Hi Friends
I have blogged before about the ghoulish practices of Mr. Harpers Conservatives as regards the pressing needs of the aboriginal children in Canada.
When do the actions or inaction of any government constitute genocide? I guess, to Stephen Harper and his ilk, the ends justify the means.
Click here
Though this is an independent body and supposedly free from interference from the government what so ever...how many really believe this?
How long have our leaders been bringing these issues to the Canadian government and the Canadian people?
Here is yet another site to check out.
click here
Where is the government's outrage over this deplorable situation? Where is their accountability? Like the residential schools before, who's skirts will they hide behind next time? Yeah it was those fine religious institutions who petitioned the governments to set up the residential schools, but it was the government policies that allowed them to thrive. Who are they in cahoots with this time?
I guess we will have to just wait and see when they apologize for the next round of dead aboriginal children.
Debra
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
First nation Third world Second thoughts
Hi Friends
Its not news that many First Nation communities are living in "developing world" conditions. Many First Nation citizens have to be vigilant, not only to the best efforts of the Canadian government to keep them down, but sadly to their own elected chiefs and councils. What are the reasons for downing your own?
Good question.
Sometimes it's around jealousies stretching back over generations, fear and greed around the welcoming back of your enfranchised members, and yet another is the paternalism surrounding the ever present Indian Act. An even more more insidious motive could be the wanton greed of people who have been held out of larger society for so long. The truly unfortunate lesson of extreme poverty is, "hang on to whatever you can get your hands on and damn the consequences of tomorrow."
Regarding the residents of most reserves I've been to, there is one thing that stands out. Most people I've spoken with have had issues with the oppressive Indian Act and as such are now well versed on all the nuances in the act. The only hope for some, as they see it is to bend their lives into compliance within the Act. I have heard plenty of anger and feelings of frustration, but as yet, have not heard out right opposition to or civil disobedience in response to the Indian Act. This, in my opinion is the most insidious effect of colonialism. The ability to erode the confidence of a people and leave them feeling sterile and frozen in any effort to change their lot.
Having grown up in the turbulent sixties with the examples of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X and the civil rights movement on television nightly, I was unprepared for the First Nations communities' seeming acceptance of this racist document to direct their lives.
Being so new into politics, (we have only had the vote since the sixties) as we are, we definitely have a lot of catching up to do. We seem to be quick learners though as some of our politicians have learned how to feather their own nests and line their pockets and ignore the plight of their own people as competently and completely as any other governments.
We come from finer stock then this. It was the ideologies of sharing and kindness that helped us survive to this point in time. These tenets have served us well in the past and can again in the future. It is incumbent on us to find our way back to them, for our own well being.
We must fund our own political efforts. Can the AFN while funded by Canada, really be expected to lobby for the First Nations and their needs against the very gravy-train they are riding? Not very likely. Remember the old adage; you get what you pay for. I'm no lawyer but isn't that a conflict of interest?
Do we have unimpeachable modern leadership to look to in our collective struggle? I believe yes we do. I have met some and have followed the careers of others.
Great charismatic leaders are a rarity in any culture. I believe we have such a man in Ovide Mercredi. I am a fan.
regards debra
Its not news that many First Nation communities are living in "developing world" conditions. Many First Nation citizens have to be vigilant, not only to the best efforts of the Canadian government to keep them down, but sadly to their own elected chiefs and councils. What are the reasons for downing your own?
Good question.
Sometimes it's around jealousies stretching back over generations, fear and greed around the welcoming back of your enfranchised members, and yet another is the paternalism surrounding the ever present Indian Act. An even more more insidious motive could be the wanton greed of people who have been held out of larger society for so long. The truly unfortunate lesson of extreme poverty is, "hang on to whatever you can get your hands on and damn the consequences of tomorrow."
Regarding the residents of most reserves I've been to, there is one thing that stands out. Most people I've spoken with have had issues with the oppressive Indian Act and as such are now well versed on all the nuances in the act. The only hope for some, as they see it is to bend their lives into compliance within the Act. I have heard plenty of anger and feelings of frustration, but as yet, have not heard out right opposition to or civil disobedience in response to the Indian Act. This, in my opinion is the most insidious effect of colonialism. The ability to erode the confidence of a people and leave them feeling sterile and frozen in any effort to change their lot.
Having grown up in the turbulent sixties with the examples of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X and the civil rights movement on television nightly, I was unprepared for the First Nations communities' seeming acceptance of this racist document to direct their lives.
Being so new into politics, (we have only had the vote since the sixties) as we are, we definitely have a lot of catching up to do. We seem to be quick learners though as some of our politicians have learned how to feather their own nests and line their pockets and ignore the plight of their own people as competently and completely as any other governments.
We come from finer stock then this. It was the ideologies of sharing and kindness that helped us survive to this point in time. These tenets have served us well in the past and can again in the future. It is incumbent on us to find our way back to them, for our own well being.
We must fund our own political efforts. Can the AFN while funded by Canada, really be expected to lobby for the First Nations and their needs against the very gravy-train they are riding? Not very likely. Remember the old adage; you get what you pay for. I'm no lawyer but isn't that a conflict of interest?
Do we have unimpeachable modern leadership to look to in our collective struggle? I believe yes we do. I have met some and have followed the careers of others.
Great charismatic leaders are a rarity in any culture. I believe we have such a man in Ovide Mercredi. I am a fan.
regards debra
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Taxing Times
Hi Friends
The Mc Guinty liberal government has decided to introduce the HST to Ontario.
