Our home and Native land

There is something that I feel strongly about, which is our lack of knowledge and remembrance of past events. Most of you know, or should know, about how our way of life came to be in Canada. Canadian society likes to keeps their hands clean, which just so happens, was cleaned with the blood of an entire nation of people, our most spiritual and belonging Native society.

When I was growing up I heard the great adventurous tales of Christopher Columbus and how he was responsible for the discovery of America and in doing so, paved the way for the colonization of the English in 1492. Over the next four decades there were many acts done to eradicate and relocate Native Americans, be it the introduction to new diseases, the killing of the bison, battles and so forth.

Before the interjection of the Europeans, the estimated population of the now called “United States of America” was about 12 Million, mostly made up of First Nations people. In Canada alone nearly six centuries later there's only one million, three per cent of Canada's population, are First Nations. My heart grows weak to know that this country was once flourishing with a group of people who cared more about culture, the environment and one another then about wealth, prosperity and creating war.

There are 300 Million Americans, 2.5 per cent of which fall under the “Other Race” category, which includes Native Indian, Native Hawaiian, and then all other races. That means that there's seven million people of different races other than white, black and asian.

Obtaining Native status before the 1970's was very patriarchal. A Native man could pass on status to his wife and his kids if he married a non-native, but women who married a non-aboriginal male would then lose all status and be stripped of her heritage. Before the 1950's it was illegal for “Indians” to drink in public, leave the reserve without authorization, or even vote.

If this isn't enough then lets backtrack even further, to the period of 1870-1970. Native children were taken from their homes on the reserve and placed in schools where they were denied to speak their language, were abused and mistreated and lost all identity to their culture. Life back then was pretty tough for the Native Canadian, but do not think that life now is much different.

Aboriginals do not have it easy here in Canada, they are living in small communities throughout the country and if they actually want to take the government up on their offer of free education, they must leave the culture they know and become accustomed to and head off to a world that has much different values and norms.

Just think of it this way, in order for you to actually get an education, you would have to move to a different country, where it has a different language and culture. Now that you are in this different country you do not know anyone, you cling to whatever familiarity you can, and surrounding yourself in your culture only to be mocked and made fun of by the people dominating that country.

I am not speaking for all Aboriginals, there are many who have made the merge into “Canadian Society”, which is what the government wants, to strip what left of the land and culture away that the Native culture holds so dear.

I will not go into great detail to the ruthless acts that were done unto these people, but I will say this, I am glad that our government has taken responsibility and is giving current Native status holders the assistance that they need to succeed in this ever changing economy. Nevertheless, there will be nothing that can ever be done to rectify what has been; however, it's a lot more then what some countries offer the people they have wronged. Germany has nothing even close to what we offer in accordance to the Jewish Community or the Untied States for the African American, as well as the Natives. Native's today suffer much widespread racism and have been put into categories where they do not belong. What we all need to do is not forget that forgetting history only leads to misunderstanding, the cause to so much discrimination and racism.

Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.