Crime stats in Saskatoon

tamarin

House Member
Jun 12, 2006
3,197
22
38
Oshawa ON
The point remains if crime exists you deal with it. And you expect your judicial system to have the maturity and experience to get it right. Certain minority groups do have a problem disproportionate to their population. They should answer for it. Leaders in their community should take up the challenge to confront the problem and offer solutions. In most of the blatant cases in Canada the root cause is not systemic discrimination; it's a lack of respect for education. I'm tired of hitting people over the head that gibber on about poverty. It's foolish. If you can get community leaders to speak up forcefully, encourage role modelling, condemn the nitwits and support education, it's a damn good start.
 

ledanz

New Member
Sep 15, 2006
4
0
1
Saskatoon
Racism in Saskatoon

I don't think poverty is the chief culprit. Far more important is the lack of cohesive, functional families. Rural Canada was poor in the 1950's and 1960's and crime was low. But families were strong and father figures predominant. If you want kids into crime have them raised by single parents and in areas where such units are the norm.

I have to disagree there. I'm from Montreal and I now live in Saskatoon. Montreal is a city that has many more people living alone that Saskatoon. Saskatoon is a paradise for families in comparison.

What hurts Saskatoon is the disparities between rich and poor. And yes crime is often associated with First Nations people in this city but it's not so much a race thing as a poverty thing.

What do you think would happen if your children were taken away from you and your community and sent to a Residential school in order to be "integrated". Don't you think it would have an impact on them and your grand- children and so on.

This is where it all started. Arrogant white people trying to impose their values.

And I can tell, as much as I like Saskatoon, I've never been somewhere where racism is so rampant.

Daniel
Saskatoon
 

Creeman

Nominee Member
Nov 25, 2006
50
2
8
what do you know about canadian history and the colonization that occured

No of course Iam not saying that all crime is committed by natives but in my hometown 95% of it is. All you have to do is go down to the local courthouse to find that out. I am also saying that the crime rate being so high in Regina and Saskatoon is DEFINITELY associated with the high population in natives. Ask any officer there and he will tell you that.

As far as the golden goose goes, sorry but if I was paid to exist I would definitely call it a golden goose. At no point did I label each and every one of them, I have native friends, all however work and have a stable lifes. I am not friends with any of them that just hang out at the post office all morning just to get there cheque and later that afternoon see them passed out all over the town. Which in my town once again is 85 to 90% of the native population.

My answer to the crime problem is to get them off the hand out list and to get them educated and a part of society, which by the way they have more of an opportunity to do so than any other white person will ever have. You would have figured this out if you read my post closely, appearantly you never.

Buddy I am not on any high horse I am however sick and tired of seeing the same thing day in and day out, especially when one knows it is preventable, and that is the point of my whole post, and as far as you trying to think for me and tell people what I may or may not be thinking, keep those thoughts to yourself. Where did you ever come up with the field thing, or is that something in the back of YOUR mind eating away at yourself.

If you don't have any respect for yourself, how can anyone else have respect for you

How about a history lesson. Canada is a colonist country and has been oppressing the native peoples before it even became a country. Europeans built this country on rasist attitudes and policies and by dehumanizing native peoples. Peace and friendship treaties were made with European settlers and thus the new country Canada that were not honoured. Poverty and dysfunction were not a part of native culture until contact with European colonizers. maybe dysfunction, but there were better ways of balancing it and it wasn't so prevalent. Of course, after being forced onto small tracts of land and having your country encroached on, you would be mad and a bit dysfunctional too, add having your children stolen away from you and them being sexually, physically, spiritaully and emotionally abused and then you get the picture of the current situation in native communities. Native people have seen their lands and culture disappear at the hands of European peoples. The residential rape schools, institutions like day schools and industrial schools were designed to assimilate native people into Canadian society, or to "civilize the indians". There is no amount of my money or compensation that will make up for this type of unjustice. I suggest you go home an re-educate yourselves and make a more informed opinion. I am sick of these racist ideologies and arrogance.

