Sure, but it goes beyond that doesn't it? When the average taxpayers see's those expenditures and see's little change or things get worse through incompentance or outright thievery you can understand why people are looking at Idle No More with a jaded eye. Especially since they haven't discussed that.
They've done a very successful job of making this into a Seinfield protest with generic slogans that don't address the issue, with a focus on the government is screwing us, which while in a lot of ways is true its not the whole truth, especially with this Prime Minisiter, (Residential school apology, $100,000,000 literacy program, demanding transparency from the Chiefs, putting almost democratic reforms into the Omnibus Bill in terms of land usage, agreeing to meet with the Chiefs and to an extent involve the GG).
I think what almost frustrates the average taxpayer watching this is that they've said very little about the Spence and other corrupt chiefs stuff besides the fact that they're not with them.
If the Idle No More protesters were to clarify what their problem is with the budget bill specifically then we could have dialogue and feel that the educate portion of their protest was worthwhile. If they were to blockade Spences camp and demand countability and transparency and maybe her resignation then this protest would make sense, if they were to have protested outside of the first nations meeting in Winnipeg when the Chiefs were threatening to cripple Canada and plainly stated that they were a big part of the problem and not to blockade then we could have a discussion.
Instead we're getting what feels like a very wishy washy campaign that is standing for vague concepts that nobody can educate the rest of Canadians on.
Good post. I don't disagree with it. However, at least these issues have entered to national discourse (although I have no doubt they will be forgotten again in a few weeks.) That has been a positive effect of the "Idle No More" movement.
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To add on to things, to me Idle No More should have been furious when the Chief's refused to meet with Harper, isn't a big part of their ideas that there has to be communication with the government to fix things?
It just seems like the Chiefs really pissed away a opportunity. To represent the average band member.
To me the solution is obvious, for Idle No More to gain credibility they have to be openly protesting against the Indian Act and pushing for its renegotiation, at the same time they have to be pushing for reform at the band council level and demanding the same kind of accountability that the Feds want and the average Canadian's want.
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This part bugs me, people jumped all over CC for that comment for no reason IMO. He never said it was a good idea, just one easily conceivable route that this "protesting" could lead towards once you mix angry protesters with blocking rig pigs from their job. I can see an outcome similar to that going down... by no means do I wish it to happen.
Oh, great. Now all rig workers are pigs. This thread is fallin' apart fast.
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To add on to things, to me Idle No More should have been furious when the Chief's refused to meet with Harper, isn't a big part of their ideas that there has to be communication with the government to fix things?
It just seems like the Chiefs really pissed away a opportunity. To represent the average band member.
To me the solution is obvious, for Idle No More to gain credibility they have to be openly protesting against the Indian Act and pushing for its renegotiation, at the same time they have to be pushing for reform at the band council level and demanding the same kind of accountability that the Feds want and the average Canadian's want.
Phil Fontaine, who isn't an official part of the protest but a supporter, criticized them for not going through with the meeting. He saw it as a huge victory wasted.
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Where is Teresa Spence these days? Haven't heard from her in a few days. Is she still on a hunger strike, and demanding to meet people and then not meeting them when they agree?
Where is Teresa Spence these days? Haven't heard from her in a few days. Is she still on a hunger strike, and demanding to meet people and then not meeting them when they agree?
CBC reports that yes, she is still on her fast........I mean 'hunger strike.' Day 39 or something.
Yeah, day 39 of a fish broth and tea diet, and I have my doubts about that dietary claim as well.
Ghandi and Bobby Sands were both on legitimate hunger strikes and didn't last basically half as long.
Meanwhile Spence with no solid food, probably no carbs etc is still as full cheeked and double chinned and pudgy as ever.
I want the recipe for that soup, plainly I could feed the starving children of the world and end world hunger with that magic elixir.
Girlfriend just solved all the money problems on her reserve and likely ever other one out there. She just needs to make it and sell it in the open market and voila! All the money issues solved and the starving children benefit too and no one has to buy overpriced ugly shoes to help out (Toms). Win-win!
"When I die," Spence said, "I expect my body to be carried out of here with honour, with Ray [Robinson], and to go and lay in peace with my ancestors."
Spence said that she's getting weaker every day and her blood pressure is going down, but she added that doctors who speak to the media about the effects of 40 days without eating have not seen her.
Spence responded angrily when Dussault asked about an audit of her Attiwapiskat reserve that revealed spending mismanagement and poor accounting practices.
"The media has been doing that. For you to make that kind of statement, that's very rude of you and that's how you mislead Canadian citizens," Spence said.
Ellen Gabriel, of the Indigenous Women of Turtle Island, said Friday that the prime minister is fostering hatred of aboriginals across the country by failing to condemn racist reactions to the Idle No More movement.
A letter from Buckingham Palace dated Jan. 7, obtained this week by The Canadian Press, told a Spence supporter that the chief should deal with the federal cabinet. "This is not a matter in which The Queen would intervene," says the letter.
