Outcomes

 Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, First Nations, Globe and Mail, INAC, Pikangikum, Poverty, Robert Nault, taxpayers Leave a comment

I know it may be too soon to actually comment on this case (because I feel without a doubt the “hypersensitive,” a word used by G&M, will probably try to fight to overturn); now even I know that is something blatant to say about something so freshly decided. HERE is the link relating to G&M article.

Yes, these problems may have been going on for a long time for First Nations but I feel the bigger problem is we as First Nations pick fights without “thinking ahead.” Yes, we need to stand up for what is rightfully ours and rightfully of every Canadian citizen: heat, home, and clean water. But, as First Nations, we need to look at the bigger picture in its entirety and how it will impact the future nations. Only then will we might be able to take steps forward! Not only that, if First Nations continue to exhaust fights against any legal, political, social system, and are not fully aware of the impact their present day decisions might have on future decisions to be made, then First Nations will be severely limiting themselves (and their step forward).

For example, take the phrase “third party management.” This phrase was used when I first found out about changes to post-secondary funding (which was not too long ago, and then swept under a rug somewhere–maybe it will reappear after this article) Everyone and everything said “third party management.” What if THIS outcome on the phrase and its use/interpretation of “third party management” and “co-management” impacts the future decisions on post-secondary funding? All because the court felt they meant “co-management” and that they followed protocol! Then, that case dismissed. More resources exhausted. More relationships burned. More political and economical strife for a few more years.

First Nations need to be made fully aware of the decisions they make and the fights they choose before actually proceeding. The decision to dismiss in lower court and if affirmed in a higher court, will just affect future “third party management” or “co-management” issues: similar situations will be decided alike! THIS IS EXACTLY WHY FIRST NATIONS NEED TO BUILD BETTER POLITICAL RELATIONSHIPS! THIS IS WHY WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER (with each other and with other organizations).

Then again….Maybe the issue isn’t that we don’t know how to work together, it’s that we don’t know how to recognize “real” help when it’s needed or accept “real” help as it is suggested. As First Nations in today’s country, I believe we have all the resources we need to help us get better. We just have been “ill” for so long, we forgot how to ask for help to get “better” and to use the help we have presently have. We don’t need more of whatever we already have: we just need to learn how to use what we have (isn’t it after all that Indigenous people are the ones who never use more than we need and never ask for more than we need?). We need to help the ones who are worse off than others, instead of expecting government help or waiting for government decisions to be made. I believe First Nations can better allocate the use of their resources, if we are taught how to. We need to RE-LEARN how to survive in Canada TODAY!

NOTE: This blog post isn’t for or against Pikangikum case. Prayers sent out to those on Pikangikum and every First Nation in need of a little prayer this holiday season.

Future nation

HST, Indian Act, Native rights, PST exemption, section 87 Leave a comment

To read the piece of legislation I am referring to please click HERE

This piece of legislation I feel is old and out dated. The particular section that needs attention would be the section concerning tax exemption rights. Just recently, HST was implemented in Ontario. In Ontario, Status Indians are also pst exempted. When HST was first proposed, well in advance to the actual implementation date (July 1, 2010), I did not read or hear about any action from first nation communities; I wrote letter after letter six months before any first nation leader spoke a public word about HST (this also concerns me: lack of initiative on first nations’ leaders part).

Apart from all this, I believe this section HAS to be reconstructed if first nations still want to claim exemptions from ALL purchases. If you read the section, you will notice it does not deal with OFF RESERVE purchases nor does it deal with OFF RESERVE natives. Why is this? The more time that goes on and the more that legislation is created or changed, I believe more than ever that the Indian Act needs to be seriously reconstructed. And not just at last moment.

As part of Canada’s history, first nations need to create a more constructive partnership with the Canadian government if we want to be around for the next century. We also need to be aware of the political and legislative changes on a day to day basis! How do first nations do this one might ask? Well, going to a parliamentary website might help and taking the INITIATIVE to reading proposed bills beginning at their first readings, not beginning at proclamation dates. Starting the fight for change EARLY and not later, like that of the anti-HST campaigns in Ontario. But it just doesn’t stop there and it is not as easy as it seems.

We need to be more politically active and not just for one’s own community’s wants or needs but each and every first nation community both on and off reserve. We need to be a true nation within a nation to survive (and if future first nations want to enjoy the rights past Canadian Aboriginals signed on for)!

Building

architecture, History, Manitoulin island Leave a comment


The image posted in my previous blog “Blogwriter App” and as well as this blog, I am curious about the building and its histories!

Nevertheless, this photo was taken on Manitoulin Island, more specifically while on Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve. I would like to know more about this building. I thought it was a residential school but my mom said it wasn’t. I asked her what it was then and she wasn’t quite sure but replied: house of Jesuits?!