If Canadians want to see change in our communities, do something about it. don't just complain for that will get you nowhere. If you think natives have it so good, i'll trade you places and you can be a part of the colonized nations.
 

Creeman

Nominee Member
Nov 25, 2006
50
2
8
The crime rate in both Saskatoon and Regina is WAY above all major cities. This (do some research) has been spiralling upwards in the last 4 years due to an increase in crimes ,mostly petty, committed by natives in the downtown cores. Hold off on the knee-jerk cries of racism.It is a fact. The government decided that natives were not being treated fairly in the "white" justice system. So they decided on alternative sentencing which was ,except for serious crimes,designed to HEAL rather than punish.What a mess. Take away any deterrent to crime and it will flourish.There may be 200 or 300 people who do not commit crimes,good for them, but take a walk through the core of Regina or Saskatoon and your eyes will be opened.

I am a Native man from Cree territory (Saskatchewan), and I am very upset with the fact that the non-native communites are always judging my people. I was raised on the streets and I have seen what goes on there. I am proud to be native and that is not to say that i embrace crime because of my native ancestry, but I have been discriminated against becuase of it. People commit crimes, not becuase they want to, but sometimes becuase they have to for survival. I am not advocating that Native people go out and commit crimes. I am, however, saying that there are serious issues that need to be addressed and not just in the native communities. There is lots of dysfunction in native communties, but it's not like that for nothing. The Canadian justice system was built with racist intentions. If you know anything about native history which is, in essence, colonization, you would clearly see that the governemnt of Canada and the settler society (i.e. Canadians) have been extremely racist to indigenous peoples from all over Turtle Island (the new world). Having said that, the " white system" that you speak of has, in fact, been systemically performing racial profiling among natives and against any other minorities in Canada.

The over-representation of Aboriginal peoples is just something that exemplifies this racist mentality. When the colonizers first arrived on our shores, they brought many things with them and one of them was a their justice system. The law and rules that were imposed on natives were extremely unjust and oppressive. Of course, they have always favored the colonizers. This justice system has never respect native law and demanded respect from the colonized.
I would love to create a jail system that is founded on Native law and then put Canada on trial for all the crimes that have been commited against my people.
I understand that some laws were created to keep Canada safe and without them, this would be a lawless country, however, the justice system does not always guarantee protection for native peoples from the government or its peace officers. look into the deaths of Neil Stonechild and Lawrence Wagner, they were murdered by the Saskatoon city police. The police have always had it out for Indians. Essentially, they are modern day Indian fighters.

I can talk about injustices in the native communites until i am blue in the face, but it will not prove anything. If you really want to know the truth about aboriginal social issues, enroll in a basic native studies course. I cannot stress it enough. I don't mind if you're just uneducated about these types of issues, but what makes me mad is when people make judgements when they no nothing about it.

ekosi,
 

Creeman

Nominee Member
Nov 25, 2006
50
2
8
Columbus: 500+ years of genocide and counting

wow...struck a nerve I guess. I sure didn't say that there was no disfunctional families in rural areas. I wasn't even talking about reserves. I was thinking more in terms of all the small farming communities across the prairies (because that's what I know best). Are you trying to tell me that drug abuse and sex abuse is normal in large families on reserves? It sure wasn't all that common in the small towns I lived in, although it did happen on occasion. In the the town I grew up in, kids could be free and roam around town at will. If they were up to anything dangerous or troublesome, a neighbour would be as good as a parent and step in. That is what I meant by a sense of community. So why do you think crime rates are so high in Regina and Saskatoon? Is it because there are too many perverted dads and uncles? Or is it because there are groups of people who have less financial security and opportunity? Or are you suggesting it's just a racial thing to be criminally active?

