What do Canadians think about Harper's move to strip First Nations of their Status & land rights?

[Wiininiskwe *Ajidamoon*]

Let's try this again, since the links were broken the first time I posted.

http://intercontinentalcry.org/harper-la...lonialism/
http://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/hundreds-of-f...-1.1073796
http://houseofinfamy.blogspot.ca/2012/12...ephen.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/chelsea-vow...79415.html

Since the IDLE NO MORE campaign has began, I have seen next to no media coverage of it. Tons of coverage about the one day teacher's walk outs here in Ontario....(and well deserved)......tons of coverage of Kate Middleton's pregnancy.......yet not a word about hundreds of thousands of protestors across Canada? Not a word about the military mobilizing to "deal" with Canada's Indian problem once again? Not a word how this will affect not only Aboriginals, but all Canadians, as your protected wetlands, forests and nature reserves are opened up to big businesses?
And of course, not a word on how this will force First Nations to assimilated into Canadian society.

What are other Canadian's thoughts on this?
knh
You are so far off the mark, its ridiculous. Outdated customs? Do tell...which ones? I can tell you that my spirituality and customs are not in any sort of conflict with modern living. Not like Christianity's values...best suited to the Middle East, in the era in which it was conceived. We DO live in the modern world.....but you are forgetting something....we are LEGAL Nations. With sovereign status. When ceding the rest of the lands that you now live on, we treatied to KEEP our Nationhood. And now you want to take it from us? Reserves are NOT ran on government moneys....or tax payer moneys. They are ran on TRUST moneys. Moneys dolled out to us by the AANDC, held in trust, for the ceding of the lands you live on. It is ridiculous that we have to beg for our own money.
Seems like you and the first poster have a lot in common....complete ignorance about the Reserve system, Aboriginal rights and treaties....and how you came to be living the life you enjoy.
Sure, sure.

You know what is tiresome? A lifetime of people telling you that you live off of their tax dollars. A lifetime of people telling you to just "get over" the fact that you can call people up on the phone, right now, who were raped in Residential Schools. A lifetime of people stating incorrect garbage, that they heard from someone else, who heard it from someone else...rather than educating themselves. Would you tell a Jewish person who had relatives in German internment camps, to get over it? Would you ever tell the Amish or Mennonites that it is time to give up their outdated customs, and join the rest of modern society.

You didn't read the links because you are HAPPY with your preconceived notions. You don't want to find out that what you have been led to believe your entire life, was false. If you were interested in being educated, or finding out just how Bill C-45 is going to affect ALL Canadians....and how Harper thinks (and is likely correct) that h
I am quite used to straight up apathy....but your blatant ignorance is astounding. NO...I know we are not the only "race" to have those things happen to us....but we are the ONLY one in Canada, where rape, neglect, medical testing, forced sterilization, religious persecution, uninvestigated crimes, stolen children, and a whole host of other nazi-esque atrocities have been GOVERNMENT SANCTIONED....and obviously enjoyed by Canadians who hold your views.
JD...
The full.breakdown of the moneys spent is available online for you to peruse should you care to do so. 94 millokn went to ALL First Nations.....NOT just Attawapiskat.

[Chix]

Edited because I read it here.

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Har...story.html

*(See newspapers do report things about FN )

The Government wants transparency on the millions of dollars they give you.

And we - the people you claim to be ignorant - are the ones that pay you this. You might not forget that - because its not like most of your people who live on the reservations have jobs.

So, whats the problem?

Your problem appears to be your sense of entitlement. Ironically, and most bizarre, based on what I have read, some FN communities are run like 3rd world fascist regimes- the Chief makes hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and lives in luxury and the people that live there with him/her on the SAME reservation don't even have clean running water. They live in mud huts or dumps - literally.

FN are already required to document what funds are received and spent. The only difference is NOW with Harpers' new legislation, you will have it publicly available. Given the obvious rip offs with some bands - Knowing how your money is spent and having it publicly available to ALL persons (including FN) is not a bad thing.

Did it ever occur to you the reason you have such squalor and such depravity is because of your own model for governance? Who in their right mind could accept those kind of living conditions? And if its that bad - why don't you do what the rest of us do - LEAVE and find a better life. I don't recall reading we chain you to a post ? You have free will.

One of the BC chiefs cited in the article attached made MORE than the Prime Minister of Canada. Many made hundreds of thousands.

