Shwa

Serioulsy B-C? You had to go back to 2004? Is this like some sort of anniversary of the article or something? Funny, despite the story, all these thousands of Yanks continue to come up here and settle in and they have been for a couple hundred years now. Especially football players, you know, the "huddling masses."

Really? Let's review: CR makes some statement that you ascribe to him as being "...the noble savage identity of First Nations..." Then you make a statement saying that his subscription to this idea of "noble savage identity of First Nations" is somehow invalidated by a "history" of violence by "many First Nations" which you do not provide by way of citation or example. So firstly, you ascribing an opinion to someone else is a generalization. That this ascription is to a whole group of people (i.e. "First Nation") is another generalization. Secondly, you then validate the first generalizations by countering it with some unsubstantiated comment referring to specifics which should be generaly known by everyone. Seriously bud, get your story straight you know? You haven't heard of the Spanish I take it?

TBD - but there is a sort of irony that in the absence of other ideas he illustrates his point with a story about his highly positive experience with Canadian schools. I mean, seriously. No, but his parents were, which goes to show the contrast of the urban immigrant reality compared to the Aboriginal reality in whatever time period he was raised in doesn't it?

Hey Mel, now prove to me that Jared Diamond had no bias whenhe wrote that book. For example, does he extrapolate the fact that there was no need for animal domestication in North American due to abundance and management of that abundance through key cultural practices and that it was only through the devastation and depopulation of un-checked disease that Aboriginals came to see the "value of raising animals?" What realistic weight does Diamond assess to the former compared to the latter? The same attitude can be applied to Aboriginal horticultural and agricultural practices. While I don't think we can debate the superior utility of iron farming implements, we can debate the attitude of statis in Aboriginal farming techniques by way of maize and potatoes. It was only after most Aboriginal farming communities were demolished that any sort of high yield progress was made with the modern improvements to those two staples.

Well, in all fairness Bob, I did ask you for other ideas. What you are saying is remove Aboriginal children from their rural communities to teach them to become successful in modern Canada - like what happened to you. What do you think a residential school is? It was "residential" because the kids lived there, like a boarding school. To be successful in mainstream Canada, you had to speak French or English, not some arcahic language like Cree or Ojibway right? So what part of their Aboriginal culture has to go to make them "Canadian?" Aboriginals aren't immigrants.

Do tell...

It seems to me that you are critizing someone for making generalizations all the while using a generalization as your main point. Not very stealthy. Neither is your use of "noble savage." However, whenever you feel up to citing "the history fighting and slavery that exists in many First Nations tribes" that somehow moves it equal to or beyond the scale of the "fighting and slavery" that existed in contemporary Europe, please do. I think we can make some interesting comparisons don't you?

See here is the problem right here Bob, which I believe is your salient point: The problems that have arisen is that "we" have been trying to "integrate them" for the past 200 years with policies of assimilation. Surely you are aware of the problems Residential Schools have caused? This is only one example of our attempts at "just" integration. A complete and utterly destructive attempt to wipe out their culture from childhood on. Do have some other, better ideas? You references to Muslim, Chinese, Italian, etc. refer to sub-cultures of Canada, Aboriginals are not and never were sub-cultures of Canada. Italian-Canadians exist within Canada, Crees exist with Canada. There is a very large difference.

How about you bring some citations to the table here for some examination?

So are you subscribing to the idea that 'many' refers to the whole? Do you believe that all Chinese people are bureaucratic in nature because "many" of them speak Mandarin?

No doubt an inventiveness thoroughly established during many childhood games of Cowboys and Indians.

I don't think it does. I believe they can, yes. If we want to be open and honest about it, then we have to recognize that Aboriginals are not - and never were - sub-cultures of Canada - regardless of any acculturation that may have occurred over the past 400 years. This is a very key concept for Canadians to understand. I think once we can achieve a consensus on this view, then proper negotiations can be undertaken with clear understanding of the goals of either side of the table. I think it can for sure and I believe most Canadians and Aboriginals would agree with your view.

