A man and his Dog

A couple of band meetings ago (You can never tell as they all blur into one another) a fellow from outside the tribe wanted to join. He had no blood-ties into our tribe and this made his task difficult, but he wanted to none the less. Well, just like certain bugs need light hypocrites look for any opportunity to have a stage and this was such an opportunity.

At this meeting the usual suspects had their two cents (believe me its not worth any more than this) to say. Two in particular, let me call them Man and his Dog, had the most to say. They wondered aloud why this young fellow wanted to join our tribe. "We're going nowhere," was one howl, or "We're going broke," was another. Add to that a liberal dose of "We don't have a future," and "The tribe is going down the tubes," blabbedy, blabbedy, hill-billy blah. The Dog barked and asked what we get for the chief councillors honorarium. Nothing wrong with this, other than the fact the only financial statements one of them is familiar with are ones from here.

As is the case with these things it's always the least educated and most ignorant with too much time on their hands who have the most to yelp about. Substance is another matter, but with the Man "substance" refers to what he's abused most of his life, thickening of the cerebral cortex and numbing of the reasoning center of the brain and all.

Well, the day of reckoning came-- end of the fiscal year when the results of a financial audit is released. The doom and gloom the nest of chirping birds spoke about never materialized. Nope. The financial peril our tribe was in never materialized.

As it turns out one item in the audited financial statements let all the (hot) air out of the doom sayer's claims, namely the matter of the $30,000 surplus recorded. No financial crisis, no bankruptcy, no DIA taking over management of the bands affairs. That surplus sits painted a red x on their foreheads. The auditor must have been a magician because with a wave of his wand (pen)he induced silence.

Dogs usually quieten when slapped on the snout and this explains the silence in the room. It may as well be enjoyed while it lasts because it won't.

Smart dogs learn a lesson from a beating; dumb ones mindlessly try again and again. Of course the silence includes no "I'm sorry's," or "I was mistaken," or even "I should have checked before I talked." No, that requires a simple regard for other people’s feelings. It also requires feeling shame for being so knowingly mistaken. But no.

If there's anything I've discovered watching this schtick play over and over its these folks possess none of these basic human attributes. Reading about this kind of leader I swear I was reading about The Man. The Man and His Dog and the nest of chirping birds all have something in common too, namely this.

Every once and awhile an inadvertent example is made out of mindlessness. It often happens by accident, and when least expected, but it happens. Nothing needs to be said afterward because it's all been so succinctly said and done. A fitting dish is on the menu especially for them.

Eat up. Dinner is served.

Hypocrites

Some people just don't think before they speak.

I was reading the minutes from our last band meeting. Some of it reads like old vaudeville, stand-up shtick. I shouldn't diss the whole meeting agenda and discussion, after all there is some great stuff happening with our band that look to pay off in a year or two.

None the less time does not change all things, or people for that matter. Some folks are just made to gossip, rumour monger, back-stab, betray, take their misery out on everyone and everything, lie, cheat, steal, scam, angle around, and be just plain block-headed.

One guy, a recent arrival at that, asked about our chief councillor’s honorarium, which he purportedly put at $80,000. "We don't get anything for it," he righteously said. Never mind that he couldn't prove and wasn't in a position to know who was getting what or why, or that he just finked on who told him. He just blurted it out.
He should have thought first because he a) made at least that much selling fish the past two years and (b) supplemented his income selling stolen produce.

This brings me to guy B. "I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth like some families," is his best gem to date. This fellow wears a miserable, impoverished childhood like badge of honour or something. Well it's an old, faded badge. He isn't a kid anymore. He hasn't starved a day in his adult life. He's made a good living fishing, selling dope, and as a carpenter so yeah that counts as a silver spoon in any book. He blew most of his earnings on booze and drugs in his early adult life and that's nobody's fault or doing but his own.

The silver-spoon family he's talking about? He hates them for no reason, none, zip, zilch, nada. The so-called silver spoon this family was born with- their father worked in a mill, that's it, where ironically Mister I-was-a-poor-kid works now. They’re hypocrites, both of them. Anyone successful, educated, or stable has the effect of mace to a dog to him.