Number one, do you see any reserves for Europeans or Canadians in Canada, of course not. I don't like to be so negative, but it's hard not be when you know the truth behind Canada's fabricated history. Canada cliams to be a peaceful and multicultural country, but the reality is that Canada has not always been truthful when it comes to its history. Our country was built on genocide. Did you know 1 in 2 children that went away to the indian residential school didn't come back alive or later commited suicide? This is a sad reality for native families who had their children stolen away from them. One could argue that native people were "savages" ,"sub-human", or "uncivilized" ,yet native people were not the ones that created the residential schools or the aparthied that took place by forcing native people onto reserves and letting them starve to death becuase they could no longer hunt or gather as they once did. There is sexual abuse that does happen on reserve and in native communites, but it is inter-generational trauma from the days at the residential school or from the foster homes that did this to native people. Native children were raped and tortured in these schools. This country is not telling society the true history.

Addiction to drugs and alcohol are something that the Europeans introduced to the natives. It is not us who created these posions. They are high in native communties becuase of all the abuse that we have suffered.
Being a Native person hasn't always meant being addicted to drugs and alcohol. It is used as a form of medication to escape our reality which is not always pleasant. I agree that there is a multitude of issues here; we just need to recognize what they are first of all and try to combat them together.
 

Albertabound

Electoral Member
Sep 2, 2006
555
2
18
How about a history lesson. Canada is a colonist country and has been oppressing the native peoples before it even became a country. Europeans built this country on rasist attitudes and policies and by dehumanizing native peoples. Peace and friendship treaties were made with European settlers and thus the new country Canada that were not honoured. Poverty and dysfunction were not a part of native culture until contact with European colonizers. maybe dysfunction, but there were better ways of balancing it and it wasn't so prevalent. Of course, after being forced onto small tracts of land and having your country encroached on, you would be mad and a bit dysfunctional too, add having your children stolen away from you and them being sexually, physically, spiritaully and emotionally abused and then you get the picture of the current situation in native communities. Native people have seen their lands and culture disappear at the hands of European peoples. The residential rape schools, institutions like day schools and industrial schools were designed to assimilate native people into Canadian society, or to "civilize the indians". There is no amount of my money or compensation that will make up for this type of unjustice. I suggest you go home an re-educate yourselves and make a more informed opinion. I am sick of these racist ideologies and arrogance.

If Canadians want to see change in our communities, do something about it. don't just complain for that will get you nowhere. If you think natives have it so good, i'll trade you places and you can be a part of the colonized nations.


Its time the first nations people suck it up and quit blaming everything on residential schools. Yes there were atrocities just as there were for Russian and Asian people when it comes to residential schools. You don't see them blaming it on where they are today in life. A little history lesson for yourself my friend. You can not blame the schools for a 16 year old that breaks into ones home or garage to steal something, or the vandalism that takes place. You can not possibly blame addictions and drug abuse to these same schools, to me that is just making excuses. Addictions and drug abuse is a medication used as an escape from reality which is not always pleasant, boo-hoo I have unpleasant realities as well, I do not how ever turn to drugs and alcohol to resolve these problems. I DEAL WITH THEM.


Why is it up to Canadian, which i guess you do not consider your self one judging by your statement, to make the changes. Listen to yourself "If Canadians want to see change in our communities, do something about it, don't just complain for that will get you no where. Why don't you replace Canadians with first nations in your statement. After all according to your words "don't just complain about it for that will get you no where. It is time for first nations to stop complaining and do something about it, for god sakes you are offered every opportunity for an education provided for by our fed gov't which I as a Canadian as you put it am not. It is you who chooses not to take that road. If I were to trade places with first nations I know dam well that I would take advantage of the education that is paid and provided to me to become the most that I could.

I am sorry but I do not buy the committing crimes thing for survival either. Bullsh_t. The mountain bike that was stolen from someones garage was not stolen for survival. The tires that were slashed in a four block radius was not done for survival. When it comes to the judicial system, natives are not charged with racism in mind, if anything from what I have seen they are given a lighter sentence BECAUSE they are native. Judges were given a two tier system when it comes to convicting natives it is publicly known. Convictions were to be lenient towards natives, go figure, this in response to having a hard life I guess I am not sure why.

