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This could go on for some time yet.
Justin Trudeau meets with hunger striking chief Theresa Spence
OTTAWA — Like many Canadians, Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence spent a quiet Christmas morning with her family, opening presents with two of her five daughters.
But far from her home on James Bay, Spence entered the third week of a hunger strike Tuesday, an action she says won’t end until Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Gov. Gen. David Johnston agree to sit down and talk about Canada’s treaty relationship with First Nations leadership.
She did have a visitor on Boxing Day, however, Liberal Leadership hopeful Justin Trudeau came by to meet with the First Nations leader.
“It was deeply moving to meet [Theresa Spence] today. She is willing to sacrifice everything for her people. She shouldn’t have to,” Trudeau wrote on twitter.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/12/26/theresa-spence-justin-trudeau/
What percentage of Canada"s population is native? My guess is that it is less than 10%. Yet, you want equal representative to Prime Minister. Not going to happen.
Actually…approx 3.8 %
I seem to be mistaken as to where we were. I thought it was Canada. I thought the PM was a representative to all Canadians, not just to the majority of the population. I thought the little old white lady living in home by herself, or the Native person fighting for their rights, or even the multi-million dollar corporate owner were to be treated the same. But it won’t be the first time I’ve been told I aim high when it comes to life. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. I believe, if you aim for a 100% in whatever you do and because of life’s interferences you get 90% then that’s a fair average. Too many people though aim for 50% and come out with 40%. ‘Not going to happen’…..those are words that say someone has already lost, before it started.
Robert Herjavec immigrated to Canada with his parents; dirt poor. Arlene Dickinson - marriage dissolved leaving her a young single mom raising 4 kids. Jim Treliving wasn't well paid much as a young RCMP constable, and struggled to make mortgage payments.
LOL….I always enjoy people who in an effort to say something about other people decide to use the rare successes of a few people and suggest that everyone has the abilities of those people. It’s like saying “well what about that guy named Jed who lives in Beverly Hills. He started out living in the woods in an old shack and now he’s a multi-millionaire”. The key is to ‘really’ look behind what happened that took someone to success. It’s the little things few know about and are not told. Sometimes the success comes from as life often is.... it all boils down to being in the right place at the right time. In Herjavec’s case he was in the software business during it’s boom days. He made a deal that made him an overnight success, while others in the same businesses of the time lost everything when it went belly-up.
It is of note that Herjavec who made all his money in Canada….is now on the US version of Dragon’s Den. If you watch the show intro…there is no mention of Canada, nor even that he lives in Canada. Where is his loyalty to the country that gave him his start? I guess ABC didn’t want Canada mentioned so …Mr. Multi-millionaire agreed for the $$$$$$$.
I knew a Jewish business man that to this day I admire. However his truth behind his success is something few know about. He came from Germany after being in a death camp, where he lost most of his family. He came to Canada with zip in his pocket. So how did he become a multi-million dollar man in construction and development? The truth is in …..who he knew. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s a fact few know or mention. People help their ‘own’ and when he came to Canada he was helped by his wealthy Jewish friends at the synagogue. He was also helped by his partner who was strangely enough, a German developer with a lot of money. So to most people he is a man who came here with nothing and made himself a success. The whole truth however is as the old saying goes….’the devil is in the details’.
It is true that deep, deep down inside everyone in a sense has the abilities to be a success. The thing is other factors hinder that success and because not everyone is the same…..the end results are not the same. Success is like baking a good pie, all the ingredients have to be there. Take one ingredient out and the pie is a failure.
I have helped people start up businesses and some have succeeded and some have not. With those who didn’t I felt like a failure, as if I had let them down by not recognizing something and for years it bugged me. Then I met a successful man and he told me the answer and it was very simple….’some people just don’t have it in them’. There are people who want to own a huge contracting firm and there are people who are very happy just to lay the bricks. If everyone wanted to be the owner…..who would lay the bricks?