When these two get an audience neither front any solutions or alternatives to what they're complaining about. It's just constant bitching, whining, moaning, grouching, pissing, complaining, gossiping and it isn't just them. From time to time they have a legitimate point but it get lost in their petty crap. My take on them is that the world passed them by and became too complicated for them to understand. Rather than putting time and effort into adapting to change it's easier to bitch, whine, moan, and demand things stay the same, or worse, digress.

Darwin said evolution rolls over such stagnancy and renders it insignificant. Other families are always at they eye of this bunch's gossip storm yet they are self-righteous should anyone say anything about their family. They're not happy unless they're gossiping about someone, tearing someone down, getting someone fired or dismissed, or being just plain miserable. They're not happy unless people they hate are unhappy or hurt. But should anyone do the same to them..... hypocrites.

It takes all types to make the world- not to mention the rez, go around. It makes for great copy too.

Christmas. It's not our tradition but it's what we make of it.

I had an interesting chat today with my main man Ty. It's that time of year- Christmas and it's in the air in the valley. Well, about as in the rainy, foggy, overcast air as Christmas on the west coast can be.

Christmas is so commercial these days. You're socialized into buying into the holiday by others who have been socialized into doing the same. You spend yourself broke buying stuff for family and friends and then spend until next spring trying to climb out of the debt you accumulated buying stuff that the other person probably barely uses or has broken.

They say that Christmas is for kids but even kids are groomed by media and advertising to consume and spend all through their childhoods and teens into young adulthood. Groomed, victimized is more like it.

There's another aspect to Christmas, one that applies specifically to aboriginal peoples and that's Christmas was never one of our traditions until it was brought here by white people. Actually, Christmas is probably nothing like how even their own people celebrate it today. It's a tradition that we have bought into- literally. While I agree that Christmas was never one of our people’s traditions I am mindful of the fact that our people don't ascribe to all of our traditions anymore.

There's a dichotomy between Christmas and aboriginal traditions. I think the same thing about this that I do a great many other things that were introduced after contact: they are what you make of them. I don't think you can be, or should try to be a traditional puritan but this is not to say that you can't have respect for our traditions in concert with others. And regardless one's nationality there is a tenet which I think universal to all cultures-- respect for one another and it can be fairly applied here.

I said Christmas is what you make of it. I choose to make Christmas a time for family. It's a time for families to get together, be together and enjoy one another’s company. Maybe you cook a special meal like turkey, eat together, reminisce, have a few laughs and just enjoy one another’s company.

Every year is another year that you have one another and you have to embrace this because one day you're going to die. Yes there are other times throughout the year when you can get together and do this, true. But because of the pace of many peoples lives this is more easily said that done. Having said this, you can devote time and space to spending Christmas together with family. That's what Christmas is to me and that's all that it means to me: its a time for family to be together.

Being together and basking in the warmth of the company of family means more to me than any present I could buy or be bought. You can't take a Christmas present with you when you die. What you can take with you though are memories and experiences like being with family on Christmas.

I often tell this story in another context but it revolves around Christmas which makes it relevant here. In 1997 I went to visit and drop off a Christmas card at some relatives of mine, Allan and Rosie Ross. When I walked in the house I was taken back by what I seen and felt. All six of their grown children were there with their spouses. Also there were all of their grandchildren. Everyone was sitting about doing their thing and enjoying each others company, especially the parents. I often think they relished these times especially in their old age knowing there wouldn't be many more. The warmth and love resonating and glowing in their front room that Christmas Eve is something I will never forget.

The context I tell the story in has to do with the number of children I have- five. People often look at me in shock when I say how many I have and they wonder how we do it in this day and age. I tell them the story of the Ross's that Christmas Eve and how I felt like I was watching my wife and I 25 years from now, basking in the warmth and love of the company of our family.

Christmas is what you make of it. You decide.

Credentials or Experience?

The Nuuchahnulth Tribal Council revamped their political structure recently. Gone is the old three co-chair system and in is a leaner president and vice president system of representation. It's not all that its cracked up to be but it's a start.

