Once again proof that Canadians need to leave the Ebonics to others. It's almost as pathetic as Chinese folks trying to sing country western music .
Attawapiskat gets attention!
- Thread starter JLM
- Start date
I believe that Petros is right about the employment and investment activities of mining companies (the big ones in particular).
in terms of facilities, water, sanitation, etc, the catch-22 is that the individual Councils are strongly inclined to do the work, organize contractors and whatnot... The bottom-line is that capital is made available for the facilities/infrastructure, etc you mentioned. Attiwapiskat has been around for a lot of years and funding has been applied over this time... The burning question; Why are there no (or very poor) facilities?
I understand that nit-picking these details today does nothing for those kids in Attiwapiskat, however, without solving the root problem, this simply a deferral of what will be the same crisis in the near future.
With all this said, I see only 2 viable options; Allow the Feds to step in and take over the management of Attiwapiskat completely (eliminating the need for a Chief and Council or conversely, move them to a location where these needs are already in place.
What I'm trying to get at is it the location that needs fixing or is the inhabitants that need fixing? Or maybe a bit of both?
I believe that it is Chief and Council that need the fixing, but if that is not possible in the short term or there is too many obstacles to get that accomplished, then the best alternative is to move
Cindy Blackstock, executive director of First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada, said part of what's driving this sense of hopelessness in communities like Attawapiskat is the "chronic inequality" in the services provided.
She noted the disparity in government funding for education, healthcare, and child welfare services between indigenous children living on reserves and non-indigenous children.
In January, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal found that the government spends less on social services for on-reserve children.
She noted that there's also a lack of basic services on many reserves across the country. For example, there's only one source of potable water in Attawapiskat, a community of about 2,000 people, she said.
Add up all these hardships, and over the years, children start to lose hope, she said.
'We don't ask for much': Indigenous affairs minister grilled in Attawapiskat | CTV News
She noted the disparity in government funding for education, healthcare, and child welfare services between indigenous children living on reserves and non-indigenous children.
In January, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal found that the government spends less on social services for on-reserve children.
She noted that there's also a lack of basic services on many reserves across the country. For example, there's only one source of potable water in Attawapiskat, a community of about 2,000 people, she said.
Add up all these hardships, and over the years, children start to lose hope, she said.
'We don't ask for much': Indigenous affairs minister grilled in Attawapiskat | CTV News
e. Attawapiskat by the numbers
Population: 1,800
Houses: 300
Tents: 5
Sheds: approx. 17
Waiting list for housing: 314 applications
Adults living in a household with spouses, kids and parents: 118
People living in De Beers trailers: approx. 90
Cost of maintaining trailers: $100,000 a year
Federal housing allocation for 2011/12: $581,407
Federal stimulus money for housing in 2009/11: $450,000
Federal housing allocation for 2009/10: $564,082
Cost of building a new house: $250,000
Amount needed to meet all housing needs: $84 million
Federal money for renovating five condemned houses: $500,000 (committed in November)
Cost of renovating one condemned house: $50,000-$100,000
Cost of building a new school: $12.5 million
Benefit payments from De Beers July 2008-January 2011: $10.5 million (held in trust fund by community)
Value of De Beers business contracts with Attawapiskat related to mine construction and operation: $325 million
Source: Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, Assembly of First Nations, De Beers Canada
Population: 1,800
Houses: 300
Tents: 5
Sheds: approx. 17
Waiting list for housing: 314 applications
Adults living in a household with spouses, kids and parents: 118
People living in De Beers trailers: approx. 90
Cost of maintaining trailers: $100,000 a year
Federal housing allocation for 2011/12: $581,407
Federal stimulus money for housing in 2009/11: $450,000
Federal housing allocation for 2009/10: $564,082
Cost of building a new house: $250,000
Amount needed to meet all housing needs: $84 million
Federal money for renovating five condemned houses: $500,000 (committed in November)
Cost of renovating one condemned house: $50,000-$100,000
Cost of building a new school: $12.5 million
Benefit payments from De Beers July 2008-January 2011: $10.5 million (held in trust fund by community)
Value of De Beers business contracts with Attawapiskat related to mine construction and operation: $325 million
Source: Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, Assembly of First Nations, De Beers Canada
If FN miners can handle the biggest threat to a mine (water) they can take their skills home and easy install sewage and potable systems.
No?
The diamomd mine thing might make sense if it provided full employment - which it doesn't, if the work ethic matched up to employment requirements - which they won't, and a corporation from South Africa can survive in peaceful harmony with an indigenous population. It's a lot more complicated than "get a job..."
here's another angle:
there are more proggy feel-good tv commercials begging you to send your money to causes so little maria and her brother or some other such poor-assed generic kids overseas can get flip flops or some medicine or a well or a computer or....
why don't these do-gooders help people in this fukkin' country. FN kids aren't as cute, adorable or seemingly worth the money as these charity cases hocked by so many 800-number 'charities' on the toob? it's ridiculous. they should come before any of these 'over there' dodgy companies.
look, we gave and gave and gave gobs of cash to these bands and they fukked-it away for the most part. either commit to do it right or hit the dusty trail.
there are more proggy feel-good tv commercials begging you to send your money to causes so little maria and her brother or some other such poor-assed generic kids overseas can get flip flops or some medicine or a well or a computer or....
why don't these do-gooders help people in this fukkin' country. FN kids aren't as cute, adorable or seemingly worth the money as these charity cases hocked by so many 800-number 'charities' on the toob? it's ridiculous. they should come before any of these 'over there' dodgy companies.
look, we gave and gave and gave gobs of cash to these bands and they fukked-it away for the most part. either commit to do it right or hit the dusty trail.
Kids say the darndest things:
"A young man in the troubled First Nation of Attawapiskat asked the federal indigenous affairs minister on Monday why his community was living in Third World conditions while Canada is greeting refugees with open arms."
Attawapiskat youth question lack of supports as minister visits community - The Globe and Mail
"A young man in the troubled First Nation of Attawapiskat asked the federal indigenous affairs minister on Monday why his community was living in Third World conditions while Canada is greeting refugees with open arms."
Attawapiskat youth question lack of supports as minister visits community - The Globe and Mail