Posts Tagged ‘Indigenous’
« Older Entries | Newer Entries »
Trudeau’s words about aboriginals resonate
Wednesday, January 4th, 2012
Jan. 3, 2012
“We will recognize treaty rights,” continued Trudeau, those 42 years ago. “We will recognize forms of contract which have been made with the Indian people by the Crown and we will try to bring justice in that area and this will mean that perhaps the treaties shouldn’t go on forever”… After considerable opposition from Indian politicians, the Trudeau government backed away from this so-called red paper proposal. Who is to know if his proposals would have made a difference among our First Nations communities?
Tags: ideology, Indigenous, participation, rights, standard of living
Posted in Equality History | 9 Comments »
Parliament fails native women
Wednesday, January 4th, 2012
Jan 03 2012
Three days before the House of Commons rose for its Christmas recess, a parliamentary committee quietly tabled a shocking report. It was called Ending Violence Against Aboriginal Women and Girls. But it wasn’t a plan of action. It wasn’t even a commitment to do better. It was a self-congratulatory compendium of existing programs… The Conservative government, which controls Parliament, can do as it wishes. It is clear it does not consider the disproportionately high rate of violence against aboriginal women a priority.
Tags: Indigenous, rights, standard of living, women
Posted in Inclusion Delivery System | No Comments »
How one woman is trying to change native people’s health care experience
Monday, December 26th, 2011
Dec. 25, 2011
Dr. Smylie is a Toronto-based family physician and health researcher of Métis heritage who is looking for new ways of connecting aboriginal individuals with the health-care system to help reduce the high rates of chronic disease… She believes a big obstacle is that the health-care system wasn’t designed specifically with aboriginals in mind. Native Canadians have a distinct culture in which elders pass on vital information about parenting; midwives, rather than hospital-based doctors, help birth children; and age-old traditions play a major role.
Tags: Health, Indigenous, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Health Delivery System | No Comments »
Social safety net needs repair
Monday, December 19th, 2011
Dec 18 2011
The cuts to the social safety net in Ontario (now being replicated across the country) greatly magnified the effects of systemic racism, which had already resulted in a disproportionate number of visible minority poor. If you are a hungry child struggling in school due to your hunger and poverty, of course you will be tempted to find some way to feed yourself, even if it means getting involved in drug-selling or other crimes. Why is anyone surprised? No clearer evidence is needed to show why we need to strengthen our social safety net
Tags: Indigenous, poverty, standard of living, youth
Posted in Social Security Debates | No Comments »
How first nations can own their future
Saturday, December 17th, 2011
Dec. 17, 2011
Truly progressive governments recognize individual property rights and enforce the rule of law, thus allowing people to reap the rewards of their initiatives. Individual property, voluntary yet enforceable contracts, open markets – these have been the holy trinity of economic progress in the Western world since the Industrial Revolution, and they are transforming China, India, Brazil and many other previously impoverished countries. The formula for progress is no different for first nations…
Tags: economy, ideology, Indigenous, participation, privatization, rights, standard of living
Posted in Equality Policy Context | No Comments »
Oh, those lucky poor people
Saturday, December 17th, 2011
Dec. 16, 2011
A little historical perspective can be an excellent way to show people that progress is possible – which is the first step in getting them up and working toward a better world… Consider Attawapiskat. The issue is living conditions and what we can or should do about them. The distant past isn’t relevant to that question. What’s relevant are living conditions elsewhere around the country. They’re far superior – which shows we can easily do better for the people of Attawapiskat. And that’s the only perspective we need.
Tags: ideology, Indigenous, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Equality Debates | No Comments »
Ottawa proposes first nations property ownership
Thursday, December 15th, 2011
Dec. 15, 2011
Conservative MPs are proposing… legislation that would allow natives to own private property within the communal land of reserves. The change… would mark a dramatic shift for individuals living on reserve. It would make it easier to accumulate wealth and to use homes as collateral when seeking bank loans to start businesses… about 10 communities out of the more than 600 first nation reserves in Canada that are ready to move in this direction… But Mr. Atleo of the Assembly of First Nations has previously… noted that AFN chiefs had rejected the concept of private property.
Tags: economy, ideology, Indigenous, privatization, rights
Posted in Equality Debates | No Comments »
For Kashechewan, read Attawapiskat
Wednesday, December 7th, 2011
Dec. 07, 2011
We are engaged in national intellectual escapism if we think these communities will escape from their debilitating cycles of problems without something more than a subsistence economy. Without one, dependence will prevail. With dependence comes lack of self-esteem, social pathologies and family troubles… A policy problem does exist with the lower per-student funding level for native education. But if such a cadre could be developed, why would highly educated (in a formal sense) young people stay in places like Attawapiskat when few jobs beckon, except for the band council or maybe a school or health clinic?
Tags: budget, economy, featured, Indigenous, standard of living, youth
Posted in Inclusion Debates | No Comments »
Crime bill cuts concessions to aboriginal circumstance
Tuesday, December 6th, 2011
Dec. 6, 2011
… Canada has failed to come to terms with the over-incarceration of aboriginal offenders… The Gladue decision urges courts to be more creative with sentencing, to look deeper into causes and solutions and to draw from aboriginal traditions. One of these traditions is restorative justice, which seeks to bring victims and offenders together, enabling offenders to make meaningful amends for the harm they have done. The judicial tool that has allowed for such creative sentencing is the conditional sentence… Bill C-10, the Safe Streets and Communities Act, however, will continue to cut away at the ability of courts to impose these conditional sentences.
Tags: corrections, crime prevention, ideology, Indigenous, rights
Posted in Equality Delivery System | No Comments »
Help the First Nations move forward – with respect
Monday, December 5th, 2011
Dec. 5, 2011
No longer can First Nation poverty in a First World country be used as political football, further driving wedges within our communities and between First Nations and other Canadians. Achieving this kind of real change and “smashing the status quo” is exactly the purpose of the Crown-First Nations Gathering. I encourage all Canadians to not judge us but join us with respect – help us move forward in dignity, recognizing our rights and responsibilities.
Tags: Indigenous, participation, poverty, rights, standard of living
Posted in Inclusion Policy Context | No Comments »
Recent Comments