New Clothes, Same Old Canadian Thinking (Editorial)
Canadian Dimension Magazine, January/February 2007 Issue
There are Aboriginal lawyers, doctors, judges, professors, teachers, architects, engineers, writers, musicians, artists, politicians, corporate executives, bureaucrats. In fact, Aboriginal peoples can be found in all walks of life today. But for most Aboriginal people in Canada, descendants of the first occupants of this land, whether they live in the cities or the country, poverty is an everyday reality. In this time and place, poverty means shame, constant worry and fear.
In Canada, we newcomers take pride in not having fought Indian wars in order to take possession of the territory. We take pride, that is, in having made solemn treaty promises and then broken them. We used economic deprivation to drive Aboriginal peoples into signing treaties. And then we ignored the solemn promises that were made. Today, as in the past, economic deprivation is the great piston that drives the capitalist motor. That means the poverty, and the shame, and the constant worry, and the fear are tools of this system. And so, modern treaties get signed. More promises are made. Everyone shakes hands and smiles for the cameras and feels good. Real optimistic.
Another kind of poverty lies in the ideas that continue to be the foundation of Aboriginal policy-making, in the smugness of the cozy consensus that has circulated among political elites around Aboriginal issues for the last century and a half. The party of the Right and the party of the far Right, and the media that serve their interests, want to see “progress” in Aboriginal communities through “modernization” and “development.” Each new set of proposals comes with these three heralds: development, modernization, progress. Each generation brings a new set of the same proposals with the same heralds. If you follow this long enough, and read some of the history around it, it gets rather depressing. How much more progress can these communities take?
When the poorly funded infrastructure problems on reserves reach epidemic levels, as recently at Kashechewan in northern Ontario, the response is nothing short of an incredible wave of breathtaking stupidity: Politicians and their media friends are talking seriously about wholesale relocation of the community to Timmons. Anyone contemplating the relocation of Kashechewan should read Ila Bussidor and Usten Bilgen-Reinart’s Night Spirits, which deals with the relocation of the Sayasi Dene from Duck Lake to Churchill and, after more than a decade of misery in a government-built, locally stigmatized shantytown; the courageous return of the people to their traditional lands; and the setting-up of the community of Tadoule Lake. In spit of compelling historical examples and in spite of the fact that Cree from Kashechewan have lived since the world was new in their northern territories, and signed a treaty that promised they could live their life ways “for as long as the sun shines, the grasses grow and the rivers flow,” one hundred years later it has become convenient to forget those promises, ignore all those historical examples and get on with full-scale assimilation. Again.
Isn’t it interesting that Aboriginal communities, which will be in the north for the indefinite future, have vastly poorer infrastructures than non-Aboriginal industry towns in the north, which will last a couple of generations at most? The Aboriginal communities have no tax base. They rely on the federal government for funding. The industry towns have a real-estate tax base. No one has ever thought of funding infrastructure on reserves based on taxes from any “development” on their home territories. The mines, the hydro projects, the timber would be a source of some local wealth, rather than, when all the dollars are pumped south and environmental degradation is left up north, a source of local misery.
While the Left has a strong empathy for Aboriginal issues and feels a natural constituency among Aboriginal peoples, it has not in practice done very well at reaching across the cultural boundary. Like the Right, it comes with a self-enclosed set of prescriptions and solutions, and, like the Right, it comes educated in a sanctioned ignorance of colonial history and reality. Yet, we have much to learn from Aboriginal peoples, many of whom are far more “developed” than their Western neighbours when it comes to democratic decision-making forms; when it comes to building communities that deserve the name of community; when it comes to maintaining a sustainable balance with their ecological settings; and when it comes to asking spiritual questions in an open, curious, non-sectarian and non-institutional way.
There are leaders among Aboriginal peoples in urban centres and rural communities all across Canada. Their messages do not come in pre-packaged words that we can fit into our already-existing ideologies. But they are compelling, and it is our urgent task to have the patience and openness to listen, to learn.
