"Notes" #46

Is the Reserve System Working For Our Indigenous Canadians?

In Maclean's, "Letters to the Editor", I found this idea of replacing reserves with the existing "municipal" system of government quite interesting.

 The Indian Act treats the First Nations people like children. The first step is to get rid of the Indian Act. All the First Nations reserves and settlements should be reclassified as municipal districts within the province where they reside. All of the new municipal districts would be brought up to provincial standards. First Nations people would then have their own government, a municipal government, not as a national government. Band payments would stop, to be replaced by the same provincial and federal supports as other municipalities receive. These changes would provide education, healthcare and civic services on par with all the other municipalities within the province. The First Nations culture would be preserved to the extent that they chose to preserve it with the realities and technologies that now exist.
 
First Nations people now have the opportunity to move from second-class citizens to full Canadian status. To continue under the treaties and the Indian Act means the First Nations will never have the freedom they desire, and need, to heal from earlier oppression.                               
                                                                                    Glenn P. Davies

The Indigenous peoples of Canada were treated very badly in the past. This can't be undone! But hopefully we can move on from these past mistakes. However, I don't believe the present method of "moving on" where we throw money at the problem and try to keep the status quo of a system that has failed everyone. I believe it is now time for the Indigenous people to join Canada as full-fledged citizens.

I certainly believe that to make any idea that would allow us to "move on" would require: 1. Getting the feds out of the picture. Our federal government has meant well (???) But are too ensconced in the belief that our indigenous peoples NEED to be looked after (or maybe that's because the chiefs keep telling the Feds. that with their hands out). Whatever, the reason the federal government has proven they are just too patronizing and too slow/ineffective in bringing about the change that needs to happen to the reserves. So why not let the indigenous people, where they work and live, form a municipal government like the other communities in the province in which they reside?

It will take some getting used to by both sides if this issue is to be resolved.

I wrote this article several months ago. Recently my cousin Wayne sent me a presentation by Dr. Greg Mason who gave a real history lesson on the issues shared by Indigenous peoples and the Federal government.

Dr. Mason stated, in regards to the Reserve /Municipal Government Issue, that the Federal government, under Pierre Trudeau, had previously introduced the idea of transitioning Reserves into Municipalities. However, First Nation Chiefs, led by Harold Cardinal, were vehemently opposed. Apparently, First Nations Chiefs felt that they were a nation unto themselves and only wanted to deal Nation to Nation with the Federal government.

So sad! In 2021, I feel we are all Canadians, all equal, and all one under one Nation. Municipalities could still work, eh?

What do you think? danrosin@drcounselling.com

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From the Book of Barb

When human beings understand their place in the universe they will become able to grow to assume that place. But the answer is not in words on this page. The answer is within you. You can become a channel and a source of great inner strength. But you must give up everything in order to gain everything. What might you give up? All that is not truly you; all that you have chosen without choosing and value without evaluating, accepting because of someone else's intrinsic judgment, rather than your own; all your self doubt that keeps you from trusting and loving yourself or other human beings. What will you gain? Only your own truth, true self, a self who is at peace, who is able to truly love and be loved, and understands what he/she is meant for. But you give up "their" approval, whoever they are, and look to terms of your own level of aspiration that is consistent with your values. Nothing is so simple and nothing is more difficult.
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

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I am sure you have seen this email before; it's made the rounds. However, with all the drama surrounding Canadian and American politics and the cost of COVID, the hit to our economy and the question of how we pay for it all, this "oldie but goodie" is worth repeating.

Warren Buffett stated, "I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC. "You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election. The26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc. Of the 27amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the land...all because of public pressure.

Now for Canada, let's adjust the Parliamentary Reform Act

1. No Tenure / No Pension. A Member of Parliament collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

2. Members of Parliament (past, present & future) would participate in the Canada Pension Plan. All funds in the Parliamentary retirement fund move to the CPP system immediately. All future funds flow into the CPP system, and Parliament participates with the Canadian people. It may not be used for any other purpose.

3. Members of Parliament can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Canadians do.

4. Members of Parliament will no longer vote themselves a pay raise.
Parliamentary pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Members of Parliament must equally abide by all laws they impose on the Canadian people.

6. All contracts with past and present Members of Parliament are void
effective immediately.  The Canadian people did not make this contract with Members of Parliament. Members of Parliament made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Parliament is an honour, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their terms, then go home and back to work.

That's how you deal with a deficit!

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Reader Response to "Notes" 45

I love the Irish blessing! And it is good to be reminded of Albert Ellis's groundbreaking work at the time. It was quite revolutionary in its day, and reminds me of the philosophy of the Stoics, who had similar ideas.
We lived and worked in a golden age, as far as therapy was concerned.