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Originally posted by Hakan@Apr 21 2005, 09:57 AM
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The reserve cash handouts is essentially racist. It basically makes sure Indians STAY on the reserve.
You are nurturing these people to be completely dependent on unsustainable resources. How will they ever be equal when they are forced to keep sucking at the government's teat?
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How do you propose to make them equal? I do believe that there needs to be a whole lot more of nation and agency building within the community and that the hand outs do need to be phased out. That said, it's not like you stop the handouts and instantly they become equal and better off.
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Of course you can't just stop the handouts... Self-governing reserves for one. Make the reserves independent, cut off the bi-annual youth payments entirely, make them pay taxes and give tax breaks if they attend school.
Don't get me wrong, none of this is the aboriginals fault at all. They have been systematically shat on by the "white guy" for 400+ years. Undoing the damage done will be even more shinguardty.
But they have to be phased out, otherwise an "Indian" will always be an "Indian.