Quote:
Originally Posted by jammies
All true, and it puzzles me how it can be wrong to want to end the reserve system, and yet it was right to oppose apartheid. The tribes in South Africa made treaties with the white government, too, and the only real difference is that they more or less had to support themselves instead of getting a monthly cheque and subsidized housing (although the gov't did put some infrastructure into the tribal homelands, mostly as a sop to foreign opinion, whereas they may as well not have bothered).
I think plenty of people know what needs to be done - the end of special status - but nobody wants to the one to step out and say it for the fear of those who will immediately label them as racist and fascist. I suspect that one day the problem will escalate to violence, terrorism and insurrection, and we'll look back and wonder why nobody could see it coming.
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Our society does indeed need to rid itself of special status -- native populations in particular. That said, realize that there where at least two generations of natives who had the culture ripped away and sent to indoctrination schools. Basic parenting methods and skills went out the window leaving their kids without a hope -- which leads to most of the social problems you find with them. Things are apparently starting to recover, slowly. But, if you were to abolish the reserves and remove special status, a large portion of the Native population would be completly unable to function properly in society.
It's a horrible situation and I don't think it's one that can be solved by any elected officials -- too volitile and icky.