I heard a news report this week that really irritated me. Prime Minister Harper proposed giving first Nations People who had been in residential schools $3000.00 for further education.
In Canada we had an educations system for First Nations people that was based on residential schools. Kids were taken from their families and parents against their will. In the residential school the kids were not allowed to speak their own language and were cut off from all social connections with their own people. The students were treated horribly with many beatings and sexual assaults. This produced several generations of people who were without cultural and social experiences. They went back home as severely damaged people and that continued through their lives and that of their children.
So three thousand dollars thrown at people who have suffered greatly is shameful. Most residential school students are now older. They are no longer in search of further education. What would you get for three thousand dollars when it comes to further education?
So the three thousand dollars being offered is equivalent to beads and trinkets. These were tricks to get people to sign treaties. This is what was offered to get first Nations People to sign away their land. Traders also used the same cheap tactics. The government hopes to shut people up rather than help them.
So I am angered that such a pathetic program is offered to be assistance for people who have suffered so much.
All that our own Aboriginal people received for being taken away from their families as children (and most NEVER returned or knew where they came from) was an apology in Parliament just a few years ago. And even that took decades. To his credit, it was one of the first acts of one of our recent Prime Ministers after he took office - but it was too little and too late.
ReplyDeleteYou've got the key...too little too late.
DeleteThat is a bad history, sounds the same as the Australians did with the Aboriginal kids and the Americans with the native people. I think it were the thoughts of those times.The intrudars felt superior to the natives which they considered as inferior people.
ReplyDeleteMany mistakes were made in the past which can never be compensated with enough money I am afraid.
Very true that the colonizes thought they wee better than the locals. I'm not so sure that we aren't still making mistakes.
DeleteThat is the Stephen Harper Government - that's just the way he works, not just with our first Nations Peoples, but everybody, excluding the very rich. I am angered that he continues to be in charge of the Country - what a joke.
ReplyDeleteRight on ! We have to get rid of him.
DeleteI hardly know how to respond to this, Red. I agree with you that it's a pittance to salve the conscience, but there is no way to undo the wrong done long ago. What would you suggest instead?
ReplyDeleteIn this country the first thing that has to e done is to do way with the Indian act. The Indian act ties everybody's hands. Money is offered but it will never fix anything. A book you should read is the kings of Ireland. It's a story that caused me to recognize the influence that loss of land has on a people.
DeleteSame in the U.S. and Australia...we have been very bad.
ReplyDeleteThere's still much to do on this one. I'm not sure that anybody really has the answer.
Deletehow very sad.
ReplyDeleteThe break down of culture is very hard to put back together again.
DeleteThey are the same the world over Red. They pay and fiddle themselves a fortune and scatter crumbs to the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteOur PM is so dumb he has to get the power company out to reset his earth leakage trip.
Empty promises got us into a lot of the problem. Our guy is one of the worst at making big problems and dopng nothing.
DeleteI agree with you. What is annoying is that about only a quarter of the population supports Harper. Much of the blame rests with the NDP and Liberals who cannot get their act together. Their fighting insures that Harper stays in power.
ReplyDeleteI think it will be different this time. Harper has stolen sets though breaking the election laws. I hope we're wise to that next time.
DeleteThat is really very troubling.
ReplyDeleteEmpty promises can only lead to more problems.
DeleteSeems like a slap in the face if you ask me. I read some of it when I got to multigenerational damages or some such wording I quit reading:(
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed that somebody would go and read a link. It was a pdf so not very attractive.
DeleteHow do the First Nations People feel about this? Are they offended?
ReplyDeleteFirst Nations politicians are very shrewd so they know what to use to their advantage..
DeleteRed this is sure a slap in the face, even if a residential school survivor wanted to go back to school this is only one semester and how far can one go on one semester? A real kick in the pants... seriously why not put money into the areas where it's needed, PLUS fully fund education and make a difference... still in the process of assimilating. And once again I'll stop right there and keep my rants for my papers and trust me when I say once I have these three little letters behind my name that I'll be advocating for the rights of my people.
ReplyDelete$3000 is worth than nothing, but Harper wants it all to go away.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're right that the next election will see the end of Harper. I am so ashamed of what our country has become under this government.