Starving Aboriginals Subject to Canadian Experiments?

[Locutus]

Canada starved aboriginals in the '40s in the name of science, research says

New historical research says hungry aboriginal children and adults were once used as unwitting subjects in nutritional experiments by the Canadian government.

Aboriginal children were deliberately starved in the 1940s and ’50s by government researchers in the name of science.

Milk rations were halved for years at residential schools across the country.

Essential vitamins were kept from people who needed them.

Dental services were withheld because gum health was a measuring tool for scientists and dental care would distort research.

For over a decade, aboriginal children and adults were unknowingly subjected to nutritional experiments by Canadian government bureaucrats.


more


Hungry Canadian aboriginal children were used in government experiments during 1940s, researcher says | Toronto Star

 

[Christianna]

Re: Canada starved aboriginals in the '40s in the name of science, research says

That's despicable! In the US they were busily giving blacks syphilis.

 

[Machjo]

Re: Canada starved aboriginals in the '40s in the name of science, research says

Not surprised. We still had racially and geographically-based immigration policies until 1962. In fact, according to Eve Haque (Home :: Browse by subject :: Political Science :: Canadian Politics :: Political Culture ::), at least part of the reason for the establishment of the B&B Commission and official bilingualism was that at the time race-based policy was being challenged, forcing the government to find some other means of controlling immigration and, more importantly, assimilating indigenous peoples and others, and that's when language policy came into play. So essentially, language-based policy was a response to the inability to maintain race-based policies.

 

[relic]

Re: Canada starved aboriginals in the '40s in the name of science, research says

So everybody had their own jews ?

 

[Walter]

Re: Canada starved aboriginals in the '40s in the name of science, research says

In the US they were busily giving blacks syphilis.

Link?

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Re: Canada starved aboriginals in the '40s in the name of science, research says

That's despicable! In the US they were busily giving blacks syphilis.

Actually, they didn't "give" anyone syphilis. They simply told people with syphilis they were treating them, when in fact they weren't. I suppose you could say the government played a role in "giving" syphilis to the wives and children of those men, since it falsely told the men they were being treated.

But, to be fair, the U.S. has always reserved the deliberate infection of people with deadly diseases for Indians.

 

[damngrumpy]

Re: Canada starved aboriginals in the '40s in the name of science, research says

The government didn't need to do that they could have read over the Nazi Research files
that that group left behind at their demise. Oh remember the Natives should just forget
about it and move on right

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Re: Canada starved aboriginals in the '40s in the name of science, research says

The government didn't need to do that they could have read over the Nazi Research files
that that group left behind at their demise. Oh remember the Natives should just forget
about it and move on right

Yep. It was a long time ago. Bygones and all.

 

[FiveParadox]

The Right Honourable Paul Martin P.C., C.C., the 21st Prime Minister, is the latest person to join the chorus of Canadians calling for Her Majesty's Government for Canada to release all records relating to recent allegations that Canada conducted experiments on starving Aboriginal people.

These horrific allegations, if true, must be addressed swiftly by the Government. Unfortunately, it would seem that the Office of the Prime Minister has referred all questions to The Honourable Bernard Valcourt P.C., M.P. (Madawaska—Victoria), the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians. The Minister has not been available for comment on the issue as he is traveling.

If you ask me, this is the kind of issue—especially for the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs—that would warrant an interruption in travel plans to address. The Government of Canada needs to address this issue at once.

Source: CBC News

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Why? It happened sixty years ago. What's the rush?

 

[petros]

Today's concerns have a far higher priority. Why is rickets and TB making a come back on Rezes along side modern issues like MRSA, HIV and a plethora of other "super bugs"?

 

[karrie]

I don't quite get how this is a surprise and sudden outrage. The residential school graves attest that there was more to the warehousing and treatment of native children than ever met the eye. And a government willing to take away children and sterilize people against their will, usually isn't above tinkering around with other parts of their health too.

(and there is another thread on it btw, not sure if they're suitable to merge)

 

[petros]

They switched from sterilization to pushing abortion. The native to "others" ratio of abortions is insane but I guess abortion is considered a right and is acceptable in comparison to sterilization.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

They switched from sterilization to pushing abortion. The native to "others" ratio of abortions is insane but I guess abortion is considered a right and is acceptable in comparison to sterilization.

Nothing wrong with sterilisation. When the patient chooses it.

Nice false equivalency between forced, non-consensual sterlisation and voluntary, patient-elected abortion.

 

[karrie]

Nothing wrong with sterilisation. When the patient chooses it.

Nice false equivalency between forced, non-consensual sterlisation and voluntary, patient-elected abortion.

The equivalency I see is that both (forced sterilization and above normal abortion rates) are symptomatic of being on the lowest rungs of the social ladder.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

The equivalency I see is that both (forced sterilization and above normal abortion rates) are symptomatic of being on the lowest rungs of the social ladder.

The difference I see is between what you choose to do and what gets done to you.

Oh, that and the fact that abortion is legal, and forced sterilization is a violation of the law and human rights.

 

[karrie]

The difference I see is between what you choose to do and what gets done to you.

Oh, that and the fact that abortion is legal, and forced sterilization is a violation of the law and human rights.

Unless you're being coerced to abort due to a lack of social standing. Which is what's often happening when we see overly represented populations of women. Social workers, boyfriends, family, doctors, giving women their options.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Unless you're being coerced to abort due to a lack of social standing. Which is what's often happening when we see overly represented populations of women. Social workers, boyfriends, family, doctors, giving women their options.

"Coerced" is a nice, nebulous term. It can mean just about anything. Care to be more specific?

 

[karrie]

"Coerced" is a nice, nebulous term. It can mean just about anything. Care to be more specific?

Pressured. Lots of women who undergo abortion do so at the behest of others. Boyfriend says he'll fight and refuse to pay support, lie on the couch, not work, never pay a dime. Get it done or else. Social worker says it's better. Doctor says it's best. There are a number of ways that underprivileged women face more pressure to abort. I know, I've seen the difference between my white cousin's unplanned pregnancy, and my native cousin's unplanned pregnancy.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Back on the topic. . . I still don't see how this warrants any kind of "immediate investigation" or "immediate response" from the government. Any American or Canadian who isn't already well aware that their countries did and do treat Indians as less than human and subject them to a broad range of official and unofficial discrimination is either terminally clueless or in such deep denial that this revelation will do nothing to change their minds.