No matter how we got here it is a mark against Canada that one large group of Canadians do experience lower education, worse health, higher drug and alcohol abuse, higher rates of incarceration. Not easy to resolve now but better for all of us if we did.
Now going back in time it's unfortunate that I don't think anyone else was able to do much better than Canada's founders.
There are increasing examples of progress - one such example being Nunavut, an Agreement with Inuit for their own territory and governance. It's a start-up journey but lots of positive outcomes already. But, they are short of housing - like many places and the cost of living is high given the geography and limited year round access. They have community language appropriate (more than one dialect) schools, a post secondary institute and healthcare and they run their Territory through their own legislature.
Living and writing about values from a background in academic training reveals a window of understanding of our colonial past and present. Legislatively and legally, it has not ended, so "post-colonialism" is a fallacy. Projects are still extractive, hopefully it will change sooner with the Build Canada mandate.
Certain political and business actors in the country hoot and holler and about equity and inclusion and deem our changing responsibilities in the global landscape as "broken." To truly have have values in community is to band together, Indigenous nations and settler together to weather the oncoming storms that affect and will affect us all. Whether we want it or not.
There is work to be done but it is unhelpful when people in Canada claim it did not happen or claim it is over because we are a "post-national country" now. The current arrangement is holding First Nations back and, at the same time, not giving them the resources to address said issues
If you have the time and want a good read about the behaviour and attitude of the colonial government in Kingston, ON and the exploitation of the First Nations People in Canada, the book ‘The NorthWest is our Mother’ by Jean Teillet is a good window into the progress of Canada in the 1850-1900’s.
The whole Treaty System was created on the assumption that the First Nations, a Stone Age Culture’ and its peoples were a dying breed, and would soon die out. European diseases like smallpox had decimated the First Nations, and the introduction of alcohol nearly finished the job.
John A. MacDonald saw the introduction of Residential Schools as a way to civilize the First Nations in Canada and after another 50 years or so, they would die out and no longer be a problem. Combine that with the greed of Victorian English Orangemen who all want to repeat the success of Cecil Rhodes in Africa, and the stage is set for a well ordered land grab and land speculation ‘beyond the dreams of avarice’.
The joke is on the government because the First Nations survived the onslaught, and are growing stronger every year, in-spite of all the racism and abuse.
What we need to do is to reconcile with the First Nations, and treat them with respect, and grow together. We will need everyone working together if we are to keep Canada strong enough to weather the coming storms.
The continuing crime of what the white European settlers began when they came to the North American continent, permanently changed and displaced thousands of indigenous peoples.
My husband’s family was in what was designated as Mexico, the border stretching all the way to yours in Canada. His great grandfather fought with Pancho Villa for their land against the soldiers of the white army (mostly Confederate). The spoils of the land were and are still the greatest thievery in history, from the Southern Hemisphere all the way into Canada.
The maps and history of those countries are never taught in schools, so most have no clue about their own sordid history.
Most of our indigenous people here in the US continue to live in less than adequate ways, with substandard living conditions and educational opportunities.
Thank you for shining a much needed spotlight on this issue.
Thanks, and, indeed, what was 1/3rd of Mexico is now the Western and Southwestern United States. It is an unfortunate and very awkward part of history, despite being downplayed in the USA as part of Manifest Destiny.
Thank you for writing this. I have deep roots in this country, and deep shame for the harm caused. I have had the privilege of association with various First Nations people in this province during my working life. Their philosophies, their matriarchal system, their amazing sense of humour somehow hung on despite the attempts to annihilate it. We, in BC do begin with acknowledging the unceded territory and there is an effort to restore languages while those few speakers are still alive. Yes, there are examples of poor judgment within their leadership, but as each generation strengthens with post secondary education and using the White man's tools in the courts, when pride in origin is allowed to flourish, where we settlers work to repair and own our intentional harm we might earn a fraction of forgiveness we really don't deserve, and it begins with reading about this history and those treaties.
It is terrible and an embarrassment what the Canadian government and their collaborators have done to the Indigenous communities in Canada. In some ways, they were ahead of the curve before their way of life was destroyed or corrupted by the settler-colonial elites. There is much work to be done, and some of that involves the bureaucracy and government to stop holding them back by getting out of the way.
It seems that you are forgetting that the people are the government, we cannot fluff out on our responsibility...as tough as it is to confront those we have elected. I lost my heritage and all with Settler exceptionalism.
Yes the original multigenerational pure-blood Canadians played a role in these problems. They also need to sort it out by empowering the First Nations to do what they need to do and stop using bureaucracy and racism to hold them back.