Select your double post, click edit, and delete the content and replace it with the words "Double Post" the save. This happens all the time.

It might be worth your while to have a read of the link since the concept of how treaties work might answer many of y our questions beforehand.

A smart young person would wait until there is a price reduction through Crown Assets, snap the table up and use it as a centrepiece in a remake of 'Dr. Stranglelove or: How I Learned to Love the Bomb.' This would be a great prop for the underground war room shots! But instead of evil Communists being the target, it would be evil Islamofacists. Yeeeeeeeee-haaaaaawwwwwwwww! (cut to Major Kong bronco riding a nuclear cruise missile into the entrance to a cave somewhere in West Pakistan.) Then after the wrap-up party for this movie remake, the smart young person would then begin another production, this time an updated, snazzy remake of 'Camelot' with this table as the centrepiece King Arthur's Round Table. Both of these movies will break box office records and the smart young person - a little older by now - will donate the piece to the Smithsonian (because the Nationally Gallery doesn't 'do' Hollywood) where it will remain for ages as a symbol of how smart young people can remake movies using piles of old government junk retrieved from Crown Assests. (the nuclear cruise was also bought from Crown Assests too; that caused quite a stir in Parliament so they stopped offering weapons of mass destruction for public asset disposal). So yeah, I agree, all it takes is a smart young person to make this all right as rain. Of course the other scenario is that a not-so-smart young person bypasses the G20 table offer on Crown Assests, goes straight for the nuclear cruise and we all die in some accidental conflagration.

Possibly. Posssibly. Yes. Are you not familiar with Indian Treaties? Here is a link for further information: Indian Treaties - The Canadian Encyclopedia

I agree that some sort of common definition is required, but wouldn't that be related to what you think the benefits are for you as a member of the dominant culture? Regardless of their phrasing, we can have the conversation based on our terms - which I think, at the end of the day, is more likely to reflect common values rather than something driven by a news media chain. Also, if there are advantages for you as a member of that dominant culture does that necessarily mean a disadvantage for others? I am not willing to accept an automatic one-to-one relationship, however what are the advantages nowadays? For instance, is it easier for a white person to understand the newscasts done by a white person? How about teachers, mentors, bosses? Do white dolls on the shelves of toy stores confer advantages to white kids that are not available to non-white kids? That sort of thing. What are the benefits to belonging to the dominant culture?

I should have also added: Since the centre of the music spectrum has been moved I find myself on the side of classic rock without having changed my dial a wit. Which is okay, since I still like Led Zeppelin and also The Clash.

So is this all to say that belonging to the dominent culture group comes with no benefits to you whatsoever?

But not classical liberalism right? It still remains classical liberalism for someone who is over 300 years old I mean? By describing yourself as a "classical liberal" doesn't that define you as a conservative regardless of how you describe yourself? I find that hard to believe unless you are over 300 years old. By "real liberals" you mean "classical liberal" right? You know that notion of liberalism that has been conserved all these centuries?

I agree. If you don't got the time and don't got the dime, don't do the crime. However, for minor charges without re-offending for a certain period (5-7 years sounds about right), like the example WA presents, I see no reason a small administrative action couldn't effectively seal those records pardon-like.

Yep, here is the story from Tuesday's Toronto Star: Police seek cash from shooting victim’s families

Hey cool, I worked at INAC too, way back in the the day when they called is 'Shoddy Air. I also worked with the Indian Act and guess what? WHAT SORT OF HOUSING HELP EXISTS? Of course having worked at INAC and owning a copy the Indian Act you knew this right? ok, I see now - you own a copy of the Indian Act, but haven't actually read it yet... gotchya.

Largest reserves as in land mass? Or is there a 'For MacLeod' near Brantford and Hamilton or something? If I understand things correct, Six Nations is the largest reserve in Canada and the second largest in North America, after the Navaho. US Reservations Doesn't really affect your comment much, but I was curious.

I dunno know if MacKay is jumping ship or jumping bones, but his latest date should make things interesting: The beauty queen activist dating Peter MacKay Maybe the ship he will end up on will be the Good Ship LPC?