This will never see the light of day

 I don't know who this chap is, but I completely agree with him.  Another must read, in my opinion:

They stand towering skyward and majestically dominating the Great Hall of the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec … on the shore of the Ottawa River, across from the Parliament Buildings. Totems … rising as high as 13 meters … most of them from the Pacific coast … and, although I am not First Nation, I always feel a certain pride as a British Columbian whenever I see them.  They are breathtaking in their beauty.

But on my last visit, three weeks ago, I noticed something startling.  The descriptive explanations beneath the poles spoke of their meaning and the way they paid tribute to Great Chiefs, who possessed not only power and riches … but also slaves.  Slaves?  Yes, slaves … according to anthropological researchers, something quite common historically amongst West Coast First Nations.  UBC has a published treatise on it: Aboriginal Slavery on the Northwest Coast of North America;  Wikipedia has outlined the practice in detail: “Some of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, such as the Haida and Tlingit, were traditionally known as fierce warriors and slave-traders, raiding as far as California. Slavery was hereditary, the slaves being prisoners of war and their descendants were slaves.^[9] Some nations in British Columbia continued to segregate and ostracize the descendants of slaves as late as the 1970s.”

And there was this revealing expose, not for the faint of heart, from respected Vancouver Sun columnist Douglas Todd: https://vancouversun.com/news/staff-blogs/buried-truths-about-aboriginal-culture.  BC First Nations were slave holders.  Of course, that was mostly a long time ago … the 1800s, the 1900s, but there were thousands.  Where are their graves?  Did their First Nations Masters and Owners of those poor, abused unfortunates leave their burial places unmarked?

But the damage from their actions/abuse/victimization affected descendent survivors right up until the 1970s!  Just like the Residential Schools.

As part of Reconciliation, shouldn’t the First Nations also be looking for where their own slaves were unceremoniously buried?  How many of them were abused, tortured?  Which Chiefs/bands were the worst human rights abusers? The truth should come out!  Apparently, it’s okay to tear down statues of Canadian historical figures going back to the 1800s (or even Christopher Columbus!) and demand apologies; shouldn’t the First Nations answer for and apologize for having had and mistreating slaves and their wives/children too?

Shouldn’t BC First Nations leaders tell these slaves’ descendants WHERE ARE THEIR RELATIVES UNMARKED GRAVES?  That’s the problem with the current Truth and Reconciliation process: it’s totally one-sided.  It’s a sham and many believe a scam.  Since history tells us these descendants were mistreated by First Nations right up “as late as the l970s”, shouldn’t the First Nations pay compensation to the slaves’ descendants, who they segregated, ostracized and no doubt psychologically traumatized?

After all, Canada is supposedly dealing now with truth and Reconciliation …. requiring examination and self-examination by ALL Canadians … including the First Nations.  But where are the historic truths being discussed about the First Nations’ human rights abuses across Canada?

Historians say the First Nations not only took/kept slaves but even enslaved their children as well.  Surely the descendants of these First Nations’ victims deserve apologies and compensation … from the First Nations themselves … not Ottawa.  These truths too must be addressed as part of any real Reconciliation.  Many Canadians see it as little more than a one-way shakedown.

The politicians may pretend not to have noticed, but the “people” see it: how every call for “reconciliation” and “healing” is also accompanied by “and give us more cash” demand in some form?  Not just for actual victims, but generations beyond … 100 years later!  Certainly, those who suffered personal or direct injury/trauma attending Residential Schools, for example, deserve care, compassion and compensation.

But the other day, I saw a First Nations band member on television, born well after the last Residential schools closed, claiming he and his daughter, about 12 years old, are suffering from “multi-generational psychological damage”.

It does look like a modern day shakedown … taking advantage of today’s naïve “do-gooders” and pandering politicians.

At some point, our politicians are going to have to develop some backbone and start saying “NO” to these constant demands for multi-generational “compensation” for manufactured, invented or even self-inflicted damages and traumas.  And the cowardly Canadian “national” media should start doing its job as well: reporting historical blemishes/wounds on ALL sides; questioning the ever-escalating demands for “reconciliation” money for/by generations of First Nations not even born, affected by or living anywhere near residential schools; and, maybe even question details of how/where the billions already handed out have been spent?

The goal of “Truth and Reconciliation” should be to bring all Canadians together, to respect each other, to move forward together … not just be a one-way street for activists or scammers to develop new ways for First Nations to cash in for unwarranted millions from Ottawa and the provinces.

And if they really do believe in true reconcilation, First Nations’ leaders should acknowledge, apologize for their own historic failings … and pay compensation to the descendants of their former slaves, who they harmed, segregated and ostracized for generations.

Harv Oberfeld