jennie

This sounds like a roundabout way of espousing discrimination. Specifically what is it that people are not supposed to do? Wear burkas? Is that it? Is that sum total of this issue?

This seems a silly week to be trying to make what is already an asinine claim.

Certainly the federal government has the responsibility to settle native land claims as thriftily as possible. However, that has to take into account our future relations with aboriginal communities too. It is necessary to strike a fair deal, respecting the laws that apply.

They can if representatives concentrate on governance instead of politics.

Hmm seems to me the way it works with alcohol legal, illegal alcohol sales (bootleggers) are more expensive not less, from what I have heard. And the taxes on pot need not be as severe as alcohol as it doesn't cause the same degree of damage to society. And if you take away the crime, you get rid of the pot criminals and the shootings and such that you referred to. If it's not illegal, it is not a crime. The cops don't need to bother themselves with it and they can focus on the hard drugs. Police in the US laid over 600,000 simple pot possession charges last year. I don't know if the rate is the same in Canada, but guesstimating 10% of that, like our population, that's possibly over 60,000 charges. How much does each cost us taxpayers in police and court and productivity costs? More than I want to pay. It is ridiculous, imo. Police are defending their right to detain people 'on suspicion' so they can run them for crimes. I understand the need for crime prevention, but your average pot smoker is not, imo, a 'criminal' who deserves this treatment. I think an investigation ... a public inquiry or service audit ... would be interesting: How many people detained 'on suspicion' of smelling like pot were ever charged for anything? Do they even bother to record those stops? Pot will be in great demand as boomers feel their age. Decriminalization is simply a matter of time, since support is now over the 50% mark, according to the last thing I read (open to other info).

Some traditional people, those most often involved in land issues, are not inclined to participate actively in Canada's police and court system, including the Band controlled police, in some cases. It simply is not part of their culture to do so, I think. Instead, they made a film for Canadians to learn about the incidents. In this case, they would be up against the military in court? Not going to happen.

No arms (you lie), no thugs, and Canada's Constitution is the same for us all. I am becoming jaded about the quality of 'white guys' from hanging out around here: I am beginning to fear that no white guy could do those things, period. Where are all the white guys fighting for our environment? Stopping the developers from paving the greenfields? Stopping the uranium mines, and other mines that want to use our waterways for toxic dumping grounds? Stopping the clearcutting and chemical monoculture replanting? Why aren't you out there looking out for your children and grandchildren?

Would you please provide evidence to defend those allegations please.

What have majority governments accomplished that minority governments have not? What evidence would you present ... and I do mean evidence, not conjecture ... to convince me there is a need for majority governments?

Wrong again Riverwind, but you know that and you spread misinformation anyway. Since the Specific Lands Claims process was set up in 1979, Six Nations has submitted 31 claims, dating from 1980 to 1995. The 1980 claim, settled in 1987, is the only one settled so far. Frustrated, Six Nations did go to litigation, 1994-2004, and thereafter back to negotiations. Then Henco started developing on the Caledonia lot ... These are our issues to deal with, not Six Nations. These are our liabilities, our problems, not theirs. These issues have absolutely nothing to say about the legitimacy of Six Nations land and governance rights. It is up to us to address our concerns appropriately, to our governments; otherwise we run the risk of using our issues as an excuse for bigotry. You have very naive ideas about how national liabilities can be handled. You also have naive ideas about who the greedy ones are. Canada's economy is totally dependent on (free) natural resources taken and not paid for from traditional Indigenous lands every day. You owe, I owe, we all owe Indigenous Peoples of Canada for our standard of living every single day. And the economic well-being of every Canadian continues to be stolen from Indigenous communities every single day. The rule of law says nothing of the kind. That is entirely a matter of negotiation. There is a federal policy to that effect, but it is not law. A court injunction for what? The DCE has been reclaimed. There is no need for consultation. The development there was stopped. You really don't have a friggen clue what you are talking about, Riverwind, and I hope no one here is believing what you say because it is ALL made up blather without ANY foundation. That is part of the negotiation process, not consultation. The provincial and federal governments both have a legal responsibility to consult with Six Nations and every other aboriginal community about ANY USES of their traditional and treaty lands ... by rulings of the Supreme Court of Canada.