Comment by Noel Sundby, writing from Canada on January 5th, 2007 at 10:42 pm:
I have been in close contact with many of the Aborigional issues over my life time having been married to an Aborigional and living on a reservation for some time. I am non-native with 3 treaty children. I think the Idea of reservations for First Nations Peoples contributes negatively to the Natives first and non-natives secondly. The problem on reserves is not about land or money or resources, the problem is human nature, but it’s not politicaly correct to find fault in individuals and ethnic minorities. The truth is that to the individual living on a reserve, the land does not belong to that individual and responsability to maintain or improve upon it is passed on to the band to Indian Affairs then back to the government of Canada because it hase no real meaning. While the rest of non-native society seems to flourish, relativly few natives seem to. There is a lot of money mis-handeled or dilibrately diverted within the band offices. Greed and corruption are rampant and not much is left to feel that noble about. The treaties signed so long ago ensuring natives the right to live as they have since time immemorable still stands but the indiviual that chooses the SUV, the quad, the Nintendo is relinqishing their very ability to live as their ancestors have done. Running a casino has no equall in native tradition. My point is this, you must be responsable to your own heratige or you will lose it. I believe the whole idea of separating First Nations from all others is a racist objective and the resulting Native plight is proof. Europians and all others who now make Canada their home do so with little help for housing, few job programs, and with no gaurantee of eternal comfort. I’m amazed that the Native population who have treaty rights have not taken full advantage of certain amounts of free post secondary education and govenment agendas such as affirative action positions. Or on the other hand have not embraced a hunting, trapping lifestyle that is there for the taking. How many times after a hard day of punching the clock I thought how relativly stress free it would be to just take a rife,axe and a few supplies and head out to the vast Canadian wilderness to just hunt and trap for as long as I felt like it. But maybee I’m a little envious. Ironic. Perhaps.
Comment by Carla Whillier, writing from Canada on February 6th, 2007 at 1:22 pm:
I was just wondering if you have an opinion on the high price of milk in these communities. I am doing a project on this issue and would like to hear what other people have to say about this issue.
Comment by Editor, writing from Canada on February 6th, 2007 at 6:00 pm:
From CD:
there’s lots to say about this:
Prices of wholesome foods in isolated northern communities are, in fact, scandalous. There appears to be a degree of ‘price gouging’ by some of the retailers. Of even greater concern, much of the food actually shipped and sold by these stores is far less than wholesome and has created significant public health concerns. However, the whole discussion needs to be had in light of the use of local food resources; for the most part locally produced wild meats and fish are underutilized now — for example, cannot be used in schools because they are not government inspected — and as the hunting economy gets further devalued there will be even less use of healthy locally produced foods. With contaminant scares and the ‘everybody has to live in a suburb to have a good quality of life’ mentality, northern Aboriginal people are being driven from their traditional very healthy diets to the only affordable food available in stores: pop, chips, chocolates. If the price of milk seems high, bear in mind that many fruits and vegetables are simply unavailable, what are available are high priced and poor quality. The whole issue of food security in northern communities needs to be examined, with attention paid to the hunting economy, community garden and greenhouses, and some subsidization of healthy dietary choices.
Comment by Gerry Gagnon, writing from Canada on February 10th, 2007 at 12:54 am:
I see that the Editor does respond in the ‘Comments’ section, so how about a reply to Noel Sundby’s remarks. His comments were very insightful, probably because this person is talking about the reality of reserve life. Your Editorial, on the other hand, is the same old adolescent, university-essay bag of cliches that has been endlessly written and rewritten for at least 40 years—with absolutely no effect on anything. That’s probably because, if you re-read you Editorial and Noel Sundby’s comments, you’ll see that you’re not even speaking to his experience. Your ideology—and his reality—don’t match.
Comment by Alan L. Maki, writing from United States on February 15th, 2007 at 4:40 pm:
CD wrote: “While the Left has a strong empathy for Aboriginal issues and feels a natural constituency among Aboriginal peoples, it has not in practice done very well at reaching across the cultural boundary.”
I don’t quite understand this statement coming from Canadian Dimension.
