I am sitting on a plane between Terrace and Vancouver on my way to a conference in Penticton. As I am sitting there in 2D, the gentleman beside me at the window aisle decides to do some editing or proof reading of a document that he is working on.
I can’t help it but a Heading caught my eye.
It was pretty much like that. I’ll bet that you saw that boldface sentence before you started reading this. In the heading I notice the words “aboriginal rights” and my interest grows. I scan down to the second boldface heading and I see a statement. It is a statement because it was not written in the form of a question. It was a sentence that stated, “Aboriginal Rights Are Not Absolute”.
Then there were two words that followed that I caught, “encroachment” and I think it was “infringement”. I have to tell you that I bit my tongue there for a while as I considered entering a debate with the guy sitting next to me ont he plane.
I did not however want to get off the plane in Vancouver and be “escorted” anywhere because it could have gotten to that point as the guy had the professional business class look to him and I could easily have been mistaken as ‘attacking him’ (verbally of course). I am guessing he is a lawyer or something but I will stop the speculation right there. I do not want any critical analysis of this piece to be mired down by the use of my speculation.
What I wanted to ask him was simply, “Can you name for me a Right that is Absolute?” I wanted to see if he could do that because if he couldn’t do that, I wanted to further question that heading and hopefully help him reword it in such a manner that it was not condescending or partriarchal in nature.
I do not see the point of making a statement of “aboriginal rights are not absolute” other than to undermine the 300-400 hundred years or so of struggle that has been Post European Contact in what is now British Columbia.
If Rights can be absolute, are they still rights? I have not done any research on what could be considered an absolute right so I will not wager a guess here at this point but I do hope that a dialogue can be started where the idea of what is an Absolute Right is.
Absolute (when it comes to rights according to one dictionary): Not subject to any limitation; unconditional. Okay so I used the dictionary on this laptop.
I guess this is where the issue lies. In my mind there are very few things that are absolutely absolute. Everything has a dynamic to it and when you consider the patriarchy of government and what the burgeoning Country of Canada and Province of British Columbia in relation to First Nations and Aboriginal Peoples, there is no realtionship. There might be be one but it is a perceived one. Percieved? Think of every stereotype of an Indian in Canada. Not too many are there?
If a guy on a plane can work on his document that questions aboriginal rights at about the same time as the Prime Minster is apologizing to everyone including the First Nations Peoples of Canada, what does that say? Not just about our Society but Governance as a whole?
I wanted to find out from this guy if he could give me an example of what an absolute right was. If he could, I wanted to see if his document that he was working on had any bearing on what aboriginal rights were or was this yet another attempt at undermind that native People in canada have been struggling to get away from after so many years.
This is not only a can of worms, this is a case of 12 cans of worms so watch your step and if you happen to catch any fish with these worms, remember where you got the bait from. =)
Hmm. I think this is all above me. Bah. Politics.
Hey, wait a minute! Why were you peeking at his paper? Heh heh, just kidding. I hate the feeling when you want to ask a zillion questions, but it would quickly escalate beyond awkward if you did. Especially on a plane. No where to run if things do go sour. Not that I ever talk to people I don’t know on planes.
By: Fupas on August 17, 2008
at 3:50 pm
It was tempting to say the least. I can be one of those people that will strike up a conversation if the urge is strong enough.
Greyhound bus trips went by so much faster when talking to someone, particularly those that lasted at least ten hours.
Besides, his paper was right there.
By: E_Dragon on August 17, 2008
at 7:00 pm
Hmm…
This is where the thing gets ’sticky’.
If we just look at the ‘glossy exterior’, that guy could have been anything from a card-carrying “all-white” “lobby” group (lol, did I do that ok?) creating his latest “poor me, ’cause I’m white” thing, OR, he could have been as innocent as some editor or lawyer simply reviewing something that someone else had written.
Now, if it was just that simple, is he truly absolved? If someone else makes [bad movies involving children], and this guy got caught with it, does that mean he is “not guilty”?
Now, if this passenger actually is one of those who thinks that First Nation People have been given back enough of their land and resources, maybe you should have pushed him out the window?
I don’t know what the “climate” is like in BC – but it isn’t very nice in parts of Ontario/Quebec. And of course, you only get to hear what is ‘newsworthy’, and that isn’t the whole story. Fu, lack of understanding leads to misunderstanding. Oka and Ipperwash and Caledonia – they look much different on the news.
By: NIAC on August 18, 2008
at 4:24 am
It was a can of worms sitting there beside me on the plane. I didn’t know if I should open it at the time but in retrospect I am glad I didn’t.
Given the nature of pessimism and negativity, I did not want this trip to spiral downwards into being a bad trip.
I just got back from playing a round of golf with three other guys attending the Leadership conference and at golfing, I could use some lessons or more time time a full set of clubs. I have only gone golfing once before and used only a putter and a nine iron. This time I had a full set of clubs at my disposal and it sure added a level to the game I was not ready for.
I made good shot or two, sank some putts but am thankful not only for the experience but the people that I gamed with.
Huh. Whodathunk gaming with people older than me and without a console could be so fun. =) Dinner was included in the package so I am enjoying the digestion of a damn good steak.
