Re: BC moose hunting history
It starts by erasing that line in the sand and understanding our similarities more then our differences. Once we are both on the same side we then can start to force them to make changes.
We have grown up understanding where we stand and it makes it difficult for us to think otherwise.
I have said before that in order for Indigenous people to heal from the after effects of colonialism they will need to go back to cultural idealism and philosophies. This takes time.
Once we are all reading the same book with the same language, things will start to work itself out.
I have also said before that the Indian Act needs to go and the country needs to work out something once and for all and end the different group status which is part of the problem.
I know its not a simple solution but its something that has to start somewhere and by somebody. I am willing to work with anyone who wants equality and fairness for everyone even if it means I lose certain privileges in the process. There are much more important things in life then that anyways.
Well edgar, YOU may well want to remove the line in the sand, but the reality is that the majority of FN people do not. If the FN TRULY wanted to eliminate the "different group status" you mention, it would be quite simple....a call to gov't from FN to have "indigenous rights" removed from the constitution, abolish the indian act and all treaties along with it.
But thats never going to happen. what possible motivation could FN have to put themselves on level footing with the rest of Canada.
As an example...lets take moose hunting. If the non FN stakeholders came to the table and said, "we'd really like to work with FN for healthy moose numbers and sound harvest management. We recognize your right to hunt moose, and seeing as your people are 10% of the population, we have no problem with your people getting 10% of the allocation. We'd like tags (free) to be used and would like harvest reporting to ensure we don't go over allocation"
........how well do you think that would go over??? we all know the FN rep would laugh and walk away.
FN certainly feel as though they were vistimized in the past.....non FN feel as though they are being victimized NOW.....not hard to understand the animosity.....VERY hard to change it
"Do not go where the path may lead,
go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
Emerson