What it boils down to is first nations people have to quit blaming everything on someone else and start taking life seriously and become all that you can. Like I said the education is there at you feet for the taking. Get off your ass and get educated and get a job and you will find that you do not have time to think about how your ancestors were mistreated, and you will have no time to commit mindless acts of crime, or have addictions and drug problems. To bad the people that need to see this never will.
 

Creeman

Nominee Member
Nov 25, 2006
50
2
8
Are you delusional?

Take your pick. Crime rates among natives in rural areas is well above average and crimes rates among natives in urban areas are well above average...in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba.

I've never known any poor natives. The ones I knew growing up all received government cheques every month and when I was struggling to get by in university, native kids were getting their way paid for. If natives have less financial security it's because they haven't taken advantage of the incredible opportunities presented to them on a silver platter. It must be nice getting a cheque every month to finance bingo and then scream loud enough so the government bilds you a new house to replace the last one with smashed out windows.

Now go back to political correctness and pretending incest and rape is a product of poverty and alienation.

ok, we have a genious here. Do you really think that all natives collect cheques from the government? Native people do get funded to go to post-secondary, but not all can go. Do you really think the government would pay for all natives to go to school? Stop being so ignorant. It is a part of our treaty rights. Do you like living in Canada? Education is something that we get in return for all of our land. The government has a feast on our land while they feed us the crumbs.

the incest and rape you talk about are becuase of the priests, nuns, and administrators who raped our children in the residential schools. White people would be messed up too if their children had to endure all the abuse that went on there. Get your facts straight before you run your mouth!

Just look at the stats man. How is it that native people are the poorest of the poor in a country full of resoruces like Canada? This is our country. We are oppressed beyond any other Canadians.
 

tamarin

House Member
Jun 12, 2006
3,197
22
38
Oshawa ON
Indian Affairs is loaded. The ministry has been very well funded for years. If there is poverty on reserves it certainly isn't for lack of money. And education is the key to get young natives on their feet and moving ahead in their circles and in Canada. If you're a young native and you're not finishing high school there is something very wrong with your head and your family. Let's get blunt about it. You have areas of Canada like Nunavut pleading for educated aboriginal young people, begging for them, promising to hire every one that applies. And still the northern territory's government is thwarted. Aboriginal children are not taking education as seriously as they should. Change must come from within. The blame game with government must stop.
 

Creeman

Nominee Member
Nov 25, 2006
50
2
8
Its time the first nations people suck it up and quit blaming everything on residential schools. Yes there were atrocities just as there were for Russian and Asian people when it comes to residential schools. You don't see them blaming it on where they are today in life. A little history lesson for yourself my friend. You can not blame the schools for a 16 year old that breaks into ones home or garage to steal something, or the vandalism that takes place. You can not possibly blame addictions and drug abuse to these same schools, to me that is just making excuses. Addictions and drug abuse is a medication used as an escape from reality which is not always pleasant, boo-hoo I have unpleasant realities as well, I do not how ever turn to drugs and alcohol to resolve these problems. I DEAL WITH THEM.


Why is it up to Canadian, which i guess you do not consider your self one judging by your statement, to make the changes. Listen to yourself "If Canadians want to see change in our communities, do something about it, don't just complain for that will get you no where. Why don't you replace Canadians with first nations in your statement. After all according to your words "don't just complain about it for that will get you no where. It is time for first nations to stop complaining and do something about it, for god sakes you are offered every opportunity for an education provided for by our fed gov't which I as a Canadian as you put it am not. It is you who chooses not to take that road. If I were to trade places with first nations I know dam well that I would take advantage of the education that is paid and provided to me to become the most that I could.

I am sorry but I do not buy the committing crimes thing for survival either. Bullsh_t. The mountain bike that was stolen from someones garage was not stolen for survival. The tires that were slashed in a four block radius was not done for survival. When it comes to the judicial system, natives are not charged with racism in mind, if anything from what I have seen they are given a lighter sentence BECAUSE they are native. Judges were given a two tier system when it comes to convicting natives it is publicly known. Convictions were to be lenient towards natives, go figure, this in response to having a hard life I guess I am not sure why.

