New Education Programs about Canadian History

[Smurf]

I know all about it crying-angel. My great grandparents, Scottish immigrants did exactly that, moved to Saskatchewan with 13 kids and set up home in a hole dug in the side of a hill, till they could get the money to buy materials and build a home. I should scream about how badly they were treated, however it didn't take them long to do well for themselves and the family soon ended up owning a number of farms.It's amazing how that works when you try.

Done right there could be some real education come out of a program like this. Done wrong it could be a disaster. I'm willing to bet there are very few First nation people who would want to go back to their old way of living. Most like the white man's way of living in a heated house with phones, TV's, cars etc.. History is a great thing to learn from, but very few of us want to relive it.

[steven lloyd]

History is a great thing to learn from, but very few of us want to relive it.

The only value in learning from history comes if there is a willingness to expend the effort to learn the truth. Ignoring and distorting events and engaging in the use of overgeneralization and stereotype just contributes to perpetuating the status quo. When it comes to the Canadian government’s treatment of aboriginals it would be good for people who have any interest in knowing or speaking the truth to know what was still going on in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. We have posters here who think no injustices had been committed to aboriginal communities for the last 350 years, and then like to use sweeping and outdated stereotype-based assumptions to describe First Nations people in general. It is humorous (in a kind of sad sort of way) that those who know the least about an issue sometimes have the strongest opinion on it.

Obviously First Nations people need to take responsibility in moving past this history as well, and those of us fortunate enough to be close enough to see what is really happening can see the work and strides being taken by most of the Nations in taking responsibility for their own healing and moving on – even without the involvement of government. In the Northern Nations I am familiar with, and in some more Southern Nations I have been reading of, significant steps have been taken to develop their Band's own economies, to create and provide employment for their Band members, and they have been bringing in the resources needed to help their people recover from generations of abuse (physical and sexual), substance misuse and addiction, and extreme violence. As stated, the First Nations people are not recovering from something that happened 350 years ago, and the impact is intergenerational where children today are still impacted by their parent’s upbringing as they grew up in homes parented by residential school survivors.

The First Nations are in the process of negotiating their treaties, and like the Gitxian have stated, they “want to become a part of Canada, not apart from Canada”. They want to contribute, and they want fair access to what is theirs. Some of these Nations are now paying tax, and ultimately all aboriginals will be paying tax once these negotiations have been completed and put into place. Canada as a country also has a big role to play in this and judging by the misconceptions and prejudicial ignorance that we get to see posted on these threads we can see that the need for the type of education being suggested is substantial. This is quite the complex issue, but given some of the comments made on these threads, including the lazy acceptance of erroneous stereotype and misinformation to use in perpetuating rigid ignorance, it is clear there really is a need for improved education – not only on recent history, but current efforts and agendas already underway by all parties.

[maryjane48]

steven said it perfectly . theres nothing more to add

[twobits]

The only value in learning from history comes if there is a willingness to expend the effort to learn the truth. Ignoring and distorting events and engaging in the use of overgeneralization and stereotype just contributes to perpetuating the status quo. When it comes to the Canadian government’s treatment of aboriginals it would be good for people who have any interest in knowing or speaking the truth to know what was still going on in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. We have posters here who think no injustices had been committed to aboriginal communities for the last 350 years, and then like to use sweeping and outdated stereotype-based assumptions to describe First Nations people in general. It is humorous (in a kind of sad sort of way) that those who know the least about an issue sometimes have the strongest opinion on it.

Obviously First Nations people need to take responsibility in moving past this history as well, and those of us fortunate enough to be close enough to see what is really happening can see the work and strides being taken by most of the Nations in taking responsibility for their own healing and moving on – even without the involvement of government. In the Northern Nations I am familiar with, and in some more Southern Nations I have been reading of, significant steps have been taken to develop their Band's own economies, to create and provide employment for their Band members, and they have been bringing in the resources needed to help their people recover from generations of abuse (physical and sexual), substance misuse and addiction, and extreme violence. As stated, the First Nations people are not recovering from something that happened 350 years ago, and the impact is intergenerational where children today are still impacted by their parent’s upbringing as they grew up in homes parented by residential school survivors.

The First Nations are in the process of negotiating their treaties, and like the Gitxian have stated, they “want to become a part of Canada, not apart from Canada”. They want to contribute, and they want fair access to what is theirs. Some of these Nations are now paying tax, and ultimately all aboriginals will be paying tax once these negotiations have been completed and put into place. Canada as a country also has a big role to play in this and judging by the misconceptions and prejudicial ignorance that we get to see posted on these threads we can see that the need for the type of education being suggested is substantial. This is quite the complex issue, but given some of the comments made on these threads, including the lazy acceptance of erroneous stereotype and misinformation to use in perpetuating rigid ignorance, it is clear there really is a need for improved education – not only on recent history, but current efforts and agendas already underway by all parties.

Eloquently said and I cannot disagree with the context of your message. I, as well as many thousands of others, do not dispute the injustices of the past....even the fairly recent past. But realistically, is there any possible way to for us, the current generation, to strike from the record those past scars? That would be like saying to a victim of my arson, that I could remove the past pain and current scars. The action cannot be undone with any amount of dialogue or money.
So we try to move forward. It is really the only available path after all is it not? Education of the history is fine. As long as it is balanced. My fear is that it will be hijacked and biased and I base that fear on what I see transpiring in the media virtually every day now. Meaningful discussion appears impossible when one extends a hand and receives back what is tantamount to economic extortion.
I am myself well acquainted with several FN people that are desirous of moving on and have been stifled in their own business ventures because doing so would jeopardize demands made at the table with the "gov''t". There is plenty more to the story of repression of FN people. IMO right now most of the repression of FN Peoples is coming right from their own damn leadership who have become pigs in their own trough.
Fish soup anyone?

[the truth]

10/10 you got it,great post

[maryjane48]

*removed*

[steven lloyd]

There is plenty more to the story of repression of FN people. IMO right now most of the repression of FN Peoples is coming right from their own damn leadership who have become pigs in their own trough.

That is certainly true. In many cases the First Nations governments mirror our own in many ways.

[the truth]

they are no better .

[the truth]

this one is interesting http://www.british-israel.ca/America.htm#.VYJMtGDbIUA

care to comment on this link -lakevixen

[jamapple]

twobits said it perfectly, nothing more to add.

[maryjane48]

you want me to comment on an article about the yanks?