When the terms of reference were crafted for the president and vice president there was debate about instituting a specific requirement for the candidates for both positions to have college or university degrees. Sounds reasonable, especially considering the day and age we live in. The people they will be dealing with in federal, provincial, and municipal government have that and more, not to mention a line ministry full of them.

Well, there was actually debate about this. Some felt the requirement was limiting and that candiates with years of political experience would be discounted. In the words of one chief "are we supposed to entrust our tribal council in the hands of some 22 year old kid?"

One guy in particular whose application was denied on these grounds was hopping mad. "What about all my political experience over the years?" he asked? "Do they expect me to go back to school or something at my age?" Nobody stopped him from running during "all those years of political experience" and if he was asked to step aside then that was a choice he made for himself. He could have run a long time ago but chose not to.

I have a confession to make. I ran for NTC vice president and my application was denied but I'm not bitter about it. I was three credits, or one course short of my degree, but I didn't have a degree then per se. The rules and rule makers said candidates had to have a degree.

I'm closer to a degree than the elected president for instance. If we hit the ground running I'd have my degree in three months while he would get credit for maybe 2 years of study. The same rules didn't apply to me but I'm not complaining. I wasn't so wrapped up in it that I put together a Junta and went on a Jihaad afterward. That's the way the ball bounced. I wasn't vice president before so it never bothered me to not be vice president after. Back to my life which I have no complaints about and on to other things.

The degree requirement was instituted and good on NTC and the committee who did it. It's about time. The bar has to be raised with respect to the way business is done in indian country. The days of on the job training and doing a job with no credentials or training is long over. We don't live in that kind of a world anymore and frankly we never should have. It held us back, stilted our development and hurt us in the long term.

NTC expects and demands their program managers, department managers, and employees who carry out particular duties have certain credentials ie. social work, accounting and biology. When NTC hires a lawyer they expect him or her to have a law degree naturally, auditors to have financial degrees, and nurses to have nursing degrees.

When anyone who's in NTC sees a doctor or dentist I assume they want someone who has doctors or dentists accreditation. They wouldn't want to see one who, just before performing a procedure, stated that "I don't have credentials but I do have years of experience at it." Yikes!

There shouldn't be a debate over this. It's time; in fact it was time a long time ago. Why would NTC encourage post secondary education if they don't want them to become leaders? That's like saying "Yeah, go to medical school but we don't want any of that operating on people stuff after."
People who have hung on and hung around the scene for years based solely on experience need to get used to the fact that a new age is upon us. The time and place for them has passed. They need to make way for the generation they encouraged to go to school and get a better education. At the NTC vice presidential election I noticed a handful of people around the table who had degrees and that was more than I'd seen in the past, a sign of things to come I hope.

Maybe education isn't all that its cracked up to be. Maybe it is. But it all has to start somewhere. I support NTC's decision to expect their political representatives to have college/university credentials and I hope they stick with it. It sets a good example to those we deal with that we set a high standard for ourselves. It also sets a good example to our own people.

You won't do any better if you don't expect more of yourself.

Reserve Grudge Holding Hillbilly's

While the idea of an aboriginal watch-dog agency is a good idea in principle it's not just the councils who have to get their act together. The people, or reserve citizens have to as well or this isn't going to work.

A rez can be a petty place. Yes there's culture, language, history, and a whole lot of other stuff to be proud of. Having said this, the side you don't see is the one that actually stands out the most. I'm speaking specifically of the pettiness, ugliness, cliques, gossiping, rumor-mongering, back stabbing, and throat slitting. Often times you're subjected to this for no more reason other than you're from "that family."

Rez life brings out the worst in people, and band council elections bring out the very worst. The only time people come out from behind their veil of bitterness and demonstrate tradition is when someone dies. Deaths are like a cease-fire, if only for awhile.

I heard a observation once that the best and brightest don't run for office. Take the recent NTC elections for instance. There were more than enough people with post secondary degrees to run for office but few chose to. Hugh Braker isn't the only Nuuchahhnulth with a law degree yet he was the only one who ran. What does this say? I think it says the best and the brightest take one look at how people behave in this environment and say "that, forget it."

