Canada 's First Nations Debate - Globe & Mail.

[Tuc]

Canada 's First Nations Debate - Globe & Mail.
 
Now this could stir up a bit of a debate...but it is food for thoughts regarding comments from a reader in the Globe and Mail. It's a short history lesson on natives.
 
This land does NOT belong to them. Why do some people keep saying that it does?
 Is it because that's what they want you to believe? Well then the marketing campaign must be working.
 
Let's get this straight...
 
1. These people's ancestors did not just appear in North America magically out of thin air one day 50,000 years ago. They came in waves across the land/ice bridge from Asia . What's more these waves in many case were not related groups of people. They came from various places around North Eastern Asia and were from different genetic strains....in other words the "natives of North America are not a homogenous group of people and more importantly.... They are immigrants too, like millions of immigrants today.
 
2. The idea that the "natives" were peaceful caretakers of the land or benevolent tenants couldn't be further from the truth. The various tribes warred on each other constantly. They were violent. Want proof? Ask the Huron's...oh that's right you can't. The Iroquois wiped them out. How about slavery that was rife among the first nation tribes until the Europeans came over and freed the slaves and put an end to this "valued cultural tradition"? Is slavery peaceful and humane?
 
3. The idea that we "stole" this land from them is also ridiculous. A more technologically advanced and numerous culture invaded and conquered. This is exactly what has been happening since the dawn of humanity all around the globe. To say we "stole" their lands is just plain wrong. That is akin to saying the Saxons should return England to the Angles. Or maybe we should launch a campaign to have Roman descendants give Italy back to the Etruscans.
 
It is a nonsensical notion driven by the politically correct bleeding hearts on the left and some intellectually deficient liberals, and it will continue to cost this country needless and wasted billions and billions until we get some backbone and turn off the taps.
 
Are these people in trouble? Yes. Do they need help? Yes.
 Are they responsible enough to look after themselves and efficiently spend the billions the tax payers give them? Certainly not.
 
The only way to fix this situation is to bring them into society as equals. They should be getting jobs and paying taxes like the rest of us because in reality, they are no more special than any of the other hundred or more cultures that call Canada home.
 
Turn off the taps. Do away with this "traditional use" and "cultural" nonsense. Educate their children to become modern citizens, instead of finding their identity and source of pride in some folks who occupied the land 15000 years ago. Let them stand or fall on their own account.

[Weste]

Makes sense.  Certainly the Indian Act is antiquated and needs to be updated.  Most first Nation people I know that have left the reserve system, function and thrive in the typical Canadian society.

[walleyes]

I'm getting a headache from all this BS already.. It's the same thing over and over, more money, more respect, more, more, what ever. I laughed my ars off tonight, they were showing the delegation of First Nations gathered in and around Ottawa,, frick sakes,, these people can't even figure out what they want. Some are going to the meetings some are boycotting them because they aren't included in the capacity they feel they should be. Some demands are different than the others,, what a joke.

There were a couple chiefs demanding respect from Ottawa,, so just how does that work how doo you demand respect. Oh o.k,, here, here is some respect, now on your way lol.. They will just never get it figured out, no one will ever respect them, not until they walk side by side with everyone else, until then it's just them and us. Personally that suits me fine,, go ahead be you I'll be me, I'll win,, always have always will..

I have the upmost respect for Native's I do, not today's natives but the natives that lived in this land long ago they were awesome people they really were. These people we have around today that call themselves natives,, not so much.. Cause really they are no more native than I am, heck I was born here, can't get anymore native than that.

[AxeMan]

I am sick of it all too. 
I cant respect anyone who friken whines and cries about being hard done by and does nothing to help themselves, no matter what the race, color, religion, or whatever.
Pitiful bunch of bs.  Our society is becoming overloaded with freeloaders.
Some of these whiners have the nerve to call themselves proud people.  If they were all that proud, they would get off their asses and make their lives better.

I am also done with being politically correct or tolerant.  I am also not idling, it's pedal to the metal, like usual.  How about, I am sick of giving free rides!

[Sonny]

Put me down in the sick of it too column..

