“Canada is Indian land”

Locutus

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Jun 18, 2007
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Here we go again. The Assembly of First Nations just elected a national chief, Perry Bellegarde, who said “Canada is Indian land” and everyone went oh look, his priority is social conditions.

That’s not what he said. Of course he wants a better future for his people. But his plan is repudiation of the last two centuries. And while I understand his frustration at the cultural collisions of the past 200 years, horrible for aboriginals for complicated reasons stretching back literally to the end of the last glaciation (see Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs and Steel), we cannot undo the past.

We can only build a better future together. Except I didn’t see a single conciliatory word in his victory speech and without cooperation we won’t get anywhere. I also didn’t see a single realistic word which is even more worrying.

Bellegarde articulated the maximalist position that is apparently indispensable orthodoxy in modern aboriginal politics. But in doing so he’s promising aboriginals something there isn’t, which can only increase their frustration and anger. Non-aboriginals nodding, smiling and ignoring his actual words make the problem worse not better.

The maximalist position promises something there isn’t in two ways. First, it claims mostly small, isolated bands can gain sovereign status which they can’t. Second, it claims if aboriginal bands had such status they would prosper which they wouldn’t.

The Dec. 11 AFN press release on Bellegarde’s election quoted his demand that “Our rights as peoples to self-determination must be respected by Canada. This will require new approaches and dialogue truly founded in a commitment to recognize and respect our inherent jurisdiction, Aboriginal rights and title and the sacred Treaty relationships between First Nations and the Crown.” And numerous news stories noted audience approval of his concluding words: “Canada is Indian land. This is my truth and this is the truth of our peoples.”

That last sentence is particularly bleak, an expression of radical relativism, of Indian truth vs. white person truth, that leaves no possibility for discussion let alone room for it. But even if his truth is everyone’s truth, what’s meant to happen next? I get fairly frequent e-mails from aboriginal activists saying Canada does not exist. But shout this mantra as you may, when you go out the door it’s still there. Indians simply aren’t going to get Canada back.

Besides, what if they did? What would they then eat, drive or live in?

Bellegarde said “We will no longer accept poverty and hopelessness while resource companies and governments grow fat off our lands and territories and resources. If our lands and resources are to be developed, it will be done only with our fair share of the royalties, with our ownership of the resources and jobs for our people, it will be done on our terms and our timeline.” The key word here is “if."

Unless resource companies are partners in development, with secure guarantees of property and due process, they won’t put billions of dollars in capital at risk. If they don’t, jobs will not come and poverty and hopelessness will continue and deepen. There is already danger of the energy boom bypassing First Nations. And blockades and sabotage born of irresponsible rhetoric and frustrated hopes will make the problem far worse still, and squander sympathy.

Yes, sympathy. I sometimes get the impression aboriginal leaders think non-aboriginals hate and despise them. We don’t. A few bigots linger but times have changed. Most of us are profoundly sympathetic, and heartbroken about the tragedies and misdeeds of the past and the miserable conditions too many aboriginals suffer today.

Indeed, we’re so desperate for constructive cooperation we see an open hand when Bellegarde extends a fist. Unfortunately shaking a fist is the opposite of shaking a hand.


We cannot undo the past | Columnists | Opinion | Toronto Sun
 

Tecumsehsbones

Hall of Fame Member
Mar 18, 2013
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You must respect the sacred development plans of my people. Only we, in touch with the spirits of Mother Earth and Father Sky, can properly mix high-density housing with high-density retail.
 

MHz

Time Out
Mar 16, 2007
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The only thing consistent about us is how inconsistent we are.
When we don't like somebody the state can lock them up and feed them any sort of drug they want. In the case of the First Nations it is booze and that is knowing that they have a zero tolerance for it yet if they were to use any of the traditional medicines available to 'them' then it just might work out that a few things change. Life on a Reservation won't change, in the near or long term as the bustling community that was outside is no longer functioning as it was in the 'bustling years' (after 1950 and they would have not existed if the time from 1930-1950 had not been a total disaster for the world in general)

What could change is the right to self medicate themselves using traditional methods and 'plants' available anyplace in the Americas. I recall seeing an article about somebody getting a Smoke House up and running but they were limited to about 3 drugs in all. When I say smoke house I'm talking about pop from South America that has a coco leaf in it just so the product is the same. Last time I looked North America was a place that banned it yet we can but preschoolers on something that rings up $600/mo and who cares what it does, they won't be getting sued by anybody.
Going whole hog and a list of 20 plants might be useful in treating most of the conditions we hand out prescriptions for that never really fix anything. Send somebody with a speech impairment (or shy) and 12 hrs (72 max) into peyote land and they might come back talking at a faster rate due to having a 'new' desire to explain the things running around inside.

