Idle No More gets into gear
Re Energy juggernaut hits a roadblock, Opinion Jan. 15 It was a relief to read Linda McQuaig and Gillian Steward on Idle No More and Chief Theresa Spence and about their powerful challenge to the Canadian government, past and present. The columnists succinctly point out the essential facts that elude most other pundits. These First Nations leaders know the essentials of Canadian history and politics and can read the character flaws of the too many Canadians who are driving indigenous peoples (and the majority of the world) headlong to environmental catastrophe.
Judith Deutsch, Toronto By strong-arming native communities in order to build pipelines through their lands then passing an omnibus bill that removes environmental protections from those lands, Prime Minister Stephen Harper shows that he views First Nations as nothing more than an obstacle to economic goals. Marc Herscovitch, Toronto I agree with the First Nations’ fight for their land and its protection. But they lose support when they punish others for the federal government’s stand. Previous railroad and road blockades have accomplished nothing, although they do annoy people who have to get to an important place. The protests they held in Ottawa had more of an effect on their cause. They should do the same thing in every city, in front of every goverment building or town hall. Tie up traffic there. W. Arsenault, Napanee Media outlets are full of nasty criticisms of the Attawapiskat community, making it seem like the model for fiscal incompetence because it spent $96,000 on a machine to maintain the only significant recreational activity for an isolated northern community of 1,500 people. But Toronto politicians spent $74,000 to renovate a locker room for a single high school football team. And the province spent hundreds of millions of dollars to not build power stations.
Under Chief Spence, the Attawapiskat First Nation reduced its debt from $14 million to $11 million in just one year. Meanwhile, the Harper government gave hundreds of millions of dollars to wealthy foreign-owned auto manufacturers who then laid off workers and paid bonuses to their CEOs.
Attawapiskat invested its income from the De Beers’ diamond mine to produce ongoing revenue for its people that will continue when the short 10-year life of the mine is fin- ished. Perhaps we should be asking who is making the better decisions. Denis McKee, Toronto Idle No More is the perfect name for an all-Canadian movement against the Harper government because we, the 60 per cent who did not vote for him, have been idle too long. Our 60 per cent opposition parties are helpless against Harper’s majority and by filling the Senate with his lackeys Harper has assured himself total power.
As Carol Goar says of Harper, “He is a remarkably agile politician.” I just wish that his agility was used for the benefit of all Canadians, including the First Nations, and not just for the few to the detriment of our environment. We must get behind Idle No More because, as Linda McQuaig writes, they have our Constitution on their side. And we, the hapless 60 per cent, do not. Keith Parkinson, Cambridge Re Hope for First Nations in quality education,
Opinion Jan. 14 I want to commend Steve Styers for the success of his Wallaceburg school. But there’s a whole new level of problems when trying to achieve the same success at remote reserves like Attawapiskat.Building and operating schools in remote Ontario is a greater challenge, requiring bold and imaginative thinking. I hope that type of thinking comes out of the upcoming meetings between John Duncan and the chiefs. Michael D. Smith, Oakville Canadian taxpayers cannot be blamed for feeling a bit cynical when they hear about aboriginal communities in distress with chiefs like Theresa Spence and council members who conspic- uously refuse to tell Ottawa where most of the money is being spent.
Such stubbornness, political or legal, on the part of aboriginal leaders does little more than raise suspicions of gross fiscal mismanagement, at best, while the vast majority of low-income community members have no way to be sure that they’re being treated fairly by their chief and councillors. Frank G. Sterle, Jr., White Rock, B.C. Re Anti-Indian racism gushes out online, Jan. 14 I agree with Heather Mallick that much of the online commentary related to Idle No More is racist and troubling. Without a doubt, the Internet can be a cesspool of vitriol. But she is off the mark with her criticism of a Calgary nurse who expressed frustration with some of the conditions she’s witnessed in native communities. I’ve worked extensively with native communities, and I can sympathize with this nurse. I too have found myself in reserve homes where the entire family huddles together under blankets for warmth in winter because a window or doorway is in a state of disrepair — this while a new snowmobile sits in the front yard and a premium satellite entertainment package broadcasts from the television.
Reasonable people can debate the underlying causes of this deplorable situation, but labelling someone a “racist” for expressing frustration over it is unfair and devalues the term. Matt Watson, North Bay Re Feds should be idle no more, Jan. 11 Joe Fiorito’s column is an apt and timely insight into the aboriginal psyché. The colonial mentality of the West is not completely dead. Dead is the dignity of the aboriginals. Fiorito is right that “people thrive when in control of their lives.” We teach other nations to respect human rights while in our own backyard people are sitting with their feet tied and asked to run. Vimmy Ojha, Oakville