40-DAY FAST: Can Canada Survive?

Hi Paul or I mean Sir Paul.

to OP

Please don't mislead people with that statement.

The reasons there are no roads in or out, is because of the geography of the land, the distance, and the cost. There are also white people who live in these places.

NEW

Guest Editorial in Canada's "The National Post"

[link to fullcomment.nationalpost.com]

Written by Chelsea Vowel - Métis from the Plains Cree speaking community of Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta. She currently lives in Montreal, Quebec. She holds a BEd, an LLB and is working on a Bachelor of Civil Law.

Excerpts (modified):

Although thousands of indigenous people all over Canada rallied together under the banner of Idle No More on December 10th, there has been very little media coverage on the movement. Most of what is being said in the mainstream media is focused on Bill C-45. I’d like to make it clear…they’re getting it wrong.

Attawapsikat still lacks desperately needed housing units, a year after the crisis was declared. Rather than deal with the situation in good faith, the Canadian government has continued to blame Chief Theresa Spence who is now taking drastic measures to open an honest dialogue.

Chief Theresa Spence of Attawapiskat did not launch a hunger strike over a single piece of legislation. The women who are planning on supporting her in a nationwide fast, in relay, are not doing this because of a single piece of legislation. Canada, this is not just about Bill C-45.

Then what? What is the problem?

(1) Treaties are agreements that cannot be altered or broken by one side of the two Nations. The spirit and intent of the Treaty agreements meant that First Nations peoples would share the land, but retain their inherent rights to lands and resources. Instead, First Nations have experienced a history of colonization which has resulted in outstanding land claims, lack of resources, and unequal funding for services such as education and housing.

(2) Canada has become one of the wealthiest countries in the world by using the land and its resources. Canadian mining, logging, oil and fishing companies are the most powerful in the world.

Some of the poorest First Nations communities (such as Attawapiskat) have mines or other developments on their land but do not get a share of the profit.

The taking of resources has left many lands and waters poisoned – the animals and plants are dying in many areas in Canada.

(3) Currently, this government is trying to pass many laws so that reserve lands can also be bought and sold by big companies to get profit from resources. They are promising to share this time... Why would these promises be different from past promises?

We will be left with nothing but poisoned water, land and air. This is an attempt to take away sovereignty and the inherent right to land and resources from First Nations peoples.

The popular perception, through controlled media, makes people ask:

"I don’t get it, I thought things were getting better?"

You’re right, you don’t get it.

Things are not getting better. In fact, many of us feel that things are getting worse. Many of us feel that the reason things aren’t getting any better, is because Canada has forgotten it is a Treaty nation too.

... I am not speaking about events hundreds of years ago. I am telling you that Canada continues to focus on stripping away all of our rights and land while at the same time telling the world that it is doing the opposite.

I can go find dismal statistics on pretty much any aspect of life for indigenous peoples in this country; trot them all out and say, ‘look it’s really bad’ and you will nod and say, ‘wow it sure is’, but that still won’t make it clear for you.

This is really about everyone living in Canada:

This is much greater than angry protesting natives, this is about becoming aware of the world in which you live.


Under Stephen Harper, the Canadian government has gutted funds for scientific research, long term studies that would help us understand our ecosystem better.

Almost no one said a word.

But to butter up the Royal Family, Harper just dumped tens of millions of dollars into celebrating THE WAR OF 1812, commemorating Canada's status as a British colony two hundred years ago.

Still almost no one said anything. Or did you miss that one?

And now, because of the apathy they see, this government has taken galling steps to sell out our wilderness, our resources and sovereignty. And not even to the highest bidder. It’s a yard sale, with no provisions for anyone who might be negatively affected (in other words, all of us).

ALERT: From millions of protected waterways a couple weeks ago, we now have hundreds. Yes, you read that right.

So why are Canada’s Indigenous Peoples the only ones who are standing up? Why are they now the World’s Protectors?

The issues have been studied and researched and reported on ad nauseum until we have literally filled libraries with the issues and the recommendations and words words words and more words.

What it all boils down to is this. Canada has not committed itself to addressing the colonial relationship it still has with indigenous peoples. Canada is in denial about that relationship. I think it’s fair to say that most Canadians believe that kind of relationship no longer exists. We are trying to tell you that you are wrong.

This has gone on for too long. The Canadian government continues to mouth platitudes about its supposed dedication to this relationship, while it slashes funding, ignores our emergencies, pulls out of comprehensive land claim discussions, ‘consults’ with us and then ignores everything we told them, all while pursuing a hard-line agenda which accepts only termination as a result.

We have been backed into a corner and we are literally fighting for our lives. We are literally dying, in so many preventable and unacceptable ways. I’m not being poetic or hyperbolic here and I don’t just mean culturally.

We are dying.

No one should expect us to stay quiet or polite about this.

Idle No More is about saving ourselves. AND YOU.

Right....
Im glad to hear that they are making a stand, but ill tell you what, an agreement will be made and the natives will surely cut a deal. Then... more drunkan injins.
NO DIFFERENT WILL IT BE WHEN THEY GET THEIR CHEQUES FROM THE OIL RIGHTS. New flash truck that will be beat to crap in 3 Ddays, and enough crack and booze that will last about 3 weeks. Not bad for turning 18.
Not bad for 80,000.
Then its back to wellfare.