We are talking about Natives so allow me my view on it. I have been to many Reserves and I have been in many homes and met many families …..all too many to count. Sure I have seen homes that will never be in ‘Best Homes and Gardens’. I have been in homes that needed….cleaning. (I have also seen the same and more in white homes) I have been seen a lot…..and….being a businessman myself….it bothered me.
Then one day I was on a Rez and talking to a family and I mentioned how much land the Rez had. I went on to mention that there could be a lot of new homes and businesses there and the Native people could have a thriving area of Native crafts and art of all sorts. It could attract a Lot of tourists. At the time we were sitting outside on the front porch and it was a warm day and I watched the kids playing street hockey with a baseball. An elderly lady across the street was sitting on her porch doing beadwork. A man a couple of doors away was in his driveway repairing or making a new fishing net. Suddenly the elder of the clan looked at me and said softly ….”Quiet here isn’t it. Listen to the birds. I go for walks in those woods over there with my grandchildren and we see deer and fish in the stream and turtles.” I realized at that moment he was telling me something….and that is…..they are who they are and they are happy. Why should ‘I’ have the right to criticize them and say they should be like ‘me’, or be what 'our' society deems 'successful'. Who is anyone to have the right to say “change your life to be like us”…..build a subdivison….build up businesses and bring in thousands of people and take the serenity away …….for the god almighty $$$.
The Native people walk between two societies….theirs and the one forced on them and surrounds them in daily life.
Tell that to the residents of Caledonia.
The land that was taken in Caledonia was ‘being’ developed. It had been sold to contractors by the government and should ‘not’ have because there was an ongoing viable dispute over ownership. Would you buy property with an outstanding dispute over it? No one with a morsel of thought would do that. The dispute should have been settled first and then the land sold. Of course…..had you said you had documents that proved that you owned the land….it would probably be a different story, and if the government just turned around and sold it......you would be livid! Now pretend for a moment that you are a First Nations person in that area. Got the picture?
What did this small dispute cost Canadians? I can find figues that total $22 million
Take it up with the people who should not have sold the land in the first place…..your people….who make up Your government.
Not when it comes to kids openly drinking, smoking and gambling in front of parents. And, I am talking about kids, not teens. We regularly posted a parent at the snack bar at the ball diamond. The natives were asking our kids if they wanted cigarettes and lottery tickets.
So? You really need to see more places. Suggestion....Kipps Lane area at night.
I’ve been to many Rez’s and never, never seen that happen. Personally….I think this is being overblown for effect.
In my job, I dealt with like-minded natives all over the province and in Quebec.
When I worked with the Italians…..I met many ‘like-minded’ Italians. So did that make them ‘all’ the same? No. Do you see me posting stories about Italians? I know many 'white' contractors that are such thieves it would be too many to mention here....but it that representative of All white contractors? No. Would you like some stories about my years in the synagogue and what I seen and heard? LOL…..if I told them…..I would be crucified and all the 'labels' would be flying like bullets. But, but, but…..it’s ok to talk about Natives? LOL
entire countries become addicted to handouts
Try to understand this. The Native people were the original owners of this land. The white man took the land, destroyed their traditions, outlawed many traditions, murdered many Native people, took their children and destroyed the fabric of their families for generations. What they get, is not ‘welfare’….this is ‘justice’. But you would have to actually live it…….to understand it.
Maybe this can help you. WW2 what happened to the Jewish people in 'Germany'. Then they were given a whole country….and innocent people were thrown off their land to give them that country, and then Israel was given billions of dollars from other countries and military help to make them one of the strongest military countries in the world and all in a span of a short 50 years. All because of what happened to them in another country while people looked the other way when it was happening. If Israel deserves this in the minds of some people because some other race of people committed crimes against them…..then what do the ‘First’ Nations people of Canada deserve in their.... 'own' country? If you believe in war and taking the spoils of war....then give Palestine back to the Palestinian people and give the people in Israel ....Germany.
I hope that clears all this up.
