Accountability Now

Yes I was speaking rhetorically. The $5 per year has inflated to whatever the sum is today. And I am fine with that. What I'm not fine with is the land claims. They gave that up as part of the deal. If they want to renegotiate then the compensation is on the table too. I'm not in favor of the government or against the natives. I am only in favor of honoring the deals made....which is something to be said to both sides.

No worries David. I'm strong enough to listen to what people have to say and decide if I want to believe it. I'm not going to argue about truths or half truths said in your conversation (even though I beleive the former to be correct) however I am impressed and encouraged by the fact that a reasonable conversation can be had trying to explore the facts and develop future truths that can be agreed by both sides. Personally....I don't see the FN and the Government of Canada solving this issue. Its going to take a new seperate group consisting of Natives, English, French and maybe a Swiss to mediate to figure this out. There is too much history and too much anger on both sides. I would love to see this happen but I don't have the first clue on how to do it. Having said this, the four women that started Idle No More probably didn't know how to start the massive fire they did either. Even Idle No More has distanced themseleves from the Cheifs as they realize that the Cheifs are half the problem. How can we do this?

Not sure exactly what you mean by an exception to Canadian Independence. However, the treaties that were signed by the Natives were with "The Queen and any of her successors". The Queen is still the symbolic head of Canada but anyone that has followed Canadian history in the last 100 years knows that the PM is her successor as the real head of Canada. Obviously I was being sacastic when I said the Natives should live in Tipis again. I know that is not reality but neither is their approach to all of this. To be honest....I have never been one to care for anything political. I always assumed that both sides had a case and that I really didn't need to stick my head out just to add an uninformed opinion. This recent Native issue has got me vested though. After seeing the games they played with this fake hunger strike. And then of course the fake meeting requests. "We want a meeting with the PM" OK here he is. No....we want a meeting with the GC. Ok...here he is. No...we want a meeting with both (and we sent a letter to the Queen asking her to attend). Oh...and now we're going to boycott the meeting that we called for. And we're going to blockade the PM's office. Michael.....this is reality. We are dealing with a group that just wants to fight. Its like dealing with children! There are many reasonable cheifs out there and native people who are being drowned out by these cheifs.

They sent a letter to the Queen asking her to weigh in on this matter. I'm not making it up. It's a fact

Unfortunately I don't know a lot about it. But from what I've read so far in the treaties, Indian Act and other legislation it seems very concrete that the Natives signed the land away a long time ago. I thought any disputes would be from what the feel is lack of compensation but not over the land itself. Not sure though

That's a great conversation. I would love to see more of those with such reasonable cheifs. I have seen others but they are fearful for their comments put them in a dangerous position with their other bands. It's amazing that most of the ones complaining are the ones that can't manage the money and can't do remarkable things like this band. They are a model for others

Bogues...can you enlighten me? How have the been ripped off in land titles? I'm not being sarcastic. I've read the treaties and they all clearly state that they give up all rights to their lands for the compensation. So what's the dispute?

My point is only that Natives constantly use the 'all or none' argument when ever it works to their favor. They want to meet with the Queen because that's who they signed the treaties with. Seriously? Ok...then we will also pay you $5 per year and give you hoes to farm your lands.

14%...hmmm. And 86% after.

They want their country back? They never had a country. They had bands who often warred with each other as well as the settlers. It wasn't until they realized they were going to lose that they struck treaty deals. In those deals it clearly states they give up all their lands and rights for compensation. If they want their land back then will they be prepared to pay back all the compensation? Maybe that's where Spence is funneling the money. Into some elaborate savings account to buy back the property. This was a deal done amongst men. Its time for Natives to live up to that deal and realize they are getting a fair shake. If they only treated each other the way the government treats them, then they'd be ok.

We are most certainly NOT equal to aboriginals....at least in the eyes of the courts. If an aboriginal commits a crime, he will be tried differently and prosectued differently then everyone else. There have been many Supreme Court cases showing that aboriginals have been favoured just to show resepct. In regards to the whole Metis thing....I have come to terms with what we give to Status Indians living on the reserve but why would we give a red cent to anyone one else? If the 'white" man is to be blamed then why are they living among the white men? Why are they taking white men jobs? Most importantly...if they are 50% or 25% or 12.5% native (which was done wrong) then they must be 50% or 75% or 87.5% white (who the wronging!) Seriously....that is the worst part about all of this. If you are not 100% native then join the rest of us taxpayers.

One thing I don't get....the FN keeps talking about the government providing inadequate housing. Didn't they used to live in Tipis? If they are so in touch with nature then why don't they just do that. I trust they can buy load of tipis with the billions of dollars they recieve.

There is something I have never liked about this topic....is that it doesn't make sense. I get it that our Manufacturing industry does better when the dollar is weak but so does oil. Both are exports and do better when the dollar is weaker. Ultimately exporting countries like Japan want to keep their dollar weaker (as shown recently in Japan by government initiatives to weaken the yen) thus keeping their exports strong. Having said all this, we in Canada cannot help the fact that we are in a Global recession any more than any other country. I'm sure that Canada is doing well with its resources and all but the glaring fact is that the US and the Euro are struggling. So as much as anyone would like to beleive that Mr. Harper is pulling magic tricks here to boost dollar, I would have to say he is only responding to what's happening outside of Canada. The reality is that Manufacturing will return to Canada once the US recovers. If we can have a resource and manufacturing base working for us at that time, then we will all be doing well.

The largest difference is that people in the US are quick to stand up for what they think is right. Regular Joe Canadian is just too nice and is worried about hurting people's feelings which is why we are in this mess. When you read our treaties, it is very clear that we made a deal with the Cheifs at that time which gave us the land and the rights to the land in turn for compensation. However, here we are today with them still claiming its their land even though we have overcompensated and bent over backwards. If we would be objective in these matters then it would resolve a lot however we tend to feel sorry for anyone who pulls the race card or anything other sort of disadvantage. Any decision made on these matters always gets favored to the Natives....why? Because we have soft hearts and small brains. Its time the majority of Canada has its voice heard on this. Its time we start looking at objective truths and what is really going to help here. The largest truth that needs to be told is how the FN is playing a major role as a victim. Our goverment needs to stop looking at that and helping these people objectively.

They are mad about the new bill c45 that will require the Cheifs to be transparent and show how much they make in salaries. Ultimately the Cheifs are the ones upset about this bill because they have so much to lose and they are willing to drag their people down for it. The true protest should not be in Ottawa but back on the reserves! They need to get rid of these Cheif and NOW! So many times in the last few weeks I have heard that "this is their land" and "we are violating the treaties". As such I spent a few days to actually read the treaties. If regular Canadians read these treaties, we'd be the ones protesting! In the them it clearly states that the natives are to give up the land and the rights to the land FOREVER and in return will be compensated with $5 per year. Have they not been compensated already? Do they not get billions of dollars every year? Also in most treaties it says they are not allowed to disrupt any activities or interests of settlers or the government....yet the roads are being blocked? Oh...lets's not even go into the part where the treaties say that "Natives are not allowed to have alcohol".....that would just be rude. Long story short....Canada has been doing this too long. We need to start a group of regular joe Canadians to show the federal government and the rest of the freeloaders that we are not going to take this. I'm not sure how this will happen but we need it to happen soon! If anyone knows of any existing group out there please let me know as I want in! PS....if the First Nations get special priviledges because they were here first, then does that mean that I should get compensated by every new immigrant to Canada? Just curious?