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Over 800 Aboriginal women in Canada have gone missing or murdered, with NWAC numbers showing only half of those murder cases solved. What remains for families and communities are questions: what happened to these women, why does it seem no one is paying attention and why does it continue to happen? The past year has witnessed First Nations blockades across Canada, and the United Nations and the majority of Canadian premiers calling for a national public inquiry. And yet, the federal government declined to do so. The Agenda attempts to get some answers and find some understanding.
According to the YouTube video and many sources 800 Aboriginal Women have gone missing in the past couple decades.
It seems that the Aboriginal population are still ridiculed, marginalised and looked down upon in Canada, not just that but the cracks of racism in Canada are just painted over.
According to the YouTube video and many sources 800 Aboriginal Women have gone missing in the past couple decades.
It seems that the Aboriginal population are still ridiculed, marginalised and looked down upon in Canada, not just that but the cracks of racism in Canada are just painted over.
The discussion of topics involving race and/or ethnicity in Canada is strongly discouraged, unless it is accompanied by a self-laudatory theme. If one desires a forthwright and self-examinatory look at problems involving race, Canada is not the place to find it. If this were the United States, there would be protests in the streets condemning the double standard in treatment for these minority women; in Canada no one could be bothered to care about a few hundred non-whites. This type of issue proves easier to as you say, "paint over".
The discussion of topics involving race and/or ethnicity in Canada is strongly discouraged, unless it is accompanied by a self-laudatory theme. If one desires a forthwright and self-examinatory look at problems involving race, Canada is not the place to find it. If this were the United States, there would be protests in the streets condemning the double standard in treatment for these minority women; in Canada no one could be bothered to care about a few hundred non-whites. This type of issue proves easier to as you say, "paint over".
The "sweep-things-under-the-carpet" culture is very strong in Canada. It's can be very taboo to discuss unpleasant subjects.
One of the reasons is that the Canadian identity often revolves around notions of "niceness", "best-ness", etc.
It's not a cocky arrogance like that of the Americans, it's more of a smugness.
The idea for example that Canada may not be as rich and excellence-driven as the U.S., but has nonetheless built a "better" society than the U.S. for its citizens, is close to being a dogma in Canada.
If this were the United States, there would be protests in the streets condemning the double standard in treatment for these minority women;
Unless of course you slaughtered the entire population in a near mass genocide in the 1800's. Then there wouldn't be enough of them to move the needle. That way you only have to worry about shooting and incarcerating one minority population instead of two.
Canada's treatment of its First Nations is abhorrent, and a lot of ground has been gained in fixing things, and there's a lot more to be done. Canada tends to marginalize a lot of its high risk people, and this is no different.
There's lots of room to have a discussion about First Nations and the issues, but starting with the premise of looking down one's nose and pooh poohing probably isn't the place to start.
I agree with everything that's been said, and I think the way that we relate to Aboriginal peoples is our country's greatest shame. Acajack, what you've said is quite true of English Canadian culture, but I'd like to talk about a little discussed but I think still quite important issue that perhaps needs to be talked about, and I think you and PBeauchamp may have some insight regarding this as you are both French Canadians and Quebecois now. I find French Canadians see themselves through the lens of colonialism and often have narratives about themselves as a near indigenous population of the land they occupy. Perhaps this is why so many bring up that most might have some tiny fraction of aboriginal blood from the archaic past? It fits into this way of seeing themselves. Quebec society can also be rather tribal, either you're nous or you're not. It's rarely spoken of, but I want to explore how all of that relates to the indigenous of people of the modern province because I think the way Quebec society relates can be problematic, just in a different way then the ROC cultures. I get the sense that aboriginals aren't a part of the gang so they're not thought about and their issues are ignored and get even less media play then they do in the ROC. Certainly, in BC I hear alot more about First Nations issues then I even did in Quebec, despite there being many reserves in Quebec, some with very serious issues. I get the sense Quebeckers don't feel responsible for colonialism and so don't feel any guilt or responsibility towards Aboriginal peoples, which I think can be a very problematic attitude.
Unless of course you slaughtered the entire population in a near mass genocide in the 1800's. Then there wouldn't be enough of them to move the needle. That way you only have to worry about shooting and incarcerating one minority population instead of two.
Canada's treatment of its First Nations is abhorrent, and a lot of ground has been gained in fixing things, and there's a lot more to be done. Canada tends to marginalize a lot of its high risk people, and this is no different.