Instead of blaming those that give you the money from their hard working tax dollars - you might look inwards. Its like you people are 6 years old and we are your appointed Mommy. Even the Mennonites - who completely shun the "capitalist world" make their own way without looking for others to solve their problems and are polite to those of us that choose to live another way. They don't play the victim card, they don't degrade us by calling us bigots simply because we don't feel responsible for injustices that happened 200 fycking years ago.

And no, I'm not in favour of the Harper Governments changes to the environment and waterways - and strongly oppose relaxing environmental policy, but as we both know, protection of lands is not an absolute given and FN objective - Negotiation of hefty financial settlements of money in exchange for raping their land is what FN want.

And you claim you are not assimilated. (roll eyes) You are a nation of hypocrites , paddling the river of denial.

BTW, Empowerment starts from within and its an individuals' responsibility for happiness.

I don't owe you squat.

Merry Christmas

[Comicbook Reader]

I think the Harper gov has a lot to answer for. Forced assimilation never works. It strikes me Canada makes room for many cultures and encourages multiculturalism ... until Aboriginal culture is brought up. Then - Nope... can't they "be like us" rhetoric. It took decades and decades to destroy a culture, but the government (and media) expect First Nations people to correct the wrongs over night.

The second thought that comes to mind is the media has completely reliquished their rights to call themselves news. They are social media outlets now. Let's all feel good and pretend issues are not important. You rarely hear of the number of Aboriginal women who go missing or are raped either. That seems to be a taboo subject in the main stream. They also seemed to ignore the signing away of protected lands to big business or treated it as a lovely opportunity to exploit the land for $$.

The only way I seem to hear real news concerning Aboriginals is through Twitter accounts that post links the main stream insists on ignoring.

[Chris I]

Harper is an Ass. He was so sorry about Canada ever trying to assimilate Native Canadians with the Residential Schools ...... so he's going to try to do it another way.

I suspect it's because you pesky folk want to protect our natural forests and water ways! He has sold off many of our resources, but he has to get that oil to the US at any cost and build factories on clean rivers.

Canada doesn't have an Indian problem, my Cree cousins have a Canada problem and even if the media wasn't afraid of having more budget cuts, most Canadians don't understand and don't seem to care enough to inform themselves.

[Steven]

I have not heard much about Bill C-45 and the "Idle No More" campaign, up to now. The last First Nations issue that I heard about was when the people in Attawapiskat were living in makeshift tents at the start of last winter. Lots of finger pointing, government suggesting the band council was mishandling funds, independent auditor, and so on. Eventially the stick settled and several new homes were shipped up there for the residents, and it looked like things were getting back to normal.

But then again, not hearing about these things and sneaking things through is becoming more and more a common practice from this government.

The "Harper Government" (Remember...it is no longer "Government of Canada"!) has had over half a decade experience now of infringing on people's rights and doing as they please, even though six years ago, Harper campaigned on a platform of transparency. The G20 and the police abuse of powers was just one of the many things he has already done and I am sure he has planned more for the future, including Bill C-45.

And yet Canadians gave him a majority in the last federal election?

There really has to be something extremely wrong with the other parties, or else it is wrong with the system. I am no fan of the Liberals either (they did a piss poor job themselves last time with all the corruption and favouritism), but seems to me this guy has done more to turn Canada away from its core values and is selling it piece by piece to foreign interests.

I don't know where we go from here, but I hope we can get back on track soon.

[knh959]

For the most part the only time aboriginals take their hands out of their pockets is when they want the government to fill them with cash.

All societies and cultures throughout history, regardless of whether they be European, Asian or elsewhere evolve and develop. Aboriginals seem to not want to evolve and develop, preferring to hold onto long lost customs and traditions that hold no relevance in today's society. Governments of all levels, be they federal, provincial or municipal make available to aboriginals opportunities for education and training at no cost and yet the majority of them still prefer to remain on the reserve waiting for the next influx of cash.

Sorry but, it's time for them to stand on their own to feet and become part of modern society.

[-JD-]

A lot of chiefs, their families and cronies are sure upset about new laws to ensure full disclosure of where all those federal tax dollars are spent.

For starters, what happened to the $94 million in federal tax dollars that went to Attawapiskat last year?

