Disrobing the Aboriginal Industry
Now there's a provocative title if there ever was one. Certain to gain attention. And most certainly it will garner much criticism of the authors' conclusions as well. Among those who may not necessarily read the book, but who will read OF the book and its theses, resulting in anger and condemnation and spirited recriminations of racism. It does take a certain amount of courage to tackle the problem of endemic aboriginal neglect in Canada.
The plight of Canada's aboriginal people is not to be taken lightly, for it is a reality. It remains a blot on the body politic, on Canadian society as a whole, and far more so, an indictment of the aboriginal elite who claim to serve the best interests of their communities. Nothing can really undo history. That Europeans landed on the shores of North America and presumed to take ownership of a land already occupied is fact and it is history.
That they found, when they arrived, various settlements of disparate tribes of hunter-gatherers with their own traditions and cultures and spoken history is reality. That Europeans saw a huge, untamed geography with all manner of natural resources, unlike the crowded countries they left behind, spelled boundless opportunity and they weren't about to let the prior occupation of the land restrain their ambitions.
It was ever thus. Part and parcel of the human condition; the struggle to survive and to surmount difficulties. And if, throughout this process, they endowed others with problems in a struggle between the indigenous populations to retain what they felt was theirs, and the upstarts who meant to thwart the aboriginals' need to keep what was theirs and make it their own, it is now long past, and time to live in the present.
The present presenting with another kind of reality. Native peoples living in isolation, in unpractical geographic locations, perhaps suitable for subsistence living a century ago, but not now. Far-flung reserves where there is no employment for the residents, do not reflect the honour of living 'naturally', in respect of 'the traditional way of living' for few now live traditionally.
A mass, hypnotically-induced emotional and social entitlement to historical grievance has hobbled aboriginals from moving forward, entitling themselves to the same kinds of educational, working and social relationships that most of the country takes for granted. By sequestering themselves, and living on government handouts through a systemic and long-honoured focus on guilt and pay-back, aboriginals suffer.
They have forfeited pride in themselves to a false pride of welfare entitlement, leaving them with no opportunities to advance themselves, to become gainfully and proudly employed, to raise their children with needed educational opportunities, to live in decent accommodations, to enjoy a social community with other Canadians. And this they accept because their leaders tell them it is the only way to proceed.
And in doing so they continue to live impoverished lives bereft of meaning and of human pleasure, watching as their children, emulating their elders, live valueless lives, and turn to the mind-deadening relief of alcohol and drug addictions. Fostering a high suicide rate through desperation of conditioning. While their elite political representatives siphon off funds meant to give meaning to their lives.
It doesn't take a genius to understand that we live in a different era, in the modern world, where commerce has overtaken living off the land, and opportunities are absent for furthering the lives of people who insist on living in impoverished, inadequate geographical areas because they have been convinced they have an obligation to their ancestors to do so.
The aboriginal industry is one that benefits few. As long as Canada's aboriginals permit themselves to remain pawns in the hands of their self-availing representatives in tandem with advisers who themselves benefit hugely from their ongoing plight, nothing can be resolved to be of any benefit to the larger communities.
It's long past time this farce of guilt and dependence, defiance of the future and hopeless destiny ceased.
The plight of Canada's aboriginal people is not to be taken lightly, for it is a reality. It remains a blot on the body politic, on Canadian society as a whole, and far more so, an indictment of the aboriginal elite who claim to serve the best interests of their communities. Nothing can really undo history. That Europeans landed on the shores of North America and presumed to take ownership of a land already occupied is fact and it is history.
That they found, when they arrived, various settlements of disparate tribes of hunter-gatherers with their own traditions and cultures and spoken history is reality. That Europeans saw a huge, untamed geography with all manner of natural resources, unlike the crowded countries they left behind, spelled boundless opportunity and they weren't about to let the prior occupation of the land restrain their ambitions.
It was ever thus. Part and parcel of the human condition; the struggle to survive and to surmount difficulties. And if, throughout this process, they endowed others with problems in a struggle between the indigenous populations to retain what they felt was theirs, and the upstarts who meant to thwart the aboriginals' need to keep what was theirs and make it their own, it is now long past, and time to live in the present.
The present presenting with another kind of reality. Native peoples living in isolation, in unpractical geographic locations, perhaps suitable for subsistence living a century ago, but not now. Far-flung reserves where there is no employment for the residents, do not reflect the honour of living 'naturally', in respect of 'the traditional way of living' for few now live traditionally.
A mass, hypnotically-induced emotional and social entitlement to historical grievance has hobbled aboriginals from moving forward, entitling themselves to the same kinds of educational, working and social relationships that most of the country takes for granted. By sequestering themselves, and living on government handouts through a systemic and long-honoured focus on guilt and pay-back, aboriginals suffer.
They have forfeited pride in themselves to a false pride of welfare entitlement, leaving them with no opportunities to advance themselves, to become gainfully and proudly employed, to raise their children with needed educational opportunities, to live in decent accommodations, to enjoy a social community with other Canadians. And this they accept because their leaders tell them it is the only way to proceed.
And in doing so they continue to live impoverished lives bereft of meaning and of human pleasure, watching as their children, emulating their elders, live valueless lives, and turn to the mind-deadening relief of alcohol and drug addictions. Fostering a high suicide rate through desperation of conditioning. While their elite political representatives siphon off funds meant to give meaning to their lives.
It doesn't take a genius to understand that we live in a different era, in the modern world, where commerce has overtaken living off the land, and opportunities are absent for furthering the lives of people who insist on living in impoverished, inadequate geographical areas because they have been convinced they have an obligation to their ancestors to do so.
The aboriginal industry is one that benefits few. As long as Canada's aboriginals permit themselves to remain pawns in the hands of their self-availing representatives in tandem with advisers who themselves benefit hugely from their ongoing plight, nothing can be resolved to be of any benefit to the larger communities.
It's long past time this farce of guilt and dependence, defiance of the future and hopeless destiny ceased.
Labels: Canada, Crisis Politics, Justice
posted by Pieface | 7:07 PM
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