Hi Friends
This is a sort of good news/bad news story.
On March the 5th of this year I read a little human interest story in the Toronto Star newspaper.
This story was of a young boy from a fly-in Cree community who had died tragically while attending a residential school. This accident took place back in the seventies and his remains were interred some two hundred kilometers away. It proved to be too costly for the family from a fly-in community to be able to afford to visit the child's resting place. His aged parents had only ever been able to visit his grave once, since his death, and now in their own twilight years yearned to be able to tend his resting spot.
While the Canadian Government acknowledged the sadness of this situation,( INAC minister John Duncan sent his condolences ) they also made note that there wasn't any money in the budget to repatriate this child's body back home. This after the much ballyhooed apology, where it was said;
that the residential school period was shameful time in our history was at an end.
Well reading this story it was shockingly evident to me that these were words, flowery words, but just words in the end. As the old adage goes, talk is cheap.
To plead poverty when the government had just announced a thirty billion dollar fighter jet contract, and having just spent one billion dollars for security on a week-end summit in Toronto in the past summer, and to the pledging of billions of dollars for the building of more jails, for what even their own minster had called un-reported crime.
Does this sound like a cash poor government to you?
The expense to bring this child's body back to his community would be a sum total of twenty-three thousand dollars. What a chance to show the Canadian people in general, and the Indigenous people in particular that they stand by the apology. That the new relationship with the First Nations would be vastly different than the previously dark one. But it was not to be! The Canadian government held fast to their original statement of this being too expensive for the government to take on.
Today in the Toronto Star a follow up story ran...and it was the good news part of this post.
Charlie is coming home, courtesy of the good citizens who read this story, and were touched by the plight of this family and the apparent heartlessness of this government.
These people gave their own apology, of sorts, to this family, when this government wouldn't.
regards Debra
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Democracy part two
Hi Friends
Democracy is from the Greek word (demokratia) meaning "rule of the people" or (demos) people, (kartos) power. Democracy is defined as a form of political organization in which all the people through consensus (direct referendum) or elected representatives exercise equal control over the matters which effect their common interests.
We, I have mentioned in past posts are rather new to the game of governing, having only secured the right to vote in federal elections since to the nineteen sixties.
This is not a true statement, and let me clarify! We the Indigenous people know democracy very well. It could be argued that its in our very bones. We have, before colonization, had democratic governments, and it is a known fact that the United States government is famously noted to be inspired, by the Six Nations confederacy.
With our long glorious history of people run governments, when and why did we stray so far from our own ideals? Was it the influence of the Indian agents who in the past, chose the chief and councils (usually from the largest families on the reserve, it being easier to control the people if you had the largest family in your pocket..) or as I have heard lamented over and over again that the problem is INAC rules.
To this I say, INAC didn't force any of us to elect the most corrupt in your community, nor did they instruct you to keep these people in power. That was the Indian agents' ways. Nor does INAC encourage those elected to take advantage of their people. That is the option exercised entirely by the unscrupulous chiefs and councilors.
To the tyranny practiced on some reserves today, and to the despots who harass their citizens for wanting better, shame on you!
You have lived down to the very worst of expectations. You have allied with those who seek to continue colonial rule over us. You have armed our common enemy with example after example of why we are unable to rise up, and be our own men and women capable of governing ourselves. You have cemented us as wards of the state through your unmitigated selfishness. You have pulled our children down, made fools of our elders, and the many courageous men and women activists fighting for our human rights and very dignity to be thought of as equals in our own country.
When you conduct yourselves like tyrants who would intimidate those who would disagree with you, you give credence to those who malign us.
When we are seeing other nations around the world rising up to throw off the mantle of tyrannical rule, you and your greed have condemned us to more of the same..thank you to all the chiefs and councils out there who have followed this race to the bottom...you have done us all a huge disservice.
Regards Debra
Democracy is from the Greek word (demokratia) meaning "rule of the people" or (demos) people, (kartos) power. Democracy is defined as a form of political organization in which all the people through consensus (direct referendum) or elected representatives exercise equal control over the matters which effect their common interests.
We, I have mentioned in past posts are rather new to the game of governing, having only secured the right to vote in federal elections since to the nineteen sixties.
This is not a true statement, and let me clarify! We the Indigenous people know democracy very well. It could be argued that its in our very bones. We have, before colonization, had democratic governments, and it is a known fact that the United States government is famously noted to be inspired, by the Six Nations confederacy.
