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Time to counter the exploitation of indigenous peoples

Canada’s history awash with crimes against First Nations Rabble Ca  By Gerry Caplan

| July 29, 2013 “………There’s been a lot of talk recently of Canada being guilty of genocidal policies against its Indian population. One Globe and Mail op-ed. gave several shake-your-heads examples of these, concluding with “the uncomfortable truth that modern Canada is founded upon ethnic cleansing and genocide.” I teach about the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, and even a quick glance at the document reveals that such accusations are by no means reckless hyperbole. Since we began as a nation, as the Assembly of First Nations said last week, we have treated aboriginals as “less than human.” That’s precisely what allows genocidal policies to be pursued.

Heavy stuff, for sure. And extremely un-Canadian. Aboriginal-wise, I’m afraid, the conceit of Canada as the caring-sharing peaceable kingdom has been plain old malarkey from Day One. As the record makes only too clear, the right words would actually include racist, cruel and hypocritical.

But look, we need a perspective here. Before we wallow too much in knee-jerk Canadian guilt, remember that this is simply how white settlers treated “less than human” aboriginals wherever in the world they chose to intrude, from Australia to South Africa, South America, Central America, the Caribbean, the USA and right here in Canada. Altogether, as scholars will tell you, it’s the chronicle of the worst genocides in human history…………

So those with power keep repeating century-old mistakes, mostly because they refuse to change the basic relationship between whites and Indians (to use Tom King’s terms) to one of respectful partnerships between equals. That’s what should make us shudder and shake our heads, but it hardly counts as new news.

And yet, besides the monotonous horror stories, there are all the many positive initiatives across the country that rarely make the news at all, accounts of First Nations people who are fighting back thoughtfully, peacefully, creatively. They’re mad as hell and clever as hell and won’t take it any more. Now all they need is for the rest of us to join in putting pressure on a government that’s devoted to the rights of energy and mining companies instead of the rights of our founding peoples…..

August 2, 2013 - Posted by | general

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