Education? Really…

Canada, College, Education, Experts, Society, University, Wal-Mart Leave a comment

I am currently reading and doing some necessary catching up in some of my classes right now before the next semester starts. The last chapter I was required to read from one of my texts consists of a journal article entitled “Teaching Challenges in Higher Education” by Anton L. Allahar (this article led to the writing of this blog). Nevertheless, my catching up right now: not the most ideal position because I would much rather be relaxing. However, this past year has proven to be a very hard walk uphill for me. Not that I deserve a break, but I worked very hard.

This year I graduated from a law clerk program; co op endorsed. I chose to go to university because of the level of success I had in college. The two are completely different. In class size, class content, and expectations from you as a student.

First year at the university is not very ideal for anyone. There are large classrooms, possibly packed to the max. Sometimes classes use what is called a “clicker.” So as the number of students in a class goes up, I believe that the quality of classroom interaction has gone down. I think classroom interaction is essential to quality education. It creates debate, discussion, and allows other individuals to see what others can possibly be thinking or how others are even interpreting the data. I guess today the debate and discussion occurs online in message boards and interactive live chat rooms during lecture times.

I am also noticing that more and more people are choosing a higher education not just at an undergrad level but at a graduate/post graduate/PhD level. I am meeting more and more people who are interested in obtaining their masters or are currently in their masters level of education. This makes me wonder “What will be the value of my degree by the time I graduate?” Should I have even applied to this program and ensued in four years of university education, to only by the end of it realize that my undergraduate studies are worth next to nothing unless I earn a “masters”? Sometimes I debate on a daily basis with myself, was I wrong or right to not go into the work force?

Even with thinking about the work force, the quality of jobs out there for my generation has gone down. There are more and more contract jobs (what good is a job to only stress about if you might have it or not when your contract period ends) and only people being hired for certain time periods for certain tasks (not being hired long term, I think, is a growing trend). More businesses are only hiring people who are experts at one thing–just look at law firms today. In the past, lawyers could practically defend anyone or represent various cases in court. Now, you have to contact the right lawyer for the right situation. Whatever happened to being “general?” Is “general” too boring? Is “general,” not the right fit for society today? This trend of specialities and “experts” can be seen even in the most simplest settings: Wal-mart. If you go in any Wal-Mart today, and you need help finding something or have a question about something, you best hope that you get an employee that is in their appropriate section. If you just ask an employee passing by, the only answer you will get is “I’m sorry this isn’t my section, but I will page someone to come help you.” You may be left waiting forever for that person to come, and left wondering “how does the person coming know which person needs help in the section I am in now when there are several other people beside me?” More likely than not, your page goes unanswered.

The heavy reliance on people with specific knowledge is where our society is left divided. Education creates this difference. For some, quality education is only available to those who can afford it and only those who qualify (re: scholarships, grants). If education was made equal and available to everyone, what would be the outcome on that? If the level of education that is required by more and more jobs, continues to rise, will we all become scholars or experts? If not, then why are we even bothering with education at all?

What good is education when the it continues to divide society?

1/2 The Solution

Aboriginal, Aboriginals, Canada, Community, First Nations, Teamwork Leave a comment

Reading about Newton, I thought to myself: as Aboriginals, people who have experienced our culture from within and experienced multi-generational problems both directly and indirectly, we are the only ones that can help ourselves; we just need help in developing the right action plans.

I believe that, even though Aboriginals are still severely marginalized and some lack the resources to help themselves, communities across Canada are much better working together and for one another against forces preventing an Aboriginal identity rather than working as one community in comparison to another community.

I am not sure if that makes sense, but I believe in it. If the communities who are better off helped the ones that are worse off than most, the road to recovery would probably be more smoother and the struggle a lot less difficult.

Teamwork is key!

Extinction

Aboriginal, Aboriginal Rights, Animal Rights, Extinction Leave a comment

Please refer to my previous blog HERE to see why this blog was written!

Extinction. I usually refer extinction to animals or organisms that are no longer here, not human beings.

I went to an Aboriginal healing circle about two years ago here in London ON. Someone who was relatives with my Uncle Max (imu RIP) said: “Natives were supposed to be extinct by the year 2000.”

Remembering this quote and the association to animals made me think of a lecture I sat in on about Aboriginal Rights and Animal Rights. Well, there were many other topics discussed but these two stood out for me.

The reason they stood out was because the lecturer talked about Aboriginal Rights before Animal Rights. It made me think: why are the two so closely being talked about? I am sure the lecturer meant no harm in doing so. The lecturer had about two slides dedicated to Aboriginal Rights; there were significantly more slides dedicated to Animal Rights.

I don’t know if I was just being sensitive, but I felt like less of a person when more slides and time were dedicated to Animal Rights than Aboriginal Rights (why not dedicate the same amount of time to both?). I thought to myself to send an email to the lecturer about my feelings but decided not to. I thought that to talk about Aboriginal Rights, wasn’t his speciality. But neither were Animal Rights. Thinking about this lecture again today, confuses me.

As an young Aboriginal, will I begin to feel less confused with who I am a as a person, and less confused about my background and what should be said about it today?