There's lots of room to have a discussion about First Nations and the issues, but starting with the premise of looking down one's nose and pooh poohing probably isn't the place to start.
I am not as you say "pooh-poohing", I am giving our British friend the honest truth.
As Acajack has stated, Canada has a strong culture of sweeping things under the carpet. If you insist on emphasizing the Canada vs. United States agenda, I would say that your sense of history appears to unfairly demonize the Americans and "sweep under the rug" the very similar treatment that Canada inflicted upon it's natives. I do not fault you because it is typically Canadian to do so.
The percentage of natives in the United States and Canada are very close; Canada only has a small single digit percentage higher of natives. Despite this, the natives in the United States are generally treated better and their concerns are regarded more openly. The "Canadian model" is severely outdated and I fear that some are too endeared with our trademark smugness to invest in any meaningful progress.
I agree with everything that's been said, and I think the way that we relate to Aboriginal peoples is our country's greatest shame. Acajack, what you've said is quite true of English Canadian culture, but I'd like to talk about a little discussed but I think still quite important issue that perhaps needs to be talked about, and I think you and PBeauchamp may have some insight regarding this as you are both French Canadians and Quebecois now. I find French Canadians see themselves through the lens of colonialism and often have narratives about themselves as a near indigenous population of the land they occupy. Perhaps this is why so many bring up that most might have some tiny fraction of aboriginal blood from the archaic past? It fits into this way of seeing themselves. Quebec society can also be rather tribal, either you're nous or you're not. It's rarely spoken of, but I want to explore how all of that relates to the indigenous of people of the modern province because I think the way Quebec society relates can be problematic, just in a different way then the ROC cultures. I get the sense that aboriginals aren't a part of the gang so they're not thought about and their issues are ignored and get even less media play then they do in the ROC. Certainly, in BC I hear alot more about First Nations issues then I even did in Quebec, despite there being many reserves in Quebec, some with very serious issues. I get the sense Quebeckers don't feel responsible for colonialism and so don't feel any guilt or responsibility towards Aboriginal peoples, which I think can be a very problematic attitude.
I actually posted this in another forum just a few days ago. It addresses the point I think.
I tend to find that French Canadians have less of the guilt complex towards aboriginals than other Canadians do.
The whole thing about stealing their land and '"we're all immigrants here except for the natives" is not something you hear very often among francophones. The general view among francophones is not as favourable to aboriginal demands as the difference between a card-carrying First Nations person and a non card carrying run-of-the-mill French Canadian is often not that great when it comes to bloodlines.
I mean, can you pick out who is aboriginal here and who isn't?
And another that francophones often bring up is that socio-economic indicators (wealth, poverty, health, death, crime, incarceration) for natives in Quebec tend to be slightly better than in the rest of Canada. Which further confirms the view that no special measures are necessary here.
So to answer your question, it is certainly very different from English Canada, but no less problematic, you're right.
I get the sense that aboriginals aren't a part of the gang so they're not thought about and their issues are ignored and get even less media play then they do in the ROC.
Those who speak French like the Hurons or the Montagnais are definitely "part of the gang".
I agree with everything that's been said, and I think the way that we relate to Aboriginal peoples is our country's greatest shame. Acajack, what you've said is quite true of English Canadian culture, but I'd like to talk about a little discussed but I think still quite important issue that perhaps needs to be talked about, and I think you and PBeauchamp may have some insight regarding this as you are both French Canadians and Quebecois now. I find French Canadians see themselves through the lens of colonialism and often have narratives about themselves as a near indigenous population of the land they occupy. Perhaps this is why so many bring up that most might have some tiny fraction of aboriginal blood from the archaic past? It fits into this way of seeing themselves. Quebec society can also be rather tribal, either you're nous or you're not. It's rarely spoken of, but I want to explore how all of that relates to the indigenous of people of the modern province because I think the way Quebec society relates can be problematic, just in a different way then the ROC cultures. I get the sense that aboriginals aren't a part of the gang so they're not thought about and their issues are ignored and get even less media play then they do in the ROC. Certainly, in BC I hear alot more about First Nations issues then I even did in Quebec, despite there being many reserves in Quebec, some with very serious issues. I get the sense Quebeckers don't feel responsible for colonialism and so don't feel any guilt or responsibility towards Aboriginal peoples, which I think can be a very problematic attitude.
French Canadians didn't engage in nearly as much genocide as English Canadians. French Canadians were mostly barred from even settling west of Quebec. The French Canadians were generally much more tolerant of the first nations than the English Canadians.
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