Truth Reconciliation and the Inconvenient Indian
This edition of MY CANADA will be a notation on Canada’s aboriginal situation relating to almost everything that is happening. There were two stimulants for commenting the first being the Federal Government Truth and Reconciliation committee meetings currently attracting media attention on the subject. The second is due to the information available in author Perry King’s book titled The Inconvenient Indian.
King’s book is an account of the relationship between the people Canadians call aboriginals, First nation’s or the effin Indians. Maybe written with bias towards North American Indians in the treatment received at the hands of the “invading” white man. The book none the less should be required reading for every person with aboriginal ancestry except it could cause a revolution that would make the Quebec separation situation sound insignificant. The work should be read by everyone else in both Canada and the United States that might even consciously or subconsciously feel a tendency of superiority towards natives of either country. The book makes a person wonder if your claim to superiority over other peoples or cultures might just be another way to impose so-called democratic principles on others for the sake of financial expansion among other thought provoking analyses.
The Truth and Reconciliation committee currently looking into the relationship with Canadians natives, First Nations, Aboriginals or whatever the current political correct reference might be is in some ways possibly an exercise in futility. The natives claim ownership of the nation that they claim was taken through overpowering odds, wars and political expediency. The government and apparently most Canadians feel the land was never a nation although maybe occupied by a few hundred thousand humans. Europeans apparently felt the territory was up for grabs to any nation that decided it was their land. Something similar in a lot of ways like Russia decided Crimea should be Russian. The situation and history of North American asks the question whether the Europeans would have tried to overpower India’s population if Columbus made it to India as was expected.
The present government on behalf of all present and past Canadians apologized for the incarceration of every native’s child for a century. The apology was for forcing the children into residential schools to learn how to assimilate into the customs and way of life of the invaders. The apology did not extend to forcing the natives to give up all the prime land they claim is owned by the original occupiers of the land, or the neglect of reserves and the people living on those reserves far below the poverty level of every year since the discovery of America.
The people sitting on the committee that is supposed to find some way to pacify the wrongs inflicted on the aboriginal population after being were defeated in rebellions, uprising and simple protests. Those defeated peoples although allowed to some extent to integrate into the occupiers society were for the most part forced to live on government created reserves in a sub-standard living style. The authorities claimed and still do that the “Indians” just do not have the character or initiative to compete with the people of European or in some cases even Asian descendents. How often do we hear the f---ing Indians are just trouble makers shutting down our highways and protesting everything while being hand fed our money without working or wanting a job”?
The committee is about trying to put a positive spin to the world that Canada believes in freedom and democracy. Freedom and democracy that has been denied the aboriginal population for access to the resources that are in lands originally part of the native nation or awarded through the reserve system designed by our governments over the years. The Truth and Reconciliation Committee without a doubt will fail to resolve most questions. Members will undoubtedly offer concessions and allow some isolated reserves to improve financially while taking over resource rich reserve lands and congratulating the government “allowing“ First Canadians to improve the situation on isolated reserves since traditional life is no longer possible.. The improvements of course will be at the dictate of the various levels of government. Read the book to see if this analysis is correct.
King’s book is an account of the relationship between the people Canadians call aboriginals, First nation’s or the effin Indians. Maybe written with bias towards North American Indians in the treatment received at the hands of the “invading” white man. The book none the less should be required reading for every person with aboriginal ancestry except it could cause a revolution that would make the Quebec separation situation sound insignificant. The work should be read by everyone else in both Canada and the United States that might even consciously or subconsciously feel a tendency of superiority towards natives of either country. The book makes a person wonder if your claim to superiority over other peoples or cultures might just be another way to impose so-called democratic principles on others for the sake of financial expansion among other thought provoking analyses.
The Truth and Reconciliation committee currently looking into the relationship with Canadians natives, First Nations, Aboriginals or whatever the current political correct reference might be is in some ways possibly an exercise in futility. The natives claim ownership of the nation that they claim was taken through overpowering odds, wars and political expediency. The government and apparently most Canadians feel the land was never a nation although maybe occupied by a few hundred thousand humans. Europeans apparently felt the territory was up for grabs to any nation that decided it was their land. Something similar in a lot of ways like Russia decided Crimea should be Russian. The situation and history of North American asks the question whether the Europeans would have tried to overpower India’s population if Columbus made it to India as was expected.
The present government on behalf of all present and past Canadians apologized for the incarceration of every native’s child for a century. The apology was for forcing the children into residential schools to learn how to assimilate into the customs and way of life of the invaders. The apology did not extend to forcing the natives to give up all the prime land they claim is owned by the original occupiers of the land, or the neglect of reserves and the people living on those reserves far below the poverty level of every year since the discovery of America.
The people sitting on the committee that is supposed to find some way to pacify the wrongs inflicted on the aboriginal population after being were defeated in rebellions, uprising and simple protests. Those defeated peoples although allowed to some extent to integrate into the occupiers society were for the most part forced to live on government created reserves in a sub-standard living style. The authorities claimed and still do that the “Indians” just do not have the character or initiative to compete with the people of European or in some cases even Asian descendents. How often do we hear the f---ing Indians are just trouble makers shutting down our highways and protesting everything while being hand fed our money without working or wanting a job”?
The committee is about trying to put a positive spin to the world that Canada believes in freedom and democracy. Freedom and democracy that has been denied the aboriginal population for access to the resources that are in lands originally part of the native nation or awarded through the reserve system designed by our governments over the years. The Truth and Reconciliation Committee without a doubt will fail to resolve most questions. Members will undoubtedly offer concessions and allow some isolated reserves to improve financially while taking over resource rich reserve lands and congratulating the government “allowing“ First Canadians to improve the situation on isolated reserves since traditional life is no longer possible.. The improvements of course will be at the dictate of the various levels of government. Read the book to see if this analysis is correct.
RSS Feed