Maclean's: Winnipeg Is Most Racist City

[eyeball]

But experiences trump all.

Yeah, funny how that works. The most overtly racist white person I know is from Winnipeg. He really is one of the most repellant toxic people I know. Usually has a Conservative sign on his front yard during election time.

It's noteworthy that the opinions ordinary Canadians tend to have about natives gets worse the closer they are to a reservation.

I've lived a km from the edge of a reserve for 40 years now. My kids were often the only non-natives on a bus full of native kids their whole lives. There was never a single incident of racism towards my family in all those years. Not one.

They can't stand my buddy from Winnipeg though.

Edited January 23, 2015 by eyeball

[Argus]

The problem is when a general impression (natives are drunk and violent) is used to inform one's personal interactions with native people on an individual level. Let's put it this way: when I see a white homeless guy drunk on the street, I don't assume the next white guy I see is a drunk bum, yet people do that with native people all the damn time.

If it happens repeatedly, perhaps, and they don't know any natives. Then too the media is filled with stories of various native problems, alcoholism, violence on reserves, poverty, drug abuse, falling down houses, incompetent, crooked band councils, and angry demonstrations from the native groups (often illegal) for more money and more power.

Nothing is going to be solved with regard to native social problems until a way is found to get them gainfully employed. Even if you increase the funding to reserves its just more welfare money, more free housing, with nothing to do but drink and fight and fornicate.

[Big Guy]

I believe that racism is an attempt by individuals to find an acceptable reason for something that is going wrong and try to shape that into something that is easy to correct.

A person sees somebody on the street who is drunk and belligerent and native then the easy answer is that - well, they are Indians - so it is something inherent in their culture, religion or genes. The implication is that it is their fault, they should do something about it and it has nothing to do with me. To consider any other influences makes for complexity, thought and self realization. What if the cause is poverty or discrimination or poor self governing or ...?

It is far easier to go the other route.

[eyeball]

Treaty settlements have resulted in the nation whose territory I live in becoming the biggest economic driver in recent times.

It'll be interesting to see the reaction to the number of boats native fishermen put on the water next season. With any luck I'll be running one of them, catching fish subtracted from the quota my buddy from Winnipeg fishes.

It's funny how things work out.

[BubberMiley]

What your impression is of a given group is based on what you hear, see, read and are told about that group. But experiences trump all. It's noteworthy that the opinions ordinary Canadians tend to have about natives gets worse the closer they are to a reservation.

That's not really true. I am in close proximity to a lot of Indigenous people and that has informed my opinion of them, which is that they aren't really any different from anybody else. There may be systemic and historical issues that have prevented them from partaking equally in society and there is a higher proportion who suffer from social issues as a result, but people who only look at the street people and think that represents Indigenous people as a whole simply don't know what they're talking about.

[Black Dog]

That doesn't necessarily have much of anything to do with racism.

Nor was it supposed to.

If it happens repeatedly, perhaps, and they don't know any natives. Then too the media is filled with stories of various native problems, alcoholism, violence on reserves, poverty, drug abuse, falling down houses, incompetent, crooked band councils, and angry demonstrations from the native groups (often illegal) for more money and more power.

I guess I'm a bleeding heart who doesn't understand why someone would look at a group beset with a lot of social problems and assume those problems are due to some congenital character flaws on the part of the people who suffer from them.

Nothing is going to be solved with regard to native social problems until a way is found to get them gainfully employed. Even if you increase the funding to reserves its just more welfare money, more free housing, with nothing to do but drink and fight and fornicate.

I don't disagree and at least you're talking about issues vs. the content of someone's character.

[BubberMiley]

Nor was it supposed to.

My quest for data was more to do with how Winnipeg is the face of ugly racism. They conceded there is no city-specific data other than the poll that said 75% believe there is a divide between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal that is a problem. That suggests to me that, rather than being consumed with hatred, the citizenry is open to reconciliation. The rest was just anecdotes, like one teacher who went off his nut and an Indigenous girl who (they conveniently omitted) was attacked by two Indigenous men. They also described the politician whose wife made a racist rant on Facebook as a mayoral "frontrunner" but neglected to mention that his campaign fell apart immediately after that incident and he finished with less than 10% of the vote, and the city overwhelmingly elected a Metis mayor instead.

Again, I don't dispute that there is a problem in Winnipeg and in Canada as a whole. I just wonder why Winnipeg is singled out and the rest of the country pretty much gets off the hook.

Edited January 23, 2015 by BubberMiley

[jacee]

I don't see how that phrase can be considered a 'slur'.

Try being an Indigenous person and reading that. It's the biggest slur out there, and I am appalled that you stoop to that.

.

[Black Dog]

Try being an Indigenous person and reading that. It's the biggest slur out there, and I am appalled that you stoop to that.

.

You're way off base on this one.

[jacee]

My aboriginal fiancee says the exact same thing.

n=1

.

[jacee]

You're way off base on this one.

How so?

.

[Michael Hardner]

Try being an Indigenous person and reading that. It's the biggest slur out there, and I am appalled that you stoop to that.

.

I'm sorry but I just don't understand how what I said is a slur against First Nations people. No offense was intended, I simply meant that money alone doesn't solve every problem in the world. Can you elaborate ?

[Michael Hardner]

Here's my quote again:

"Simply cutting people a cheque doesn't make their lives better."

I stand by that. The original article is filled with people who are making derogatory comments about people on welfare, as though being on welfare alone is enough to help them. It's not.

True social engagement means helping people in many ways: financial, social, health, and mentoring. I would also include the arts and/or spiritual engagement.

