The Nelson-Pashe-Ahmadinejad Troika

If the idea was to bring attention to their cause by embarrassing Canada on the world stage, the two men, former First Nations chiefs - neither of whom could be hailed as having performed admirably in the function of serving their peoples' needs - only succeeded in making themselves look awfully stupid.  And that was, primarily, because their actions were nothing less than profoundly, totally stupid.

What kind of native intelligence (take it as a pun if desired) is demonstrated by appealing to the lone singular nation that is currently under United Nations' sanctions, whose record of appalling human rights abuses, support for terrorism, insistence on its destiny to destroy another nation, devotion to achieving nuclear arms, oppression of its people, and imprisonment, torture and capital punishment is unmatched by any other country on Earth?

Against the considered advice of their own leadership, Terry Nelson (formerly chief of the Roseau River Anishinabe nation) and Dennis Pashe (of the Dakota Tipi nation) undertook a trip to the Islamic Republic of Iran, of all places.  But why not Iran, when formerly Iraq had been their destination before the downfall of Saddam Hussein, to appeal to that tyrant for help, to rescue Canada's aboriginals from their squalid poverty.

How ironically delicious it must have felt for the leaders of both those dysfunctional human-rights-abusing countries to welcome representatives of Canada's indigenous peoples and commiserate with them about the dreadful conditions under which they are forced to live within democratic and socially advanced Canada.  Tehran, in particular, relished the opportunity to stick its thumb yet again in Canada's eye.

Messrs. Nelson and Pashe had a message to deliver; that Canada neglects its native populations, imprisons them in unacceptable numbers, is unconcerned at the disappearance and death of native women, neglects the welfare of those living on reserves, and permits no sharing of resources proceeds despite First Nations being the rightful owners of those natural resources and the profits to be earned by exploiting them.

Canada's real agenda in dealing with its First Nations is to dominate and exploit and oppress them with a view to ultimately destroying them.  Extermination is the name of that particular game and the Government of Canada is skilled at playing it particularly well.  So they claim.  If so, it hasn't worked very well, since the native population is on a steady growth incline, not a decline.

What the two men did for themselves and for their cause - one which they have personally failed at since their time as chiefs of their reserves were fraught with waste, violence and corruption - was simply to make an absurd spectacle of themselves.  In taking their complaints to Tehran they effectively trivialized a truly serious matter of compelling issues that have yet to be resolved.

Canadians have every wish to see First Nations endowed with the assistance they require to make their communities work well for all concerned.  The issues of failure in many areas of social need on behalf of First Nations are compelling ones requiring urgent attention.  Bizarre circus side-shows are no help other than to taint and confuse the situation.

These are issues to be resolved in good faith by all parties working together to achieve a measure of success.  The issues are complex, from First Nations' insistence on their singular nationhood and sovereignty, and their right to make all decisions that impact on their people.  In the past, government has failed to completely meet First Nation needs, and they themselves have failed in their lack of commitment.

Resentment, personal greed, corruption and the initiative-debilitating effects of living off the financial welfare of a country shamed by its history in dealing with its aboriginals have benefited neither party.