No matter how we got here it is a mark against Canada that one large group of Canadians do experience lower education, worse health, higher drug and alcohol abuse, higher rates of incarceration. Not easy to resolve now but better for all of us if we did.
Now going back in time it's unfortunate that I don't think anyone else was able to do much better than Canada's founders.
There are increasing examples of progress - one such example being Nunavut, an Agreement with Inuit for their own territory and governance. It's a start-up journey but lots of positive outcomes already. But, they are short of housing - like many places and the cost of living is high given the geography and limited year round access. They have community language appropriate (more than one dialect) schools, a post secondary institute and healthcare and they run their Territory through their own legislature.
It’s a good start and it needs to keep continuing
Living and writing about values from a background in academic training reveals a window of understanding of our colonial past and present. Legislatively and legally, it has not ended, so "post-colonialism" is a fallacy. Projects are still extractive, hopefully it will change sooner with the Build Canada mandate.
Certain political and business actors in the country hoot and holler and about equity and inclusion and deem our changing responsibilities in the global landscape as "broken." To truly have have values in community is to band together, Indigenous nations and settler together to weather the oncoming storms that affect and will affect us all. Whether we want it or not.
There is work to be done but it is unhelpful when people in Canada claim it did not happen or claim it is over because we are a "post-national country" now. The current arrangement is holding First Nations back and, at the same time, not giving them the resources to address said issues
If you have the time and want a good read about the behaviour and attitude of the colonial government in Kingston, ON and the exploitation of the First Nations People in Canada, the book ‘The NorthWest is our Mother’ by Jean Teillet is a good window into the progress of Canada in the 1850-1900’s.
The whole Treaty System was created on the assumption that the First Nations, a Stone Age Culture’ and its peoples were a dying breed, and would soon die out. European diseases like smallpox had decimated the First Nations, and the introduction of alcohol nearly finished the job.
John A. MacDonald saw the introduction of Residential Schools as a way to civilize the First Nations in Canada and after another 50 years or so, they would die out and no longer be a problem. Combine that with the greed of Victorian English Orangemen who all want to repeat the success of Cecil Rhodes in Africa, and the stage is set for a well ordered land grab and land speculation ‘beyond the dreams of avarice’.
The joke is on the government because the First Nations survived the onslaught, and are growing stronger every year, in-spite of all the racism and abuse.
What we need to do is to reconcile with the First Nations, and treat them with respect, and grow together. We will need everyone working together if we are to keep Canada strong enough to weather the coming storms.
Thanks for your thoughts, and I agree that we need to acknowledge past abuses as well as find solutions to improve.
The continuing crime of what the white European settlers began when they came to the North American continent, permanently changed and displaced thousands of indigenous peoples.
My husband’s family was in what was designated as Mexico, the border stretching all the way to yours in Canada. His great grandfather fought with Pancho Villa for their land against the soldiers of the white army (mostly Confederate). The spoils of the land were and are still the greatest thievery in history, from the Southern Hemisphere all the way into Canada.
The maps and history of those countries are never taught in schools, so most have no clue about their own sordid history.
Most of our indigenous people here in the US continue to live in less than adequate ways, with substandard living conditions and educational opportunities.
Thank you for shining a much needed spotlight on this issue.
Thanks, and, indeed, what was 1/3rd of Mexico is now the Western and Southwestern United States. It is an unfortunate and very awkward part of history, despite being downplayed in the USA as part of Manifest Destiny.
Thank you for writing this. I have deep roots in this country, and deep shame for the harm caused. I have had the privilege of association with various First Nations people in this province during my working life. Their philosophies, their matriarchal system, their amazing sense of humour somehow hung on despite the attempts to annihilate it. We, in BC do begin with acknowledging the unceded territory and there is an effort to restore languages while those few speakers are still alive. Yes, there are examples of poor judgment within their leadership, but as each generation strengthens with post secondary education and using the White man's tools in the courts, when pride in origin is allowed to flourish, where we settlers work to repair and own our intentional harm we might earn a fraction of forgiveness we really don't deserve, and it begins with reading about this history and those treaties.
It is terrible and an embarrassment what the Canadian government and their collaborators have done to the Indigenous communities in Canada. In some ways, they were ahead of the curve before their way of life was destroyed or corrupted by the settler-colonial elites. There is much work to be done, and some of that involves the bureaucracy and government to stop holding them back by getting out of the way.
It seems that you are forgetting that the people are the government, we cannot fluff out on our responsibility...as tough as it is to confront those we have elected. I lost my heritage and all with Settler exceptionalism.
Yes the original multigenerational pure-blood Canadians played a role in these problems. They also need to sort it out by empowering the First Nations to do what they need to do and stop using bureaucracy and racism to hold them back.