If there were millions of dollars at stake, and false DIA budget aside there isn’t, then I could understand the motivation in eating each other alive. But there aren't millions of dollars at stake; there's nothing but false, perceived power. I say false because Indians are free to do what they want within the confines of the Indian Act which we had no hand in crafting or influencing, well not common people anyway. It's like being elected president of a council- a prisoner’s council in jail. There's nothing at stake on the rez to rip each other apart over and in some profound way that's probably the reason reserve citizenry does exactly this- because there's nothing.

While people on reserves are becoming more conscious and aware of band council corruption and are poised to take the next step and act on it, it's going to be all for naught if they themselves act like petty, grudge-holding hillbilly's who are no better than council members they want removed. Time and again I have seen this nonsense play itself out. Where this comes from I don't know. I doubt it was part of our culture or traditions before contact. We wouldn't have survived if that was the case, we'd have killed each other off.

My best guess is this has its roots in the post-contact period. What was left of us after contact was exposed to a litany of disease, removal, relocation, residential school, and being impoverished. Suffering these savage conditions and watching the rest of the province benefit from building this "new country" would do a number on anybody's psyche. There's the starting point but what and why we started turning on each other is a mystery.

This dysfunction is ingrained to the point where it is considered normal. If you don't exhibit it then you're considered abnormal. This has also caused reserves to be ripe for conflict and division, especially in the body politic. It's like politics has become the eye of rage and dysfunction. During band council elections people and familys rip themselves apart in an us-or-them tug of war. When the election storm subsides it doesn't go away, but instead reduces to a slow burn. The pot stews and until the next election people spend their time and energy convincing themselves and others especially that as soon as we throw out the band council that everything will be cool. What people fail to see is that just because one family's idea of band council is the opposite of the other family's doesn’t solve their problem. It is the problem.

Until we resolve this dysfunction then tribes will remain internally divided for as long as we allow it. All we have to look forward to is deeper, more embittered pettiness. Until and when reserves turn off the "that family" cartoon and start to treat each other with some regard, respect, and commonality of purpose then no idea, no matter how good, will ever work.

The aboriginal watch-dog agency is a good idea, and the timing of it is right. But if the people manning the agency are as petty and bitter as the people they are watching and monitoring, or worse pursue their work clouded by pettiness and "that family" insanity then forget it, it won't work and that’s too bad. An agency like this is long overdue.

Aborignal Band Council Watch-dog Groups: its time

I was reading a posting at another site recently. It was a long running string of posts that repeated an old but familiar story claiming band council corruption and disregard for its citizens. I say claimed because I don't know if it’s true or not.

This type of story is as old as band council administrations are. It's full of drama, intrigue, corruption, chiefs and councils feathering their own nests, filling their own pockets, exercising nepotism and favoritism as common hiring practices, family rivalries every election- you know, the whole cartoon. Half the time the stuff ends up being untrue, but the other half of the time it ends up embarrassingly true.

Band councils are supposed to represent the political and social interests of their memberships, ostensibly anyway. They're elected for two or four year terms under which there is no provision for recall incidentally. Checks and balances are supposed to be there to ensure that councils don't abuse their positions of office, that or governing bodies leave it up to tribal council bodies to police their own. Ideally this is the case but as with any ideal it is just that- an ideal.

Not every council is corrupt. Many churn away and do the basic day-today business of the tribe. Nothing fancy, no fanfare, no fights, just business. You never hear about them because they simply don't do anything to give anyone any pause for concern.

There are those though that are every bit of what I described to be earlier and more, and this is sad. You'd think the citizenry could do something about it but more often than not they do nothing more than gossip, rumor monger, get petty, and my personal humorous favorite "parking lot talk." They foam at the mouth and yell at meetings or make jokes about it. Either way, its time to quit acting childish, grow up, and start offering solutions.

With regulations that are toothless, no right of recall, and people acting defeatist as though they could do nothing about it but take it I began to wonder about what could be done.

In the string of postings I was reading somebody mentioned aboriginal citizens’ advocacy/watchdog groups. I think these would be of great service, especially now in this day and age where we are seeing provincial and federal governments are divesting themselves of obligations to First Nations.

