One little, two little, three little Indians....

Flipping open today's local paper I came across three different takes on what it means to be an aboriginal in Canada today. Amazingly, or not, each was completely different. The first was a letter-to-the-editor by a man talking about the many unique privileges afforded Canadian aboriginals. He cited everything from the non-payment of taxes and the many lawless road blockades to the smuggling and other criminal activities that are tolerated by the authorities simply because....well, simply because they are. This gent's bottom line was that unlike the rest of us, aboriginals consider themselves outside of and above the laws you and I have to obey. He concluded by noting that "the litany of apologies by federal and provincial governments for attempting to bring aboriginals into the Canadian mainstream furthers this notion...yet we hear a constant stream of accusations from partisan groups that the royal treatment accorded them is not enough." Well, no argument from me on that one. I nearly wrote a letter myself, but restrained myself (for the moment).

The second was an article by Matthew Coon Come, grand chief of the James Bay Cree and former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations. Now, if ever there was a guy with a vested interest in keeping his portion of the $8 unaccountable billion we give the natives every year -- yes, every year -- I'd say Mr. Coon Come qualifies. Anyway, his bottom line was that Canadians have been guilty of centuries of both official and unofficial "genocide, ethnic cleansing and cultural destruction". He asserts that unless all Canadians keep discussing this travesty and tragedy, reconciliation "will remain a distant and difficult goal." He is also including the residential schools and their original (legitimate) victims. The thing I have a big problem with is that most of the "victims" in the media today are two and three generations removed from the actual events??!! How does this work? Many people have experienced abuse, but encouraging it to continue to drag people down generations later is simply irresponsible. In fact it is complete b-llsh-t. I'd wager that Mr. Coon Come and his fellows have had a big, guilty hand in the genocide, ethnic cleansing and cultural destruction of their own people.

Before he gets to his conclusion, he rants, weeps and wails about "the oppressive laws and policies that resulted in the withholding of such essentials as clean water and education". Last time I checked, it is the native leaders themselves who withhold these necessities by not passing on the money to their band members. Simplistic, I admit, but when Ottawa gives the money carte-blanche to the native leaders and their people continue to suffer on and off reserve, where else can you point the finger? It always amazes me that the natives can't see this reality?! Now and then, a few band members will organize, hold a press conference and demand accountability from their leaders, but these fizzle and fade.

The third was an article tucked away on the back page entitled 'First Nations Women encouraged to pursue science'. Now this was a fabulous article. It featured a woman named Becky Code who graduated with a B.Sc. in geology and geophysics from the University of Manitoba. She did this thanks in part to a program called "Operation Minerva", run by the Alberta Women's Science Network, which encourages young aboriginal girls as they pursue their education. The successful graduates then become mentors to younger girls and so pass on the keys to a better life. This network also offers scholarships to woman for study in science and engineering with some targeted specifically to aboriginal women. Challenges and barriers for native girls are met head-on -- especially for those living on-reserve, who have to take a bus to classes. Living on-reserve means there is a disconnect between how they view their future opportunities. As we see so often, living on-reserve means drug and alcohol abuse, teenaged motherhood and suicide. Operation Minerva works against these demons to keep these girls in school. Too bad this article was hidden on a back page. I would have liked to have seen it juxtaposed right beside Matthew Coon Come's wail.

So, instead of following Mr. Coon Come's mantra and continuing to lament the dismal pasts of their grandmothers and great-grandmothers, these young women are getting off the reserve and into a productive life for their own children and grandchildren. Bravo to them!