Okay…
NIAC, I didn’t give much thought to WHO he was since that idea of an Absolute Right was bouncing around in my head and I really had wanted to ask him if he could give me an example of what an absolute right was.
I honestly didn’t care if he was a poor white guy in his business suit, that idea of stating that aboriginal rights were not absolute just stuck with me. He could have been a lawyer, he could have been a lobbyist but it was obvious he was a what guy working on a something that I saw was undermining the struggle of Native people and the regaining of their right to live and prosper in their own home.
We live in one of the richest countries in the world and we really should see any poverty given the social climate that we live in but the fact remains that Native people in Canada are living in conditions that are very much in poverty.
It just sucks because this poverty was not of their choosing. It was a white guy somewhere in our history who has never been in British Columbia deciding the fate of people has has no business deciding over.
The idea of a Central Government killed the Spirit of the Native People who moved with the seasons and the food.
As you can see a can of worms. =)
You question if he is absolved is an interesting one. If he is touting the paper and is or will be responsible for undermining the efforts of aboriginal rights, can he be absolved?
You are asking two different groups of people with distinct values that are in opposition to each other if they can agree to what is wrong.
I should have called my blog, A Can Of Worms but I didn’t. =)
By: E_Dragon on August 18, 2008
at 7:46 pm
I haven’t golfed in years. I haven’t even been to a driving range in years.
Ya, I hear ya on opening this can. You know me, E_D, I can’t just sit there with the can closed. I also can’t be sarcastic enough in print when it comes to talking about how nice it is that bands are getting treaties and “being given” the option for self-governance. My point of view only serves to piss-off non-Natives, and that isn’t helpful.
I try to “big-picture” things, too. I don’t hold any group of people (old, FN, Female, Catholic) responsible for the actions of any one person or tiny group of people. However, there is this ugly schism in Canada when it comes to “Indian Affairs” (I really hate that term). It is all learned racist bullshit that without actual dialogue, will never get fixed. I don’t like the word “tolerance” either, since it insinuates that someone needs to be tolerated by someone else. That loud jerk that lives 4 doors down who is always yelling, he needs to be ‘tolerated’.
*Umm, that was an example – I didn’t mean that either Me or E_D have some loud neighbour four doors down!*
OK, I will shut up, my friend. Be well. All of you!
Did you two name the baby yet? I hear Michael/Michelle is a good name.
By: NIAC on August 19, 2008
at 4:23 am
Ye, Micheal is a good name but I want my son to have a childhood so naming him Mike will make him an old man prematurely. Or something. =)
Actually I think we have agreed on a name if we have a boy. I want to continue honoring my father and since his passing, I just can’t seem to get used to being without the Jr. at the end of my name so I might have Sr. instead and carry on a great name that has been in the family for a few generations now. We just need to find a middle name but I think we may have it.
Finding and agreeing on a girl’s name has been something we are having trouble with. I think that will be something better left for those last few weeks that we will be in town waiting; it will give us something to do.
I really do appreciate the discussion here NIAC. It is funny that your name is very similar to INAC which is the Indian and Northern Affairs and one of the biggest examples of patriarchy and government red tape that is placed on First Nations People. I will always come back to my early post secondary years and one course in particular.
The History of North America. It was an Anthropology course but it allowed for some interesting discussion on European Contact in Canada.
Good ‘ole Christopher Columbus and his route to India. I always hated that word Indian for it is one of the biggest misnomers that I can think of. Columbus bumps into a land mass and assumes that the Native People he encounters are Indians because he thought he had landed in India.
I also took some First Nations courses so I have had my fill of Columbus and as for our Canadian Government, I have also had my fill of being a Ward of The Government. The Government of Canada considers Elders who have lived their entire lives and deserve more than being held under thumb as a Ward, a child who is in care. I hate hearing those words of an early Premier of British Columbia when he says that “…we need to do something about [this] Indian problem…”
Duncan Campbell Scott. Now there is a can of worms for ya. =) The Noble Savage. I will leave that for another day.
By: E_Dragon on August 19, 2008
at 2:47 pm
Heh, I have never played golf but I went and played putt-putt the other day. It was fun even though the wind at the beach made sand feel like really tiny bullets. I unfortunately didn’t do as good as it sounds like you did. After all these years I forgot how “bouncy” golf balls were so on my only oppurtunity I had to make a hole in one I landed the ball in the hole so hard it bounced out and I got a 2 stroke count instead of a 1… on the final hole too. It brought my overall score to a whopping 27+ LMAO Nice thing is I finished in second; only two points behind the leader. Least I didn’t lose, cause loser bought lunch
Ouch… I, like Fu, don’t want to touch that can of worms. I don’t understand Canadian laws and the laws surrounding Native Americans I know absolutely nothing about so I guess I will just wish you, the misses and the little one well with the due date fast approaching.
By: TheLaughingMan on August 19, 2008
at 11:57 pm
I meant to ask you before … does it get weird when you think about ’sending your son to school’? I don’t even like to think about any of that. So much was lost. Language, art, history.
Is it any better for the Inuit and other people, do you know, to have a new Canadian Territory? I mean, do they get more money, infrastructure, anything?