Gabriel said on CBC's Power & Politics Friday that the Queen was "shirking her responsibilities."
These people are delusional. Personally Harper already made a good will gesture and they basically wasted his time, he needs to refuse to meet these people until they come up with a serious agenda and a guarantee that they'll actually show up.
Ellen Gabriel is full of crap, to these people anyone who disagrees with them is racist, Harper does not need to jump into this whole mess and tell people to please be nice.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not angry with the grass roots people with Idle No More, I think they're letting themselves and their name to be used in the worst possible manner and they need to speak out about that.
I'm angry with these Chiefs who are showing themselves to be unworthy to lead.
Harper needs to keep meeting with Atleo, the democratically elected Chief of the FN's. Not a bunch of people trying to pull off a coup, all Harper does in meeting with them them without Atleo there is give them power.
And Spence needs to FO and face the music and actually answer honestly where the blind consulting money and real estate money went.
I don't care if she stays on this fast or diet for 100 days or 200 days she's not going to lose weight and die, sometimes the only way to beat a con man or woman in this case is to beat them down with their own lies.
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Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
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rumor has it that there may be an idle no more protest outside the MTS for the Jets home opener. SOme started a chant and drum beating at Monday's open practice. They were quickly drowned out by a go jets go chant then ushered out by security.
there is a time and place for stuff like this. Go protest outside your government building
Very good article about the differences between some of the northern Ontario bands. Really shows the differences in leadership, openness, and priorities of the bands.
Just had this forwarded to me. A very good read of a Cree man's thoughts on the Native situation in Canada, and Canadian equality. "I've been #IdleTooLong about this whole topic, and I feel like I need to express my point of view without disrupting innocent travelers on highways, and cargo carrying freight trains.
First, allow me to clarify that I am a Cree man with full status. I have family in positions of political power in this very province, and should declare that my opinions are my own. While everyone needles over the finite details of the current situation, I'd like to paint my thoughts for you with much broader strokes.
I'm so very proud of my culture. The way the plains Indians lived on this land was a fantastic example of community, art, respect for our environment, ingenuity, and spirituality. I'm proud of the native inspired tattoos that I sport permanently on my body. As a father, I'm teaching my son that same respect and understanding of where his blood derives from, in the hopes that his pride will outshine the prejudice he will inevitably experience growing up, or at some point in his life.
I'm also very proud to be Canadian. Our vast mosaic of cultures, languages, and beliefs make up this welcoming land of opportunity for all. Whether you like it or not, we all have the same citizenship, but some have a different view on the value of it.
I don't pretend to know all the ins and outs of the government bills, documentation, or policy that is driving the current protests, but I've intently watched news stories, read columns, and have regularly monitored the comments being made on facebook. Based on all of this, I feel the need to break my silence on this issue.
1 - It's embarrassing how the #IdleNoMore protest is being handled.
Blocking major traffic thoroughfares does nothing good to bring support and awareness to your cause, it creates immediate animosity towards you. Protesting freely in parks or in front of government buildings seems like a much more productive way to attract the attention of those you seek. The politicians. Not the regular welder-Joe who's just trying to get to work. Hold him up and cost him money? See how much support you'll get out of that guy...
Clarify what you are protesting for, or against. I've never seen such a passionate group of people go forward in protest in such disarray, and without clearly stating what it's all about. If it's generally about your need to be consulted, respected, justified for being mistreated, or the preservation of your culture, then let's be out with it and start a constructive discussion.
Understand that you do not need to be consulted for anything any more than the Canadian citizen next to you does. Your opinion on things doesn't count "more" than anyone else's.
Respect is earned, not given.
There's no question that the native people of yesterday were brutalized, hunted, tortured, and humiliated for decades. It's awful, and no one should ever have to suffer like that. The elders of the time signed those treaties to bring peace, and offer what they hoped would be a leg-up in a new world that they realized couldn't be held at bay. But those days are long over. It defies logic to have the current population pay for the tragedies committed by people that came so long before them.
The preservation of your culture is YOUR job, not anyone else's. For example, Polish, Irish, and Ukrainian societies thrive all over the country with very little or no support from government coffers. They celebrate traditional dance, language, and food all by simply passing it down from generation to generation. Native communities can do the very same thing (and generally do), but without financial support.
2 - "This movement is about the whole environment, its not just about the treaties....The bill that passed now un protects the rivers, lakes, forests, land, etc, etc, so we need this bill to further protect ur childrens futures.....thanks to Harper Govt....rigs n developemtn will pollute the air, waters, etc, etc.."
It's no secret that our Canadian economy is driven by the oil and gas industry. Yes, there have been some awful environmental blunders due to a plethora of different reasons. I heartily agree that we need to protect our natural areas that support wildlife, but I also know that there is aggressive legislation, and powerful government offices in place that already have that very same sentiment at heart. Millions of Canadians support green technology and research, as well as lobby for stronger federal policy. So if that's what this is all about, there's no need to blockade anything, as a majority of people would already agree with you.
