Protect First Nations students from backlash: Madahbee
Thursday, January 10, 2013 by: SooToday.com Staff
NEWS RELEASE
ANISHINABEK NATION
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Protect First Nations students from backlash: Madahbee
Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee is asking school boards across Anishinabek Nation territory to ensure that students are not subject to any backlash related to the current national debate on First Nations issues.
“Unfortunately, discussions about First Nations rights seem to bring out the worst in some Canadians, and there have been numerous reports of racist commentary and incidents across the country,” said Madahbee, speaking on behalf of 39 member Anishinabek communities in Ontario. “We are seeking the assistance of teachers and school administrators to ensure that First Nations students entrusted to their care are not subject to any bullying or harassment.”
The Grand Council Chief noted that many provincial schools have demonstrated leadership in providing curricula and environments that are more inclusive to First Nations students, and suggested that class discussions on current events could help make prescribed courses of study in Canadian and Native Studies even more relevant.
The Anishinabek Nation established the Union of Ontario Indians as its secretariat in 1949.
The UOI is a political advocate for 39 member communities across Ontario, representing approximately 55,000 people.
The Union of Ontario Indians is the oldest political organization in Ontario and can trace its roots back to the Confederacy of Three Fires, which existed long before European contact.
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Note: Comments that appear on the site are not the opinion of SooToday.com. Keep discussions civil and on topic. Refrain from obscenity and don't post anything that your grandmother would be ashamed to read. Those who do not abide by these guidelines will have their membership revoked without notice. If you see an abusive post, please click the link beside the post to report it.
Canna D. Yenn 1/10/2013 7:29:10 PM ReportIt would be helpful if Grand Council Chief Patrick Mahdahbee identified exactly the number of reports in Ontario, and the perpetrators as ‘numerous’ and ‘across the country’ are subjective and may imply that there is no problem in Ontario.
Talk about blanket statements that implicate the whole of a population… WOW!!!
Right Winger 1/10/2013 8:24:37 PM ReportHow about this Grand Cheif, quit putting your backlash against the public. You must understand there are consequences to actions, and you can't expect all to agree with your tactics.
lincoln 1/10/2013 8:54:36 PM ReportRepercussions..perhaps the elders should have thought about a backlash against us...when we decided to protest ...we didn t realize the IDLE NO MORE..works both ways...maybe we should have thought ...this through before alienating fellow Canadians....let the MOHAWKS...RISE...and fall by themselves
sea shell 1/10/2013 9:17:21 PM ReportIdle No More Should be Working Both ways!! This isn't a Native issue ! Bill C-45 effects us ALL!
It is against the Harper Government not Non- Natives! WOW!!!
scottstewy123 1/10/2013 9:34:59 PM ReportYAWN
saultbie25 1/10/2013 10:48:54 PM ReportSo they are protesting IDLE no more.... However as they are stoping traffic, and making vehicles IDLE...... to prove a point....
Catch 22.... Makes no logical sense. Must be nice for the govt to pay SOME natives (not all) to do nothing, while I may be late for work and my business loosing business because of this. Oh and loss of gas, because I am IDLING.
I agree with what they are fighting for, however, PLEASE DO NOT INTERRUPT MY LIFE AND MY JOB.
Just Curious 1/10/2013 11:32:59 PM ReportBig Brother,just because one disagrees doesn't make them a "racist". that word is getting so over-used lately I will be surprised if it doesn't make the banished words list.As far as that goes I find that there is actually far more reverse "racism" than anything else. And on that note,I'm going to bed resting assured the sun will still come up in the morning regardless of all the bitching on here...G'night...
libster 1/10/2013 11:50:16 PM ReportA BULLY is a BULLY no matter what race, creed or colour. Those kids have to go to school.. they are not responsible for their parents beliefs or stand points They should not have to endure backlash for something they have no part in.
SooToday Moderator 1/11/2013 12:03:32 AM ReportWe regret that we may have to close the comment section on this article.
Many comments have been deleted and some users have lost their posting privileges.
Racism is not an opinion.
We ask that viewers report offending comments, and do not respond to them.
We invite you to read this article of interest:
Idle? Know more
http://www.mediacoop.ca/blog/dru/15493
JustMe1234567 1/11/2013 1:30:18 AM ReportAnd the room falls silent.
Everyone busy reading? I was, it was a long read but a good one. A quick history lesson considering I don't remember learning ANYTHING about treaties etc in history class when I was a youngin. Scratch that- I kind of remember a brief lesson about how the St Mary's rapids was a gathering place.
