Monday, November 9, 2009

End of The Indian Act?


One of the most costly and deadliest pieces of legislation to ever disgrace this country has been the Indian Act.

Billions and billions of dollars have disappeared, mismanaged by a Department filled with incompetence and bad intentions and handed over to people who have continued to despise the landlords who feed them so badly.

Now a sign of a New Day.

A
delegation of the Gitxsan people from northwest British Columbia is set to meet with Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl next month with a groundbreaking proposal: That the 13,000 members of their tribe be allowed to abandon their status as "Indians."

The group is willing to relinquish reserves, tax exemptions, Indian Act housing and financial supports in exchange for a share of resources. Unlike most contemporary efforts at treaty-making, it would also abandon the ambition of a separate level of government.

This is the most exciting and refreshing news I have seen in many years.

Think about this.

A group of Canadian aboriginals says we will forgo reserves and we will vote on general elections and will pay taxes and be like all other Canadians in governnance and law.

The first nation's treaty team, led by hereditary chiefs, proposes the Gitxsan would become regular, enfranchised Canadian citizens, governed by municipal, provincial and federal governments.

"Every time we sit down with politicians at every level, I make a point of saying the Gitsxan don't want to be a burden on the Crown and we don't want the Crown to be a burden on us," said Chief Derrick, a hereditary chief of the Gitsegukla, one of seven communities of the Gitxsan nation.

Now this is astonishing and wonderful.

Of course, all the officials have been caught with their pants down and their hands in the troughs. Of course, they are raising countless phony objections to this extraordinary piece of progressive thinking.

I've just returned from several days in Winnipeg where the horrors of aboriginal life are on full display everywhere you turn.

Can you seriously believe that what we have been doing with and for native peoples for the past hundred years has worked?

I hope and pray that these native leaders get what they want.

This is the first great news I recall ever hearing about this matter in more than 40 years.

Full speed ahead!



7 comments:

Anonymous said...

DAVID I share your excitment over this huge step in the right direction. But I cant imagine the road blocks that will spring up. The people that make a living off of this waste will no doubt do everything possible to preserve their jobs.

Jeff Taylor said...

I also believe that the blood suckers that make their living off the Indian Act will do anything possible to sabotage the process. At the very most they will be granted a watered down version of their requests.

Jeff Taylor said...

I also believe that the blood suckers that make their living off the Indian Act will do anything possible to sabotage the process. At the very most they will be granted a watered down version of their requests.

Anonymous said...

Do you know what share of resources we're talking about?

Anonymous said...

David - I would like to bring a book to your attention as it deals with what you have noted above. the title is " dances with dependency" and it's author is "Calvin Helin" - Joey

Anonymous said...

Having read the 8-page governance proposal, the only thing I know for certain is that the Gitxsan are expressing more trust in the provincial government than in the feds.
Understandable, but it's still dangerous territory.

Mike MacDonald said...

A friend of mine did his theasus on this, Ill see if I can find a copy.