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Values and Culture

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We're all in the same WHOLE!

Contributor: fatmomma

Date: 2003-04-26 16:22:36


Regarding our past treatment of our first natives. First, I would like to say that Canadian natives were much better treated than those in America.
The Countries that are actually responsible for any mistreatment of the first nations people are really British Empire and France; Canada was not a sovereign nation at the time.
At the time of our arrival in Canada; the conquering countries generally just took control without any regard to the original inhabitants. From the start, Canada acted more fairly than most nations did. We allowed the French people to retain their language and customs; we didn't demand they adapt completely to our ways. Canada is still working towards treaty settlement with the first natives but there needs to be concessions and cooperation on both sides. We cannot effectively make them as self directed as they were before our arrival. We should be returning to them large sustainable tract of land where they can live comfortably and be self supporting. These areas could be under self government similar to a municipal level
but in other areas of government they must be expected to join with the rest of Canada in making and respecting the rights of all equally.
We cannot right all past wrongs; we must move on; We must all join together and make Canada a strong proud nation we can all be proud of. It can be done; we are a rich country in resources and peaceful, fair people.

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We're all in the same WHOLE!

Contributor: Jibongo

Date: 2003-04-30 20:55:06


By "to enable them to be as self-directed in their affairs as they were before they were invaded", I didn't mean that I thought they could go back to living exactly as they did. But I do believe it is possible (& necessary) for us all to be as self-directed as I want to be (i.e., responsibly self-directed). This does not 'right all past wrongs', but if we're going to move on, we need to give (& receive) assurances that past wrongs will not be repeated. Therefore, even if 'we', the current inhabitants of Canada, did not perpetrate the earlier 'wrongs', we do need to give assurances, & apologizing is a part of that process. So we can continue to be a (more) peaceful & fair(er) people!
The First Peoples didn't need the Canadian government before it arrived, so I'd like to leave it up to them to decide how closely they want to be connected.
"Respecting the rights of all equally" should certainly be a part of every deal made with every nation or peoples!

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We're all in the same WHOLE!

Contributor: codc01

Date: 2003-05-01 06:14:08


I know that natives did not need the Canadian government before they arrived. But its a fact that the Canadian government is now present, you simply can't say, ok, lets go back 300 years ago, and leave us alone. Canada was invaded (thats how i call it), and natives must now live with it. Same thing happened when, for example, France was united as a country in 489 - the natives of one region are now French, its the same thing here in Canada. Natives here should adapt to Canadian values, but they should also keep their culture. And you must admit that the Canadian government gives out a lot of money to the band councils... And a lot of this money disappears.

The Indians affairs minister is proposing a law to make sure the money goes where it should go, and i actually strongly agree with him, where is the money going? I think native Canadians have a great advantage to receive all this money and have much less taxes to pay, in other countries its not like that...

You can't ask for more self-government and at the same ask for more money from the Canadian government. That seems quite illogical, same is true with Quebec, if Quebec separates from Canada, do you really think that the Canadian government will give money to Quebec?

The colonialists (French and British) did sign treaties a long time ago, and they did not respect these treaties, and i consider that very evil indeed. But the Canadian government is not to blame for this (at least i don't think so), and i think natives should really analyze this. I know that some native claims are asking for maybe 30% of the land of Canada, under the old treaties that may have been true in those times, but its impossible to do today. The natives should negociate instead so that any profits from the exploitation of the resources of that land should be shared between the natives and all the others.


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