WRIGHTEOUS - "What we are witnessing is the inevitable result of chronic under-funding, poor bureaucratic planning and a discriminatory black hole that has allowed First Nations people to be left behind as the rest of the country moves forward."

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“What we are witnessing is the inevitable result of chronic under-funding, poor bureaucratic planning and a discriminatory black hole that has allowed First Nations people to be left behind as the rest of the country moves forward.”

I know I don’t use this thing very often, and I usually try to shy away from being too political in any medium because I don’t really know what I’m talking about, but in this instance I can’t help myself. It isn’t really about politics at all, of course. Really important things rarely are. But right now it’s a situation that politicians are, for better or for worse, the best equipped to deal with, and I just finished emails to my MP and my MPP about it.

For the sake of convenience, I’ve made this entire post a link to the article I’ve quoted above. I’m part Cree Indian, so it hits particularly close to home for me, but I don’t think I’m unique in having my stomach turned by it.

Of course, and sadly, the appalling hardships faced by the Attawapiskat people aren’t unique to them. All over our country, First Nations people struggle with conditions just like this, and as the winter rolls in it’s well worth remembering that.

People all over the world are gathering to ‘Occupy’, protesting (among other things) against the division of wealth. As far as I can tell, it’s a lot of middle class people upset about the divide between the very rich and the rest. A worthy cause, maybe, but let’s not forget about the very, very poor. The people that don’t have a voice. They were here before us, and in a very real sense we’ve been ‘occupying’ their land for centuries.

Don’t forget about these people. Don’t overlook them. They live in ways that we could never imagine, all over our country, right under our noses, and we have a responsibility to them. Find out who your Member of Parliament is. If you’re in Ontario, find out who your Member of Provincial Parliament is, too. Write to them. Demand to know whats being done about all of this. This is important, this is real, and this is happening now. Let’s try to do something about it.

3 months ago

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fucking disgusting.
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