Lifer, There is some reluctance to vote in a system that has oppressed us for so long. There has also been many issues related to actual casting of ballots (long geographical distances, changing boundraies, trouble with registration lists).
The national day of action in Regina was a great sucesss! Many people attended our cultural activities and family picinic and there was a lot of fun and learning that went on. The only blockade that I know of in Saskatchewan was a targeted direct action against an access road to a mine that is on disputed land.
As for a way to solve all the problems (yes there are problems). Why should we have to or be forced to integrate into your society? Some Natives do and they of course can continue too. I think an ideal solution would be for aboriginal government to be recognized as a third branch of government along side Federal and Provincial. This approach is rapidly gaining support in the academy as well as the SCC. It gives us back our independence and control and allows us to develop solutions to the problems we our dealing with such as poverty, suicide, addiction, loss of culture etc... It is naive to think that a 'white man' solution will fix our problems. We need a Native solution that can help reshape our great society. I'm not advocating for sucession of all the Native reserves at all, just allowing them to exist and operate as a third branch within the current federal structure.
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