I don't know that aboriginal citizens watchdog groups have been tried to any great degree. Opposition parties serve this function both federally and provincially for instance. Opposition "shadow cabinets" monitor the actions of the governing party and keep them in check. Finance critics are among the busiest and most well staffed with researchers for instance. There are various citizens’ watchdog groups who serve in this capacity as well.

These groups have teeth, and all operate within a system where there is no choice but to deal with them and that's that. It's not like the federal and provincial government can say to its citizenry "we're accountable, we hold each other accountable" or "we're all together and we have no need for that" or "you trusted us when you elected us." If the feds or the province, or city council for that matter said this in an attempt to insulate themselves from accountability they'd be given the bums rush out of office tomorrow.

While opposition parties and watchdog groups didn't stop the sponsorship scandal for instance they did bring it to light and the result was a government brought down and an election called. Also, the BC Liberals lost a big chunk of their majority in the last election precisely because BC citizens didn't like they way they had used their 78 seat majority with disregard for its citizenry. There was a need for balance, opposition, and accountability and the last election provided for that. I don't think I'm the only one who has noticed that the Liberals have sounded less smug after the election.

I think the time for implementing aboriginal citizens’ watchdog groups with teeth has come. I can't see how any reserve regime the province over could disagree or try to squash it. After all, you can't on one hand accuse a country of limiting or taking away your peoples freedom and on the other hand limit or take away your own peoples at the same time. If there truly is nothing wrong with the way reserve regimes treat their people or go about tribal business then there is nothing to lose with a watchdog group.

The Nisaga'a treaty instituted an administration decision review board where decisions made by village governments can be appealed and reviewed before a panel whose decision in turn has force and effect. The Board must be satisfied that the decision was improperly made for one of the following reasons: The Nisga’a Public Institution must have:
• acted without any legal authority or acted beyond its legal authority;
• refused to exercise its legal authority;
• failed to observe procedural fairness;
• based its decision on an erroneous finding of fact that was made in a perverse or capricious manner or without regard for the information before it.

The Board does not have authority to set aside a decision on the grounds that it disagrees with the decision made or that it would have come to a different decision in the circumstances.

I don't know that the board has been overly busy but I do know that it’s been used. They make it clear to both sides that this is business, that they are neutral and allied to no one, and that this isn't a place or arena for rival groups or families to pettily beat each other up at.

If we are truly going to self-govern ourselves then aboriginal opposition parties which would encompass other points of view should be created. Citizens from free countries the world over have and exercise this right. I've heard it said before that "we're all one" or when a dissenting point of view was presented "there's a crack in the unification" and when the matter is pressed "we have to have political discipline." We were never one, never. If that were true then there would have been no tribal wars. We may be one peoples but we have different views.

True accountability, opposition, and freedom are integral components of democratic societies across the world. They should also be part and parcel of reserves.

It all starts somewhere.

"Hubbs" City Hoopster

I attened an Indian Basketball tourney at the Alberni Athletic Hall last weekend. It was hosted by the Hesquiaht Lady Braves and was open to both mens and womens teams. No, they didn't play each other.

It was a pretty good tournament. Vancouver fielded a pretty good ladies team. They had a player who could drop anchor in the post and nobody was going to move her. She wasn't one dimensional either and had two or three moves she mixed up and used. There was a young guy too named Clint from the "Nanaimo-Bell Bella" team that had a perfect stroke on his shot and could drain it from three-point land. There was nothing flashy or "AND-ONE'sh" about his game, just good all-around fundamentals. He's going to be a good one.

The mens games were fast paced and competitive. The ex-Mal-U Ballers looked sharp, they should be having played college ball. It's funny but you can spot college players. They looked like they had better basic, fundamental skills than other players at the tourney, especially on D. I heard or read where they were referred to as "Jason Hubbs Team."