The pop thing is based on history, the people had the leaf and they were willing slaves in cleaning out the mines. To get more production the leaf was taken away and the people went on strike and nothing got moved. Gave them back the leaf and they went back to work until the mines were empty and then they were killed. Sad ending so unless the plan is to kill off the whole of the First Nations give them what they want from their past and see if that help them be comfortable on the Rez cause the only changes that will happen will be what they can do from the inside. That would be guest coming to do drugs under a controlled environment. (a HD 3D forest/desert VR world) where the user does the moving around and the drugs fill in blanks.
Since it would all be under the 'Lab-rat' Disclosure Act the data could end up showing that some ailments brought on by 'unnatural events to a natural body' that altered it just enough to mess it up in terms of QOL. Certain memory problems might be able to use that knowledge to 'listen to' the mentally unstable' in a way that allows for a fact that shows that when a person loses the continuity of a single thought is that there is always a return to where the thought was left off. The time delay might be quite consistent or it could vary widely depending on other variables.
It gives the First Nation a few things, income so transfer payment would be dropped more that the future calls for and the First Nations might find a 'career' using the land and resources already at hand that will integrate them into society as being a helpful tool in solving a problem that society had been struggling with for a long time. (it isn't like the elite don't get all the drugs they want even to causing wars to ensure their supply is constant)
 

taxslave

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Nov 25, 2008
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Of course all the small bands can prosper as sovereign nations. They don't intend to do without all the taxpayers money they now collect. in fact they would much prefer a blank cheque. Makes budgeting simpler when it comes to leaders pay.
 

MHz

Time Out
Mar 16, 2007
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You must respect the sacred development plans of my people. Only we, in touch with the spirits of Mother Earth and Father Sky, can properly mix high-density housing with high-density retail.
15% rise in profits every quarter for the next decade, and the holoroom (Smoke house) would give Spock a woodie as part of the join them or leave them kind of deal.

Remember on morning a while back it started off like this and I posted the tune 'Kicks', you took it wrong and you envisioned something from 18th century Hong Cong rather that 18th century First Nations kind of house, like this tune by the same band.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ojRQ15My7s
 

Tecumsehsbones

Hall of Fame Member
Mar 18, 2013
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15% rise in profits every quarter for the next decade, and the holoroom (Smoke house) would give Spock a woodie as part of the join them or leave them kind of deal.

Remember on morning a while back it started off like this and I posted the tune 'Kicks', you took it wrong and you envisioned something from 18th century Hong Cong rather that 18th century First Nations kind of house, like this tune by the same band.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ojRQ15My7s
Fezwample noogle ergaplash warshanga.
 

MHz

Time Out
Mar 16, 2007
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No wonder the Japanese and Germans were never able to crack the windtalkers lingo.

Nurse, give him 14mg 3,4,5-trimethoxy phen ethyl amine every 3hr for 10 day. (Mescaline) and a buffalo burger with 3% opium flour, for me, I have several rocket engines to rebuild before morning.
 

Tecumsehsbones

Hall of Fame Member
Mar 18, 2013
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No wonder the Japanese and Germans were never able to crack the windtalkers lingo.

Nurse, give him 14mg 3,4,5-trimethoxy phen ethyl amine every 3hr for 10 day. (Mescaline) and a buffalo burger with 3% opium flour, for me, I have several rocket engines to rebuild before morning.
You get right on that now, hear?
 

MHz

Time Out
Mar 16, 2007
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Sang, you heathen.
If only, lol Still be more yearly money for the Govt than not. Which Western doctrine says slave have to me miserable of is that to let the Royal know how goo they have it when their way of life is actually making them sicker as far as being able to run the world kind of job.
 

Kreskin

Doctor of Thinkology
Feb 23, 2006
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You must respect the sacred development plans of my people. Only we, in touch with the spirits of Mother Earth and Father Sky, can properly mix high-density housing with high-density retail.
Nothing says Indian heritage like slots and keno.
 

MHz

Time Out
Mar 16, 2007
41,030
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Red Deer AB
You must respect the sacred development plans of my people. Only we, in touch with the spirits of Mother Earth and Father Sky, can properly mix high-density housing with high-density retail.
Ask an inner-city black kid if having 1 child for every 10 square miles of land is 'over-crowding'? Welcome to your new home in the desert.
 

EagleSmack

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Feb 16, 2005
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By a Cherokee Princess?

The took away our way of life...



...the tomahawk the bow and knife.

:)