If thier lives are that hard then maybe they need to work a bit more to improve themselfs....ffs

[Paul]

Whoever wrote that must have overheard me talking, I have brought up all those points to people feeling sorry for them. That is a fact, they are a conquered nation, and those that conquered them are long dead, technically the rights to this country belong to anyone born here. I have as much right to the land and resources as any Canadian. But you know what the problem is, as soon as you say something you are labeled as a racist and prejudiced.

Another big issue is these 1/16 breed and 1/32 breed metis jumping on the bandwagon, people that are whiter than I am and are fully integrated into the white world with high paying oilfield jobs, suddenly they are suffering aboriginals supporting their suffering peoples. Bunch of bullshit.

[Tuc]

I'm getting a headache from all this BS already.. It's the same thing over and over, more money, more respect, more, more, what ever.

Lets hope they dig themselves in so deep it backfires and the whole Indian system is revised. People ar getting fed up with tactics like Oka and blocking roadways and railroads. The public response against "Idle no More" has been GREAT and this is not over yet.

Harper has agreed to meet with Spence and the chiefs, now she says no meet because the Gov-Gen will not be there.....WITF does she think she is.

Let's see if we can get this to go "viral". Send this to all your friends!!! ...

Its about time the First Nations' leadership is held accountable. Extinquish treaty rights; no more free rides! Get an education! Get a job! Block streets, roads and rail lines you get arrensted like anyone else would!





http://www.attawapiskat.org/financial-statements/


Attawapiskat population:  ~1590 in approx 300 homes

Council:   3 Chiefs & 18 councilors

Annual Budget: ~ $34,000,000 (MILLION)

What a waste and abuse of tax payers dollars, yours and mine too!

[Sonny]

Anyone remember this?

[BruceW]

I heard a couple yrs ago that the indian affairs budget was Greater than that of DND.  Anyone know a way to find the actual figures to compare?

[Tuc]

EDITORIAL | TORONTO SUN

-----------------------------
When 82 First Nations chiefs and band councillors make more than the prime minister, all while many of their people live in abject poverty, something is horribly amiss. It's not new, but it is amiss.

In Alberta alone, for example, 47 chiefs and councillors made more last year than the PM's $317,574. We have serious reservations about that. (No Pun intended)

Now, since the money these chiefs and councillors pocket is grant money from taxpayers, auditing their books in search of ne'er-do-wells and misappropriated dollars would normally
receive no political pushback. But the Liberals need ink, don't they? They're a political embarrassment in search of some buzz. So, looking for a headline grabber, along comes Liberal aboriginal affairs critic Carolyn Bennett to label the newly-introduced First Nations Transparency Act -- Bill C-27 -- a "racist" and "paternalistic" piece of legislation. Well done, Ms. Bennett. There's your news hit. Now please go away.

There is absolutely nothing "racist" or "paternalistic" about Bill C-27, a vital and long-overdue piece of legislation that deserves quick passage so that all Canada will finally get to know down which hole the billions in First Nations' grant money goes.

From the outside looking in, and this is what raises many hackles, it would appear that too many chiefs and not enough Indians are living the good life on the taxpayers' dime. Bill C-27
should clear up the mess up. Much like the CBC vs. the Taxpayer, First Nations band members deserve transparency and accountability from their elected officials, and they are not getting it when their leaders refuse to come clean with where the government's money goes, or how much goes into their own pockets. What is "racist" about that?

Now, you may have never heard of the Glooscap First Nation reserve in Nova Scotia but you might be interested to know that one Mi'kmaq politician there pulled in almost $1 million in pay in 2010, while band councillors each earned between $210,000 and $260,000. Now, close your eyes and try to envision just how big the Glooscap First Nation must be to warrant such mammoth salaries. Give up? Well, in 2009, the population actually living on the reserve was 87. We didn't drop any zeroes.