Jason Hubbs played highschool basketball here in Port Alberni and went on to play ball at Malaspina University for a few years. I read he dropped out for a year or two and travelled around to find himself and decide what he wanted to do with his life. Afterward he returned to Malaspina with new resolve, took up college ball again and lit the BC College league on fire. I'm told he looked completely like another player. The players trying to check him weren't armed with his new found resolve and got torched regularly. I watched him play in a college game last year and it looked to me like grass gave him a harder time when he mowed it than his checks did that night. He left one poor boy all sprawled out on the floor after putting an ankle-breaking move on him.

The moral of the story: when you decide to do something and you mean it then it gets done.

I don't know what Hubbs involvement was with this indian team that was playing last weekend but I'm impressed with it. I'm impressed that a star player like that who lit the college league on fire has the time, and mabye a place in his heart for the bro's. That means more than any skill he might have. He's not one of these hot shot players who don't have the time for anyone, let alone anyone indian. You'll find that among some indian players as well. They could maybe benefit from a soul-searching trip too.

Maybe there's no reason at all for Hubbs lending his name to the team. Maybe he got a couple bucks, a case of beer, or a hot phone number out of it. Who knows. I don't think so though. A guy who takes time away and does some soul searching usually finds deeper meaning to himself and life beyond basketball. And about others too.

It might have been just the name of a team on a jersey to most last weekend, but I like to think it was about more than just that. Meaningful things usually are.

Indian Residential Schools

Although BC’s last Indian residential school closed for over 30 years ago the effect those institutions have over our people makes it seem as though they are still open. Indeed, the invisible hand of the Indian residential schools is still upon aborignal peoples and continues to influence them in ways they may not even be aware of.

Indian residential schools were a social experiment carried out by church and state that went tragically wrong. This childhood disruption is known to all aboriginal families and the matter remains largely unresolved. The Indian residential school experience is also deeply embedded in survivors and their families and is as much a part of aborignal peoples psyches as other peoples the world over who suffered similar tragedies.

Residential schools are not a new phenomenon. There were residential schools in India, Ireland, Scotland, South Afrika, Australia, New Zeland, Singapore, the Congo, and even in Japan. I was recently surprised to learn that the Ainu peoples who reside on the island of Hokaido also struggle with issues such as language and cultural erosion just as aboriginal peoples here do.

It was federal policy that kids had to be sent away to Indian residential school for ten months out of the year, often times far from family. This was mandatory, not voluntary. By definition, being taken from family and sent far away in every other context is called a sentence, or internment.

By and large most of the aboriginal children who attended Indian residential school in Pt. Alberni never came from Pt. Alberni; they were often from northern BC for instance. It was also common for aboriginal children from Pt. Alberni to be sent to Indian residential schools in Mission, Kamloops, or even Alberta. Siblings were known to be split up and sent to different schools.

Once inside Indian residential schools aborignal children ended up living in a place that resembled a jail more than a school. They were raised by peers who were also far from parents, nurtured by and uncaring staff, hated in public schools, and in the worst cases preyed on. They had no parents or siblings to turn to for comfort, advice, or confiding in. They'd go home for two months out of the year but as a result of their experience were more like strangers to their parents and siblings. They didn’t like being in one place and didn’t feel like they belonged in the other. Given a choice who would want this for themselves or their children?

The fact that it was mandatory for aboriginal children to attend Indian residential schools far away from family and home expunges any notion of good feelings. To rationalize their pain those who attended grasped on to any positive thing that happened just to deal with it. People who came out of abusive relationships often say that they grasped on to little good things make it seem, or make themselves, feel good. It's a coping mechanism. I remember listening to a guy reminisce about what a great time he had where he was: he had three meals a day, a warm bed, peers to socialize with, activities to do, and movies once a week. Great life, lots of good memories. There's just one thing- he was in jail. You’d think the architects of this tragic social experiment would be sorry. Well they are, sort of.

A few years back there was an apology made by the federal government to Indian residential school survivors. It was cold and disingenuous to say the least. It was worded in such a way that it didn't admit to anything, didn't say anything that would have rendered them in any way liable, and was probably written by a team of lawyers so it read like a 16th century proclamation preceded by "Here ye, Here ye." Ironically, this apology took place just before the Nuuchahnulth-wide vote on the first failed Nuuchahnulth Agreement In Principle, a step in the now stalled BC Treaty Process. This move can be fairly described as insincere, spuriously motivated, and calculating to say the least.

