We're Not Always Right

Cheif Perry Bellegarde: Image from Yahoo News

I often paint a pretty picture of my country, It's something that I truly believe, Canada is a glorious and beautiful nation. Sometimes though, Canada can be a dark place, because of US. It's something that needs to changed. It may not happen over night, but we've got a younger generation. A generation we need to raise right.

When you talk about racism, many people think about Black on White and the dirty south. These days they think of the old KKK and crooked cops in the good old U.S of A but what about up here, in the land of ICE & SNOW, Maple Syrup and the finest Hockey on the planet. It's Native Americans who face the brunt of our racial attitudes and it's not RIGHT.

Now many people sit down and moan about how those who are Native American simply mooch of our system. Let me tell you why that's stupid.

Yes there are Native Americans on social assistence, but there are certainly a hell of a lot of non-aboriginal people on social assitence. Just like there are a lot of non-aboriginal people who aren't relying on  governement assitane, there are aboriginal people. Yes there are some people from all races, cultures ect that probably cheat the system, you can't call the kettle black when you're the matching china.

I hear people from students to parents complain about how aboriginal children qualify for scholarships that other children don't. That is kind of funny, because Gay or Bisexual children have scholarships, bursaries and grants available to them, that are not to other children. There are scholarships just for children of parents who work for certain companies, children of certain races, children who play certain sports, instruments, boy scouts and heck there are even ones available for girls but not boys.

Now I'll be honest, Aboriginals do have some tax immunity. That might piss people off, but it's still pretty dumb. Our country and essentially what would be our people drove aboriginals from their homes, took advantage of their technological lacks and tried to assimilate and destroy their culture.

Ever hear of Cobalt Ontario? Well that is what you call a you call a minningTown with rich silver veins. As soon as that vein was found during the construction of a railway in 1903 and Indian Land Title was Estinguished. We took what was theirs in so many ways through out history that a little kick back on taxes is the least we can do.

Let's face it, all lives matter. People are beautiful no matter what wrapping paper they come in. Yes wrapping paper can be very pretty and it makes us different and we need to love that, but we all need to remember all people are precious gifts. Maybe we should start teaching that in schools and one day, maybe while I'm still alive we won't there won't be so many missing and murdered aboriginals, or those denied basic human compassion. All children will be in nice schools, with books in good condition that are full of love and compassion for all.

It's time people stop complaiinging about the problems and work toward being the change they want to see in the world. Maybe we can't fix our past, all of our pasts but we can sure as hell build a beautiful future. Because it's not our world, it's the world we're borrowing from our children.

Young Aboriginal Children at Play: Image from national collaboration center for aboriginal health

Aboriginal Youth Hockey Team: Little Native Hockey League

Take a quck look at these two pictures, tell me beyond a different skin tone and some culturally unique things that these children are different from yours. Tell me how your children deserve more than the children of aboriginal parents? You can't, because they don't. Because all children deserve to be loved, the security of a warm and loving home and knowing their is a warm meal for their tummies. They deserve neighbours who care for them and children to play with.

Let's start building a better world, for all our children and painting in some more light in Canada's darker parts.