Kashechewan?
Yes, yes, what to do with Kashechewan. Leave it to fester as it has been doing for far too long? Move it out of the floodplain in which it is currently situated and which leads to problems of flooding and water contamination? Neither option comes anything close to a solution. The people of Kashechewan live unnatural lives of degredation and hopelessness, in complete isolation from the opportunities available to other Canadians.Yes, there was the imagined pride of living the way one's ancestors did, naturally, within nature, hunting when required - and what happened to that? It was an unrealistic ideal. What other population sought to live as their ancestors did? Well, I can think of those quaint little living museums, pioneer-type villages that 20th century citizens loved to visit from time to time to remind themselves of what they left behind. What they left behind, for most, was hardship, privation, rampant disease, illness, inadequate shelters.
Canadians, like citizens of any advanced society left the past behind, although fondly recalling aspects of the past that seemed appealing in memory, often far removed from reality. Civilizations move forward, they take advantage of technical advances, of creative new living environments, of opportunities for livelihoods that satisfy the human need for active employment and participation in civic life.
What have the native Canadians living in Kashechewan and in so many other communities accomplished for themselves? Isolation from the mainstream, acceptance of a status of dependence on government coffers far in excess of that issued to other Canadians, and all to no avail. They have no pride in place, few opportunities for gainful employment, inadequate medical care, no interest in the maintenance and upkeep of properties they don't themselves own.
Drug misuse and alcoholism is rampant in the community, children's lives are at risk. Educational opportunities for children are mishandled and insecurely operated. Children are not prepared to take their rightful place in society, they are given no options, no opportunities, no interest in life. Their disaffection with their station in life reflects that of their elders.
The people of Kashechewan need to be rescued from the incompetence of their self-serving feudal-style chiefs who love the reserve lifestyle, since they're more concerned with enriching themselves and their cronies personally than the welfare of the community. Not all reserves reflect the disaster that is Kashechewan, but too many do. We rarely hear of the successful reserves, but they're there; they are the ones who are competently managed, who have moved themselves into the mainstream, who have discovered ways to integrate themselves into neighbouring economies.
Canadian taxpayers spend $9-billion annually in the preservation of resident reserves. That translates to approximately $80,000 for each resident-household on a reserve, and this amount of money represents far more than the average Canadian family lives on in relative comfort and security through their own managed resources.
Human nature demands more of aboriginals than the acceptance of the status quo. Human beings are hard-wired to produce for themselves, to mature into independent, intelligent and forward-looking survivors. Aboriginals have to become more personally resourceful, responsible, engaged in the proces of living, to ensure their own futures and the viability of their children's.
As good a place to start as any is the determination to break away from the paternalism traditionally demanded by tribal elders, the complete reliance on federal transfer monies in lieu of personal achievement and self-management. Efforts to become self-reliant, self-sufficient and proud pays solid dividends. With no personal effort and commitment to withdrawal from the soul-crushing cradle-to-grave financial support administered through Indian Affairs native peoples live hollow, insubstantial lives of resentful boredom.
There is no integrity in dependence, there is no pride in lack of personal achievement. With no vested interest in private ownership of land and home, no employment to sustain and nourish independence, there is no interest in establishing a good life for oneself. The opportunities available to most Canadians from achieving a reasonable education to pursuing a profession, to pride in home ownership and raising healthy families is denied native communities.
This fallacy of leaving native Canadians to live "natural, cultural" lifestyles has led inexorably to family unit breakdowns, lack of suitable education opportunities, alcohol and drug dependencies, critical health problems, soaring suicide rates, violence, societal crimes and incarcerations far outstripping their relative numbers in society. It's time to look at upsetting the status quo.
The remedy is obvious and right at hand. Ecnomic and social integration. While safeguarding cultural memories. Apartness, tribal ghettoes, isolated communities living the sad myth of retention of an historical way of life, a more "authentic life experience" has failed. Badly, sadly.
Time to move on, to integrate into the larger community of Canadian life. Where tradition and culture can still be celebrated.
posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, November 15, 2006
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