This statement kind of assumes there is no “left constituency” among Aboriginal people. In my travels across Canada I found at least as much of a “left constituency” in Aboriginal communities as in any other communities— on and off reservations.
In fact, Aboriginal People— in their overwhelming majority— are working people. Aboriginal workers are members of unions, and active in unions at every level.
The “we” as it is used is also troublesome. Working people have seldom had a seat in the decision making process… when they have it has been very limited to the political sphere; at these times they have always fought to elevate the struggle for equality… case in point the NDP governments in Manitoba and Saskatchewan; and the communist city council members in Winnipeg— Jacob Penner and Joe Zuken.
As far as having any decision making power when it comes to economic decision making— the only decision making power that really counts… working people, the majority of Canadians, have never been privy to the decision making that takes place in the corporate board-rooms; this has been the exclusive territory of the capitalist class.
The responsibility for the terrible racist conditions that exist in Aboriginal communities lies squarely on the shoulders of Canadian business, Canadian big-business, and most especially the multi-national corporations, of which U.S. corporations are number one.
In fact, Aboriginal people have been very active participants in the “left;” how else does one explain the leadership positions of Aboriginal MLA’s in the NDP?
Who elected the Aboriginal NDP members to the the Manitoba Legislature? Aboriginal people who have developed a very “left constituency.”
On just about every question these Aboriginal MLA’s take the most left and progressive positions on issues… because their left constituency expects this of them, with working people of all nationalities, ethnicities, racial backgrounds providing support.
I would expect more of a “class” analysis from Canadian Dimension than what has been provided in, “New Clothes, Same Old Canadian Thinking (Editorial)”… I suspect most other readers expect more “class” based analysis, too; an analysis that doesn’t let the capitalist class off the hook so easily for what they have done using the “The party of the Right and the party of the far Right, and the media that serve their interests.”
This is the first time I have ever felt compelled to write in opposition to anything I have ever read in Canadian Dimension… a great progressive, “left” journal.
Comment by TheFilter.ca » Articles » New Clothes, Same Old Canadian Thinking, writing from on March 8th, 2007 at 9:03 am:
[…] CANADIAN DIMENSION […]
Comment by chu-uck d., writing from United States on November 27th, 2007 at 7:40 pm:
I’ll take a “stab” at Noel and Gerry, even tho i ain’t affiliated with this mag (and have come along quite late)… The way you both look to this semi-seasoned, slapped-awake fellow settler is naive, and, as expected, arrogantly so.
For one, Gerry’s seeking to wheedle into folks the idea that “adolescent” critique is somehow not valuable! Even when young people aren’t very well-read or experienced in life, their intuitions (and experience in their own lives) speak their heart. And in decolonizing communities, that’s more important than the kinds of appearances you folks seem to believe are so important.
As for Noel’s alleged connection with the indigenous community, well, he doesn’t sound authentic at all. Maybe if he’s on a rez where b.i.a.-styled indians predominate…(the b.i.a. is the u.s. equivalent to the canadian institution managing and attacking indigenous affairs for the colonial interests of the government).
And i for one can see why no one would reply to Noel. The very idea that those values you have, Noel, are even shared by others with a completely different culture and way of being and relating (which i call much more highly evolved than what passes for settler “greatness”). Such arrogance!
The very “free” status of these colonial programs expose the underhanded tactics which invasion mind-set has a pattern of playing on the naive. That you and Gerry are naive, does not surprise. Perhaps if you had known of (?) the long history of articulate dissent from settlers themselves victimized by these uncritical values of yours, you would not be so arrogant. But methinks you are ignorant of reality in many ways. Too bad for you. Perhaps your native wife, Noel, will one day finally speak up to challenge you and bring you to a place where you begin to truly see.
Indigenous people want to be LEFT ALONE to their ways of seeing and being in the world. But your governing body FORCES its will on them, and has done so systematically for centuries now.
If aliens from another planet tomorrow invaded canada, and “your” government could not adequately defend itself, the aliens would likely poo-poo you for not seeing the alleged Greatness of Their Way. But of course, your hard-headedness would not see the parallels, right?