What it boils down to is first nations people have to quit blaming everything on someone else and start taking life seriously and become all that you can. Like I said the education is there at you feet for the taking. Get off your ass and get educated and get a job and you will find that you do not have time to think about how your ancestors were mistreated, and you will have no time to commit mindless acts of crime, or have addictions and drug problems. To bad the people that need to see this never will.

Alright now we may have something here. I am not blaming any one here. I am just saying that if you wonder why some native people are dyfunctional, there maybe some facts that you are missing. Have you been to residential school yourself or are you just telling us what to do and that it is possible to heal over night? The last school closed down in 1988 that was not that long ago.

I do not drink or do drugs myself. I have had to deal with people like you since i was a kid.I am not by any means saying that the way out of everything is by getting drunk or doing drugs, but i am saying that if i came to your country and raped your children forced you onto ****ty pieces of land and then called you down you would be ****ed up too.

I am not Canadian. I am Cree. Canada is 139 years old. Our people have been here long before Euroepeans washed up here. Natives were never asked if they wanted to be Canadians. It was forced assimilation.

I am in college, working part-time, starting a business and mentoring a youth. I have lots on my plate. That is what you seem to not understand. Our people have worked hard for a long time. Dependcy on the government is not our fault. It is part of colonization.

I want things to change just as much as you do and it is time for us to be accountable, you're right, however, Canadians need to change too. We need change for the better.
It was not just my ancestors who were mistreated. Open your eyes it is all around us. We are just dealing with unresolved grief from previous generations.
 

Albertabound

Electoral Member
Sep 2, 2006
555
2
18
Creeman, please tell me and the rest of us what would you, as a Cree like me as a Canadian, to do for change. What change would you lke myself or other Canadian's to do, to help first nations people?
 

Creeman

Nominee Member
Nov 25, 2006
50
2
8
Creeman, please tell me and the rest of us what would you, as a Cree like me as a Canadian, to do for change. What change would you lke myself or other Canadian's to do, to help first nations people?

stop being so condescending and arrogant and take a good look at what is happening in this country!
 

temperance

Electoral Member
Sep 27, 2006
622
16
18
I think the reports ,are talking about increase ,I dont think Sask. is the crime leader in Canada I think it has seen (mabye ) the biggest increase in a period of time --Not the most criminal ridden city ,
Also Ottawa has seen a 50 % rise in gang related crime ,We have had a influx of somailian young males with no father firgure (war at home ) in our city and evey night it is these guys making the headlines (muder ,stabbings,in groups) ,its so sad ,

The way a report is presented and from which view and what statistics ,anyone could make it look they way they want it to .
 

Creeman

Nominee Member
Nov 25, 2006
50
2
8
I am confused now. Are people in this blog just being straight out racist or are people just trying to figure why natives have these types of things going on in their communities?

I speak my truth here and if people cannot acknowledge it, then perhaps, you should be talking about topic that you know more about.
 

Creeman

Nominee Member
Nov 25, 2006
50
2
8
Indian Affairs is loaded. The ministry has been very well funded for years. If there is poverty on reserves it certainly isn't for lack of money. And education is the key to get young natives on their feet and moving ahead in their circles and in Canada. If you're a young native and you're not finishing high school there is something very wrong with your head and your family. Let's get blunt about it. You have areas of Canada like Nunavut pleading for educated aboriginal young people, begging for them, promising to hire every one that applies. And still the northern territory's government is thwarted. Aboriginal children are not taking education as seriously as they should. Change must come from within. The blame game with government must stop.

You're right blaming the government must stop, but at the same time they must stop treating us like children and give us our inherent right to self-determination and the stay out of our affairs. We are not children; we are a nation.
 

Creeman

Nominee Member
Nov 25, 2006
50
2
8
you don't know **** about what the elder teachings are!!!

Well in my hometown of 1200 there are 18 RCMP officers stationed there. Let me tell you it is not because of the caucasion population that's for sure. There are 4 reserves surrounding the town and that is why there are that many police officers. The crime in our community if phenominal. I was told by one officer that it has the highest crime rate/capita in CANADA. A little old town of 1200 amazing isn't it. if you are worrried about not being safe in Sask. or Edmonton how would you feel if you had to lock your doors in a town this size. Let me tell you it does not give you a very good feeling.