Tired of working my bag off so someone else can prosper

Is that the best slur you can come up with?

Last Edited by 1357 on 12/24/2012 02:26 PM

They "Deserve nothing! " and expect everything.

When i was living in Florida, where we had a lot of Candian touists, someone told me that the only Canadians that speak English are Jews, and that the real Canadians are French and speak French. Is that true or half true or what?

CANADA

85% scottish, english, irish, welsh

12% french

3% other

When i was living in Florida, where we had a lot of Candian touists, someone told me that the only Canadians that speak English are Jews, and that the real Canadians are French and speak French. Is that true or half true or what?

If you are from Old Quebec you may think like that 95% french speaking, but canada is only 28% french speaking.

The rest of us are not jews.

So what's preventing First Nations from returning to life as was lived hundreds of years ago? Your heritage is neither money, nor houses or autos and skidoos, nor firearms.

I hear Theresa's house is a lot nicer than everyone else's in Attawapiskat. A hunger strike is a good ploy when the microscopes on you and your administration with a real auditor asking to see the books and account for tens of millions in federal money over past 5 years.

so is that English Jews, Scottish Jews, Welsh Jews, Irish Jews etc. Jews?

They want the white man technology.
They shoot whales with guns and power boats now.

If the reserve is so horrible, why not move off and get a job?

No doubt there will be a lot like you said but I'm in touch with a few who not only are betting that a hunter-gather life-style will be the only way but are practicing and living it as close as they can anyway till it does fully collapse.

Oh and while your technology will be completely useless in the near future their's is sprinkled with enough spiritualism to fit right in with these new energies.

The substance abuse problem exists, but the rest of what you have to say is shite.

Some locations are remote for exactly that reason unless you got $50 billion to build the thousands of kms of roads necessary to open up the north.

personally im not racist against any peoples of the world & I would like to see equal rights for all.

There is one thing that people should remember though about the north american native peoples

when white man first came to north america all indian tribes were already at war with other indian tribes

so basically indians were already savagely killing & murdering their own people & children before white man ever set foot on north american soil

this is what the white man encountered when they arrived

the hurons were at war with the algonguins & the algonguins were at was with the mohawks so on & so forth

the hurons were at war with the algonguins & the algonguins were at war with the mohawks so on & so forth

Yes, sometimes they were at war, and sometimes they were at peace, like any other nations of people. But the tales of how savage they were when at war with eachother are generally overblown.

My heart goes out to Chief Theresa Spence. Am hoping that she gets that meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and that changes will be made for her people.

I understand some of the hardships and trauma they have been facing, because my grandfather was a Native Alaskan.

Am wishing more people could take a serious look at the truths of the treatment of all Natives, both past and present.

Thanks for the info, OP!

killing is killing isnt it ?

whether it is done savagely or not doesnt seem to make a difference in the end.

Im not against natives at all.
id like to see them do better & get what they need & want.

I also hope all people of the world do better & get what they need & want.

I'm quite concerned about the Canadian gov't having carte blanche to our fresh water supplies (dirty little oil whores that they are).

The aboriginals here in Canada however have not made very many efforts to pull themselves out of poverty and break the cycles of abuse both domestic and substance. On reserves, the aboriginals have their own education system, their own legal system and the chiefs of the tribes have more money than they know what do to with. Just like every other system, there have the HAVES and the HAVE NOTS. Those who have wealth within the tribes are happy to stay that way while the rest continue to kill themselves slowly.

P.S - I am Canadian, living in Canada .. don't know why this Yankee flag < - - - - keeps posting beside my user number.

Ok so you are saying even after you get all the taxes breaks, with all the fishing and hunting rights , Private lands you want more ???..Well guess what there are Men , women and children starving and dont even have a fucken home this Christmas or food to eat. You Indians want everything , you want to be treated like kings , you have no idea how much trouble your giving to the economy. Seriously get a fuken life!!! Tired of your **NATION** if you dotn like it here just go somewhere else , you see alot of nation coming to live here and they dont fuken complaint.

Its actualy over 22% French get your facts straight.

Yeah right the pill...ive seen Indians here cry to stop the hunting and after went thunting to sell the meat on the darkmarket, has well as cigarettes. Ive seen Indians claiming the right to be able to catch White Crab even if they where 100 miles away and i was meant so they could sell it..GET A LIFE work like all of us.

i hope Chief Spence gets her meeting with Harper, but from what I've heard about him it doesn;t seem likely. If she dies, she will be a martyr for the Idle No More movement. That will probably make it even more powerful than Occupy which had no martyrs

yes maybe, but 10% of them french people now live in english towns & no longer speak the french language inside their homes... they just have the french surname

the 12% I was talking about live in french towns (most in quebec city itself) & still speak french inside their own homes ... & also these people would prefer the whole world be french. They think they are better then all others of the world who are not pure french & they also denounce anything that is not pure french as not "good enough"

See how much uneducated you are ?? French not only live in Quebec but everywhere in canada, im french and we still only talk French at home..1/3 of NB is French did you know that ? i bet you didnt eh. And i quebec since i am close i can affirme you that 99% talk French and not only in the city of quebec but in the whole province...Now its time to get more educated before posting stupidities like these ty.