Natives in Canada

[Jerconjake]

Anybody who has seen Chris Rock's Bring the Pain knows about the debate between black people and n*ggers in America. In Canada, the same problems arise with Native people. Native people in Canada are given every opportunity to succeed, and every break that the government can get away with giving them. What they aren't given is a sense of self-worth, or motivation to improve their own lives.

I myself have some Native heritage, and it's sad to see how much most Natives in Canada have changed since the time of my ancestors. There was a huge gang brawl on a reserve in my province not long ago, and it ended with several people in the hospital. One guy was - and I'm not shitting you about this - cleaved in the head with a sword. This kind of violence is becoming more frequent and can be set off by the littlest things. On a reserve, you can't have anything nice because the other Natives there will literally destory it, be it a TV or even a new house (as someone I know can attest to).

In my city there's more homeless and low-income Native people than any other group, and they often relish in intimidation, violence and mischief. They know little about their heritage and mostly don't even care. How is this possible when they have so much opportunity? What can be done about this?

This isn't racism, and it isn't the media. As Chris Rock said, when I go to the bank machine late at night, I'm not looking over my shoulder for the media. I'm looking for Natives.

[fli]

But you must recognize that the Canadian Natives and Blacks have been disadvantaged for several decades--

If your family has a history of poverty, lack of education, and other problems-- you literally inherit them. Now of course there are exceptional blacks in the US, and more than likely exceptional Native Canadian Indians where you live. But it isn't easy.

Canada I'm imagining has become influential because it exploited other the natives just as the US exploited Blacks.

Now once you remove wealth, education, and other things-- people develope a communal pshycological problems. My example-- Whites in the South.

Many of them are dirt poor for generations. And what are they called? Trailer trash. White trash. Among those naughty names. And yet, they came from very influential families before the abolishment of slavery.

Poverty, lack of education, and most importantly-- lack of opportunity and will-- makes bigger problems for everyone.

[JoS]

Par tof the issue is the reserve itself. There are generally few jobs on a reserve, there are exceptions though. This leads to a high unemployment rate, which means les smoney, so social services re shitty, also becasue theys ervice sucha small community and are generally close to a major urban center anyways. OFten people who move off the reservation and try to intergrate into the larger Canadian society do have similar results to anyone else coming from the same socio-economic standpoints, and occassionally even better, due to advantages liek free education, no taxes and such.

However this usually means abandoning their roots, or ignoring them a bit. This is not a good solution. These reservations are worst that any ghettos in Canada, partly also because they are seperate fromt he province, only under the duristiction of the federal government. Only the RCMP can arrest someoen on a reservation, other than the reservation police.

In Canada the population that has the largest percentage of its race in jail is the natives, who are 3 times as liekly as a black person to go to jail, and 5 times as likely as a caucasian.

they get breaks, but not the right development tools.

[Jerconjake]

At 8/17/05 09:01 PM, fli wrote: Poverty, lack of education, and most importantly-- lack of opportunity and will-- makes bigger problems for everyone.

But this is exactly what the breaks the government gives are trying to remove. Natives in Canada have access to free education, including college, and they have every opportunity to succeed.

In my view, it is the other breaks the government gives (for example: discount cigarettes, no taxes, no real need to have a job) that are hindering Native people more than helping them.

[Jimsween]

Didn't you just give them like.... a third of Canada?

[Jerconjake]

At 8/18/05 05:27 AM, mofomojo wrote:

Agreed, it's a tragedy.

Gimme an idea, what should the gov't or society do about it?

If only politicians weren't so afraid of losing votes, we could get rid of the breaks they get. Other than free education, because if they had no option but to use it they would be more likely to. If they had to work they'd value themselves and their things more. Of course they could all just become homeless, which would mean we'd need some kind of government work programs or something.