I do not know what is so difficult about figuring this out. This is the situation where I live, not saying this is everywhere. As long as you are supported and never have to worry about where your next pay cheque is coming from, life in fine. All you have to do is get up that day and you know you are being paid to do nothing, to exist. You never have to worry about getting up to go to work or have the daily worries as everyone else. The elder teachings are not helping either. So what happens when you become bored with life, you try to fill that boredom. Unfortunetly, the void is being filled with crime. The sooner natives are cut off of the golden goose the better life will be for them

That's right, be scared of the native people; they are the devil and so is their culture. This is the belief that many have held for centuries. Why change now? I tell you man, everything that you hear about the natives is absoultely true. yeah right!!

What the hell do you know about elder teachings? We are paid to exist and we damn well should be!! some body is getting j-e-l-l-o .lol...
 

Albertabound

Electoral Member
Sep 2, 2006
555
2
18
It's not a matter of being scared, it is a matter of being secure. In a small town like that no one should have to lock there doors whether you are home or not, but unfortunetly you do because if you don't chances are that you will get broken into, and that's bulls*tt in a small town. That's why people live in a small town, because everyone knows everyone and no one has to lock down everything. But not in that town, lock it or it's gone. This is not a city we are talking about. Why should my insurance go up because of some little f%#k that has nothing better to do.

As far as elder teachings go. I'll tell you what I do know. I know that they teach the young to hate the white man and the white man way. Sure sounds like descrimination to me. You can't tell me that the new generation of first nations learn this on there own, and that is where my statement of elder teachings not helping, comes from.

"we are paid to exist and damn well should be" It's your choice, or you can stay in school that is provided for you free of charge and improve your life to what ever standard you would like. Once again it is your choice.
 
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Creeman

Nominee Member
Nov 25, 2006
50
2
8
I am no longer goin to reply to this blog

Albertabound,

Evidently, you know nothing about what you are talking about, so i have decided not to waste my breath anymore. I have concluded two things: one is that you know nothing about the subject and two is that you will not listen to what I have to say anyway.

Stop being so ignorant. it doesn't help anyone.

there is nothing that you can say to me that hasn't already been said. Get a life!!!!
 

Winnipegger

New Member
Dec 13, 2006
34
0
6
The bottom line is this: cities in this country with higher crime rates, and the cities with the downtowns that are struggling are the cities with the highest Aboriginal populations: Edmonton (although this is changing) Winnipeg, Regina and Saskatoon.

When a crime is reported in Winnipeg, 9 times out of 10 it will involve an Aboriginal person.

So, what can be done? Is it a matter of increasing funding for education and training? If you move to the city from the reserve, will you have a place to stay? In Winnipeg for example, our former CP Rail station in downtown has been transformed into an Aboriginal Centre. The centre has bought a few properties around it, and will be converting one--an autobody shop--into a training centre for such. The other piece of land is now being developed for housing for the students. This is a step in the right direction I think because if there is hope, then there can be prosperity.

Funding has to be strategically dispersed into areas such as this.

I have no problem building more prisons, and locking up anyone who committs crimes; if more are Aboriginal, so be it. I do not care what ethnic group you belong to. Tougher sentences are needed, especially for young offenders!
 

Winnipegger

New Member
Dec 13, 2006
34
0
6
You're right blaming the government must stop, but at the same time they must stop treating us like children and give us our inherent right to self-determination and the stay out of our affairs. We are not children; we are a nation.

I am not 100 per cent convinced of this. If my tax dollars are funding your communities, I want my representatives (government) ensuring our money is not squandered.

Also, when it was revealed that the government was going to begin sending out cheques to survivors of residential schools, a Chief made a public statement requesting the government help to ensure those receiving money are not taken advantage of. I was like, huh? What about self-government? You cannot expect it if you cannot handle a little bit of money on your own!