The idea that putting a $5 bill in a homeless person's cup helps them in any significant way is regressive and outdated, but I am not going to jump to conclusions that any MLW believes that it does, based on a single quote, and I refuse to be outraged or appalled. I'm too old for that.

[BubberMiley]

I'm sorry but I just don't understand how what I said is a slur against First Nations people. No offense was intended, I simply meant that money alone doesn't solve every problem in the world. Can you elaborate ?

Typically, there is a contention that Indigenous people just take money from the rest of Canada. The racist Facebook rant from the fired teacher that was at the forefront of the Macleans article was just that. He said: "How long are aboriginal people going to use what happened as a crutch to suck more money out of Canadians?...as a people they (aboriginals) have contributed NOTHING or very little to the development of Canada. Just standing their (sic) with their hand out."

I don't think your post registers along those lines, but it's a touchy subject. The (former) teacher is presently being sued for defamation for those remarks.

[Michael Hardner]

He said: "How long are aboriginal people going to use what happened as a crutch to suck more money out of Canadians?...as a people they (aboriginals) have contributed NOTHING or very little to the development of Canada. Just standing their (sic) with their hand out."

Ok.

I don't think your post registers along those lines, but it's a touchy subject. The (former) teacher is presently being sued for defamation for those remarks.

"Sued for defamation"... I don't see how... the words are hateful and reprehensible but unless an HRC complaint was filed I don't see "defamation" just "racism".

Touchy subject... sure but don't look for reasons to be angry at somebody's words, I say. Give them the benefit of the doubt. This teacher, though, doesn't leave much to the imagination.

[jacee]

Typically, there is a contention that Indigenous people just take money from the rest of Canada. The racist Facebook rant from the fired teacher that was at the forefront of the Macleans article was just that. He said: "How long are aboriginal people going to use what happened as a crutch to suck more money out of Canadians?...as a people they (aboriginals) have contributed NOTHING or very little to the development of Canada. Just standing their (sic) with their hand out."

I don't think your post registers along those lines, but it's a touchy subject. The (former) teacher is presently being sued for defamation for those remarks.

Well said Bubber. Thank you. It is a very touchy subject.

Michael Hardner said:

True social engagement means helping people in many ways: financial, social, health, and mentoring. I would also include the arts and/or spiritual engagement.

Absolutely.

And 'cutting them a cheque' to implement and improve such programs would help.

There's been far too much of governments' deciding 'what's best' for Indigenous communities and trying to implement inappropriate programs in inappropriate ways.

That model of delivery got us where we are: genocide/assimilation disguised as 'what's best for them'.

The wheels are in motion now for more appropriate distribution of financial gain from developments of traditional Indigenous lands, and for them to have more resources to take better control of their wellbeing.

When high rates of poverty are the issue, money does help.

.

Edited January 23, 2015 by jacee

[Argus]

In response to Argus earlier, what your impression of Winnipeg is depends very much on where you are. Parts of the city are beautiful. Other parts aren't much to look at.

Very few Canadian cities look their best in winter anyway.

[Argus]

I don't disagree and at least you're talking about issues vs. the content of someone's character.

Almost all group social problems invariably boil down to not having a decent job people can take some pride in and hopefully get ahead in by working hard. That's why the natives are screwed as long as they're on isolated reserves. Every small town in Canada grew up ONLY because there was an economic reason for people being there, whether that was mining, forestry, fishing or farming. The natives were put on reserves which had no purpose for existing. And no, that's not their fault. The problem is their leaders insist on them staying there.

[Black Dog]

When high rates of poverty are the issue, money does help.

But you essentially acknowledge that it's not money that's the issue so much as how it's spent. That said, people who argue that because money was poorly spent in the past means no more money should be spent in the future are wrong.

[Michael Hardner]

And 'cutting them a cheque' to implement and improve such programs would help.

It's necessary. But the word "simply" added in front is meant to say "only cutting them a cheque" is not enough.

When high rates of poverty are the issue, money does help.

That was never in doubt.

[overthere]

The real problem, if there is one, is aboriginal people (including many of the members of my own family) who go out of their way to reinforce as many stereotypes as they possibly can. When something they do turns out badly, they'll inevitably blame whitey. When aboriginals are killing each other at an alarming rate, the number of murdered aboriginals becomes a dog whistle for social justice warriors who want to blame it on racism. It's preposterous.

You got some words right: the last two. They apply to your post.

Blame the Indians for the racism directed at them. It's not novel. It's not funny. And it is not surprising.

What I have noticed is the very overt nature of racism against First Nations in Western Canada, though I would have named Saskatoon as the worst place.

what evidence do they have again that Canada is worse than the U.S.?

Why would this matter at all?

[bush_cheney2004]

....Why would this matter at all?

Good question.....the allegation of racism in Winterpeg or Canada in general is old news, but the article's blatant comparison to the United States caught my attention. OMG....anything but that !

[Michael Hardner]

...but the article's blatant comparison to the United States caught my attention.

Amazing how much people want to throw faults onto others.

[bush_cheney2004]

Amazing how much people want to throw faults onto others.

OK, but one of the things I have learned here is just how much mileage that Can-Am narrative can garner for political points. Native Americans have a lot of discrimination challenges too, but Maclean's chose American "blacks" instead ?

Anywho....this sentence seems awkward....

Another day in Winnipeg, another hateful screed against the city’s growing indigenous population.

in·dig·e·nous

adjective

adjective: indigenous

originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native.

Is it a surprise that a city's indigenous population would grow ? The inference is that some would prefer that the population does not grow, but shrink instead.

[On Guard for Thee]

We all know BC can't make it through a day without a Canada "poke" for who knows whatever reason. Jealousy?