I have six words.... you have got to be kidding!
The reporter asked the Minister if he agreed with Paul Martin and Brian Mulroney that life on reserves was shameful or some such thing. His response was to explain that he has spent more time on reservations than most non-Native people and went on to complain that he had inherited a mess from the previous government.
Really? How insightful. (Although I'd prefer to spell that inciteful.)
For someone with his background, you'd think he could do better.
I'm sure that he has inherited a mess. Imagine how badly he'd feel if he was living there. What an inheritance that would be.
The thing is that every government has inherited a whopping challenge. The reason for that is because each government does its best to ignore the issue.
I mean it's not really mainstream, is it? Not a heck of a lot of votes there.
But, here's the thing.
Let's pretend for a second, that aboriginal peoples wanted to sell their lands and that Europeans wanted to buy it. (I said, let's pretend... I didn't say it was going to be easy.)
Now, let's pretend that a negotiated deal was made to purchase the land... say like when you go to buy a car. You say, I'd like this one in red. The salesperson says great. That'll be $25,000. You say: Whoa! Too much. Would you take $19,900? And so on. Eventually, an agreed upon price is reached. You pay this amount and drive away in a new car.
So, let's say instead of cash, we pay for the land in agricultural equipment, livestock, domestic supplies and a promise to supply education, housing, and access to other land in perpetuity.
Papers are signed. Hands are shaken. A deal is struck.
The purchasers take the land. The retailers receive payment.
How difficult a concept is this?
Quit frigging around!
If successive governments would stop wasting taxpayers' money on fighting land claims and other agreements -- which they inevitably lose -- we could all live happily ever after.
Think of the millions upon millions of dollars spent fighting losing battles while people continue to live in poverty. Here, in Canada. Your neighbours are living in poverty with no hope of anything better.
And this has an impact on our reputation internationally.
Many Canadians took pride in being ranked as the best place in the world to live for most of the 1990s. The rankings (The Human Development Index) are published annually by the UN, and rates countries according to quality of life rather than just economic achievements. The criteria include life expectancy, educational attainment, and adjusted real income.
Did you know that 2000 was the last year that Canada ranked number one in the HDI? In 2001, Canada slipped to third place and in 2003, to eighth . In 2004, we recovered slightly and placed fourth.
Want to know why?
Let's have a look at findings in the U.N. report for 2004. (http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2004/07/15/UNlisting_040715.html)
"The paper also highlighted the creation of Nunavut as an example to follow. It applauded Canada for negotiating "self-governing territories."
"Canada did get a few black marks. The report criticized the country's 'inequalities in income, education and health' and said that it was detrimental to marginal groups. Canada was lumped in with in South Africa and Guatemala in this case."
Does this scare anyone aside from me? That Canada is being compared to South Africa and Guatemala in terms of how we treat our marginalized groups?
In April 2006, the UN issued a news release that warned Canada its ranking would drop to 48th if judged on the "economic and social well-being of its First Nations people."
“Poverty, infant mortality, unemployment, morbidity, suicide, criminal detention, children on welfare, women victims of abuse, child prostitution, are all much higher among aboriginal people than in any other sector of Canadian society,” said the report issued by the UN Human Rights Commission.
“Economic, social and human indicators of well-being, quality of life and development are completely lower among aboriginal people than other Canadians,” said UN special investigator Rodolfo Stavenhagen , who also warns the housing, health and suicide situation is reaching crisis proportions.
Stavenhagen said the condition of aboriginal people in the country was : "the most pressing human rights issue facing Canada.”
Among the problems highlighted in the report:
- Poverty affects 60 per cent of aboriginal children.
- The annual income of aboriginal people is “significantly lower” than other Canadians.
- Unemployment is very high among aboriginals.
- 20 per cent of aboriginal people have inadequate water and sewer systems.
- Aboriginals make up 4.4 per cent of the Canadian population but account for 17 per cent of the people in prison.
- Cases of tuberculosis are six times higher than the rest of Canada.
These are our people. Our neighbours. Our family.
Do you think we can stop whining about whose fault it is and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT?
Today?
Get involved. Visit the Assembly of First Nations website (link on right of page) and sign the petition against poverty. Write to Jim Prentice (address two postings down).
Let's get things going. Votes and voices count.
Colleen
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