Abject poverty

The reason for the sad, abject poverty on reserves is that many are not viable without meaningful economic development. Because of their remoteness, resource development is the only realistic model.

Unfortunately, Canada's first nations cling to failed, communal economic systems. In modern times, communal economic systems consistently fail throughout the world. Canada's first nations are no exception.

Damn stubborn data

Actually the data shows laissez-faire to be probably the worst system on earth. The loose bonds of government regulation and control of many parts of Africa or the communists of Scandinavia and the Canadian Prairies. I know where I'd rather live.

The sale of resources is the

The sale of resources is the sale of real capital. It is no benefit but daylight robbery that leads to bankrupcy.

Carpetbaggers come into the country, invited and praised by our sleazy politicians, and strip it bare with the damage they cause, canceling out any benefits to the people of Canada.

Foreign investment is a fraud that brings nothing to the country, but steals everything with the perceived power of imaginary money.

As I wrote it several times before, we have the overloaded ore trucks tearing up our roads, taking our wealth abroad, leaving huge, uncontrolled pollution behind.

And this is what the "fully owned" governments and braindead politicians are celebrating.

There's another project planned for the Chilcotin, to fill up Fish Lake with the rubble from a gold mine. Who the hell needs more gold?

What the world needs is food, not gold and more pollution.

Ed Deak, Big Lake.

Greedheads All...

Fish Lake is on the Xeni Gwetin' land located in the Nemiaha Valley B.C. The Xeni people have used this lake as their traditional fishing "hole" for centuries. History shows they have defended this land as though it was their Mother. Taseko Mines plan to use Fish Lake as a Talis pond, or essentially, a toxic waste dumping ground. The Xeni people do not support this Gold\Copper mine initiative whatsoever and will indeed once again, stand up for their Mother if push comes to shove...

Taesko is planning on moving 85,000 rare trout from Fish Lake to another location as though that is all that lives there. If this happens, some fish might live, but little interconnected fragile biosphere that live in this lake will all die. Even the 200 wild horses that live on this land drink from this lake, what will become of them without this traditional place of watering??

Once again, Industry brings death to the Earth. Once again Industry\Gov demonstrates no respect of consultation, in a search for an agreement, with people who have cherished this land for generations.

History shows, these are a tough people. My thoughts are if Industry Greedheads do not start listening to these FN people, their selective listening skills will ultimately betray them….

Peace,

Bear

Thanks Bear ! Here's a

Thanks Bear ! Here's a prayer by Chief Manitonquat, I've been saving for many years and read often:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Hear O Humankind,the prayer of my heart.
Are we not one? Have we not one desire-
to heal our Mother Earth, to bind her wounds?

Are we not all sisters and brothers?
Are we not all grandchildren of the same Mistery?
Do we not all want to love and be loved?
Do we not all want to work and play and sing and dance together?

Hear my heart's prayer, O Humankind!
Life is the only treasure.
Weare the custodians of it.
It is our sacred trust.
Life is woundrous, awesome and holy.
Life is burning glory.

And its price is simply this:Courage.
We must be brave enough to love."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Now try to explain these words to economists, politicians and "wealth creators" that wealth can not be created, only taken.

Ed Deak, Big Lake.

Cumulative Impact and the New Relationship

ew Relationship or just talk and same old same old?

Mostly it seems like talk!

Industry also needs to strike up a new relationship with First Nations.

Right now too few respect First Nations.

A 'New Relationship" means recognizing First Nations rights and title and minmizing infringement from development, contributing to First Nations community wellbeing (economic opportunities and so on)and recognizing that there are limits.

You can not pave, mine, log, farm, drill, strip mine an entire First Nations territory, let alone an entire province!

As to the provincial approach to cumulative impacts, my experience has been the position is as follows:

What is wrong with only one well in a pristine area - minimal impact

or

What is one more well in an already intensely developed area.

Ever notice how most development review mechanisms are called "Approval Processes" rather than "Review" or "Assessment" processes?

The BC Oil & Gas commission is one example and they still avoid addressing cumulative impacts!

Keep up the fight for your territories!

...day to day decisions...

Thank you Ed Deak! I will save this wonderful prayer and share with you in reading it often.

The beauty of these people grounds me; the simplicity of their understandings astounds me.

FN people have taught me to believe that in our day to day decisions, we need to reflect what we will so hold in importance and reverence at our life’s end...

Peace Ed,

Bear

New Relationship

to me is nothing but more fancy words and less action behind them. yes, they look great on paper but thats all it is, and everyone knows FN people were and still somewhat today not a "Document" kind of people, teachings and lessons taught through stories and speaking, not reading it from a book or writing it down. Im only 20 and Im like that as well, and putting "New Relationship" on a piece of paper has no meaning to me whatsoever.

i fully support anyway that your first nation sees fit to protects your rights and land titles. the governments and most of the non-native society continues to ignore the "Real Truth" Hey, theres some fancy words for you, but those words actually have meaning. and as sad as it is true, we as FN people have a long road a head of us before the governments finally admit what they did, and still do today.

canada continues to import and export all the resources our people survived off since the beginning of time. we took what we needed to survive, being respectful to mother earth and all that she provides. and seeing those resources and sacred sites being raped for money, and not being atleast shared with the FN people, but bringing in more immigrants to the country as the First Nations of this country more and more become the Last Nations of this country.

the government is walking into this "new relationship" situation unprepared. todays youth, much like myself, ive grown to hate the non-native world and everything to do with it. we're angry at the past and hungry for justice for the future. there are youth out there who have been sitting and waiting for the day that gives them the chance to fight back and make their mark. there is absolutely NO room for error this time around. Canada needs to stop being the hooker of North America, pull up its panties and fix what they have done do us. yeah, it sucks there are people in other countries who have to suffer from poverty and war, but we as FN people have been suffering the same way, in some regions even worse then 3rd world societies, and still get brushed to the side as more and more boats come in with people who dont belong to country.

As i recall the anthem goes, "Our home and NATIVE land" Does it not?

hova87 I agree with you 99%

hova87 I agree with you 99% as you said G Campbell's DeGreening of BC the Old Growth Forests on VI and all over BC along with mining with no restrictions?
What a disgusting little corporate lapdog Gordo is as the opposition has him and his band of my-way-only-and-don't-question-me =god, cowardly MLA's up against the proverbial wall!
http://www.en-camino.org/node/64
http://thetyee.ca/News/2007/02/22/Investments/
http://ithinkmining.blog.infomine.com/category/region/
http://www.marxist.ca/Documents/04mar_corruption.htm