Maclean's: Winnipeg Is Most Racist City

[jacee]

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

They can use 'the cheque' for the programs you suggested.

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[jacee]

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.

What you say makes sense.

In many cases though, there is income from their traditional land, often mining and forestry, but they've never received a share, jobs/training, business contracts etc.

That is changing now that the Supreme Court has clarified that their rights must be accommodated. There are now several hundred Impact-Benefit Agreements between companies and First Nations, often remote ones.

/What-are-Impact-and-Benefit-Agreements

The problem is their leaders insist on them staying there.

That doesn't make any sense.

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Edited January 24, 2015 by jacee

[WestCoastRunner]

I am not from Winnipeg. I grew up in Ontario and have spent the last 15 years in BC. I only spent a week in Winnipeg for a training course one year and I too was warned about 'violence in the streets after dark'. Well, I stayed in a hotel downtown but I did venture out and I survived! I also visited the beautiful legislative building and other beautiful architectural buildings and parks in the City. I found it to be a wonderful experience. I do think that it all depends on the visitor and what they are looking for. If they are looking for 'imposed' negative experiences, then that is what they will find.

[Argus]

What you say makes sense.

In many cases though, there is income from their traditional land, often mining and forestry, but they've never received a share, jobs/training, business contracts etc.

That is changing now that the Supreme Court has clarified that their rights must be accommodated. There are now several hundred Impact-Benefit Agreements between companies and First Nations, often remote ones.

/What-are-Impact-and-Benefit-Agreements

And in many cases they don't get any money, or not enough or its misspent. Attawapiskat was the last poster child for impoverished native reserves, yet companies on the 1600 person reserve had been awarded more than $325 million in contracts from the De beers diamond mine, and 20% of its work force were from the reserve, and yet we still have this horrifically impoverished place where people have no heat.

That doesn't make any sense.

On the contrary. It's clearly in the interests of these well-paid chiefs to keep things as they are. It's certainly not in their interests to have their people go live in the cities with the rest of us.

[overthere]

And in many cases they don't get any money, or not enough or its misspent. Attawapiskat was the last poster child for impoverished native reserves, yet companies on the 1600 person reserve had been awarded more than $325 million in contracts from the De beers diamond mine, and 20% of its work force were from the reserve, and yet we still have this horrifically impoverished place where people have no heat.

What chaps my ass is the singling out of First Nations that are poorly run as if that is somehow representative of all 600+ of them,. It is not. The move to self-government is very new in this country, until very recenty the Feds ran every aspect of life in reserves and First Nations communities.

Yet the paternalism remains, the attitude of white Canada is much more than just a colonial vestige.

White governments in Quebec have been falling steadily during the corruption investigation, a couple hundred million stolen during Adscam with nobody going to jail, corruption at the highest levels of Senate, scores/hundreds of Cabinet Ministers leaving in shame over the centuries. But those dirty ungrateful Indians are the worst......they think their treaties(aka contracts) mean something.... imagine.

Bad government is not restricted to white people.

Edited January 24, 2015 by overthere

[cybercoma]

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

And the rest of your post appears unrelated to my comment.

It's a slur like calling Jews cheap. It plays on the "lazy Indian" trope. You should know better and you should also be willing to recognize when your words are grounded in racist stereotypes.

[cybercoma]

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

Wow. Really? As a group they do worse than others just because there's some inherent Indian gene that makes them that way? What's your hypothesis, professor?

[Smallc]

Wow. Really? As a group they do worse than others just because there's some inherent Indian gene that makes them that way? What's your hypothesis, professor?

That's not what I said. It doesn't automatically correlate to racism. There can be other explanations, not the least of which being cultural. The life expectancy difference has a great deal to do with violence within the native community, coupled with a lack of immunity to certain diseases such as TB, and a predisposition to diabetes. That coupled with poor food choices, a lack of opportunity on reserve, the lack of adequate healthcare in rural areas, and the reality that groups of poor people tend to stay that way explains....100% of it.

[Smallc]

It's a slur like calling Jews cheap. It plays on the "lazy Indian" trope. You should know better and you should also be willing to recognize when your words are grounded in racist stereotypes.

That, again, doesn't necessarily correlate. The reality is that there isn't the opportunity on reserve to do much that doesn't involve the transfer of money from somewhere else.

[Smallc]

Bad government is not restricted to white people.

Which is why accountability is needed. Bad government is human nature. A lack of accountability on reserve (where despite what you say, the band council is pretty much supreme) caused by a lack of mandatory transparency is the major problem.

[jacee]

And in many cases they don't get any money, or not enough or its misspent. Attawapiskat was the last poster child for impoverished native reserves, yet companies on the 1600 person reserve had been awarded more than $325 million in contracts from the De beers diamond mine, and 20% of its work force were from the reserve, and yet we still have this horrifically impoverished place where people have no heat.

