Time for aboriginal truth-telling
Every few months, aboriginal issues move to the foreground of public debate.
Each side steps forward to reiterate the same tired talking points until another story takes centre stage. The conversation is abandoned with little new ground covered.
Sometimes the catalyst is a report on horrid conditions, an expose on financial
shenanigans, or the Idle No More protests.
This week it’s UN special rapporteur James Anaya’s report. It’s an absurdly novice document – simply pointing out that there are problems and they need to be addressed, as if Canada was blind to this.
Canadian authors ranging from Tom King to Tom Flanagan have addressed this in far greater depth. No one benefits from just another gloss over.
It’s time to drop the old rhetoric and engage in truth-telling. To get the ball rolling:
First, "traditional way of life" is a myth. Not just for aboriginal Canadians. But for everyone.
The problems with First Nations education
The government needs to stop using education as a political football
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