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