Watching as the apology was read aloud to Indian residential school survivors in Port Alberni a most insidious thing stood out: it was being read aloud by an aboriginal bureaucrat on behalf of the federal government to aboriginal survivors. Imagine an abusive spouse getting your sibling to apologize to you- sort of, for stuff the abusive spouse was responsible for. It made an already hurtful experience more hurtful I’m sure and brought this issue to a crossroads.

So where do we all go from here? Good question. As hard as it is, and as simple as it sounds I think we need to put one foot in front of the other and keep stepping. That is a common theme to freeing ones self from abuse or tragedy. Accept that you're going to trip and fall, that you're going to scrape your hands-knees-and face but you keep putting one foot in front of the other. What it takes to propell one's feet is another matter, but step we must.

Although I'm not sure of the means, non-aboriginals should collectively take part in healing with aboriginal peoples. Before this though we must first become a ‘collective’ and that means getting to know one another better. Collectively we can then act responsibly and move towards healing. Indeed this may be seen as a burden by some or even as punishment by mean spirited critics. Having said this, there would be more of an exacting price to be paid for continued collective non-responsibility.

Until we do something together we'll forever be apart and ignorant of one another. I’ve always maintained that while we may all may reside in the same town we don't truly live together and aren’t truly a community in the truest sense of the word.

It’s not just the duty of citizens though to do this. Governments must dedicate themselves as well. It was after all government policy that led to the creation of the schools. Every government assumes responsibility for the deeds and misdeeds of its predecessors and every nation for the deeds and misdeeds of its past. Abiding by this responsibility without minimizing it would indeed be considered novel but aboriginal people have been waiting for just such a novelty.

About the question of money and whether it will it help Indian residential school survivors or not. Will it help people get over what happened to them? Only individual survivors know the answer for sure. For some the roots of their Indian residential school experience grew too deep and took hold and we have to accept that. Not everyone gets over abuse or tragedy. Having said this, there was no question of entitlement or discussion about whether it would help or not when it came to Japanese Second World War internment camp victims receiving restitution so there should be no question about Indian residential school victims receiving the same consideration. I also think the question should not be “will money help” but rather “where can money help?”

First Nations spend a considerable amount of time and attention to matters concerning treaty negotiations, land, fish, and logging. Having said this, not enough attention or consideration has been given to the moribund state our language has lapsed into. The bulk of any restitution therefore should go towards resurrecting and restoring our language.

Although seemingly invisible the erosion of our language represents maybe the most devastating fallout as a result of residential school. While fish and land are a part of our external identity our language is the essence of our peoples most inner core, and it remains maybe the last thing that truly makes us ‘us.’ We’re at a point where the number of fluent speakers of our language is a minority among their own people and this alarming statistic requires a long-term consistently applied strategy.

Discussing the issue of Indian residential schools here is a good start, and I emphasize start. I hope we've all learned something here. This dialogue should be treated neither as a means nor an end, but rather as a beginning.

Good things must start somewhere after all.

Candian culture: embrace it or else?

Canadian Culture: embrace it or else?

I can't believe this type of thinking is around but I guess it takes all kinds. Reading our local rag I came across an opinion piece entitled "Immigrants Must Embrace Our Culture!" The title alone gave me a sense of what this was about and what was to follow, kind of like when you can smell something spoiled and bad before you see it.

The articles author posed that he was tired of Canadian elected officials worrying about "offending immigrant sensibilities and cultures with every decistion they made." Everyone waived their flag patriotically after 9-11 he said, everyone except Canadians because "they were apprehensive about trampeling the rights of immigrants and offending them." I stopped sipping my coffee at this point, raised one eyebrow, and said to myself "Oh?"

The author wrote further that "people who choose to come to Canada need to get themselves set straight about a few things." We already have our own culture he said, and it was developed over centuries by, ahem "Christian men and women who fought and died for our Candian way of life and freedoms" (you can start humming any anthym right about here). Still mining this religous vein he went on to write "God was and continues to be part of Canadian culture" and that "it was Christian men and women who founded this nation." There was this small matter, I thought, of the peoples who were already here as well as the immigrant population from other countries who labored long and hard during this founding as well. But I read on.

