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"They're not even from our community," said poor Joy McGregor, beseiged Slave Lake councillor trying to find a solution to the homeless natives who are taxing the community's resources.  "I know that sounds horrible and there'll be people that will be all over down my throat for it, but they have to be accountable," she unwisely continued.

Boy, was she right!

She was vilified by other natives, who stood up for the rights of homeless natives to stay homeless, drunk and drug-addled and live off others.  Poor woman.  "We need to work to get them home.  We need to stop being so nice to them.  We need to stop feeding them.  We need to stop doing these wonderful things," she logically continued.  

Wow!  Doomed and damned!  As an aside, B is on a site called The British Raj, because he and his family were part of it in India for 200 years.  Something innocuous he wrote triggered rage in a North American native, who screamed in CAPS at him about how the, "Whites stole all her people's money!!"  Gee, you learn something every day!  

But back to Ms. McGregor.  Pointing out that homeless natives were using a local college's phone-charging stations, stealing hand sanitizer and drinking it, the woebegone Ms. McGregor was attacked and pounced upon by her fellow natives.  

Hemmed in on all sides, she sadly issued an apology.  Too bad.  What did the Driftpile Cree Nation say?  Well, of course they harkened back to first principles:  "What is manifesting as homelessness and/or drug and alcohol addiction today is the direct result of our people's forced disconnection from our land, culture and community by Canadian colonization."  The old "C" word out in force again.  (Note:  How they can be disconnected from their land when they live on it stymies me?) 

"We raise these facts because we believe it is important that we begin with an understanding of the role colonial policies and practices have played -- and continue to play -- in creating the current situation and that we move forward with a shared responsibility for fixing the issues that have been created," the statement went on.

OMG!  The problem is that his statement, and countless others over decades, gives natives who choose that lifestyle a handy excuse to keep living it.  

Will they ever get off the same old song-and-dance?!  No.  As long as they stay on reserves to collect money and as long as they have nothing to do, nothing will change.