Rethinking Canada ...

[jacee]

Legally ...

Canada is Aboriginal land.

A string of over 200 wins in our courts continue, including an Aboriginal Title.

All land is subject to the process of consultation and accommodation of Aboriginal rights.

Also legally, the Government of Canada and various church entities 'settled out of court' in a class action suit brought by survivors of Canada's 'Indian' Residential Schools.

We are about to receive the full report of the UN monitored Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

We have these legal realities to deal with as Canadians, and some rethinking to do.

Since the fur trade, colonization has served the greed of the wealthy.

Indigenous Peoples were decimated, their children stolen, indoctrinated, died in thousands, buried in forgotten graves.

Settlers were cheap labour.

Resources were stripped.

Water, air, and land polluted.

Rethinking Canada ... within our current legal realities.

Do we really have anything to offer to this land?

Do we allow the 'lairds of industry' to just continue wreaking havoc ... in our name?

TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION:

All who died at residential schools should be named, bodies located

How many thousands of deaths will we accept

and still call it 'cultural' genocide?

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Edited December 15, 2015 by jacee

[kimmy]

And that's why everybody should go back to where their ancestors came from, and leave Canada to the aboriginals and the Muslim refugees.

-k

[eyeball]

It's why we should all just become Earthlings.

I am where I came from.

[-1=e^ipi]

And that's why everybody should go back to where their ancestors came from

The amerindians came from Siberia (mostly around 13000 years ago during the Clovis Migration) and if you go back 100,000 years, all homo sapiens are in Africa.

[-1=e^ipi]

I agree, we should rethink Canada.

Abolish the monarchy.

Become a republic.

Abolish the senate which gives 50x more representation to PEIers as BCers.

Abolish the first past the post system and the riding system which gives 20x more representation to PEIers as BCers.

Abolish the indian act.

Abolish the reserve system.

Abolish employment equity.

Abolish section 15 subsection 2 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Abolish religious references from the Anthem and the preamble to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Abolish sexist references in the Anthem such as 'in all thy sons command'.

Abolish catholic school boards.

Make everyone equal under the law.

UN monitored Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Ah yes, the wonderful organization with countries like Saudi Arabia and North Korea consistently part of the human rights commission and which wants to censor our internet.

[The_Squid]

The OP has an extremist position. No one is going anywhere...

there will be official apologies and more reparations made.

The best thing Canada could do for indigenous people is to scrap the Indian Act, but there is too much corporate inertia, both from our gov't and aboriginal leaders who benefit from this terrible system, to change it in any sort of fundemental way.

[jacee]

And that's why everybody should go back to where their ancestors came from, and leave Canada to the aboriginals and the Muslim refugees.

-k

I do suggest radically rethinking Canada, in line with our current legal realities.

I never suggested anybody was going anywhere.

But the reality is different than the myth that we own the land and can continue to survive forever as a resource dependent economy.

.

[kimmy]

Ok, so what do you propose we do?

Until somebody invents a time machine, I don't see what can be done to change the mistakes of the past.

As for the present, how do you propose we continue to exist as a nation without our resource industries? How do you propose we afford to meet our commitments if we don't have a viable economy? How do we provide the clean water that the reserves need? How do we support the refugees coming to Canada seeking a new life?

-k

[TimG]

But the reality is different than the myth that we own the land and can continue to survive forever as a resource dependent economy.

What is a a myth is the all the land is "owned" by aboriginals. The legal framework outlined by the courts recognizes aboriginal title on lands that were not ceded but there are a lot of lands that were ceded. The court has also upheld the principle that Canada is the only sovereign state and all Canadian laws apply to territory where aboriginal title exists and this title can be infringed for the public good.

[Accountability Now]

The OP has an extremist position. No one is going anywhere...

there will be official apologies and more reparations made.

Well said. However an official apology has been made as has compensation. Do you think there needs to be more? Or should I say, do you think there will be more?

The best thing Canada could do for indigenous people is to scrap the Indian Act, but there is too much corporate inertia, both from our gov't and aboriginal leaders who benefit from this terrible system, to change it in any sort of fundemental way.

100% agree. It would be nice to move forward in a way that truly helps the aboriginal people and gets Canada out of this backwards way of thinking. However, like you said the minute we eliminate the Indian Act the people who are really profiting will lose their edge. I think that Trudeau would be the guy to do something drastic if it was for the better but I fear there is no one on the aboriginal side that would.

[eyeball]

Until somebody invents a time machine, I don't see what can be done to change the mistakes of the past.

Nothing, but they need to be acknowledged so we can stop making the same mistakes in the future.

[overthere]

We are about to receive the full report of the UN monitored Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

It is too late, Mr Trudeau accepted and agreed to implement all the recommendations during the campaign, before the report was released.

I agree that change is required.

It will be interesting to see how they are all implemented, quite a few are going to be fun. For exam,ple, and there are many:

"We call upon the federal, provincial, and territorial

governments to review and amend their respective

statutes of limitations to ensure that they conform to the

principle that governments and other entities cannot

rely on limitation defences to defend legal actions of

historical abuse brought by Aboriginal people.

Many civil actions do have time limitations for bring action or appealing. Not any more. A settlement is never a settlement if any aspect of the case can be framed as 'abuse' at any time. And it only applies to aboriginal people.

[overthere]

Well said. However an official apology has been made as has compensation. Do you think there needs to be more? Or should I say, do you think there will be more?

