EAO, you weren't invited here by the indigenous people.
When are you leaving?
CB is quite correct. The indigenous people never invited the Europeans. But the Canadian government currently treats our indigenous people much better than the way the Israeli government currently treats their indigenous people.
Canada recognizes fundamental rights and freedoms for all Canadian citizens, including First Nation people who have additional land and resource rights other Canadians lack. The Canadian government builds and funds schools, nursing stations, airports and many other government services in most (all?) First Nation communities.
Canada does not impose a food and medical aid embargo on First Nation communities. Canada does not assassinate First Nation political and religious leaders. Canada does not arbitrarily detain and torture First Nation people. Canada does not impose restrictions on where First Nation people can travel or live. Canada does not toss First Nation families onto the street and then award their homes to newly arrived immigrant families. Canadian soldiers do not destroy hospitals, schools, water distribution and sewage treatment systems in First Nation communities. Canada does not bomb First Nation communities with high explosives and chemical weapons............ and so on.
I'm 3rd generation European. I grew up in a Northern Ontario town where discrimination against First Nation people is common. But I was taught by my parents to judge people by their actions, not race or religion. I do not treat First Nation people differently than anyone else.
During an earlier part of my career, I worked to improve the lives of First Nation people living in remote communities. I maintained and repaired air navigation and communication systems at dozens of remote First Nation communities across Northern Ontario, Manitoba and Nunavut. Most of these communities had a better quality of life as a direct consequence of their local airport. (moving people, food, mail, retail items...) for many remote First Nation communities air travel is their life line to the rest of the world.
During my travels I occasionally encountered First Nation people who were hostile and racist towards me, because I'm not a First Nation person. I know their anger is justified by how they've been treated by various governments, religious organizations and other authorities... but I never harmed anyone personally and I feel that my work improved people's lives. They have no right to be angry with me personally...
One site ... Deer Lake was particularly nasty. Some locals would give us dirty suspicious looks. I constantly picked up bags of garbage people threw over the fence into the equipment site. Occasionally someone would shoot up the equipment trailer. Once they shot out a critical component on the Navigation Beacon (NDB)... during poor weather conditions. The service outage delayed the medevac plane until the weather cleared. (before GPS) The person requiring medical attention.... had shot themselves in the foot... I'd like to believe it was the same idiot who took out the NDB.
I don't feel personally guilty or responsible for the poverty and abysmal conditions on many First Nations communities. I support increased assistance to improve conditions. I support preserving, promoting and teaching First Nation language and culture with government support in compensation for deliberate damage caused by past government policies of cultural assimilation and abuse (residential schools)
I support fair and just resolutions to unresolved First Nations issues. (compensation for past wrongs and unsettled land claims for example),
If First Nations communities want to give up their social assistance, medical benefits, funding for schools, nursing stations, airports and all the other government services which improve their lives and return to the land... feel free as far as I'm concerned.
