Tag Archives: Aboriginal Industry

Aboriginal Industry

‘Who owns culture?’


“Scholarship cannot thrive if limits are placed on who can investigate the past, or if lines of investigation are shut down. The Western traditions for the production and disposition of knowledge…are the best way to research history and culture.” ERBLWhoOwnsCulture800x800“In America, Canada, Australasia and even parts of Europe, since the 1990s ‘indigenous’ people have been granted extensive control over art and artefacts in museums. Museum policies mandate the active involvement of ‘source communities’…in decisions about exhibitions, research and the care of objects.

“An unfortunate elision is made between someone’s ethnicity and their authority to speak definitively about cultural artefacts, which excludes those who do not share that ethnicity, despite their expertise.

“It has meant the disappearance from public display of important material. Artefacts are segregated and access to them limited if they are sacred or have ceremonial status. Continue reading ‘Who owns culture?’ →

Education

‘Rewriting Canadian History: Quebec’


Quelle ironie! First, Quebecois nationalists rewrote Canadian history to reflect their bias; now, aboriginal nationalists are doing the same to the history of Quebec: ERBLRewritingCanadianHistory--Quebec800x800“The shortage of aboriginal issues in Quebec’s new high-school history curriculum is “unacceptable”, according to ‘First Nations’ activists…  Continue reading ‘Rewriting Canadian History: Quebec’ →

Government Funding

‘$8.4 Billion — Only A Deposit?’


“To look at it, it seems like an impressive number but when you break it down to what the needs are, and also what is owed in terms of resources and the land that was taken from our people, it doesn’t really compare…”

ERBL$8.4Billion--OnlyADeposit800x800“The Liberals’ plan to spend $8.4 billion over five years to improve the lives of ‘indigenous’ people is getting mixed reviews from aboriginal leaders…

“Sheila North Wilson, Grand Chief of the northern Manitoba ‘First Nations’ group, ‘MKO’, called the money only

“a deposit on a historic reset.”

“North Wilson {a former ‘CBC Manitoba’ reporter} told ‘CTV News Channel’ that, compared to “the amount that our communities need and, you know, dreamed about,” the $8.4 billion “is not enough.”  Continue reading ‘$8.4 Billion — Only A Deposit?’ →

Bullying Canada

‘Chiefs Demand Say On Climate Change…Or Else’


“Alberta wants to develop more? Well, we will be there to stand in the way.” 

ERBLChiefsDemandSayOnClimateChange800x800“Athabasca Chipewyan Chief Allan Adams {leader of a ‘nation’ of 463 people} stormed out of the meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada’s premiers, and ‘indigenous’ leaders on ‘climate change’ in Vancouver on March 2nd, because he said it fell to shambles.

“I think Canada’s in a ‘crisis’ and it ain’t going to get any better now. Canada failed terribly, the provinces failed terribly in regards to addressing this issue”, said an infuriated Adam.

Continue reading ‘Chiefs Demand Say On Climate Change…Or Else’ →

Bullying Canada

‘Taking The Economy To Court: B.C. Update’


Now, Canadian courts have enabled the lawyer-driven ‘Aboriginal Industry’ to sue both companies and individuals over land use on ‘traditional territories’ — even before a tribe has proven any connection whatsoever with the land in question, and even if the land had been previously stolen from another tribe. Let the chaos begin:ERBLTakingTheEconomyToCourt-BCUpdate800x800“Last week, the Halalt ‘First Nation’ {a ‘nation’ of 205 people} filed two civil suits totalling $2.1 billion in ‘damages’ against Catalyst Paper, a pulp and paper company based in Richmond, British Columbia.

“The community claims that the company’s mill in Crofton—which has been operating for more than 59 years {and employs 578 people} —is interfering with the Halalt ‘First Nation’s ‘aboriginal rights’. In addition to the financial compensation, the ‘First Nation’ is seeking a

“permanent order to prevent Catalyst from conducting operations at the Crofton Mill”. 

Continue reading ‘Taking The Economy To Court: B.C. Update’ →

Accountability

‘Mea Maxima Culpa: The Ruse of Political Apologies’


“It all seems a little bizarre, and a reversal of normal morality, which is…that ‘those who do harm must pay’.

“Instead, we, who did no harm, must apologize publicly for something over which we had no control, and politicians — who stand to gain by appearing morally upright — are extracting money from millions of citizens who were not even alive at the time, using it to pay off descendants who have suffered no harm, and whose only connection to the deemed sins of the past is their blood.” ERBLMeaMaximaCulpaTheRuseOfPoliticalApologies800x800-2“Is there a vague public awareness that we may be engaged in some unspecified evil at the moment, for which we could be taken to task by future generations? And if so, are we trying to alleviate the coming judgement by our children, so to speak, by apologizing now for the actions of those who came before us?

