Friday, November 10, 2006

1830 or 2006?

When the British governors of Upper Canada embarked on their policy of establishing Indian reserves, one of the major debates was whether to place reserves near non-Aboriginal communities or conversely to isolate the reserves.

One hundred and seventy five years later, the debate and policy has changed little.

A report recommending Ottawa relocate a remote northern Ontario reserve closer to a city has some people questioning whether the move is a form of assimilation or a path toward a more hopeful future.
This is just a further example that the relationship between many of Canada's First Nations and the federal government is stuck in the same endless cycles and debates.

The solutions to the problems are far from clear, but I'm quite certain nothing will change until all parties are willing to consider drastic change, concession, and compromise, to break out of mind-sets that have been entrenched, literally, for centuries.

Posted by Matthew @ 11:37 a.m.