a country have just celebrated that most native of holidays...Thanksgiving. How many native communities had much to be thankful for do you think?
debra
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The Prime minister's forked tongue
Hi Friends
"We (Canada) have no history of colonialism." Excerpt from Stephen Harpers speech to the G20 summit in Pittsburgh Sept.25, 2009.
Tell that to the colonized. Many First nations and their citizens still struggle under all the social ills that accompany colonization. Broken families, domestic abuse, drug and alcohol abuse; all consequences of colonization. Let's look at some examples. The colonial Indian Act that displaces First Nation Governance, chronic underfunding of First Nations people, and lets not forget the denial of treaty rights...even though they are recognized in the Canadian Constitution..(section 35)
The spin doctors have assured us that this was just a snippet taken out of context.
Really? Didn't Stephen Harper just apologize about one year ago for the Residential schools?
"There is no place in Canada for the attitudes that inspired the Indian residential school system to ever prevail again" excerpt from the residential school apology.
Mr. Harper seems unaware or doesn't care that he is giving the entire country a black eye around the world by refusing to sign the indigenous peoples rights bill.
Apologizes for, then denies colonization? Maybe Mr. Harper is unaware of the exact definition of colonization. Perhaps he could check out the AFN web site for this and so much more.
regards
Debra
sources are:http://www.afn.ca/article.asp?id=4609
"We (Canada) have no history of colonialism." Excerpt from Stephen Harpers speech to the G20 summit in Pittsburgh Sept.25, 2009.
Tell that to the colonized. Many First nations and their citizens still struggle under all the social ills that accompany colonization. Broken families, domestic abuse, drug and alcohol abuse; all consequences of colonization. Let's look at some examples. The colonial Indian Act that displaces First Nation Governance, chronic underfunding of First Nations people, and lets not forget the denial of treaty rights...even though they are recognized in the Canadian Constitution..(section 35)
The spin doctors have assured us that this was just a snippet taken out of context.
Really? Didn't Stephen Harper just apologize about one year ago for the Residential schools?
"There is no place in Canada for the attitudes that inspired the Indian residential school system to ever prevail again" excerpt from the residential school apology.
Mr. Harper seems unaware or doesn't care that he is giving the entire country a black eye around the world by refusing to sign the indigenous peoples rights bill.
Apologizes for, then denies colonization? Maybe Mr. Harper is unaware of the exact definition of colonization. Perhaps he could check out the AFN web site for this and so much more.
regards
Debra
sources are:http://www.afn.ca/article.asp?id=4609
Monday, October 5, 2009
Sisters in Spirit
Hi Friends
These are painful times for the First Nations communities. Some are mourning the loss of some of their women and some are worried they too might lose women, and all are wondering why these women and girls don't deserve the media attention given a lost pet.
Some of these young women were in high risk lifestyles, thats true, but does that negate their humanity?
People do what they deem necessary to survive. From feeding a drug habit to feeding their children these women were forced into the streets, and into danger by the antiquated legal definition of prostitution.
Our criminal code doesn't forbid selling your body for sex, but it does prohibit the soliciting of, or the living off the avails of prostitution. Puritan double speak. Why all the sanctimonious rhetoric? I'm constantly amazed at the righteousness of the uptight right wingers who envision the down fall of our nation should we honestly face the fact that we are sexual creatures. This could be a victimless crime, monitored, and (for the bean counters) taxed, and safe houses and medical checks provided for the workers. Probably a cash cow for the Government, but definitely a safer alternative for the working women, and the Johns who use their services.
Many advocacy groups have come out in support the First Nations in their cries for help from law enforcement and the Canadian Government. We need to face the facts now. The Government of Canada is not interested in our loss. I feel they welcome it...and all the sensitivity training in the world for law enforcers is all for naught, because until they themselves are personally impacted by their own loss, wages, women from their back grounds, and charges of dereliction of duty, and forced to see it our way, they too have no interest. That sounds like I'm painting with a broad brush, but it has been going on over a number of years now hasn't it?
The media outlets are full to brimming over with tales of the treatment of third world women and their plight...can I just say lets clean up our own back yard first?
Grandmother moon provides us direction, strength knowledge and wisdom. She teaches us of our special place in our families and beyond.
We need Grandmother moons presences in our lives now more than ever, especially for our young women who live in the shadows and darkness as they struggle to live in the light.
regards Debra
These are painful times for the First Nations communities. Some are mourning the loss of some of their women and some are worried they too might lose women, and all are wondering why these women and girls don't deserve the media attention given a lost pet.
Some of these young women were in high risk lifestyles, thats true, but does that negate their humanity?
People do what they deem necessary to survive. From feeding a drug habit to feeding their children these women were forced into the streets, and into danger by the antiquated legal definition of prostitution.
Our criminal code doesn't forbid selling your body for sex, but it does prohibit the soliciting of, or the living off the avails of prostitution. Puritan double speak. Why all the sanctimonious rhetoric? I'm constantly amazed at the righteousness of the uptight right wingers who envision the down fall of our nation should we honestly face the fact that we are sexual creatures. This could be a victimless crime, monitored, and (for the bean counters) taxed, and safe houses and medical checks provided for the workers. Probably a cash cow for the Government, but definitely a safer alternative for the working women, and the Johns who use their services.
Many advocacy groups have come out in support the First Nations in their cries for help from law enforcement and the Canadian Government. We need to face the facts now. The Government of Canada is not interested in our loss. I feel they welcome it...and all the sensitivity training in the world for law enforcers is all for naught, because until they themselves are personally impacted by their own loss, wages, women from their back grounds, and charges of dereliction of duty, and forced to see it our way, they too have no interest. That sounds like I'm painting with a broad brush, but it has been going on over a number of years now hasn't it?
The media outlets are full to brimming over with tales of the treatment of third world women and their plight...can I just say lets clean up our own back yard first?
Grandmother moon provides us direction, strength knowledge and wisdom. She teaches us of our special place in our families and beyond.
We need Grandmother moons presences in our lives now more than ever, especially for our young women who live in the shadows and darkness as they struggle to live in the light.
regards Debra
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