With our long glorious history of people run governments, when and why did we stray so far from our own ideals? Was it the influence of the Indian agents who in the past, chose the chief and councils (usually from the largest families on the reserve, it being easier to control the people if you had the largest family in your pocket..) or as I have heard lamented over and over again that the problem is INAC rules.
To this I say, INAC didn't force any of us to elect the most corrupt in your community, nor did they instruct you to keep these people in power. That was the Indian agents' ways. Nor does INAC encourage those elected to take advantage of their people. That is the option exercised entirely by the unscrupulous chiefs and councilors.
To the tyranny practiced on some reserves today, and to the despots who harass their citizens for wanting better, shame on you!
You have lived down to the very worst of expectations. You have allied with those who seek to continue colonial rule over us. You have armed our common enemy with example after example of why we are unable to rise up, and be our own men and women capable of governing ourselves. You have cemented us as wards of the state through your unmitigated selfishness. You have pulled our children down, made fools of our elders, and the many courageous men and women activists fighting for our human rights and very dignity to be thought of as equals in our own country.
When you conduct yourselves like tyrants who would intimidate those who would disagree with you, you give credence to those who malign us.
When we are seeing other nations around the world rising up to throw off the mantle of tyrannical rule, you and your greed have condemned us to more of the same..thank you to all the chiefs and councils out there who have followed this race to the bottom...you have done us all a huge disservice.
Regards Debra
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Democracy Part 1...
Hi Friends
Well once again our political system is back under the microscope. This time in a community I know quite well; my home reserve.
I have blogged extensively about election reform, and have opined on many of the bad chiefs, and even taken the part of many maligned others, over some questionable behavior.
This time as I mentioned, it will not be such a blind defending or even a carefully criticizing of chiefs and councils that I know only by name or deed. No, this time I will be able to put names and faces together, along with my personal knowledge of the personalities of the individuals involved.
First things first. A news story broke this week in several media outlets about some disgruntled citizens of an Ontario reserve, writing an anonymous letter asking for a forensic audit or RCMP probe of their community after learning that their community faces a cash crunch. Most disturbing to me, as a lover of democracy, was that these community members felt only comfortable enough to be anonymous...This was way more than disheartening to me because, as I have said, I know this community and even ran for council myself in the past election.
I obviously did not succeed, but the people had spoken, and I was excited to have participated in the democratic process. I took away from this experience some new friendships and even met some distant relatives of mine. A win, win, sort of situation for me.
What is happening today however is much sadder than any election loss, for me, could be. What is now going on in my community is about as far away from democracy as you could possibly get. The people are too afraid of their elected officials to pose a direct question, openly, without fear of reprisal, (why else remain anonymous) from their elected government.
Only the most unrepentant of tyrants would not feel shame over this sorry turn of events. As a lover of democracy I urge you to get on with the request of your electorate and put to bed this notion of our reserve being nothing more than a banana republic.
I dare say, if it were me I'd be anxious to get on with this request from my community, if for no other reason, but to clear my good name.
regards Debra
Well once again our political system is back under the microscope. This time in a community I know quite well; my home reserve.
I have blogged extensively about election reform, and have opined on many of the bad chiefs, and even taken the part of many maligned others, over some questionable behavior.
This time as I mentioned, it will not be such a blind defending or even a carefully criticizing of chiefs and councils that I know only by name or deed. No, this time I will be able to put names and faces together, along with my personal knowledge of the personalities of the individuals involved.
First things first. A news story broke this week in several media outlets about some disgruntled citizens of an Ontario reserve, writing an anonymous letter asking for a forensic audit or RCMP probe of their community after learning that their community faces a cash crunch. Most disturbing to me, as a lover of democracy, was that these community members felt only comfortable enough to be anonymous...This was way more than disheartening to me because, as I have said, I know this community and even ran for council myself in the past election.
I obviously did not succeed, but the people had spoken, and I was excited to have participated in the democratic process. I took away from this experience some new friendships and even met some distant relatives of mine. A win, win, sort of situation for me.
What is happening today however is much sadder than any election loss, for me, could be. What is now going on in my community is about as far away from democracy as you could possibly get. The people are too afraid of their elected officials to pose a direct question, openly, without fear of reprisal, (why else remain anonymous) from their elected government.
Only the most unrepentant of tyrants would not feel shame over this sorry turn of events. As a lover of democracy I urge you to get on with the request of your electorate and put to bed this notion of our reserve being nothing more than a banana republic.