God I hope the school curriculum has changed to include more native studies since I was a kid. Has it?
onlyblue 1/11/2013 7:14:50 AM ReportYah my post was deleted ... Nothing rude about it people can't handle the truth ?
clane 1/11/2013 7:26:10 AM Report“Unfortunately, discussions about First Nations rights seem to bring out the worst in some Canadians, and there have been numerous reports of racist commentary and incidents across the country,”
That may be true, but he forgot to mention that it was coming from both sides of the fence
Slim Shady 1/11/2013 7:29:52 AM Report@JustMe1234567
I don't know where you went to school or for how long... I'm 42 years old and I remember haveing North American history taught in Public school. It included Native studies about settlement, culture, wars etc.
Later in highschool I took all history classes both North American,European,and Ancient History then again half of those were electives (I have an interest in history).
You can always read on your own from different sources to get unbias understanding of anything at anytime....
Some comments on this article were indeed racist and should have been removed however others were pulled IMHO because they had a different view and touched a cord with other readers. That is censorship and wrong.... hence back to my earlier comment always read on your own from different sources to get unbias understanding of anything at anytime....
Javaman 1/11/2013 8:12:10 AM ReportI cannot understand why the natives keep changing the rules when it comes to meeting the government. It seems each time the govt caves in they want more. Do they REALLy want to meet?
outcrop 1/11/2013 8:22:55 AM Reportsootoday...idle? Know more ...you got that right...to (know more) about this issue on both side of the fence is the key! and hopefully would stop most posters from acting like a bunch of school girls.
sinikka 1/11/2013 8:32:06 AM Reportit seems that the moderator is trying to sway public opinion by picking and choosing what to eliminate and directing you to read pro native proganganda. i find it interesting that sootoday did not mention the government audit in the local news because it discredited chief spence and part of the Idle No More cause. I agree racist comments should have been eliminated but only those that oppose the movement have been removed . Soo today knows damn well that these issues strike a cord with many readers so just stop mentioning them in the local section and then the problem is solved. I think that sootoday has chosen to take sides which is fine but please do not do it in the guise of reporting news.
PipeBomb 1/11/2013 8:42:52 AM ReportIn other news, the NHL is back.
sloppyfloppy 1/11/2013 8:57:05 AM ReportWow. I'm not saying anything except that sootoday has been incredibly one-sided during this whole protest. It would be nice to get both perspectives of the news and not just further propaganda.
JustMe1234567 1/11/2013 9:46:21 AM Report@Slim Shady- Hmmm can't say I remember much of any of those teaching (not saying they weren't there) in catholic school I think there was more focus on religion and other studies. At least those are the ones that stand out in my mind.
I read about Chief Spence in the national news on this site, if sootoday was biased don't you think they would have removed that from their homepage?
I saw the comments before several were removed, in fact I reported a few. People were taking an opposing view, which is fine, but they blew it when they started using racist words to describe natives. People in this town really need to stop with the racism. It is disgusting and uncalled for.
If you want to argue an opposing side, fine, do it maturely without the name calling and crap!
And for the record I am non-native.
JustMe1234567 1/11/2013 9:51:08 AM Report@sinikka - yes stories about the audit discredit chief spence AS WELL as the federal government.
travelingman 1/11/2013 10:43:36 AM ReportThe best way to protect people from backlash is not too lash out to begin with. It only makes since to expect backlash when you go out and start lashing people. Stop the public lashing and you don't get backlash. Oh yeah I forgot, we are supposed to turn the other cheek.
frnlak 1/11/2013 11:36:06 AM ReportI do not mean for this to be racist. Lets look at this scenario. The federal government finds 600,000 metis and off reserve natives to be deemed "indians" on top of the approx. 850,000 that are already deemed "indians". The natives want to be self governing If the natives are successful in achieving their goal of self government, that is 1,450,000 "indians" that the government of Canada is not responsible for. Monies for education, health care welfare, etc. would come from the native self government. Again this is just a scenario. Be cereful what you wish for..
keeper 1/11/2013 12:29:58 PM ReportNatives have an interpertation of treaties and the government has one. The big issue is that Natives claim ownership of resources on lands ceded to the government under treaty that states that natives still have rights to hunt and fish on these ceded lands. Natives have put forth claims they now own a part of any mineral, power projects, industrial development on these ceded lands. It is not stated anywhere in treaties that natives has any rights to monies from development on crown lands formerly considered "'Traditional territories "
.Until this issue is resolved it will be turmoil
LSARC 1/11/2013 4:07:16 PM ReportPerhaps some of the local antipathy to Idle No More may rise from disillusionment. Many would have agreed with the author of
"What if Natives Stop Subsidizing Canada?" at the link provided by the SooToday Moderator
"Indigenous nations present the best and only partners in taking care of our environment. Protecting our rivers, lakes, forests and oceans is best done by people with a multi-millenial relationship with the land.
