MY CANADA Indigenous people treatment needs change
MY CANADA will comment on a major issue affecting this nation currently in the news. Recent reports of four teenage girls committing suicide in isolated First Nation communities needs to be addressed. The situation cannot not be fed into the "must be fixed cauldron" every Canadian government uses to deal with the First Nation issues since before confederation. All political parties cannot state the subject is getting consideration and will be dealt with after the best solution is found that won't affect votes. The future of Canada as a nation depends on action taken in the next while. All parties must agree to set the issue as a number one priority.
More importantly change in the way the problem is dealt with is essential because the government, every portion of the population including the Indigenous population must change direction for a real solution. After almost 150 years of living under the Canadian constitution, and before the country emerged, the solution must be radical enough to change politics in a new never before attempted direction.
The first positive direction is for the federal government to stop throwing money helter skelter at First Nation initiatives. The second and equally important issue is for the First Nation communities to organize and stop trying to force the ruling government agencies to fund the myriad of failed insufficient programs and projects currently in place as the tradition way of assuring political parties the majority of Indigenous votes.
A solution might seem impossible to accomplish given the centuries of misuse of funding and political manoeuvring in an effort to avoid finding real change. However, there is probably a solution that will be vigorously opposed by both the aboriginal politicians and indigenous solution seekers together with Canada’s legion of elected politicians. This idea would undoubtedly be scoffed at as unworkable by those with inbred discrimination over Canadian “Indians” claiming the segment of the population is over funded for the often described as, lazy undependable druggies and drunks. Untrue claims that must be eliminated from Canadian thinking before such mindset destroys Canada’s reputation for peaceful co-existence with its Aboriginal brethren.
A new entity of neutral non-partisan appointees accepted by all political parties with powers similar to the Supreme Court of Canada must be legislated. The committee would deal with recognizing past wrongs and the need for future direction of both the Indigenous and majority of Canadian citizens. The special committee must be accountable to the Supreme Court with respect to constitutional challenges but have the ability to make decisions that cannot be overturned by political wishes or needs. The idea is probably an improbable suggestion but one that must be considered to keep the country from maybe erupting into possibly future diverseness and violence. Such an idea or possibly something similar would immediately lead to both sides affected by the issue to change the mindset of everything legislated must satisfy chosen individuals, political or social or corporate lobbyists. The United States election is reflecting the need for such change before it is too late. Four dead Canadian children and teens screamed out the same need for change so everyone had better listen and act or the turmoil in Syria will likely spread across the world.
After preparing this MY CANADA article a Maclean's magazine article by Scott Gilmore revealing the dictatorship-type torture of a mentally challenged First Nation prisoner was published on Facebook. A 19-year-old sent to prison for an apparent minor offense became violent once imprisoned and has been in solitary confinement in a Thunderbay jail for over four months or 100 days. The situation is inexcusable and will likely lead to even more revelations of mistreatment to the Indigenous segment of Canada's population.
More importantly change in the way the problem is dealt with is essential because the government, every portion of the population including the Indigenous population must change direction for a real solution. After almost 150 years of living under the Canadian constitution, and before the country emerged, the solution must be radical enough to change politics in a new never before attempted direction.
The first positive direction is for the federal government to stop throwing money helter skelter at First Nation initiatives. The second and equally important issue is for the First Nation communities to organize and stop trying to force the ruling government agencies to fund the myriad of failed insufficient programs and projects currently in place as the tradition way of assuring political parties the majority of Indigenous votes.
A solution might seem impossible to accomplish given the centuries of misuse of funding and political manoeuvring in an effort to avoid finding real change. However, there is probably a solution that will be vigorously opposed by both the aboriginal politicians and indigenous solution seekers together with Canada’s legion of elected politicians. This idea would undoubtedly be scoffed at as unworkable by those with inbred discrimination over Canadian “Indians” claiming the segment of the population is over funded for the often described as, lazy undependable druggies and drunks. Untrue claims that must be eliminated from Canadian thinking before such mindset destroys Canada’s reputation for peaceful co-existence with its Aboriginal brethren.
A new entity of neutral non-partisan appointees accepted by all political parties with powers similar to the Supreme Court of Canada must be legislated. The committee would deal with recognizing past wrongs and the need for future direction of both the Indigenous and majority of Canadian citizens. The special committee must be accountable to the Supreme Court with respect to constitutional challenges but have the ability to make decisions that cannot be overturned by political wishes or needs. The idea is probably an improbable suggestion but one that must be considered to keep the country from maybe erupting into possibly future diverseness and violence. Such an idea or possibly something similar would immediately lead to both sides affected by the issue to change the mindset of everything legislated must satisfy chosen individuals, political or social or corporate lobbyists. The United States election is reflecting the need for such change before it is too late. Four dead Canadian children and teens screamed out the same need for change so everyone had better listen and act or the turmoil in Syria will likely spread across the world.
After preparing this MY CANADA article a Maclean's magazine article by Scott Gilmore revealing the dictatorship-type torture of a mentally challenged First Nation prisoner was published on Facebook. A 19-year-old sent to prison for an apparent minor offense became violent once imprisoned and has been in solitary confinement in a Thunderbay jail for over four months or 100 days. The situation is inexcusable and will likely lead to even more revelations of mistreatment to the Indigenous segment of Canada's population.