Demonstrating some semblence of cultural sensitivity the author said as well that "although immigrants are welcome to follow their own beliefs they should know that our God is the only God in Canadian culture." I knew the author and what surprised me was that he wasn't a preacher by trade. "If this offends them" he wrote "then they can consider making some other part of the world their home."

The man was on a role. Once he finshed shaking his finger about God he went on about language. Sure other languages are spoken in Canada he said naming Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Japanese as examples BUT "here in our country Enlish and French are our official languages so immigrants better learn them" he said. Our country? Aren't English and French from England and France I wondered?

"Canadians are happy with their own culture and way of life and have no intention of changing" he said. If immigrants expect Canadians to change their beliefs, culture, language, God, flag, or way of life to suit them then they could just exercise the good o'l Canadian freedom to leave he concluded.

Well....

You know, folks are entitled to their opinion, they are. But I am also entitled to an opinion of theirs. So,

Careful thought and consideration must be given before waving our flag patriotically either in pride, or in protest. Canada is a nation which accepts and embraces cultural diversity; it doesn’t scold other cultures for it.

Firstly, our elected officials, and we, must exercise forethought towards others when making decisions. And yes, consideration must be given to other peoples’ cultures and beliefs. Canada’s patriotic trampling of immigrants rights has a sorry history littered with victims. Historically, thoughtless decisions without sensitivity to culture led to shameful acts such as the Japanese internment during World War Two, the Komagata Muru incident, the internment of generations of aboriginal children in residential schools, and the internment of Dukkobors.

We can all learn from this disgraceful part of our history or ignore it to our embarrassment. Moreover, although Canadian culture was fought for and developed by Christian men based on Christian principles it only became such at the expense of another already established culture, complex and highly developed, that was heartlessly trampled without consideration or sensitivity.

Secondly, post colonial Canada was founded by European Christian men based on Christian principles. Those principles were enshrined in a constitution which, upon reading it, makes liberal mention of the word “citizen.” It does not say “homogeneous” citizen.

Also enshrined in the constitution were fundamental freedoms all citizens enjoy, like freedom of religion and freedom of thought, belief, opinion, and expression. Since its founding Canada has evolved and is now considered one of the greatest places on earth to live. We are respected internationally for our neutralityand fairness as well as for our acceptance and tolerance of all peoples and cultures.

While it may be nice to hearken back to a time when ‘exotic parts of the world’ meant only England and France, we no longer live in that time. The advent of transportation and globalization has changed our world and movement within it forever.

Thirdly, while English and French are Canada’s two official languages, such recognition is but a matter of historical policy. In fact, there are other languages spoken in Canada now with Japanese, Punjabi, Cantonese, and Mandarin to name but a few and we are approaching a time when the number of speakers of those languages is beginning to outnumber their English and French speaking counterparts. Each of those peoples upon being accepted here have all said “thank you” in their languages and meant it. They’re thankful because they didn’t have to forsake their identity or beliefs, things they were often persecuted for in their own countries.

Fourthly, I rarely weigh in on religious debate but a few things need to be said here. While it is true that God is part of the Canadian mosaic of peoples and culture, so too are Jehovah, Jowaii, Allah, Buddha, Naas, and Rahras (to name but one). As for this “If our God offends you” business I have only to say that God is not ours, but rather we, regardless of our religious leaning, are his. And no we shouldn’t find some other part of the world to call home because of differences about god.

What we should do is the best we can to get along with one another in this place we all choose to call home. There is a tenet which I believe to be universal to all cultures and religions the world over: respect for one another, and a liberal dose of it is due here.

Indeed for centuries Canada has welcomed peoples from the world over to become citizens. While it is reasonable to expect immigrants to adapt to our culture and way of life, it is at the same time unreasonable for us to assume our culture and way of life haven't already changed as a result of the rich diversity of peoples and their beliefs. Embracing this diversity cultivates better understanding between different peoples and this can only lead towards all of us becoming better friends, neighbors and citizens.