Blame Where It's Due
Another isolated native reserve come to the fore with the horrifying bullying death by young aboriginal children of an even younger child. A six-year-old boy bullied by three slightly older boys into disrobing, into entering a lake, into death by drowning. The community of Pauingassi in Manitoba is an dreadfully troubled one, reflecting a situation seen in many other Native reserves in Canada.
The vast majority of the adults are alcoholics, although Pauingassi is a 'dry' reserve. A former band councilor was found guilty of selling banned liquor to residents. Solvent abuse is endemic among the reserve's youth. A large percentage of the children are welfare wards because of parental indifference and neglect. Including abuse while the parents are under the influence of alcohol - which appears to be always.
Fetal alcohol syndrome is a common affliction among young people on the reserve. Children, thirteen years of age and older have commonly acquired sexually transmitted diseases. The rate of domestic violence, sexual abuse, promiscuity, family break-ups and deviant sexual behaviour is endemic and wide-spread. It's 'normal' for the reserve.
This is a reserve that has gone into receivership. A reserve where a former chief was convicted of fraud. This is the ultimate dystopian society. What hope is there for children born into such a society? Children are born to young women who have no interest in them, and who have no parenting skills, let alone sense of responsibility toward their children.
Children have become so accustomed to being in the presence of violence, of witnessing violent acts that there is nothing unusual about it, in their perception. Violence is the way differences in opinion are settled. They're accustomed to suicides on the reserve as well as murder. One former resident explains that unlike urban children who are exposed to violence second-hand through television, these children live in an ongoing atmosphere of violence.
"People want to blame Child and Family Services, blame the leadership, blame poverty", said this former resident. "But you don't always need more money to solve a problem. You just need people to start caring, to have a focus." All three young boys who bullied the 6-year-old child into his drowning death have had previous contact with Child and Family Services.
Of the trio, the 9-year-old was born with fetal alcohol syndrome to a 15-year-old mother. He has a short attention span and is prone to ungovernable anger. The 8-year-old's 13-year-old sister has been arrested for involvement in the death by beating of a young woman on the reserve. The 7-year-old's diabetic mother is in a Winnipeg hospital, his father is absent.
The dead child, 6-year-old Adam Keeper was stripped naked and drowned last week after being pushed off a rocky embankment into deep water.
The vast majority of the adults are alcoholics, although Pauingassi is a 'dry' reserve. A former band councilor was found guilty of selling banned liquor to residents. Solvent abuse is endemic among the reserve's youth. A large percentage of the children are welfare wards because of parental indifference and neglect. Including abuse while the parents are under the influence of alcohol - which appears to be always.
Fetal alcohol syndrome is a common affliction among young people on the reserve. Children, thirteen years of age and older have commonly acquired sexually transmitted diseases. The rate of domestic violence, sexual abuse, promiscuity, family break-ups and deviant sexual behaviour is endemic and wide-spread. It's 'normal' for the reserve.
This is a reserve that has gone into receivership. A reserve where a former chief was convicted of fraud. This is the ultimate dystopian society. What hope is there for children born into such a society? Children are born to young women who have no interest in them, and who have no parenting skills, let alone sense of responsibility toward their children.
Children have become so accustomed to being in the presence of violence, of witnessing violent acts that there is nothing unusual about it, in their perception. Violence is the way differences in opinion are settled. They're accustomed to suicides on the reserve as well as murder. One former resident explains that unlike urban children who are exposed to violence second-hand through television, these children live in an ongoing atmosphere of violence.
"People want to blame Child and Family Services, blame the leadership, blame poverty", said this former resident. "But you don't always need more money to solve a problem. You just need people to start caring, to have a focus." All three young boys who bullied the 6-year-old child into his drowning death have had previous contact with Child and Family Services.
Of the trio, the 9-year-old was born with fetal alcohol syndrome to a 15-year-old mother. He has a short attention span and is prone to ungovernable anger. The 8-year-old's 13-year-old sister has been arrested for involvement in the death by beating of a young woman on the reserve. The 7-year-old's diabetic mother is in a Winnipeg hospital, his father is absent.
The dead child, 6-year-old Adam Keeper was stripped naked and drowned last week after being pushed off a rocky embankment into deep water.
Labels: Human Fallibility, Society
posted by Pieface | 6:53 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home