Indigenous nations present the best and only partners in taking care of our environment. Protecting our rivers, lakes, forests and oceans is best done by people with a multi-millenial relationship with the land.
As the people who live downstream and downwind, and who have an ongoing relationship to the land, Cree, Dene, Anishnabe, Inuit, Ojibway and other nations are among the best placed and most motivated to slow down and stop the industrial gigaprojects that are threatening all of our lives."
Indeed! And yet there is the unfortunate incongruity of local Chiefs, having signed multi-million dollar contracts with greed energy companies subsidized by the poor through FIT programs (The Auditor General 2011 Report revealed the waste of billions on allegedly "green" energy and jobs. http://lsarc.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/auditors-look-at-the-provinces-books-part-1-hardly-a-glancing-blow/ ) which place an undue burden on ratepayers, out marching in a poverty parade.
Local Chiefs have been asked to hear and to present to band membership the truth about industrial wind developments but have ignored information which could counter the sales pitch of industry and the propaganda of the Province. Chiefs are obviously not listening or consulting any better than of the other politicians which have their sights on "economic development" at any cost.
"The human costs are far greater; brutal tactics aimed at erasing native peoples' identity and connection with the land have created human tragedies several generations deep and a legacy of fierce and principled resistance that continues today."
Bill Monture would agree entirely ( http://ontario-wind-resistance.org/2012/11/11/i-have-no-respect-for-samsung-they-have-no-respect-for-the-wildlife-all-they-care-about-is-the-money/ ); the traditional living Mohawk said as much in his testimony before Environmental Review Tribunal on his appeal of a massive "green" energy project in Six Nations territory:
"The original people’s lives remain closely tied to the land and adverse impacts resonate with great discord as our minds, bodies and souls are woven so tightly into this fabric we are as one cloth. Harming or cutting a hole out of the fabric we call Turtle Island is a direct injury upon our people." ( http://lsarc.wordpress.com/2013/01/06/not-a-prayer/ )
Now the sad result of his appeal having failed is the MNR-sanctioned removal of an active eagle's nest and the ancient Cottonwood which held it. Eagles are no longer welcome in an area which has an exceptionally high density of raptors recorded by Environment Canada and which a Bird studies Canada biologist advised should be protected. ( http://lsarc.wordpress.com/2013/01/07/mnr-disregards-experts-advice/ )
Idle No More could insist that wind development be halted until studies on the cumulative effect of this cost to the fabric of Turtle Island be studied because this is happening everywhere greed energy prevails over reason and yet remains unreported by local media. How could it not be newsworthy to local First Nations who, in Ojibwe creation stories followed the crane to Lake Superior, that Whooping Cranes are in trouble, again.
"Whooping Cranes continue to face multiple threats, including habitat loss and pollution in their traditional wintering grounds, collision with utility lines, human disturbance, disease, predation, loss of genetic diversity within the population, and vulnerability to natural and human-caused catastrophes.
Concern over the near extinction of the Whooping Crane has prompted a broad range of conservation actions, including national and international legal protections; comprehensive scientific research and monitoring programs; protection of key habitats; development of Whooping Crane recovery teams and comprehensive recovery plans; and extensive public education campaigns" ( http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/cranes/grusamer.htm ).
The proliferation of wind farms and with enabling transmission corridors are considered to be a growing threat yet there is no public debate here of the lack of enforcement of legal protections and cumulative impact studies or about the proposed industrial wind projects along the shores of Lake Superior and in the stopover for Sandhill Cranes on Manitoulin Island now being destroyed by wind development.
Idle No More could get busy and demonstrate the interest in wildlife which MNR and USFWS no longer manifest... we could then have the full environmental assessment of cultural landscape and natural heritage that this region deserves.
Note: Comments that appear on the site are not the opinion of SooToday.com. Keep discussions civil and on topic. Refrain from obscenity and don't post anything that your grandmother would be ashamed to read. Those who do not abide by these guidelines will have their membership revoked without notice. If you see an abusive post, please click the link beside the post to report it.
