Racism Rampant - Indian Culture in Canada

Indian Culture in Canada

The official Indian societal response to the Rest of Canada is based on racism - not racism towards Indians, but racism directed  against everyone else.  The closest approximation of this in the Rest of Canada (and this time it does include Quebec) is Quebec.  Any critical thought expressed in public related to Quebec is instantly branded as racism and dismissed as without merit.  Likewise with respect to Canadian Indians.  One might recall the egregiously stupid response of the Parliament of Canada some months ago to MacLean's magazine's 'amazing' revelation that Quebec is a terminally corrupt society.  Now, in light of the ongoing inquiry into corruption at the highest levels in Quebec society, mayors of cities are resigning, civil servants are being outed as crooks, yet the establishment has yet to deal with the situation by admitting it exists.  The idiots in Parliament are, of course, unwilling to acknowledge their stupidity and complicity.  I doubt they can even recognize it.

As author James Clifton, in his work, 'The Invented Indian'. notes - "one of the most stringently observed canons governing the behaviour of those who work among Indians is "Thou shalt not say no to an Indian".

As stated by Widdowson and Howard: "Any body who does not abide by its associated 'norms and taboos of deferential conduct' is immediately labelled as an enamy of aboriginal peoples.  In Canada, "racism", 'colonialism" and "insensitivity" are the usual accusations that constrain debate, but Clifton provides a multi-page appendix of the verbal sanctions that have been deployed over the years" - page 46 and Clifton. ibid.

On page 47 of their book, W and H say further: "Due to a generally sympathetic attitude toward the plight of aboriginal peoples, Canadians lean to the romanticization of native culture as a way of righting past wrongs and thus have not challenged these dubious (and racist) assertions.  But romanticization does not help the romanticized; it isolates them from rational thought, giving an unrealistic assessment of their abilities and place in the world.  Condescending attitudes have doubly victimized aboriginal people - first by a government that justifies non-intervention, and secondly by consultants and aboriginal leaders who increase their wealth by maintaining the dependency that comes with the retention of aboriginal peoples' undeveloped cultural characteristics.'

They go on to add: "Aside from keeping aboriginal peoples in a time-warp of isolation and despair, the romanticization of aboriginal culture has harmful consequences for non-natives as well.  The creation of a separate legal category for aboriginal peoples under the guise of 'preserving their culture' has led to increasing social conflict.  Aboriginal peoples, because of their 'status', receive privileges and immunities to which others with similar circumstances are not entitled, as epitomized by the legal directives to Canadian courts to treat aboriginal offenders differently than others.  On the basis of the historical injustice committed by one group's ancestors, economically disadvantaged aboriginals and non-aboriginals have come to view each other as enemies instead of people with common political interests.   What must be understood is that it is not the Aboriginal Industry's interminable quest for compensation but a government strategy for aboriginal cultural development that is currently needed."

Today any financial benefits received by or aimed at Indians gets swallowed up in various forms of corruption without benefiting the ordinary Indian.  This cannot lead to a resolution of the problem.