Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Canadian Aboriginals Speak out in Iran

Canadian Aboriginal chiefs were in Iran this week to explain to the Iranian government that Canada has the worst human rights abuses on record.

You need to see this video:

http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/world/archives/2012/10/20121015-132723.html

Then hear the other side:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/Lakritz+Jaunt+Iran+does+First+Nations+favours/7399705/story.html
Posted by at

5 comments:

  1. HannzyOctober 20, 2012 at 5:27 PM

    Two former Manitoba First Nations chiefs appeared on Iranian television Sunday to praise the Iranian government while making claims about Canada’s apparent attempt to “exterminate” aboriginal people. The two men gave credibility to a theory about 600 alleged murdered and missing First Nation women in Iran, tied to Canada’s alleged efforts to wipe the aboriginal population entirely.
    The Harper government immediately dismissed the comments. Noting, it has taken several steps to create conditions for healthier, more self-sufficient First Nation communities since he took power in 2006. (1)
    Taking a closer look at these policies reveals the advantages First Nations peoples in Canada have. For example, Status Indians are exempt from paying taxes under Section 87 of the Indian Act. The Indian Act, passed in 1876 and changed several times since, was in place far before the Confederation so many policies of this Act are still into play in current day. Like many employed Canadians, unemployed aboriginal peoples benefit under federal programs including health coverage. They enjoy the Child Tax Benefit, Old Age Security, and Employment Insurance along with health care programs available to each individual province. (2) Also, Canadian aboriginals seeking post-secondary education often get into their courses tuition free. The government takes care of school-related expenses for First Nation people as well.
    Canadian First Nations peoples benefit in many ways that Canadians with ancestors originating in Europe do not. The accusations that the former Manitoba First Nations chiefs made against the Canadian government and praise towards the Iranian government is entirely misunderstood. These men are either incredibly insensitive towards the importance and advantage First Nations people have in this country, or they are completely delusional.

    (1)http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/world/archives/2012/10/20121015-132723.html

    (2)http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100016202/1100100016204

    ReplyDelete
  2. HannzyOctober 20, 2012 at 5:28 PM

    That is my post for this week, and once I published it, the indents I had applied are gone.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownOctober 21, 2012 at 6:00 PM

    This is my weekly post:

    Personally,I do not agree with Hannzy. I honestly do not blame these Aboriginal men for saying that Canada has the worse human rights on record. Looking back at Canada's history regarding the Aboriginal population, we have treated them terribly. Even if they have the benefits listed above, they are still at a major disadvantage.

    One example of how Aboriginal's have been treated is the Residential schools many were forced to attend. Children were torn away from their families to live at these schools, where they were physically and sexually abused. These children were beaten if they spoke their native language, instead of English and many lost the traditions of their families because of these schools. A lot of psychological harm was done on the children who suffered through it (1). The last residential school closed in 1996, which is not even that long ago! (1). In all honestly, if these were schools for non-aboriginal children, they would have been closed a lot earlier than these schools were! Apologies have been given out for the abuses suffered in the schools, but do people really think that takes away the pain? No, so I would not be surprised in some Aboriginals were still angry and resentful about them today.

    It was said above that the Aboriginals receive free health care, like every other Canadian. However, there is more than meets the eye on this. While they do receive free health care, they still have to pay for the plane ride that takes them to the hospital, which is normally in Ottawa. The Aboriginal communities up North have the highest number of low-income people throughout Canada. Yet, we expect them to be able to pay for plane tickets to and from another province each time they need a doctor? It does not make sense. It is because of this that only 40% of Aboriginal’s are able to see a Doctor once a year, compared to the 70% of Non-Aboriginal people in Canada (3&4).Aside from the health care, they also receive 22% less money in their Child Tax Benefit than non-Aboriginal Canadians (4). Also, many of them cannot access education as easily as other Canadian`s, since many do not have the money to fly to another province and live there. So are their health, school and child benefits really advantages? No, they are not.