For your enjoyment: The Immigrant Debate http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhEl6HdfqWM

Quite frankly, jefferiah, you can have opinions about how YOU should behave or believe, but beyond my obligation to obey our laws, I have no obligation to give a sh*t what you think I should do. That is why I think this suit is valid. It is defamatory ... discrimination ... humiliation ... denigration ... to announce publicly that someone else is immoral. If you are saying it would be immoral for YOU, that is fine ... immoral for EVERYBODY? Nobody has the right to make that judgment for others. Gotta love a country where you can have freedom FROM religion!! Now go take your DOGma for a walk!

You mean ... "White people are people like everyone else, but white fornication is immoral." I don't think that particular offence is very likely. However, I was standing at the Six Nations barricade one night, listening to Caledonia's best racial insults screeching down the road at them. It was a hollow and nauseating experience, let me tell you. Being Canadian, you just don't expect to hear that. I felt sick. I felt ashamed to some extent, that we have obviously not worked hard enough at expunging racism, making it unacceptable. (This was before I realized that our government intentionally perpetrates it systemically. It has been an interesting year and a half!) One of the SN guys in front of me said something I didn't hear and was immediately hissed at by a Chief (because I was there. I guess it was a white slur.) The guy turned around and looked embarrassed and apologized to me, so I guessed what he'd said. I said to him, to all of them loudly: "That garbage mouth crap is not because they're white: It's because they're fucking assholes!!" We all laughed, (and I apologized to the Elders for my language.) and then he looked at the Chief present and said to me "But I don't think I can get away with calling them that." We settled on "idiots" and Friday nights in Caledonia became 'Idiot night'. Sure it happens. It happened once and only once ... unless you are one of those "fucking assholes" cos then you've declared yourself fair game as far as I am concerned, if that is a game you have choosen to play by your own language or speech.

You better back up those statements with links, etc. I see little resemblance to truth in them, and even less information of any relevance.

Mikedavid, if people like you were ever in power, Canada would not be Canada for long. You are trying too hard to 'fit in'. You are much more rigid than the society you are trying to fit into. Yes, we have a multicultural society that has its own 'multi-culture', but people are free to continue their own cultural traditions too. Certainly religious freedom is a cornerstone of Canada, and always has been and always will be. In my neighbourhood every year we see a Portuguese parade, an Italian parade, an Indian parade, a military parade for Remembrance Day, a SantaClaus parade, a Labour Day parade, and we hear bagpipes practicing at the armoury. THAT is Canada.

Agreed.

Regardless of your irrational terror of what MIGHT happen, the facts remain: IMMIGRANTS CONTRIBUTE MORE TO THE ECONOMY THAN THEY TAKE OUT. All of your nastiness and pettiness is unfounded, unwarranted 'white supremacist' gibberish mikedavid.

That would help.

I believe he could. However, I also believe we have a responsibility to look after our own. There are, in every society, people who require more support than others. We can't dismiss their needs because we don't like their politics. We are his country, like it or not. We have a responsibility.

I fail to see what this information has to do with immigrant contribution to the economy of Canada which, as we know, is on the positive side of the ledger. You have proven nothing.

We seek justice in our long-standing land rights issues. We seek an accurate accounting of the use and investment of the funds held by the Crown on our behalf, and land transactions conducted by the Crown involving our lands. For nearly two hundred years our Chiefs have been asking for such accounting and justice. Generations of our elders have passed away with these matters unresolved. It is time to end the injustice. Our faith in the Canadian people is strong, as we feel that the majority of Canadians also want to see justice on these matters. However, their elected representatives and public servants have failed to act effectively to address and resolve these matters. It is time to lift the cloud of denial and to wipe away the politics that darken the vision of the future. It is time we are heard clearly, and our cases should be addressed with utmost good faith and respect. We firmly believe that if we have respect and trust, we will find mutually agreeable solutions that will reflect our long-standing friendship We want the land that is ours. We are not interested in approving fraudulent dispossessions of the past. We are not interested in selling land. We want the Crown to keep its obligations to treaties, and ensure all Crown governments – federal, provincial and municipal – are partners in those obligations. We want an honourable relationship with Canada. If I look at the goals of the Haudenosaunee, and then I think about the goals of our governments ... there is absolutely no question who has the higher moral ground.

Canada was not in combat at the time.

oops

Charges would require that the Mohawks make an official report, which they would not do. The QPP are not their police.

Prejudices are based on fear. Seems to me all the tough-talkers like you on here are quite afraid, in reality. There is some justification for that. If you fear living in a place where all people are considered equal, your visions of superiority kind of go out the window. If you fear equal value of each individual, you are living in the wrong country. These things could make you afraid as it becomes clearer and clearer that your views are out of step with the mainstream.