What should the Canadian Government do with Natives?

[Zor]

This is quite an issue in Canada as it involves the well being of over 600,000 Citizens.

Some Canadian History on the Matter
Unlike the settlement of the US, there was less bloodshed involving the natives that inhabited Canada. Mostly the natives (a much better term for them than Indians if you ask me) signed treaties with the Dominion Government under the Indian Act to stop inhabiting land and move to reserves (areas sellected for minimum economic) in excange for several services included the following...

1-Free Food
2-Shelter
3-Agricultural Equipment
4-Basic Living nessesities
5-Education (Latter on, See below)

Due to bad (and i Do mean BAD) funding the first four were not well met and the Education mostly involved Industrial, Church run boarding schools called residential Schools. While there has been some improvement (the residential schools having been abollished), there is still some major problems directly that the reserves are directly responicble for...

1-Low Standard of Living, really low Standard of living. There are native reserves were the Average Yearly Income is less than $10,000 CND. There are many reserves were homes don't have plumbing, electricity or heating, which is a big thing in a part of the world that gets colder than most of Siberia in the winter.
2-Education. The Schools inside the native reserves, while now operating under the same system as normal canadian public schools are well below canadian standards. They are in general not as well staffed as they have to bring in most of there teachers, nor are they as well equiped.
3-Unemployment. Simply put, there is massive unemployment with natives. There is little in the lines of industry up there, even less of it in the native reserves. This is augmented by the fact that natives so long as there Status Indian get a subsistance level income, decreasing the insentive to work.
4-The Remoteness of the Reserves. Many reserves are located in isolated streaches of wilderness in Northern Canada, and some don't even have road acsess. Supplies and government employees to these reserves have to be flown in by bushplane, a method of transportation that cost. Perishible goods such as fresh fruit and vegitibles have to be flown in and as such cost high prices in areas full of poor people. The stuff that makes up the bulk of many natives diets are canned foods, Reclaimed meat, Junk food and Alcoholic Beverages. This is praticularly bad as natives don't have the Genetics to hold down there alcohol.
5-Indian Status, Many Natives don't want to move off of the reserves to the more economicly well off Cities because they risk loosing there Indian Status.

Keep in mind that simply shutting the system down right now would lead to even more problems. So, what should Canada do with this problem?

Zor

[Ligier]

What is this subject, too taboo for SD.net?

I'm hardly as well versed in politics and economics as other members of the board, but as far as I know, the Ministry of Northern and Indian Affairs the is sole ministry responsible for dealing with various first nations. Being a Canadian, I have to say there seems to be no transparency or accountability in dealings between the various treaty members (i.e. "bands") and the federal gov'ment. If I may be so bold, there's simply no measurable or easily quantifiable end goal to measure success or failure by.

In other words, what the heck are we trying to achieve here?

Frankly, as long as both parties are simply content to live with the letter of the treaties honoured by Canada, then things will continue as they always have.

Now, being an Objibwe, I can definately say there's apathy about life on the reserves. Heck, I can say my fellow Ojibwe are apathetic about live in general! Counting all the monetary advantages there are, there is definately a lack of genuine effort on the part of the average first nation's person to improve themselves and his/her life in general.

I guess this is a long-winded way of saying, "I don't know."

[LordShaithis]

What's with the Indian vulnerability to alcohol, anyway? Is it just a matter of the European gene-pool having been exposed to it for much longer, and having built up a resistance? (IE, the genes which denote vulnerability have had thousands of years to get their European owners killed, compared to a couple centuries among native North Americans.)

[Stark]

In Australia we have a similar problem: I find it difficult to believe any culture could have no experience with addictive substances with detrimental side effects. Alcoholism seems to be a common problem among indigenous people across the world.

[CaptainChewbacca]

What's with the Indian vulnerability to alcohol, anyway? Is it just a matter of the European gene-pool having been exposed to it for much longer, and having built up a resistance? (IE, the genes which denote vulnerability have had thousands of years to get their European owners killed, compared to a couple centuries among native North Americans.)

Something to do with the rate at which europeans metabolize alcohol over others. They get drunk faster and for longer than whites. I'm no doctor.

[Broomstick]

Many First Nations people lack a liver enzyme that is involved in processing alcohol. In other words, it's genuine physical difference and not just a cultural issue. This deficiiency is also seen among some Asians, which isn't surprising given what we know of First American origins.

On top of that, there ARE cultural issues involved in many cases. Societies tend to set up rules about alcohol (and other drug) use that tend to limit consumption and minimize damage - but only some time after a new mind-altering substance is introduced. When cheap, distilled spirits became relatively common in Europe there was also great carnage among the poor and downtrodden, and it took a couple centuries for the worst of it to resolve.

I find it difficult to believe any culture could have no experience with addictive substances with detrimental side effects.

You are correct, however, not all cultures use alcohol.

Remember, tobacco is from North America. Marijuana grows like a weed (because it is one) and was used extensively from ancient times. Various "magic mushrooms" were used in the North American southwest and the Mexican desert areas. In South America there is hallucinegenic snuff. Central and South America did have a sort of corn-derieved beer, and Amazonian groups lightly fermented sap. North America, as far as I know, did not, however, utilize alcohol in any way. There were no cultural restraints whatsoever. Combine that wth loss of territory and lack of occupation (where food, shelter, and clothing were handed out and/or activities restricted) well, people will all too often turn to drink to drown their sorrows.