To See people as a Whole Struggling look down the street anywhere in the world .. My life and My Families life is just as Important as anyone regardless of Land and Culture and for one country to give and give well there are 100,000's of people in canada struggling the native Americans want to concentrate on them specifically due to land.
The reason the land is so important brand is because it is theirs in the first place and where they were later forced to live by the white man. The land is everything to Native people. It is their heritage and their traditions and in many cases their livelihoods.
If the land is taken away then the only thing left to do is go amongst the people who have taken everything else from them. At that point they get dispersed and they slowly lose their identity. Certainly you have heard of places like ‘little Italy’ and ‘Greek town’ and ‘China town’ etc etc etc. Why do they exist?…..because people want to be amongst their own especially in a new land. It’s a way of preserving who they are because they are proud of who they are. When it comes to the Native people however….they are not in a new land….they are on their land and they want to keep every inch of it for the present generation and generations to follow. Surely that is fair!
It is not always about history and I can tell you right now there is way more other cultures having just as many struggles if not more.
You are correct in a sense. Take the Irish for example…..fought 500 years for their land and rights by the same people who took the First Nations land…..and …..the Irish won. The same for the people of India and for the people of the Middle East and the people of China….all during the ‘colonialism invasions’ of other nations. It has always been the greedy and those without conscience who have subjugated the minorities.
We all Have hardships no matter what culture we are so maybe it's time we join and act as if were all the same because well all have the exact same struggles and no one life in more important then another.
Interesting thought. Well my guess is, when the First Nations people of Canada see equality and justice then they may be willing to consider that. However in the past and in the present…..the government wants to keep taking and taking and taking and a lot of people applaud and support them. That is certainly……..not balanced.
but the same can be send for many of cultures and people .. Valid points but nothing worse then many others
Just out of curiosity, could you show me where the British have lost land and their traditions and culture and their children taken from them and never got them back? How about the French, the Spanish, the Russians, the list goes on and on and on…..and how about the Germans……even after all they did in WW2 and all that their country was responsible for….they were allowed to have their country back and they kept their language and heritage.
In the meantime back at the ranch…..the First Nations people of N. America lost nearly everything and the Palestinian people lost everything. Tell me one country where the people were systematically murdered and taken off their land, and never got it back in recent history? The only ones I can think of are the Palestinians, the Kurds, and the Native people of N. America. Oh….almost forgot….the Jewish people lost everything in WW2…..but....... we gave them a whole new country, because a god said it was theirs.
hereiam…..the question is simple. A question I have asked many, many times and only received one reply.
If the people complaining about the Native people had land …..lets say 300 years ago….and it was shown that the land was theirs…..the land and the streams and the forests all belonged to them……would they want it back? Would they feel it was rightfully theirs and that of their family and future generations? And if the people who took the land killed their people and took their children and made laws to eradicate their history and traditions and language….would they just say “oh well, that’s the way the cookie crumbles and you can keep the land that my family rightful owns and I’ll sit here in my little home or little apartment or townhouse and just give it all to you”? LOL….hardly. They would be out there hiring lawyers and taking it to the Supreme court of Canada because they would want………Justice! And if the conditions were right and they had enough people behind them they would go to plan B...lock and load.
But when it comes to the First Nations people in Canada….their answers to the Native people are….
- ''Water under the bridge, long time ago, forget about it.''
- ''Move on.''
- ''You lost….tough!''
- ''Other people have to suffer so why can’t you be the same?!''
The problem with some people in Canada who support what has been done past and present to the Native people is…….they have lost NOTHING!
And when it comes to the Native people's fight for justice...there are people in Canada who are like little kids and when little Johnny down the street got a new car they want to know why they can’t they have one also? Bottom line………jealousy and greed……period! It’s a common human trait….certainly not our best one and certainly one that has caused more grief, death and anger since the dawn of mankind around the world. But it is indispensable, that if we are to step further away from the tree we crawled out of…..that we recognize the rights of others and as the old saying goes……..’do unto them as you would have them do unto you’.
Simple.
The Native people are not giving up....they're just warming up.