[Drunkenbedroom275]

I am not a Canadian. I was the average in-the-dark Southern American when it came to issues about the First Nations and Canada. Before I was a regular in Yahoo Answers, I had no clue just how many outright bigots to First Nations people there were in Canada. Most people typically think of the Southern U.S. as a hotbed of bigotry, but from what I've seen in Yahoo Answers time and again, and from people claiming to be educated professionals AND even law enforcement (whether they lie about who they are is another thing) too many displayed no hesitation or embarrassment to reveal they harbored ideas about the First Nation's peoples and what they 'deserved' that would have made Himmler grin; most bigots in the U.S. cloak it better. Himmler was Hitler's henchman and some believe he was even more evil than Hitler because he was the actual architect of the"Final Solution" and he modeled it upon the United States of America's plan of "Termination". That was decades before the U.S. redefined that term to mean something less genocidal.
I read your earlier identical question and arrived too late to answer. I rambled off a long rant railing against apathy and bigotry and sickening and sometimes conflicting stereotypes that do nothing but create smoke screens and aide the opprressor..and make no mistake..the multi-national corporations and their greedy henchmen depend upon apathy and people being too caught up with their own day to day difficulties to even take a glance at the bigger picture..to take a MOMENT to let their voice be heard to protect their rights ..because it will be yours next..that are eroded. And if you don't care about what happens to others then how the hell would you expect anyone else to care about what happens to you?
I wonder how some of these people sleep at night and then I realize they don't think there is a thing wrong with promoting horrifically ugly stereotypes because they still see you as inferior people those pseudoscientific notions of "race" really did a number on Western Civilization.
Open your eyes people..the First Nation's Peoples and the American Indian nations that still survive aren't just talking about past injustices..their rights are indeed trampled on all the time.
Countries do not make TREATIES with others if they are not legally considering them a self-governing entity with the legal status of another nation..If you don't like the way a legally recognized nation is caring for its land..then work with THEIR govering body..don't support an outside govt that should have no legal right to dictate to them what they do with their lands.
If they're trying to renig on the whole recognition of the other nation as an actual nation..that's another matter altogether and should not be kept hidden by the media.
There are so many horrific things going on in the world that either never make a headline or get lost on page 9c with misleading headings. I think for some people..it truly is just BURN OUT
too stressed with serious personal problems they just feel like they'll short circuit if asked to do something for yet another cause
that describes me some days
but I've learned that if I don't do what I can when I can..that's when I overload..
Apathy is not something I'll ever submit to however since I learned a long time ago
That only EMPOWERS the abusers
GO LOOK at her links..learn the facts..look at the evidence and THEN decide. Test. Question.
CHALLENGE..but get off your tuches and do SOMEthing
If you have the time and energy to blow insulting people in Yahell you can certainly find it to investigate to see if it is really true that your government is doing as charged.
From what I've seen over the past few years from my First Nation's and Indian friends online..I believe it..I've been slack jawed in astonishment saying WTH way too many times over the apathy on both sides of the border.

[gaby]

Though I am from the US, I was shocked when I read your links. I am willing to bet their are a many other stories that MPR or the BBC do no carry. Yes, I am a BBC watching Yank for the simple reason, the BBC presents news in a professional and somewhat impartial manner.

A Treaty aka a contract was signed. End of discussion. If the First Nations do not wish to amend the Treaties so be it. No one has to like it, simply honor it.

I would never presume to tell the Mennonites or the Amish how to live their lives, or insult a Jewish person like that. It is none of my busines. The Menonnonites and the Amish own their lands, pay their agreed upon taxes and uphold most of their responsibilities as Americans. Not my place to judge them, the only responsibility they do not take very seriously is voting. Very low rates according to my political party. That is not a crime nor unethical, simply a pity.

Please be a little kinder to to Xtian faiths we are not all crazy, just the more vocal ones. The rest of us pray without acting like fools.

I am sick to death natural resources being destroyed for the profits of the ruling class. Some day we will fight horrible wars for water just like parts of Subsaharan Africa and very soon in Israel/Palestine. I am sick of wild life that has existed for millenia being treated like garbage. I am sick of it all. I worry for my children and future grandchildren. What are we ALL giving them - the booby prize.


But I am a weird Liberal so what do I know.

[Abused]

It's typical Canadian hypocritical behaviour. What would you expect. The brainwashed masses are convinced that the country is the epitome of multiculturalism. That multiculturalism is government sanctioned and welcomes all and embraces all cultures. They look down at the "melting pot" of the US. Little do the sheep know that the Canadian Multicultural government policy was created as an off shoot to the quiet revolution in Quebec to placate them.

Frankly Canadians are just as racist as anybody else (it's worse that they don't acknowledge it). Canada is still 80% white European and want to stay and act that way. Do you really think they would understand First Nations issues?