I dare say, if it were me I'd be anxious to get on with this request from my community, if for no other reason, but to clear my good name.
regards Debra
Friday, March 4, 2011
The Power of Four...
Hi Friends
I have heard the call from many of our leaders, both at the reserve and national level, espouse the desire to return to our past forms of governing. Something is wrong in Indian country and we want it fixed. "We need it to be fixed" is more how I look at it.
As a blogger I am on the internet a good deal of the time and have encountered many other like minded bloggers trying to enlighten our readers to our collective struggles. We are all, in our own ways, trying to educate as well as seeking our own answers, to ultimately free our communities from the colonized and colonizing ways that were imposed on us. Along with that we are also using the social networking sites to exchange ideas and opine on a variety of topics, all around the state of Indigenous culture.
Many of the so called " facebook warriors " are of the opinion that we must re-invent the wheel , or so it would seem to me, to the end goal of self governance.
Not so, in my opinion. Nor do we have to piece meal our cultures together to find a workable solution.
By that I mean, I have heard plenty of others, who would embrace a hereditary chief system, (not ever having had one in their past) while others want the clan system brought back. Here I must say, these were all workable systems for the past, when all the citizens of any Nation were located in one area. Not so today. We who live off territory, are as concerned for the welfare of our communities as any community member, living on reserve. Their (on reserve) history is our history as well, their discrimination is what we have all experienced, here I will say our struggles are the same! Your wins will be all of ours collectively! We are your community too!
One thing we all do have, both on and off are the four pillars. Our elders, as well as our youth, need the support of the women and our men need the responsibility of interactions with all the others.
This was what the Indigenous culture had, and can have again.
Not all women are nurturing, nor are all youth thirsty for knowledge, and not all elders are wise, neither are all men brave...enough are however to make a nice start.
Years ago I had opportunity to hear a discussion of what makes for the better elder. Is it the elder who has always lived an exemplary life or is it the one who in his/her youth fell off the path and caroused in a more hedonistic manner? It was decided that both had their place. Some wanted to see the end result of good kind living, while others needed someone who had visited the realms they themselves were looking to crawl out of.
There are lessons we could learn from our past, and ways to incorporate them into our society today! Giving and getting respect for and from all pillars within the communities!
regards Debra
I have heard the call from many of our leaders, both at the reserve and national level, espouse the desire to return to our past forms of governing. Something is wrong in Indian country and we want it fixed. "We need it to be fixed" is more how I look at it.
As a blogger I am on the internet a good deal of the time and have encountered many other like minded bloggers trying to enlighten our readers to our collective struggles. We are all, in our own ways, trying to educate as well as seeking our own answers, to ultimately free our communities from the colonized and colonizing ways that were imposed on us. Along with that we are also using the social networking sites to exchange ideas and opine on a variety of topics, all around the state of Indigenous culture.
Many of the so called " facebook warriors " are of the opinion that we must re-invent the wheel , or so it would seem to me, to the end goal of self governance.
Not so, in my opinion. Nor do we have to piece meal our cultures together to find a workable solution.
By that I mean, I have heard plenty of others, who would embrace a hereditary chief system, (not ever having had one in their past) while others want the clan system brought back. Here I must say, these were all workable systems for the past, when all the citizens of any Nation were located in one area. Not so today. We who live off territory, are as concerned for the welfare of our communities as any community member, living on reserve. Their (on reserve) history is our history as well, their discrimination is what we have all experienced, here I will say our struggles are the same! Your wins will be all of ours collectively! We are your community too!
One thing we all do have, both on and off are the four pillars. Our elders, as well as our youth, need the support of the women and our men need the responsibility of interactions with all the others.
This was what the Indigenous culture had, and can have again.
Not all women are nurturing, nor are all youth thirsty for knowledge, and not all elders are wise, neither are all men brave...enough are however to make a nice start.
Years ago I had opportunity to hear a discussion of what makes for the better elder. Is it the elder who has always lived an exemplary life or is it the one who in his/her youth fell off the path and caroused in a more hedonistic manner? It was decided that both had their place. Some wanted to see the end result of good kind living, while others needed someone who had visited the realms they themselves were looking to crawl out of.
There are lessons we could learn from our past, and ways to incorporate them into our society today! Giving and getting respect for and from all pillars within the communities!
regards Debra
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