First Nations

From the first time white people or Europeans  set foot on American soil the object was to declare the land in the name of a king of a country back home. Never was the thought that maybe ,just maybe the people they encountered might have some value and could be a people who could contribute to new visitors. The visitors never came as visitors but as conquers. Never for a moment did the Europeans look at the new land and people and see it as anything but a new possession to use as they saw fit to enhance and enrich the homeland.

The first nations throughout the North and South Americas were worthy of greater respect as they had very advanced social and economic status. The conquerors saw gold and riches, furs and fish but never a beautiful culture to be studied and accepted. This simple and first impression however became the norm and as the Europeans stormed over the land taking what they wished, vanishing any type of resistance by extermination and laying waste to cultures and peoples who held their land for thousands of years.

The beauty and simplicity of their culture and  spirituality was all but whiped out and instead European religious practices were imposed on the locals. What evolved was a mess and over the first 400 years was the elimination of most of the first nations and in some cases the policy was to rid the world of these peoples altogether.

However many of the first nations did hang on and today our governments are having to work and deal with these peoples.Although small in numbers they are the fastest growing people as a group and in the near future will be a force to be reckoned with. In western Canada some of our major cities will become heavily populated by our indigenous people. This is an opportunity for our governments to right the wrongs of past times and introduce these first nations people into  our society as equals. The over a million Canadian first nations people are by large held in utter disdain by our government leaders. Below third world conditions on reserves, second rate health and education facilities and a feeling that these people are not worthy of the effort to bring them into the mainstream of Canadian society.

I have lived with these people and recognize the value they could have if given a chance. Our Minister of Health was just a girl living in Nunavut when I was working there and with hard work and motivation she has in a few years become a Canadian leader and holding a high position in our Government. Our immigration policy is one of the most generous in the world and people coming to Canada are helped to the point that they are able to take their place in Canadian society, often within a generation. It is obvious that the same treatment of our first nations people would erase a huge scar from our miserable history and enrich our country in so many ways were these  nations to become productive,proud and valuable citizens as they wish to be.

Take time to examine the plight of our first nations people and judge whether we have been fair and equal in our relations with them over the years. Throwing money their way is not the answer. A comprehensive program involving their leadership could go a long way of righting the wrongs of the past.