100% agree. It would be nice to move forward in a way that truly helps the aboriginal people and gets Canada out of this backwards way of thinking. However, like you said the minute we eliminate the Indian Act the people who are really profiting will lose their edge. I think that Trudeau would be the guy to do something drastic if it was for the better but I fear there is no one on the aboriginal side that would.

The agreement with AFN on the education funding last tear that the AFN backed away from, with Grand Chief SAttleo losong his job as a result is an example. The legislation called for the billions in education money to be adminstered by local, First Nations school boards for the benefit of children, and specifically not be given directly to the bands. It was a seaparate and accountable pot of money. Rejected......

[Big Guy]

I get the message that there is gross mismanagement with the $8 billion + going through aborigional affairs. I also get the message that money is required for infrastructure and education.

I trust that the $millions that is saved on managing properly will be enough to repair the infrastructure and education so the total cost will remain the same.

[Argus]

The agreement with AFN on the education funding last tear that the AFN backed away from, with Grand Chief SAttleo losong his job as a result is an example. The legislation called for the billions in education money to be adminstered by local, First Nations school boards for the benefit of children, and specifically not be given directly to the bands. It was a seaparate and accountable pot of money. Rejected......

Based on his promise to repeal the transparency act so that native chiefs can again hide what they're spending money on - especially when it's themselves.

[Big Guy]

I believe that a major problem is that small aboriginal villages in remote locations cannot sustain themselves. If these were treated the same as other Canadian dying communities they would be left to die out.

There seem to be a number in the aboriginal community who believe that they have the "right" to stay where they are and be supplied with the same comforts that are available to vibrant communities which are located where they can survive. Maintaining those communities is a continuing waste of money and continues to be a thorn in the side of the Canadian taxpayer.

[The_Squid]

I believe that a major problem is that small aboriginal villages in remote locations cannot sustain themselves. If these were treated the same as other Canadian dying communities they would be left to die out.

There seem to be a number in the aboriginal community who believe that they have the "right" to stay where they are and be supplied with the same comforts that are available to vibrant communities which are located where they can survive. Maintaining those communities is a continuing waste of money and continues to be a thorn in the side of the Canadian taxpayer.

I don't think we should forget the history of how this came about when we talk about the problems... We (Canada) put them there and told them that's where they are to stay and Canada will look after their needs. Canada hasn't looked after their needs and created a system of poverty and dependency and, worse, systematically abused and even killed their young people trying to make them "not indians".

I haven't read the Truth and Reconciliation report recommendations yet, but I'm guessing that it's more about throwing money at the problems, rather than fundamentally changing "the system".

I agree that a remote community in the middle of nowhere with no jobs or prospects is a recipe for disaster. What to do about (realistically) is the big question.

[eyeball]

I believe that a major problem is that small aboriginal villages in remote locations cannot sustain themselves. If these were treated the same as other Canadian dying communities they would be left to die out.

There seem to be a number in the aboriginal community who believe that they have the "right" to stay where they are and be supplied with the same comforts that are available to vibrant communities which are located where they can survive. Maintaining those communities is a continuing waste of money and continues to be a thorn in the side of the Canadian taxpayer.

A number of these also believe they should be able to sustain themselves with the royalties and benefits that come from having title over the land and natural resources they're surrounded by...like we do.

Disappearing from the land and letting their communities die out is just not on when there is so much at stake. The simple fact of the matter is that many of these people know they are only ever a court ruling or a treaty away from being amongst the wealthiest human beings in the known universe.

That's why we'll remain a thorn in their side until time immemorial.

Edited December 16, 2015 by eyeball

[jacee]

What is a a myth is the all the land is "owned" by aboriginals. The legal framework outlined by the courts recognizes aboriginal title on lands that were not ceded but there are a lot of lands that were ceded. The court has also upheld the principle that Canada is the only sovereign state and all Canadian laws apply to territory where aboriginal title exists and this title can be infringed for the public good.

"Ownership" applies to unceded land, true.

But some Aboriginal rights exist on ceded' land too, subject to the process of consultation and accommodation.

I think you'll find Ottawa has little taste for "infringing" frivolously these days.

Assertions of Aboriginal rights are having a substantial slowing effect on resource industries.

These are the new realities.

.

[eyeball]

What is a a myth is the all the land is "owned" by aboriginals. The legal framework outlined by the courts recognizes aboriginal title on lands that were not ceded but there are a lot of lands that were ceded.

Ceded lands look more and more like swindled lands over time. Even more so when there's so much disparity between the original owners and the current one's.

[TimG]

Ceded lands look more and more like swindled lands over time.

So what? Someone who sold Apply stock at $20 probably feels swindled today. Such feelings does not make the sale invalid.

[jacee]

Based on his promise to repeal the transparency act so that native chiefs can again hide what they're spending money on - especially when it's themselves.

So your concern is that you don't like the Band governments that Canada created and imposed to replace traditional Indigenous governance ...?

I'm confused ...

.

[eyeball]

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Edited December 17, 2015 by eyeball

[TimG]

So your concern is that you don't like the Band governments that Canada created and imposed to replace traditional Indigenous governance ...?

You mean the band governments that vehemently opposed to any reform that means they, like every other level of government, are responsible for funding services by taxing the people who they provide the services to?

[eyeball]

So what? Someone who sold Apply stock at $20 probably feels swindled today. Such feelings does not make the sale invalid.

It does in BC where only a few small localized areas were ever 'sold'.

Modern treaties in BC make past treaties in the ROC look like crap in comparison. There will be efforts made to renegotiate and I certainly won't blame people for doing so.

To compare what's happening to selling stocks is a swindle.