Give it time. Those are very positive developments that are just kicking in.

http://www.cbern.ca/research/projects/workspaces/cura_project/case_studies/attawapiskat_first_nation/

On the contrary. It's clearly in the interests of these well-paid chiefs to keep things as they are. It's certainly not in their interests to have their people go live in the cities with the rest of us.

Unless you have evidence of that happening somewhere, that's just speculation and defamation.

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[eyeball]

Which is why accountability is needed. Bad government is human nature. A lack of accountability on reserve (where despite what you say, the band council is pretty much supreme) caused by a lack of mandatory transparency is the major problem.

I wonder where they got the idea to govern that way, from the governed? Doesn't make sense does it?

Edited January 24, 2015 by eyeball

[overthere]

Which is why accountability is needed. Bad government is human nature. A lack of accountability on reserve (where despite what you say, the band council is pretty much supreme) caused by a lack of mandatory transparency is the major problem.

In some cases, on some reserves, in some First nations- there are problems with self government..No question.

Yet you spew generalizations as if that was universal. It is not. You've been doing it here for a long time.

Why?

[Smallc]

In some cases, on some reserves, in some First nations- there are problems with self government..No question.

Yet you spew generalizations as if that was universal. It is not. You've been doing it here for a long time.

Why?

It is universal of humanity. Only a good system fixes things. There isn't a good system in place, and too many chiefs, especially the more militant prairie ones, want to keep things as they are. It's helping no one.

I've already said here that I have direct involvement with more than one reserve. One of those reserves is very well managed, and I have direct involvement with them on a daily basis. Most others aren't like that at all. Still, even on the well managed reserve, the things that chief and council can get away with....the system just isn't there.

[Smallc]

Personally though, and I think this is true of many who have close involvement with aboriginal people, we resent the way that things are currently. I saw Grand Chief Derek Nepinak holding up MLK the other day, on the anniversary that took place. The irony is, if Nepinak and others like him were fighting for what MLK wanted, I think far more of us would be on his side. As of now, there's no way that I can sit by and not challenge the nonsense and division coming from his mouth.

[overthere]

You are not expected or required to like him. He is not your leader.

White people hated MLK too, until such time as his career and life ended abruptly for reasons that are well known. And no, I am not comparing him to MLK.

Sooner or later, First Nations across Canada will find a charismatic, powerful leader that will bring about change. I fully expect the process to be divisive, confrontational, violent and will finally expose the strong hatreds on both sides. It's overdue. There is no other path to reconciliation than this IMO. The racism against First Nations in this country is our dirty little secret, but it won't be a secret forever.

[Smallc]

If everyone fought for the same things as MLK in this case, and not for continued and deeper divisions, this wouldn't be an issue anymore.

MLK would be appalled by Derek Nepinak.

Edited January 25, 2015 by Smallc

[jacee]

If everyone fought for the same things as MLK in this case, and not for continued and deeper divisions, this wouldn't be an issue anymore.

MLK would be appalled by Derek Nepinak.

smallc I think if you are making a comment like that about an individual, albeit a public figure, it's appropriate to provide some justification for your remarks pertaining to verifiable actions not personality or 'character'.

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[Smallc]

smallc I think if you are making a comment like that about an individual, albeit a public figure, it's appropriate to provide some justification for your remarks pertaining to verifiable actions not personality or 'character'.

.

Nepinak's whole premise is that aboriginal people are more than other Canadians. That's not the type of thing MLK would ever fight for. Like I said, MLK would be appalled.

[eyeball]

The only way forward is to establish the premise there are people who are even more than aboriginals and Canadians, like Earthlings for example.

Do you think MLK would roll his eyes at that too?

[bush_cheney2004]

...Do you think MLK would roll his eyes at that too?

Yes....he is rolling his dead eyes right now. If references to MLK is the best Canada can do, there is a long way to go.

[eyeball]

I didn't think it would take long for Nepinak to start looking better to people once the only real alternative was pointed out.

Alternative get it?

[Bryan]

The only way forward is to establish the premise there are people who are even more than aboriginals and Canadians, like Earthlings for example.

Doing that would require the treaties all be abolished. All they serve to do is institutionalize racism. We are either all literally the same, or we are not.

[Smallc]

The only way forward is to establish the premise there are people who are even more than aboriginals and Canadians, like Earthlings for example.

Do you think MLK would roll his eyes at that too?

Since that was my entire point, I'm not sure your reply makes any sense.

[eyeball]

Since that was my entire point, I'm not sure your reply makes any sense.

I just can't ever see you giving up Canada for Earth.