>Or on the other hand have not embraced a hunting, trapping lifestyle that is there for the taking. How many times after a hard day of punching the clock I thought how relativly stress free it would be to just take a rife,axe and a few supplies and head out to the vast Canadian wilderness to just hunt and trap for as long as I felt like it. But maybee I’m a little envious. Ironic. Perhaps.
There are many natives whom have done just this. Except that due to industrializing the “trade” “game animals” are much more scarce than they used to be.
The whole idea of “taking” and taking without bigger-picture consciousness is another example of settler dim-wittedness, it seems. This is the problem with cultures which do not think of others, and which enculturate their peoples to be so selfish.
Of course, everyone would like to escape wage slavery. And it is possible, especially if we realize the value of escaping cultures which are competition and profit-oriented, and regenerate cultures which bring back the ancient village spirit and extended family solidarity.
Comment by chu-uck d., writing from United States on November 27th, 2007 at 8:02 pm:
CD wrote: “While the Left has a strong empathy for Aboriginal issues and feels a natural constituency among Aboriginal peoples, it has not in practice done very well at reaching across the cultural boundary.”
Alan L. Maki
This statement kind of assumes there is no “left constituency” among Aboriginal people. In my travels across Canada I found at least as much of a “left constituency” in Aboriginal communities as in any other communities— on and off reservations.
But you look through the lens of how you have been conditioned to see! To you, any “worker” is somehow automatically a part of what you see as “normal” and “the only” reality. Is it not so?
Indigenous people have their own culture and values, and much of it survives intact, despite centuries of all forms of underhandedness by leading settler “interests”. What if they went around your neighborhood and looked at your lives and called you this or that according to their norms? THEN you would understand better!
I think you would do well to read some Noam Chomsky where he analyzes the phenomenon of internalized values. Try: http://www.zmag.org/chomsky/archive/
>The “we” as it is used is also troublesome. Working people have seldom had a seat in the decision making process…
Ah, such “decision making” is like voting, you get to pick between status-quo elites already “capable” of playing within the lies of politics to supposedly “represent” you, while all sorts of “isolated corruptions” keep systematically rearing their ugly heads (and you Left-wing of colonization folks try, in a constant state of overwhelm, to allegedly “stop” such tresspasses!). Duh! Methinks you’d do well to inform yourself, say here: http://www.anti-politics.net or http://www.anarchymag.org
On the other hand, the village approach of indigenous ways are all about seeing the value of direct approaches to democratic decisions, including not having “leaders” who become dictators. The people are the “dictators” not any false authority of “elites”. But you’re probably not going to “get it” no matter what others say (settlers or indigenous).
May you educate yourself beyond your “normal” and naive political lack of consciousness!
>In fact, Aboriginal people have been very active participants in the “left;” how else does one explain the leadership positions of Aboriginal MLA’s in the NDP?
The people have also been “very active” in the “right” as well. Anything they can do to try to stem the tide of an invader who cannot allow himself to see beyond the narrow confines that we settlers have been ordered to think within!
>Who elected the Aboriginal NDP members to the the Manitoba Legislature? Aboriginal people who have developed a very “left constituency.”
In the context of being attacked if they don’t play along! (And they’re attacked anyway, since Leftist, like Rightist method is, on the bottom line, “interested” in perpetuating colonization by force and deceit!)
>… I suspect most other readers expect more “class” based analysis, too; an analysis that doesn’t let the capitalist class off the hook so easily for what they have done using the “The party of the Right and the party of the far Right, and the media that serve their interests.”
The capitalist “class” is only one aspect of the colonial program. You get rid of the capitalists, and the same underlying arrogance remains unchallenged and unchecked. You still believe uncritically in your perpetual war society and think that it’s “human nature” to be so severely alienated from each other that empathy is put aside and replaced by war war war war!
What a dark age mind-set to keep. But I guess it’s the best you can do, eh?
Indigenous people want a CLEAN BREAK from colonization mentalities, and that includes the Left, Right, and every other arrogance backed by authoritarian b.s.