Category: We Are All Treaty People

Why Is There Always A Big Screen TV?

We Are All Treaty People 28 Comments

Let’s say that somehow, the eruption we’ve all agreed to call Idle No More results in a historic breakthrough between Ottawa and Canada’s diverse and deeply troubled First Nations.
Let’s say the covenant recognizes and affirms aboriginal and treaty rights and contains a specific, collaborative action plan to deal with the urgent challenges of aboriginal childhood education, economic development, First Nations governance and accountability. Plus it comes with a startup $275 million just to be sure the rubber hits the road. And it’s announced at a historic gathering in Ottawa with the senior First Nations chiefs, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and even Governor-General David Johnston.
Now let’s say along comes an obstructionist “movement” that masquerades as militant but is really a minority faction of eccentric and reactionary Indian band chiefs who are hopelessly devoted to the status quo. They set out to methodically undermine the agreement. They hijack the work plan. Within a year they’ve pretty well sabotaged the whole thing.

A terrific column by Terry Glavin.

Why Is There Always A Big Screen TV?

entitlement generation We Are All Treaty People 33 Comments

Say, how’s that #idlenomore thing working out for ya?

The chief received an approval rating of 29 per cent in a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted exclusively for Global News and Postmedia News.
The survey suggests the Idle No More movement hasn’t garnered much sympathy for Canada’s First Nations, but rather, raised awareness about financial accountability on the reserves.
Nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of poll respondents believe Canada’s First Nations receive too much federal funding. About the same number (62 per cent) believe Ottawa treats Aboriginals well.
But Aboriginals are also creating problems for themselves, according to more than half (60 per cent) of respondents.

Why Is There Always A Big Screen TV?

We Are All Treaty People 62 Comments
Sheshatshui.jpg “When I was first “warned” about what to expect in Sheshatshui, a lot of it seemed really over-the-top to me, even racist at times. I heard so much trash talk about this town and its inhabitants, and so passionately told, that I wondered if people were hanging onto some kind of “grudge” that I didn’t know about. So many stories preceded my visit there and they all seemed extremely exaggerated.
Nevertheless, I took my camera and set out to take some photos.”

The post is from 2010. You’ll need to agree to a disclaimer before entering.

Why Is There Always A Big Screen TV?

The Libranos We Are All Treaty People 33 Comments

Lawrence Martin;

Back in the days of Jean Chrétien’s government, I recall talking to a very senior player about the issue of accountability on first nation reserves. The Canadian Alliance was probing the matter, and there were allegations, nothing too specific, about spending abuses. Money disappearing down a black hole, that kind of thing.
Raising it with the Chrétien official, I recall being surprised when he said there was a basis for many of the allegations. It was a potentially a major scandal, he said. So why, I asked, was no one probing it? Too sensitive, he said. “We’d be accused of racism.”

That – and the Liberal Party contributions would’ve dried up.
Related – Why arrest when you can drum!
h/t Stan

Why Is There Always A Big Screen TV?

We Are All Treaty People 70 Comments

CBC;

The accounting firm hired to audit the finances of the troubled Attawapiskat First Nation reserve in northern Ontario says there is little or no documentation for millions of dollars spent by the band, CBC News has learned.
The unreleased audit was intended to ensure that more than $100 million provided by the federal government to Attawapiskat between April 2005 and November 2011 was spent as it should have been.
CBC News has obtained a copy of the audit. The funding was intended for housing, sewage, education and other services.
In a letter dated Sept. 20, 2012, that was written by Deloitte to Chief Theresa Spence and copied to the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, that auditing firm says that of 505 transactions reviewed, more than 400 lacked proper documentation.
[…]
Deloitte reported its finding to Spence in late August. It’s not known what she or the band council did in response to the findings.

I sense a blood clot coming on.


Why Is There Always A Big Screen TV?

We Are All Treaty People 34 Comments

The best stuff is usually found in the comments;

There is a substantial difference between assimilation into a specific culture or dominant group and integration into the mainstream of socio-economic life. No one is forced to assimilate in Canada. Given the diversity of our demographics, I’d be hard pressed to imagine what you might assimilate with. We are not a homogeneous society that one might find in European countries or the Middle East or even, to a somewhat lesser extent, the US.
Integration is another matter. It relates to joining and participating in the economic system with a view to pursuing economic stability (at minimum) and, for those who choose, pursuing economic prosperity. What you pursue and for what reasons is your choice and you are free to practice your culture and believe in whatever you want while you’re at it. Every group that has come to this country from anywhere has done this and achieved some measure of success,
In my view Canadian Natives need to recognize the difference between assimilation and integration and actively pursue the latter. This is essential if you want to have decent living standards, good health, stability for your children and the ability to influence and have an impact on the broader social and political landscape. All the commissions, studies, treaties, white papers and working groups in the world will not achieve this for you. Nor will protests and media events. On the other hand if you choose to live outside the mainstream and not integrate, then you will live forever in the margins and not much will ever change. It is possible to live outside the mainstream successfully but it takes a great deal of self-reliance, self-discipline and talent. It’s for the few, not the many.
If you continue to try to leverage guilt, historical grievances or a sense of entitlement, nothing will change. Politicians will continue pay lip service to you. They’ll come out for the photo opps and say some supportive words, maybe promise a committee or study but that’s about all you’ll get. The mainstream has little interest in your issues and no appetite for what are seen largely as demands for special treatment. You don’t have the political clout to drive change at the political level and won’t until you integrate. That’s just the reality of socio-economic systems. Integration means participation. If you don’t play you will watch from the sidelines.
Progress is made by those who show up, participate and contribute. If you want the benefits of our economic system, you have to get on board the train. You can practice your culture from the inside and have the best of both worlds.

Why Is There Always A Big Screen TV?

entitlement generation We Are All Treaty People 33 Comments

Neil Edmondson;

Guess who owns shares in Enbridge, Pembina Pipeline Corp., Exxon, Cnooc (!), Halliburton, Canadian Oil Sands Trust, Occidental Petroleum, and what appears to be every natural resource company under the sun? Attawapiskat Trust fund, that’s who. They profit from the oil sands while concern trolling about the environment – nice racket.
The blockade that is costing CN $5 million a day isn’t helping the portfolio either since they own shares in CN too.

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