Aboriginal Issues and the Carbon Tax -Opinion by Ken Gigliotti
Canada 200 is just around the corner and one of Canada's biggest issues since Canada 100 is its relationship with First Nation people. The relationship has got worse. We can't blame Donald Trump for that one. We blame politics, we are just the taxpayer. The treasury department has developed an aboriginal bureaucracy to speak its own language back to itself. The mumble of bureaucracy has got louder and louder. Problems that were thought to addressed get worse and worse at the grass roots level.
The media struggles. Canada's peace corps could be working ,just outside the fort. News photographers see things from many angles ,we also work just outside the fort of the newspaper industry.We have never been red coats or blue coats but we have worked for both. Our work is problem solving their thinking.
Problem solving must begin,first and foremost is in the hearts of Canadians. We must recognize that we are all Canadians. We all have a part to play. Going down the political path has led us too this terrible state were some parts of the population are beginning not to care. This is the most dangerous path.
The apology the federal government to aboriginal people fell short by a long shot. Little known facts about apology is they have three parts.
First a person has to recognize they were wrong, then they have to be sorry , after that is a pledge that it will not happen again. An apology is a pledge.
In general when looking at Aboriginal issues we see colour, if you take a colour blind approach the issues seem to become clearer.
Trust is a big issue , but it comes later, it is something that is hard to earn but is gone in a split second when betrayed. Lets leave trust out of it.
The Winnipeg issue with racism is less a problem that an issue of violence. Racism is more a product of segregation, something seen from a distance. The , First Nation Reserves ,the North End and inner city are more or less segregated zones that operate fairly smoothly until sexual abuse/spousal violence ,gangs, and drugs begin to win. These areas are filled with good people and they are working towards solutions in very creative ways.
Racism can be in someones heart and can be seen by that person as a problem over there, not over here. It is virtual and vaporous.
Actual violence has deep consequence in violent acts, collateral damage and injury and death, long term implications jail ,recovery from injuries.
Actual violence is the biggest issue , and the mounting list of murdered and missing women native and non native is a big number.
The political answer is more money for woman's problems. This treats the symptoms but not the cause. This approach gets good press for bureaucracies.
Injured people need help. But ,the cause needs to be addressed, men are the problem. Aboriginal and non aboriginal men need programs too, respect for women education should be mandatory in all schools starting in elementary systems. The education system needs to have programs that emphasize co operation and it needs to start early. Start with coed dance, people who dance learn to cooperate. It is the start ,boys need to be introduced to girls in a cooperative and meaningful way. High school is too late.Boys who do not dance end up drinking all night at parties as girls dance with each other. Their lives could be so different. Drinking/drugs have already started , media especially music and video has has created negative and violent norms that without a strong base of knowledge are impossible to counter act.
Men are the root problem, no need for a study. Fix men and everything falls into place.
First Nation men have the closest contact to native women and children, according to RCMP stats. Native women coming or fleeing First Nations get involved in the sex trade at younger and younger ages. Men are the main issue. The first Winnipeg aboriginal child street gang was said to have noble intentions , to protect the girls from biker gangs.
First Nations need safe house for women and children on reserve and in the city.
Security is more important than democracy, something we have learned from refugees fleeing war in the Middle East.
Security in the North End is handled by city police but there are trust issues, but the Bear Clan as citizen patrol is offering a hands on , grass roots solution to security problems. The Bear Clans is a good defense against gangs,and gangs are known on almost every First Nation community and the drugs they bring make things even worse. Literally hockey bags of drugs are sent easy by commercial planes to the First Nations. Drug money and a literal sex trade for drugs is a destructive influence that needs a strong response in these very small communities were a small group of bullies can take over. The take over of First Nations by bullies has many side effects that include the forcible joining of gangs, forcible joining of the sex trade , drug abuse and suicide.
Children are driven to suicide by things very clear and present.
Men are the problem, men need help. This is another movement from the city to the First Nation and its as hard to get rid of as TB and other European disease.
Housing and water. Housing has a shared Red/White colour scheme. Did I say scheme? Building lots have to be prepared before building can take place. This has been a stumbling block.
Lets bring a less colorful solution. Habitat for Humanity Housing has been very successful in Winnipeg's North End and sweat equity has been a big part , it stimulates volunteerism. A volunteer mounted training of local and a work ready Habitat veterans could be a Bear Clan like solution to house building in remote First Nations. Temporary refugee like tent centers could be built for large groups of volunteers from the south, involving the army and air force as well as the navy .
Many houses can be built.
Financing should come from the Carbon Tax because real carbon saving could be realized by wind and solar/geothermal experiments on a large scale could be very successful , eliminating diesel currently needed. All First nations could benefit from the new tax.
These solutions would all take time , 50 years with a hard sundown clause and penalties are needed. Just thinking out loud. Opinion by Ken Gigliotti.
Topic: Canada 200- Aboriginal Issues and the Carbon Tax (Read 1184 times)