Quote:
Originally posted by Lanny_MacDonald+Apr 21 2005, 08:14 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Lanny_MacDonald @ Apr 21 2005, 08:14 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Thunderball@Apr 22 2005, 02:03 AM
I think many Natives, Canadians and Politicians would love to see the end of reservations, myself being one of them. Its self-defeating for them, and a problem for society.
The problem is simply how to get rid of the reserves, integrate Natives into society and have them as productive members without being labelled as history's greatest monsters for assimilating their culture into our own.
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Question for you. Natives are very connected to the land and want to be able to maintain that connection to the land in as pristine a manner as possible, so how do you propose they have the opportunity to continue to do this without reservations?
Question for everyone. How can the plains indians, who were nomads and had no permanent home, claim that they have any more connection to the land than anyone else? Plus how do you explain the polution and wildlife issues (over hunting and fishing) that take place on reserves when these same people claim to have a connection to the land and a responsibility to that land? [/b][/quote]
Good question. Very tough answer.
I think part of the answer comes from your question to everyone else, for the most part, the natives in our region were not actually settled in that area and tended to roam vast portions of Southern Alberta. That being said, I would say one possible solution (and I'm not gonna guarantee this could even work) is to buy the reserve land from them, give each member a portion of the proceeds or allow them to buy the land freehold. This way, they have the option of living on the land, combining their land into a private reserve (Hutterites), or to take their proceeds and move into the cities. Either way, they are not bound by their pathetic, inept and frequently corrupt leadership and have their own decisions to make. Furthermore, a small portion of the land could have a cultural centre built on it so they have a place to gather and celebrate their culture.
The plus for us is that the province/city can freely expand into reserve areas, and deal directly with the landowners, not to mention that they will gain the oil and gas royalties from native lands. Money that can be used to improve education, health care (or build a new Dubai-style tourist tower in Downtown Calgary...)
The plus for those who choose to keep their own little portion is that they don't have to share any proceeds of oil and gas development on their property. They are no longer shackled to a failing system yet can hold onto their culture via the cultural centre, and they are forced to be self-reliant, the kick in the pants many need to truly prosper.
I freely admit I may be wrong... I haven't given this massive thought.