“Why else are we judging our predecessors so harshly, and in such boldly self-confident terms? Why are present-day politicians so eager to pay off survivors (or their descendants) for actions or events deemed quite normal at the time — but considered sins today — with money that is not theirs? …  Continue reading ‘Mea Maxima Culpa: The Ruse of Political Apologies’ →

Aboriginal Industry

‘Third World Banking in Canada’


Corruption is one of the results of segregation and the unequal application of the law. While we acknowledge the actions of the two chiefs in the story below who have exposed ‘kickbacks’, as we have seen on numerous occasions these types of ‘payments’ – usually known as ‘consultant’s fees’ or something equally innocuous – are frequently a part of doing business with aboriginal Bands. Regardless of who ultimately bears the blame for this situation, the fact remains that this type of behaviour is an inevitable byproduct of segregation and Race Based Law: ERBLThirdWorldBankingInCanada800x800‘Winnipeg financial firm offered ‘kickbacks’ to chiefs to land business deals’  

“Two ‘First Nation’ chiefs say they were offered money as enticement to sign their communities up for ‘Bank of Montreal’ loan agreements, arranged by a Winnipeg-based financial firm that an internal document shows used “kickbacks” as a tool to secure clients. 

“The chiefs, from Manitoba and Saskatchewan, said they were offered money by senior officials with ‘The Usand Group’, which bills itself as a firm dedicated to helping ‘First Nation’ communities participate in the “global economy”, according to its website.  Continue reading ‘Third World Banking in Canada’ →

Education

‘Aboriginal Education’


“Canadian aboriginal elites are now demanding more…than just the maintenance of their control over educational financial assistance for aboriginal youth. They’re demanding complete control over the entire aboriginal education system itself!  

“Unfortunately, when considering the causes of low academic achievement on the part of aboriginal youth, it is apparently ‘verboten’…to ever publicly ask or debate whether or not the “separate but equal” status quo might be contributing to this disastrous situation (THAT might threaten egos, funding, control over funding, and Indian industry jobs). Rather…their solution is for Canada and the provinces to pour more money into the existing dysfunctional situation, and to give aboriginal elites more control over it…”

–Peter Best ERBLAboriginalEducation800x800“Lack of education is at the heart of aboriginal peoples’ cultural underdevelopment, and their inability to participate in the Canadian workforce. Improvements in education, therefore, are directly linked to solving other problems that are symbols of a marginalized existence — poverty, poor health, violence…, suicides, child abuse, and so on — caused by the gap in cultural development. 

“Poor identification of the problem, however, is being impeded by misguided efforts to improve aboriginal peoples’ “low self-esteem”. Many Canadians believe it is inappropriate to criticize aboriginal educational initiatives because of the terrible injustices that have been perpetrated in that area in the past. They argue that aboriginal peoples should be allowed to “make their own mistakes”, and it is inappropriate for “white people” to “tell them what to do”.   Continue reading ‘Aboriginal Education’ →

Bullying Canada

‘Silencing Opposition’


“According to the ‘Law Society of Upper Canada’, Peter Best had been “instructed for investigation” because, based on…examples of facts and conclusions some aboriginals might find ‘wounding’, he “may have engaged in discriminatory conduct” and “may have acted in a manner that reflects adversely on the integrity of the profession (of law) and/or the administration of justice”… 

“Not a single word of his essay meets the Criminal Code criteria for “hate” speech or “incitement”, but the complainants…expressed the hope to the LSUC that Best would be “disbarred or suspended” unless he “completes a sensitivity training course and a Native Studies course”, as well as “apologiz(ing) for using his law practice to disseminate racist materials”.ERBLSilencingOpposition800x800Peter Best has been an inspiration to those able to see beyond the prejudices of the moment – those for whom noble principles like ‘equality before the law’ still resonate as the finest products of Western culture. His series of essays entitled “There Is No Difference” remains some of the most educational and thought-provoking material on ‘race law’ and the ‘Indian Industry’ in Canada.  

http://nodifference.ca/ 

However, in our current intolerant climate, it was only a matter of time before someone tried to punish him for it:  Continue reading ‘Silencing Opposition’ →

Accountability

‘Keep The Accountability’


    “Once all is said and done, there’s an awful lot of money, aimed at improving the collective lives of ‘First Nations’ people, that’s being eaten up by high-paid and self-righteous leadership.”

    “Our leadership has no need for huge payouts while their people struggle to get by. And it’s especially angering when they take the money and still talk about honoring our traditions. 

    “So why not open the books on band management? Why not allow Canadians and their own people to see how much they are paid, how much they ring up on expenses, and how the fiscal dollars directed toward the community are divided and spent?”

ERBLKeepTheAccountability800x800“Is Ottawa’s promised ‘nation-to-nation’ relationship with ‘indigenous peoples’ mainly about protecting the power of ‘First Nation’ leaders and ignoring the interests of the grassroots?  

“The first sign in that direction occurred in December, when the Trudeau government announced it was taking teeth out of the ‘First Nations’ Financial Transparency Act’, a piece of legislation that provides basic local financial data to ‘First Nation’ Band members. The government lifted sanctions and stopped court actions against ‘First Nations’ communities that weren’t complying with the ‘Transparency Act’. 

“Where this goes is anyone’s guess, but let’s hope the Liberals (and the NDP) do not fall back into their pattern of supporting chiefs against their members.   Continue reading ‘Keep The Accountability’ →