[stratos]

raydan raydan:

We're all different.

But I put a spin on mine. *Points at the avatar*

[fifeboy]

stratos stratos:

JaredMilne JaredMilne:

stratos stratos:

Do first nation people want the Indian Act removed?

To my understanding, not if it means abolishing the Treaties and their distinct rights underneath it, which are so fundamentally tied to their identities. As Ovide Mercredi put it, Indigenous people would prefer to live under the Indian Act rather than get rid of something that's so critically important to who they are. I have never seen anything to contradict him.

The thing is that Pierre Trudeau tried this 50 years ago and failed. Unfortunately, Harold Cardinal's book "The Unjust Society" reflected-and still reflects-all too well why that approach just won't work, and why the Natives will never, ever consent to it.

Non-Native people might be sick of hearing about this, but Native people are equally sick of having to make the same point over and over and over and over again-the Treaties were never meant to assimilate Indigenous people and identities. The Natives have never consented to it. Assimilation would simply complete the work of the Indian Act. This issue isn't going to go away until we recognize this fact. We tried forcible assimilation, and it led directly to the residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, the alcoholism, social dysfunction, and the problems on reserves.

That said, I'm not necessarily too worried about Maxime Bernier. He's arguably too stupid to be an effective political leader, particularly when the same libertarians who initially supported him are being drummed out of the People's Party for complaining about the racists he's letting into the party. Justin Trudeau is being accused of kicking out candidates for not playing up his feminist credentials...and Bernier is accused of the same thing to candidates complaining about racists infiltrating the PPC.

Frankly, Bernier's in a race to save his own political skin. Last I heard, he was neck and neck with his Conservative opponent, and I can only imagine how the good people of Beauce feel about Bernier's seemingly endless clown show. If he loses his own seat come October, it won't surprise me at all.

I always thought Bernier was a fool, and it would just confirm what I thought all along.

Thanks that was a very good explanation.

He has a way of explaining things. Can't always agree with him but he makes it clear. Thanks JM.

[Dragontail69]

It is to bad we could not abolish the Indian act and the treaties.
No reason the people of today are paying their way today.
All reservations should be dissolved and they can form towns and raise their own taxes to pay for their crud. No more free rides.
I am not to blame for what happened in the past, I am not guilty for what they went through. Many people have tough brutal lives but you have to accept your own issues.
They blame colonization for their issues but if it was not for colonization they would not be alive today. There would be no Metie people let alone 90% of the people around today.

All Canadians being equal, all have the same rights.

[housewife]

Thanks Dragontail I’m so glad I have your permission to be equal. You want to run down to my local police station and tell them. They haven’t got the memo yet. Oh and while you’re at it inform the doctors still doing forced sterilizations which has been going strong in this decade. Oh and please tell me more about this free ride I’m on I really want to know more about it

[N_Fiddledog]

housewife housewife:

Oh and while you’re at it inform the doctors still doing forced sterilizations which has been going strong in this decade.

Say what?! Link please.

[herbie]

Wouldn't it be nice to be equal? To have a cop not even notice you, to not be followed around Costco every damn time you go in? To have a job interview where race doesn't even cross their mind?

[N_Fiddledog]

The one I keep hearing about the Canadian Indian Act is it's what the old South African government used as a model for apartheid.

Are we saying abolishing that would lead to greater "inequality?"

[housewife]

N_Fiddledog N_Fiddledog:

housewife housewife:

Oh and while you’re at it inform the doctors still doing forced sterilizations which has been going strong in this decade.

Say what?! Link please.

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5102981

Can’t say I was surprised with the article. Won’t be surprised if nothing comes of it either. I’m sure that somehow it will be the fault of the women not the system or the doctors

[N_Fiddledog]

$1:

Alisa Lombard, a lawyer and partner with Semaganis Worme Lombard, said her firm will seek a partial publication ban on the identities of two Manitoba women who allege they were sterilized against their will in 1985 and 2018.

I'd heard about the old cases but if this new allegation turns out to be true it's even more shameful.

[housewife]

Yeah and it sorta puts a fork in the idea that everything horrible is from the past.

[JaredMilne]

What housewife is saying is at the core of what a lot of Native people have been trying to tell the rest of us for decades on end. Aside from forced sterilizations, Native people have had to put up with everything from being railroaded by the justice system, having third party management of reserves unilaterally imposed, or having people talk about shooting the "mutts that need to stay on the Rez", is it any wonder so many Native people are so frustrated?

Like housewife said, it isn't like these things are all in the distant past.

[N_Fiddledog]

housewife housewife:

Yeah and it sorta puts a fork in the idea that everything horrible is from the past.

If the allegation turns out to be true it might. The article seemed to suggest there was just one current allegation from 2018. It will be interesting to know the details if this turns out to true.

I'd hoped we had "progressed" beyond this sort of thing. Who signed the 2018 order, if there is one, is what I'd like to know.

[fifeboy]

JaredMilne JaredMilne:

What housewife is saying is at the core of what a lot of Native people have been trying to tell the rest of us for decades on end. Aside from forced sterilizations, Native people have had to put up with everything from being railroaded by the justice system, having third party management of reserves unilaterally imposed, or having people talk about shooting the "mutts that need to stay on the Rez", is it any wonder so many Native people are so frustrated?

Like housewife said, it isn't like these things are all in the distant past.

[N_Fiddledog]

Wouldn't third party management pretty much fall under the Indian Act.

https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/act ... ltext.html

So wouldn't Bernier's idea of abolishing it be something chiefs who don't like third party management would agree to?

The other stuff would have to be dealt with elsewhere.