You know, I write, then erase, then re-write. I get very upset by some things.
*shakes fist*
Mike? Old? ‘Astard. Put SENIOR after your name, and see who’s old. LOL
By: NIAC on August 20, 2008
at 6:22 am
Thanks LaughingMan. =) Golfing was a blast. The guys I played with were telling me I should open a putt putt place. I guess they liked the putts I sank and even commented that I was without fear so I guess that is good.
There is so much about golfing etiquette that I have to learn. We ended up just playing Best Ball after about the 4th or 5th hole since we didn’t want to miss the kitchen or our steak dinner that was a part of the golfing package. Damn good steak.
By: E_Dragon on August 20, 2008
at 10:24 am
NIAC, it gets weird in that I am now as old as you in that I have a kid that is getting ready to leave for school. It is not weird sending him to school though since his grandparents live there and he will only be an hour away.
It must have been weird for my father as I was shipped off for school though. His generation still saw children being removed and from their communities so it must have been weird for him. Now that we have our own school district, our children can live at home and attend school.
I guess most take that for granted. I almost take it for granted now as I consider what was lost as children were removed from their identity in tha name of education. Rather, re-education. Yeah, re-education is a good way to look at it.
The Northern Territories have a Legislative body so I am guessing they get that infrastructure as well. Like any province in this wonderful country of ours *wink*, the farther away from a metropolitan center you are, the less there is.
I am still singing my name with the Jr. at the end so i am not Old Like Mike. I only have to say Old Like Mike and people understand profoundly what I mean. =P
I am actually liking the idea of being the Senior. Not the Senior Citizen like you but the name change will be cool. I still hope we have a daughter but I will also be proud to say that I have three sons.
it’s just my blog so don’t get all riled up. Again, I do appreciate the discussion on this. Now I have to go and do some homework on the Yukon and Nunavit. =)
By: E_Dragon on August 20, 2008
at 10:34 am
It seems funny when “Americans” call FN or Aboriginal People “Native Americans”, since most “Americans” don’t consider non-US citizens “Americans”.
LOL, I am not hackin’ on you, LaughingDragon (not to be confused with Old, Senior Dragon, as I know who E_Dragon and LaughingMan are) it just sounds funny. I heard someone use the term “coloured” yesterday on the bus. “Tolerance” says that he is just old and doesn’t know any better. It is just “ignorance” in the true meaning of the word. The old fellow seriously just doesn’t know any different.
I mean, I am NOT PC, but shit like that does annoy me. I hear it from my father sometimes … things that just make no sense. I have a bit of faith that we’ll move forward. I mean, don’t we have to?
By: NIAC on August 20, 2008
at 10:49 am
In some respects we have moved forward leaps and bounds which is why it was such an bloggable topic for me when I saw that boldface text stating that aboriginal rights were not absolute.
I wonder if that is applied to any other rights here in Canada.
You know what bugs me? Well what used to bug me and I can probably still see it in some of DIA’s applications but how in the hell are first nations People Landed Immigrants. How fucking idiotic is that?
The Big Picture tells me that we are all immigrants since Humans used to be migratory animals. The department of indian affairs (I couldn’t even bring myself to capitalize that) is one of Canada’s biggest jokes.
It is a department that needs to be dissolved. Changing the name won’t do anything at all since the notion that Canada is looking after the native People still exists.
By: E_Dragon on August 20, 2008
at 11:14 am
Ya, that is no less than very ridiculous.
By: NIAC on August 20, 2008
at 6:25 pm
I may have to do some digging around the internet to see if I can find something by the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
*NIAC exit stage left*
LOL I thought mentioning them would be fun for you. =) It would be interesting to see how the CHRC would respond to me knocking on their proverbial doors asking them about human rights when the very same government that probably funds them is also the same government that has allowed the native people to live in squalor when they don’t have to.
Yeah I got your apology *right here* Mr. Harper. Too little waaaaaaaaaaay too late. The gesture was nice but I am sure their idea of beads and trinkets were nice as well.
I am sure their gesture of providing blankets was nice too. Bah! I am home now and can’t really think about this at the moment. I need to wind down here as we are packing for town tomorrow.
We are heading in to wait out there for the baby. =) i am bringing my laptop in the hopes I can find a wifi signal. If not, I can pay for some internet time to drop in from time to time.
Packing, laundry and the movie, “21″ are on the docket for tonight and most importantly, spending time with out boys before we leave them with my mom until we bring home baby.
By: E_Dragon on August 20, 2008
at 7:26 pm
LOL, Freudian slip, old man? “Spending time with out the boys” is why you are packing up and leaving, isn’t it? HA HA!
Good luck to the whole family, I mean that a lot.
We’ll talk about the DIA and how it should DIE when you get back, with a BIGGER FAMILY, WOOOT!
By: NIAC on August 21, 2008
at 6:43 am
LOL That may be a Freudian Slip but then again I think it might just be a cigar. =)
I meant to say spend time with our boys but it is nice that we get to relax a bit and have only the baby to think about.
By: E_Dragon on August 21, 2008
at 11:23 am