My Solution To The Two Solitudes

Cut the apron strings that tie the rez to the Department of Indian Affairs. Settle the land claims, give the indians the right of self government, integrate them into the government process in the same way cities and towns are, have them pay municipal, provincial and federal taxes, include them in the transfer of funds from upper levels of government, and list goes on and on but I think you get the picture. Let them become Canadians enjoying and suffering the benefits and the downside of a democrasy.

EDITORIAL: Canada's two new solitiudes

Canada's "two solitudes" always used to be thought of as the divide between French and English Canadians. But a far more dangerous rift is nowdeveloping between aboriginal and non-aboriginal Canadians.

And Caledonia is the national symbol of it.

Non-aboriginals are angered over what they see as a two-tiered justice system that favours aboriginals. Why, they ask, are protesters allowed to occupy public and private lands to press for a settlement of their land claims?

They say that if any other group of Canadians adopted such illegal tactics, they'd be promptly removed, probably jailed. While violencewas avoided in the latest confrontation between the two sides Sunday, themessage Caledonia is sending out across Canada is a dangerous one.

It tells aboriginals that if theywant politicians to take their land claims seriously, they need to seize and occupy land. It tells everyone else that there are two sets of laws in Canada.

In that context, howmuch sympathy does Ontario Premier DaltonMcGuinty, or PrimeMinister StephenHarper, think Canadians are going to have for a report releasedMonday by the federal ombudsman for inmates that says aboriginals are being discriminated against in federal prisons?

Ombudsman Howard Sapers reports aboriginals - whomake up less than 3% of Canada's population but are almost 20% of inmates - are more likely to be put intomaximum security than other prisoners andmore likely to be denied early parole and rehabilitation programs.

Sapers says it's because the correction system discriminates against aboriginals. We'd say it's because aboriginals - for reasons such as high unemployment, poverty illiteracy and addiction - commit a disproportionate amount of crime, and repeat crime.

Either way, the best method to attack the root causes of this problemis by addressing the appalling social conditions many aboriginals face, particularly on reserves. But standoff s like Caledonia are eroding public sympathy for doing that.

And that's not good for anyone, native or non-native.