3 - "It is about the 480 page Bill that the government has passed without you knowing about it. It went through the house of commons and the senate in 2 wks. 480 pgs long...do you think that many people had time to read it? It says that under age criminals can be punished as adults. It makes more budget cuts. The librarians at schools are being budget cut. It is about ALOT more than Aboriginals, it's about everyone in Canada. The Aboriginals are the ones who started to realize the Bill was gonna to do irreversable damage!"
Back in the days of copying notes off a blackboard or projector in school, I'm certain I've WRITTEN 480 pages in two weeks, let alone read that many. In a political world where literacy at a high level is demanded, I'm willing to bet that most could plow through that many pages in a very short period of time. I suppose the content would be laden with bureaucratic jargon and would need time to fully interpret...but that's why you have a legal team.
Quite frankly, I agree with underage criminals being tried as adults, and I'm willing to bet that a landslide majority of Canadians will agree with me.
Budget cuts are a reality of our democratic world. I'm not sure if this means that librarians from schools are being removed, or the library itself, but the fact of the matter is, our schools rely on a healthy economy for funding. When money gets tight, things get sacrificed. I truly hope that the readily available knowledge in a library would be the last to go.
4 - "It's not about the Aboriginals! That is what they are doing to distract you from what it really is about! It only affects the aboriginals- just like it will effect ALL of us!"
This is very confusing, but seems to sum up the general knowledge about what is going on. Who is "they"? Are we going into conspiracy theory depths here? Do people not realize that we have an official opposition in place as a natural government watchdog to debate everything that in-power government is trying to enact? If there were truly earth shattering implications in the bill in question, the opposition would be whistle blowing and bleating into any available microphone available so fast it would make your head spin.
First and foremost, I'm a human being just like you. I believe in equality. Across the board equality. Our country is so multicultural, that to give any specific group levity over everyone else is completely ridiculous. I'm not familiar with the particulars of old treaties signed, but I get the gist because I have used some of the special privileges provided to me. I do not pay for health care. I did for awhile in my young working life, but then the government discovered my native status and sent me a HUGE apology letter, and a cheque for every dime I had put into the system. Odd. I lived just up the street from my fellow truck driving friends, did the same job, paid the same taxes...yet there I was with this benefit because of my racial background and some papers that were signed all those years ago. I've used it for eye wear. This was particularly handy when I was “up against it” financially, but had broken my glasses welding. Here's the thing though, why should I have an advantage on a co-worker who might be in the same situation? It's not fair, and it needs to stop.
I move that Canadians start their own march towards coast to coast equality, or at least the serious discussion of it. Our country should offer no free rides to anyone. No help for those who refuse to help themselves. No quarter for those who would inhibit the lives and success of others. No limit to what anyone can accomplish with a steely resolve, and a great idea. It doesn't matter who built the first camp fires and communities on this land, it's those that work hard to continue to stoke the flames of collective well being that matter.
As a man that stands by his word, I pledge to never again use my native status to further myself in a way that isn't available to every other Canadian. I will leave my son unregistered, and will teach him the importance of keeping it that way. I am a proud native man, and a hard working, forward thinking Canadian that believes the opportunities and advantages this country has to offer should be available to everyone equally.
- Anthony Sowan
@sowanonair
please share
UPDATE: After watching a day of comments...
For those of you that feel that I need to meticulously read treaty documentation, and Native history, I offer you this: There is no argument you can offer that justifies inequality of any kind in this country.
I said I didn't know every detail, but I also didn't say I'm completely uneducated on the subject. I also encourage people to think for themselves based on their own research.
No matter how you cut it, the monetary compensation and general advantages need to stop. Horrific things happened to people/races throughout history, and although I'm not condoning or supporting it, I do not feel that they should be given anything more than anyone else. The atrocities committed, in this instance, happened a long time ago to/by people that no longer exist. I agree that it should never be forgotten, but it makes no sense to have the innocent Canadian citizens of the present pay for crimes committed by someone else in a different time.
Really, the people that are abusing you the worst, are the people you have placed in leadership positions. Not ALL of them are corrupt, but there are some very serious issues with monetary responsibility. I honestly don't know how some band leaders haven't been arrested for fraud, embezzlement, and more.
The first step of "healing" is to put the past in it's place. Only then can you work on your own personal lives, which will then naturally stem into becoming whole as a community. The healing you want and need can come from no government program, and no external source. #CanadianEquality"
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Girlfriend just solved all the money problems on her reserve and likely ever other one out there. She just needs to make it and sell it in the open market and voila! All the money issues solved and the starving children benefit too and no one has to buy overpriced ugly shoes to help out (Toms). Win-win!
