Globe and Mail

Discrimination, Racism Leave a comment

It always so frustrating to see some of the stereotypical/ignorant/lack of education comments on such prominent newspapers articles, like that of the Globe and Mail.

It is even more frustrating that people don’t understand that what goes on in Canada, poverty, lack of opportunity, lack of education, lack of health care, unbalanced budgets, suicide, welfare issues, happens on First Nations but ten times worse.

Read this article and the comments posted.

People need to change the way they speak about any opposing culture, religion in order to avoid ignorance, racism, discrimination. EDUCATION IS THE KEY!

Health Care Options

Discrimination, Health Care, Ontario Leave a comment

Well, I am presently working on my essay for my Sociology Class (which is a first year, introduction class). I also have the TV on (as usual). A commercial came on about Ontario and Health Care options.

Clearly this commercial was directed towards white OLDER males and females. As the actor in the commercial was a white, older male waiting to walk his daughter down the aisle (wedding aisle that is). It also featured a picture of Southwestern ON and the website has an image of Southwestern ON as well. How do I know this image is of Southwestern ON? No, not because I live in Southwestern ON but because it has signs highlighting the 400 highways.

This “Health Care Options” clearly discriminates. It discriminates by attracting people in South Western ON, one particular race, and probably only those people with a more Advance Health Insurance system than that provided by OHIP is able to actually receive better health care (and only those who can afford to travel to places offering “shorter wait times” as stated in the commercial.” Because we all know when your doctor (if you have one) asks you “do you have Health Insurance?”, he/she isn’t referring to the lovely health care options provided by OHIP.

Northern ON and people without additional health care, and people without the ability to travel (because of lack of travel funds or transportation options): your health care options really don’t matter. Be careful and don’t get sick or hurt yourself next time you leave your house!

Human Being

Teachings Leave a comment

What it means to be a human being: use everything on planet earth until there is nothing else.

What it means to be a person: think about what you are going to use and make plans to put it back.

What I learned as a Native: Give thanks for everything you have here on Mother earth. Only take what you need. If you receive something from Mother earth, give thanks and give what you dont use back either through ceremony or offerings.

Bill S-4

Bills, Indian Act, Legislation Leave a comment

Wow!! THIS IS AMAZING!!

This bill is for Family Law matters on First Nations (because the Indian Act doesnt provide direction for that: another reason why the Indian Act should be rewritten all together!).

It just sucks that there are Family Law matters on some First Nations because family is important to a child’s life and the family life is important to the Native culture. Not just immediate family but extended as well.

I hope that more legislation can be introduced and passed to protect the interests of not just Families but the entire First Nation communities!

Truth

Canada, Legislation Leave a comment

The truth?

Really, what is the truth with the “Truth in Sentencing” Act aka Bill C-25 and all its secrecy. The internal report and its finding published by the Globe back in September of this year was only obtained because of another piece of legislation “Access to Information” and only after the report was mentioned in internal memorandum.

Don’t you just love internal memorandum!

Canadians

Aboriginal Leave a comment

Why do some Canadians walk around like Chicken Little? As if the end of the world is near because the sky is falling!

Honestly, if you have clothes on your back, your own bed to sleep in and clean water to drink…then you are already doing better than most Canadian Aboriginal children.

First Nations

Aboriginal, Indian Act Leave a comment

If you want to help others, you have to help home first. Some First Nations dont have CLEAN running water, living with boil-water-advisories is the norm. Some First Nations have to “export” their young to receive a “quality education.” This recent Toronto Star article prompted this blog!

Its not that they (the First Nations) dont care, they just dont know how to care about anything else but the way they live now: alcoholism, low budgets, isolation from the rest of the world. Just to name a few. If you are going to blame the First Nations for their problems, blame their leaders. They are the ones that control the budgets, control the spending and control the financial statements. First Nation LEADERS not First Nation citizens themselves need to be held accountable for what happens to their own community.

I believe it is time to re-write the Indian Act. This legislation needs to change with the changing face of First Nations!

Helpless?

Aboriginal, book Leave a comment

Helpless is the new book title written by what is labelled as “anti-native” journalist.

The author claims this book to be about how the law has “failed to protect its citizens equally.”

At time of publication of Prof. Marguerite E. Moore’s Title Searching & Conveyancing in Ontario 6th ed. (April 2010), the Registry Act and the Land Titles Act “do not recognize Aboriginal Title or rights claims to be a registerable interest…[making] it extremely difficult to search for and [sic] identity potential Aboriginal claims.” (p. 503, Moore 2010).

This law and this title go hand and hand but if the author is talking about the law failing non-aboriginals, then she is wrong; however if she is talking about Aboriginals being failed by the law, then it is by definition about Aboriginal land claims. It is these laws that continue to marginalize Aboriginals and their reoccuring quest to protect their identity in a country where laws are still in place that put Aboriginals issues and rights in the background of the creation and the foregoing of these types of laws.

Eventually I will get around to reading this book. Eventually I would love to meet with this author and at least talk to her about her experiences. Eventually I would like to change the way people view Aboriginals in Canada, moving away from negative images towards more positive images.

Aboriginals are not anarchists. Aboriginals are not part of nightmares. They are however angry and upset with their rights to land consistently being in jeopardy with the forever existence and new creations of laws.