[Zor]

What's with the Indian vulnerability to alcohol, anyway? Is it just a matter of the European gene-pool having been exposed to it for much longer, and having built up a resistance? (IE, the genes which denote vulnerability have had thousands of years to get their European owners killed, compared to a couple centuries among native North Americans.)

Yes, Simple Darwinian Evolution. In Eurasia they have been making boose since at least the time of the Pharohs and People who were more vunerable to alcohol in Eurasia have been dieing from it for longer. There was some production of Corn Beer in the South and Central America, though this is far away from Canadian Natives, save for maybe the Agricultural tribes in the Great Lakes Region, but i don't know.

Zor

[brianeyci]

Too taboo, hardly, I don't think anybody has anything to say about the matter. In Ontario right now a thousand residents are being evacuated from a First Nations reserve because the drinking water quality there is so poor.

The only thing I can think of is exposure. Exposure to ideas, to opportunities, especially opportunity to move to the big city. Maybe a kind of scholarship to live in the big city for a year or something. Yes, the reserves will be ghettoized, but what the fuck times change and if reserves aren't working it's time for them to move into the city. Reinforce social programs, not just welfare but transitional programs that make it easier for natives to move to the city and find jobs. Also offer education, real education in the form of high school credits, eventual entrance into college programs, and who knows a few university scholarships. This is truly what affirmative action is for -- universities are already women friendly, but what about native friendly, and I wouldn't mind if a few spots went to natives whose grades were slightly lower because frankly high grades are difficult to get when you're in a difficult environment like that. More subsizided housing in cities, more low-incoming housing, more affordable housing, less condos, moratorium on condos, reinforce the inner city schools and parks.

Separate and equal is a load of shit, they're separate and will be unequal as long as they're separate and that's that.

And no I didn't contribute at first because well... I saw Zor .

Brian

[brianeyci]

To elaborate on my plan... affordable housing should be available to low-income earners making under say, $30,000 in their household. It shouldn't privilege families over individuals. Minimum wage is $7.25. That means if a person works 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, he makes around $1160 a month. With taxes that's around $1000 maybe, probably even less. To encourage savings and counting in the cost of food, at most someone should spend 50% of their income on rent (people spending 90% of their income on rent is ridiculous). So there should be low income housing that costs $500 CND a month. This should be available to any family that makes under $30,000 a year.

Any solution to poverty has got to start with housing.

Brian

[Braedley]

Brian: Most status Natives in Canada can get through university without paying a cent of tuition. They might not even have to pay any fees at all through assistance from DIAND (Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development). However there are also too many anti incentives for them to pursue a post secondary education, from both a social and economical standpoint.

[brianeyci]

Brian: Most status Natives in Canada can get through university without paying a cent of tuition. They might not even have to pay any fees at all through assistance from DIAND (Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development). However there are also too many anti incentives for them to pursue a post secondary education, from both a social and economical standpoint.

Well then there has to be more done in terms of transition to cities. Cities are were they're going to find employment, and it should start early. In fact the government should give native families some sort of financial incentive to move to cities. This will anger native leaders no doubt, but you can't just keep pouring money into native reserves. And when I say incentive, I mean a strong incentive. They already are exempt from paying tax so cold hard cash if they move to the city, maybe a rent supplement of 500 bucks or so for the first five years, and in five years time they'll have settled into the city. Also help them find jobs in the city.

Brian

[aerius]

The current system ain't working, it just sucks money and creates tribes of dependants. I think it's time to play sink or swim with them. They can either go back to being self-sufficient and living off the land or they can integrate into modern society. Put out a program of some sort to help ease them into the 19th century, and if they don't want to take it, well, enjoy the tundra.

[Ligier]

Well then there has to be more done in terms of transition to cities. Cities are were they're going to find employment, and it should start early. In fact the government should give native families some sort of financial incentive to move to cities. This will anger native leaders no doubt, but you can't just keep pouring money into native reserves. And when I say incentive, I mean a strong incentive. They already are exempt from paying tax so cold hard cash if they move to the city, maybe a rent supplement of 500 bucks or so for the first five years, and in five years time they'll have settled into the city. Also help them find jobs in the city.

Brian

Nitpick, while it's true (in Ontario, at least) status Indians don't pay sales tax, income tax is still collected. Only income earned on reserve is tax-exempt. (Indeed, most transactions are tax-exempt on reserve).

[brianeyci]

Nitpick, while it's true (in Ontario, at least) status Indians don't pay sales tax, income tax is still collected. Only income earned on reserve is tax-exempt. (Indeed, most transactions are tax-exempt on reserve).

Well solution, extend this to income earned everywhere and people will be more willing to leave the reserve.

The government isn't losing any money by doing this.

Brian

[Braedley]

Nitpick, while it's true (in Ontario, at least) status Indians don't pay sales tax, income tax is still collected. Only income earned on reserve is tax-exempt. (Indeed, most transactions are tax-exempt on reserve).

Well solution, extend this to income earned everywhere and people will be more willing to leave the reserve.

The government isn't losing any money by doing this.

Brian

Actually the tax exempt thing is extended to all of Canada. Only income earned off reserve and property that is owned off reserve is taxable (with maybe a few exceptions in either direction). Having income made off reserve be tax exempt isn't enough to get Natives to move to a city, you need everything that a status Native owns be tax exempt.