A harmonized tax (or cash cow) has been used in other provinces of the country with certain exemptions offered. Not so in Ontario. Ontario has not created an exemption for it's First Nations citizens, nor has the Ontario government consulted with the First Nations, as it is lawfully required to do about this proposed tax. First Nations in the province regard this as a direct attack on our rights.
This is particularly disquieting as it was just last month that the newly minted Ontario aboriginal affairs minister (Brad Duguid...pronounced Do-good) was interviewed on Nation Talk and gave a very hopeful interview where he talked about consulting with and bringing new respect to the governments dealings with the First Nations of Ontario.
click here
Is this just another example of the infamous forked tongue of the white politicians?
These are taxing times for the Nations in so many ways. Our patience is being taxed, along with our constitutionally protected rights to nationhood. Will the government be taxing other nation states without their consent?
Here is the where you can email Mr. McGuinty and minister Duguid and let them know what you think of their HST proposal.
click here
click here
regards
Debra
The Mc Guinty liberal government has decided to introduce the HST to Ontario.
A harmonized tax (or cash cow) has been used in other provinces of the country with certain exemptions offered. Not so in Ontario. Ontario has not created an exemption for it's First Nations citizens, nor has the Ontario government consulted with the First Nations, as it is lawfully required to do about this proposed tax. First Nations in the province regard this as a direct attack on our rights.
This is particularly disquieting as it was just last month that the newly minted Ontario aboriginal affairs minister (Brad Duguid...pronounced Do-good) was interviewed on Nation Talk and gave a very hopeful interview where he talked about consulting with and bringing new respect to the governments dealings with the First Nations of Ontario.
click here
Is this just another example of the infamous forked tongue of the white politicians?
These are taxing times for the Nations in so many ways. Our patience is being taxed, along with our constitutionally protected rights to nationhood. Will the government be taxing other nation states without their consent?
Here is the where you can email Mr. McGuinty and minister Duguid and let them know what you think of their HST proposal.
click here
click here
regards
Debra
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Hmmm Lets study this a little further...
Hi Friends
I've been reading a lot lately about the extreme poverty on many reserves in this country. The reality is that third world conditions do not just apply to the reserves, but also for many aboriginals, it extends to the urban centers as well.
This, like every issue surrounding aboriginal communities has been thoroughly studied.
Canada has paid a hefty price economically, as well as reputation wise for the commission of, and then the shelving of these studies. The First Nations have also paid dearly for these ignored recommendations. Trust is gone, replaced by cynicism, reputations are tarnished, fed by racist hate speak around aboriginal issues, and hope has vanished for our young and elders alike.
The residential school survivors are dying off with no chance to tell their stories. The damage done to these communities is being passed off as a failing by the first nations. The government and much of society in general, refuse to acknowledge the genocide perpetrated by their colonialist policies while admonishing the First Nations to "get over it already". The youth in these communities are turning to suicide or to gang activity to deal with the sense of hopelessness they feel by the marginalized lives they lead. The social ills in these communities are only compounded by the sub standard housing and lack of employment, undelivered health care and poor education. The lack of will of those in government to address these issues head on and to do something concrete about them is glaringly obvious with every study shelved or dismissed as unworkable.
The more diabolical reason, that these studies get commissioned, then shelved, may be that the government only commissions these expensive studies to; (A) employ their friends and family
(B) "leak" more defamatory misinformation about the First Nation people
(C) never end their intent to deny the first nations a viable existence, or even more nefariously, finally and forever "rid themselves of the Indian problem" a quest started on in 1876 by Duncan Campbell Scott and the inaugural Indian Act legislation.
Here, I want to suggest yet another study. Lets find out once and for all, why all the studies, and truthfully, why no action?
click here
Debra
I've been reading a lot lately about the extreme poverty on many reserves in this country. The reality is that third world conditions do not just apply to the reserves, but also for many aboriginals, it extends to the urban centers as well.
This, like every issue surrounding aboriginal communities has been thoroughly studied.
Canada has paid a hefty price economically, as well as reputation wise for the commission of, and then the shelving of these studies. The First Nations have also paid dearly for these ignored recommendations. Trust is gone, replaced by cynicism, reputations are tarnished, fed by racist hate speak around aboriginal issues, and hope has vanished for our young and elders alike.
The residential school survivors are dying off with no chance to tell their stories. The damage done to these communities is being passed off as a failing by the first nations. The government and much of society in general, refuse to acknowledge the genocide perpetrated by their colonialist policies while admonishing the First Nations to "get over it already". The youth in these communities are turning to suicide or to gang activity to deal with the sense of hopelessness they feel by the marginalized lives they lead. The social ills in these communities are only compounded by the sub standard housing and lack of employment, undelivered health care and poor education. The lack of will of those in government to address these issues head on and to do something concrete about them is glaringly obvious with every study shelved or dismissed as unworkable.
The more diabolical reason, that these studies get commissioned, then shelved, may be that the government only commissions these expensive studies to; (A) employ their friends and family
(B) "leak" more defamatory misinformation about the First Nation people
(C) never end their intent to deny the first nations a viable existence, or even more nefariously, finally and forever "rid themselves of the Indian problem" a quest started on in 1876 by Duncan Campbell Scott and the inaugural Indian Act legislation.
Here, I want to suggest yet another study. Lets find out once and for all, why all the studies, and truthfully, why no action?
click here
Debra
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)