[wildmeat]

i am one of those 1/8 bred metis that you guys talk so fondly about but i have worked hard all my life.... i could very easily right now go to any metis settlement and shoot any moose elk deer bear i want but i have never done that... i have always bought my tags...so has every member of my family... i also beleive treaty rights are a thing of the past... i think if an indian wants any kind of treaty right he should be forced to live out his entire life on his reserve... no moving to edmonton or wetaskiwin sitting on fakin welfare, no coming to town for groceries or booze... hell dont even leave your reserve..... you can have your hunting and fishing rights but only on your designated reserve... the whole not paying taxes thing is fine as long as you "dont ever leave your reserve"... you buy reserve goods only.....

if you want to move away from your reserve you get a job and pay taxes and buy hunting tags like the rest of us...

my skin is whiter than snow and so is all of my families...  LOL but now that im reckognized as an indian LOL maybe i should go get me a nice young calf moose for the freezer... and one for my buddies... and one for my buddies buddies

[OL_JR]

          I find it kind of funny that this whole movement is titled "Idle no more" where it seems to me the native community is just striving for more from the government so that they can be more idle.  Sad thing is nothing will change until things get bad enough that the leaders of the first nations finally throw in the towel and realize that the current system is doing nothing but harm to their people, though that day seems to be a eons away considering there looks to be enough proof  that the leaders are only concerned with padding their own pockets.  It's a sad state of affairs any way you look at it.

[Sonny]

There will be dead people before this is settled....I hope I'm wrong..

[Dark Wing]

I don't know how Harper or the Governor General could possibly take the FN Chief seriously. Any one who squanders tax payers money to the extent she does, eg., pays her husband $800 a day as a consultant well her reservation lives in poverty should be thrown in jail. If I was FN I'd let that crook starve in her Tepee.

[Paul]

i am one of those 1/8 bred metis that you guys talk so fondly about

You're exactly the type of Metis I am not talking about Wildmeat, I hope my initial post didn't sound wrong. I was not speaking generally.

I have Metis cousins and in fact had coffee with one of them yesterday, who happens to also be a business partner. He is a lot like you, he's one of the hardest working guys I know, he buys tags, he puts in for draws. We talked about idle no more and it pisses him off, he figures if everyone went to work all the problems would be solved and he figures it's about greed. That being said we have other Metis relatives that really buy into the whole Indian card thing, even though they work in the white world in high paying oilfield jobs and are clueless about their heritage.

There are many aboriginal groups who haven't been idle and have been working to get business opportunities going instead of protesting, they are getting into the oil and gas game through services and other opportunities.

There will be dead people before this is settled....I hope I'm wrong..

Unfortunately I agree with this Sonny.

[JIMMY 808]

There will be dead people before this is settled....I hope I'm wrong..

The UN will have a hay day if that happens…   

[wildmeat]

You're exactly the type of Metis I am not talking about Wildmeat, I hope my initial post didn't sound wrong. I was not speaking generally.

I have Metis cousins and in fact had coffee with one of them yesterday, who happens to also be a business partner. He is a lot like you, he's one of the hardest working guys I know, he buys tags, he puts in for draws. We talked about idle no more and it pisses him off, he figures if everyone went to work all the problems would be solved and he figures it's about greed. That being said we have other Metis relatives that really buy into the whole Indian card thing, even though they work in the white world in high paying oilfield jobs and are clueless about their heritage.

There are many aboriginal groups who haven't been idle and have been working to get business opportunities going instead of protesting, they are getting into the oil and gas game through services and other opportunities.

Unfortunately I agree with this Sonny.

nah no harm done... i agree with you guys fully on the subject... there are some so called metis that do need a swift kick in the ass as far as im concerned thinking that because they are an 8th or 16th that they deserve any extra rights ...

[walleyes]

I really think this is going to blow up in these people's face,, people are going to get pissed and take matters into their own hands. If they think they are going to start to stop the working man from getting to work and provide for his family, they are going to get an eye opener. There will be blood shed,, and they will lose,, again..

[Tuc]

[quoteThere will be dead people before this is settled....I hope I'm wrong.. ][/quote]Maybe Sonny, this thing is only starting to heat up and if they block roads and tracks as they promised, maybe!

[Sonny]

If they blockade #63 and #881 they will have to deal with a shitload of pissed off newfies...goodluck with that.