Stand up...

Hi Friends
Though it has been a while since my last post, many things have been going on in Canada as well as in Indian country. In the near future I hope to be back on blogger and back to opining on these and many other stories. Today though I want to mention the up coming Ontario provincial elections.

Federal, municipal, and now provincial elections have taken, or are about to take place. Next it will be time once again for the First Nations to hold their elections. During these heady times leading up to one or another election, there are always promises made, only to be broken. Politicians are willing liars with short term memories. Knowing this fact, allows me to view politics, and by extension politicians in a rather different light than some others in the Aboriginal community.

Now as I have said I live and work off reserve and alway have. I am the daughter of an enfranchised Indigenous mother. I am also in an age group to have been witness to many struggles for recognition of Indians and Indian rights. Sovereignty is one, and though our treaties were signed between sovereign nations, we are decades away (and some may say even longer) from having our sovereignty back. I also recognize the corner we have been painted into by the legislators, via the "Indian Act" and though we have recourse through the Canadian constitution (section 35) to one day get back to that through "self government" we live today in this system.


Many in the Aboriginal community are upset and angry with the politicians for failing to recognize us and our struggles, during their election runs. It is pointed out, correctly, that we here in Ontario are one of the largest Aboriginal populations in the country. Yet none of the parties running here in Ontario have even mentioned Aboriginals or our struggles, in any way in their platforms.

This is not surprising to me, nor should it be to other Aboriginals in the province. We don't vote, so why would the politicians bother to court us? In this respect we as Nations resemble the spoiled child wanting to make up the rules of the game, or else we might threaten to take our ball and go home! Only thing being, we are not in the position of doing that or even threatening it. We don't own the ball. We are unfortunately at the bottom of the heap...in so very many ways that our petulant foot stompings are recognized as just that, by the politicians, and we are no closer to being taken seriously then the spoiled child previously mentioned.


The majority of any First Nation community lives off reserve, and it can be argued that for the off reserve as well as on reserve members to ignore non-Aboriginal elections, only hurts us all in the long run.
It is an established fact that our citizens are over represented in the penal system of this country. It is also a fact that there are not enough Aboriginals on the juries, or in the jury pool. Do we have some responsibility for this situation, well yes some, and here is why!
Jurors are selected from a jury pool formed for a specified period of time—usually from one day to two weeks—from lists of citizens living in the jurisdiction of the court. The lists may be electoral rolls (i.e., a list of registered voters in the locale), people who have driver's licenses or other relevant data bases.
This is only one good reason to vote, and why I encourage other First Nations citizens to get out and vote. I also want to have a say in policies that will affect me, no matter where I happen to live, or what specific community I am identified with.

This is not assimilated thinking as some will undoubtedly accuse me of, but more a realistic view of what many already know, and many more of us will find out. The off reserve populations face yet another growth jump via the Sharon McIvor court ruling. This is also a good thing for the First Nations as we move forward in our efforts to assert our sovereignty. These newly recognized First Nations members will undoubtedly bring more to their communities than just numbers. They will be bring hope, creativity, education, and intelligence to help lift the Nations up. These are exciting times for the Aboriginal communities as we welcome our blood-lines home.

This is also a cautionary time for us. We must be full participants where ever possible to stem the tide of wasted lives of our youth as they face overwhelming odds in the Canadian court systems, with a punitive Prime Minister in office, with punitive crime legislation about to be introduced. Addressing the poverty and criminality in our communities takes more than hoping for an awakening of the hearts and minds of Canadians, but our being there to speak up when need be for our fellow Indigenous people.

Remember, when we don't speak for ourselves we run the risk of having some one else speak for us, and isn't that how the residential school fiasco was characterized?

Excerpt from the residential school apology delivered in Parliament by Stephen Harper
.."These objectives were based on the assumption aboriginal cultures and spiritual beliefs were inferior and unequal. Indeed, some sought, as it was infamously said, `to kill the Indian in the child.' Today, we recognize that this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great harm, and has no place in our country." June,2008

Something to think about during this up-coming provincial election.

regards Debra