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Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos
And it is true that their is a poor perception of natives. You didn't offer a possible reason for it, you are perpetuating it. Saying something like "when is the last time you saw a clean and sober Indian in public (on the train)" is dictionary racism.
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Actually, I did offer a solution: Leave the reserve and join society. Attitudes towards blacks have changed considerably since the end of segregation. Certainly there is a long, long way to go, but every generation sees improvement. So long as that self imposed barrier exists, the prejudices will not change.
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As for the "why should I pay for what people generations ago did" argument, let's turn that around a bit because I'm in sort of the opposite position. I'm a white Canadian and ancestors of mine made an agreement with some native folks more than 4 generations ago and bought property that is technically on an Indian reserve. We still own it and I expect some of it will have my name on it one day. All the people involved in that transaction, on both sides, are long dead. If the locals out there suddenly decide that they don't have to honor those contracts because they were made "generations ago", do you think I should just pack up and leave?
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Actually, my argument was "why should I feel guilty?", not "why should I pay?" I fully accept that there is a treaty in place, and that if native bands fulfill their obligations under the treaty, we have a responsibility to fulfill ours. No issues with that, whatsoever.