    In regards to the living conditions in Aboriginal communities, they are terrible. In 2005, Kashechewan, Aboriginal communities in Ontario, had to be evacuated because of E. coli contaminated water (4). They are not the only community who has complained of this either. Aside from the water, they are having the highest number of suicide rates in Canada and the lowest standard of living in Canada (2&3). One example of this is in one community where 21 people, from nine-twenty three, comminuted suicide within a month (4). Also, in a normal house you can find four-five families living in one three bedroom house together (4). Lastly, a woman’s life expectancy in Aboriginal communities up north is 14 years less than a non-Aboriginal woman’s (3). When looking at this information, these people are most definitely being abused. There is nothing else you can call this treatment, and it is no wonder they have resentment towards the Canadian government. I probably would too if my people have been treated this way.
    (1) http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2008/05/16/f-faqs-residential-schools.html
    (2) http://digitaljournal.com/article/274825
    (3) http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2004/09/13/health_natives040913.html
    (4) http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2007/02/06/fontaine-speech.html

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownOctober 21, 2012 at 6:51 PM

    This is my weekly post
    As Hannzy said, the Native Peoples of Canada have currently enjoy exceptions on all forms of taxes, free post-secondary tuition, privileges that are not given to ANY of the other people that have been wronged in our history. What about the Chinese slaves that were used to build our railroads? These Chinese slave labourers were paid around a dollar a day(50 cents to $1.50 less than white workers) and were also forced to pay for their food " As well as being paid less, Chinese workers were given the most back-breaking and dangerous work to do"(1) Why is there no compensation for these people that were treated so poorly? With their extremely low salaries these slaves could not even afford fresh fruits and vegetables so many of these slave labourers suffered and died from scurvy. While the Canadian government issued a formal apology to the Chinese people for their abuse in 2006(2) Chinese people don't have any tax or tuition benefits to speak of.

    Throughout history empires have formed on the blood of the fallen, can we really ever undo any of this? How many people need to receive benefits for the suffering of their ancestors before our government cuts out these ridiculous programs. While Europeans did pillage and destroy many native communities has our generation personally done anything of that sort ? Our government literally throws money and benefits at natives to this day and social and health problems are rife in Native communities. Alcohol and substance abuse are widely regarded as the foremost problems on most reserves, with alcohol-related deaths accounting for up to 80% of the fatalities on some reserves. Aboriginal involvement with the criminal system is quite woeful as well. "Nearly three-quarters of aboriginal males will have been incarcerated in a correctional center at some point in their lives by the age of 25" (3) This proves that the way to solve a problem is not by throwing money at it. It would seem that it actually is detrimental to most problems if that money is not used effectively and social problems such as drug abuse and incarceration are exponentially worse the more money that is poured into "fighting" them. Our government really needs to take a long, hard look at how we treat our social and health problems throughout Canadian communities, Native or otherwise.

    (1)http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/settlement/kids/021013-2031.3-e.html
    (2)http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?category=2&id=1220%7C22
    (3)http://www.yorku.ca/lfoster/2009-10/HRES3890/lectures/AboriginalPeople_AsaSocial%20Problem.html

    ReplyDelete
  5. UnknownJanuary 3, 2013 at 9:14 AM

    This is my post for this week...
    While I agree with what Terrence Nelson said, I don't agree that Stephen Harper or the Canadian government at present is trying to eradicate aboriginal peoples. The plight of native people in Canada has been underestimated by the average Canadian. Without seeing how these people have had to live, and had to alter their cultural and traditional beliefs and be oppressed, we cannot judge. Our opinion is almost irrelevant when it comes to the native peoples without having lived like they have. In the past, our European ancestors were absolutely cruel and brutal to the indigenous peoples. They brought disease, they pillaged and raped their natural resources and they removed them and displaced them throughout the country on to reserves which minimized the natives' opportunities to continue living life as they normally lived. Personally, I believe the most horrendous act was the removal of native children from their families to residential schools where in many cases they were forced to speak English and practice Catholicism, ultimately giving up their culture. The physical and emotional abuse these children suffered at the hands of our ancestors; I get it. This is why I can understand and tolerate Terrence Nelson's hatred towards our government and the way his people have been, or are being, treated currently. But PRESENTLY, I do not believe Stephen Harper is attempting to eradicate indigenous people from Canada. In June 2008 he made a public apology regarding the residential schools and treatment of native children within those schools(1). I hope that after this, our government can further our native relations and better them.

    (1): http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2008/06/11/pm-statement.html

    ReplyDelete

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