Olympics obscure native issues
It’s amazing how things that brandish the Maple Leaf (pork products excepted) often go unquestioned. (back to story...)
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Oh fer chrissakes. Get over yourself. "Havoc and destruction?" Olympic organizers as "British invaders"? Tourists are given a "family friendly history," as opposed to a backgrounder on alcoholism and suicide. No kidding. Good thing the author doesn't work in tourism. Anyway, it's the frickin Olympics, not a sociology grad seminar. He condescends to Canadians who are "preoccupied with medal counts," and implies that they don't care about "the things that really matter." It's possible to do both. Canadians should be free to enjoy the Olympic spectacle and athleticism without the social justice fun police calling them insensitive to indigenous peoples, just because Canada is not yet perfect. And by the way, the plural of Inuk is not Inuks. It's Inuit.
Wow, that's a stretch. You're probably a real wet blanket at cocktail parties.
So here's the thing, if the folks who lived here before the evil white man arrived from Europe, they should have fouhgt harder to keep their land. They didn't fight hard enough, and they lost. Done. It's Canadian land now.
It's been a few hundred years. let's stop wasting all that $$ on Indian affairs and concentrate on Canadian affairs.
Agreed with anonymous. It's getting increasingly diresome to read the same radical left-wing diatribes from a group of academics that have never ventured out into the real world and express mock indignation from behind a pile of textbooks and revisionist socialist publications to spew their vitriol on an event that is part of a wider effort to showcase Canada to the world. Get over yourself, Adam. The Natives in the province stand to benefit tremendously economically from the games.
The mention of the elimination of downtown core communities reminds me of the fate of Africville in Nova Scotia. It was a poor communitiy without middle class niceties, but it thrived socially and culturally before it was destroyed and its population dispersed. Improvements should be made to a community to benefit the residents, not big money developers. The social fabric and safety nets that communities build for themselves should be protected. If Vancouver does not remain true to its residents, no matter who they are, they cannot boast that they are "The Friendly Games."
The following comment is completely offensive and reveals only bigotry:
"Tourists are given a "family friendly history," as opposed to a backgrounder on alcoholism and suicide".
Barney, clearly Mr. Gaudry has more to be concerned with than being a bundle of laughs at cocktail parties. The ignorance the previous posts display is phenomenal. Engaging ideas on campus and questioning the ways history is distorted and reconstructed is now merely putting oneself in the camp of the "social justice fun police".
This kind of closed-mindedness is disgusting and clearly an indication that Queen's is going to maintain its reputation for being a racist and exclusionary place for a bunch of ignorant white kids whose ideas are destined only for the dustbin of history.
Impressive 'leaders of tomorrow'. you're doing great so far.
I havne't read a bigger load of crap in a long long time. The author is laughable quite frankly.
On the other hand... maybe we're sick of the natives whining. Possible? I think so. Welcome to the 21st century, get with the program and start modernizing. I know, it wasn't fair of Europeans to come and force this situation, and the natives should have been left alone to find their own way... but that didn't happen. There was an invasion, and they lost. History has been written, the world is as it is now, and who wants to change that? Are we all going to get up and leave this continent and hand it back over? Cause that would make it right. If you're not going to suggest that we should all leave and hand it back over to them with an apology, than please shut up. No amount of "we're sorry" is going to fix it. And doing nothing with these lands isn't going to make things better either.
You want to fix the native problem? Have development projects to get them working. Continue the current education initiatives that allow them to go to university for free, giving them the education that will help them break out of the current situation.
Ya, sure, you can apologize if you want to, but that's not going to do anything. Nor will this constant self flagellation that people at universities seem intent on doing to themselves. At some point it'd be nice to see more of the native communities helping pick themselves up. The funds and resources are being made available, all that's left is the will to do it.
Ya, it sucks that their land was taken and their way of life destroyed. But unless you're saying we're going to hand it all back over and they're going to get back to wearing leather clothing and living the old traditional life... it doesn't matter too much. And frankly, I'm uninterested in hearing about it much more. Jews and Japanese came to this country with nothing, endured intense discrimination, and received no perks like say... free education or exemption from certain taxes, and yet they pulled themselves up. Why can't the natives get a move on with some help.
Ya, I'll admit they've had other impediments too. But at what point do we say that they don't want to integrate? We won't force them to assimilate, but if they won't integrate into society then what are we to do? This is beyond bringing the horse to water. We've brought water to the horse... and it still won't drink. When does it cease to be our problem?
It is appalling to read these comments from Queen's students and others who do little but advance racist commentary, directed at belittling native people's daily struggles and labeling these struggles as "native whining."
The "Unphased Alumn" from Toronto who believes that he has brought water to the horse via "free education or exemption from certain taxes" is clearly perpetuating the lie of the generous Canadian state, carefully and considerately helping the natives better themselves. While the author concedes that there may, in fact, be some "impediments" that have rendered it impossible for native people's to "integrate," he fails to name any. Here is an abridged list of some (condemned internationally by the UN Human Rights Council in a periodic review on the treatment of First Nations Peoples in Canada): 1. Past and ongoing theft of land; 2. Cultural genocide and ethnocide; 3. Residential School systems (with the last one closing as recently as 1989); 4. illegal dumping; 5. Quarries (in Tyendinaga, for example); 6. Uranium Mining; 7. Appropriation of Land for Development for Ski Resorts (Sun Peaks).; 8. Poisoned Water; 7. Regular and ongoing process of relocating indigenous groups and communities to remote areas (New Foundland and Labrodor cases); 9. Ignoring and casual dismissal of numerous cases of missing native women. And many, many, many more examples.
Gaudry's article sheds light on another aspect of the Canadian's state complete dismissal and use of native peoples. I applaud him for taking the time to write this timely and significant article.
" that Queen's is going to maintain its reputation for being a racist and exclusionary place for a bunch of ignorant white kids"
Hey, that's a great point, all those ignorant white kids up to no good!
So, if my understanding is correct (and the McLean's poll and popularity of Queen's lead me to believe it is) the school is highly regarded academically, no? Not bad for an institute composed of "ignorant white kids". Maybe us crackers are able to accomplish something.
So let me ask this, and I have no doubt many will consider it blatantly unfair and raicst (which I do not belive it is), please point out one major tangible contribution Native Americans have made to society over the past 500 years? By tangible I mean just that, i.e. somehting that has had a profound effect on how we all live, for example, the polio vaccine, the automobile, the birth control pill, the computer.
Any guesses how many lefties will consider this "racist" and "ignorant"? Just looking for 1 concrete example. One.
"Jews and Japanese came to this country with nothing, endured intense discrimination, and received no perks like say... free education or exemption from certain taxes, and yet they pulled themselves up."
That sounds racist, to imply that people can succeed based solely on their ability to create a better life for their kids. Natives want that too, but can't do it because thier land was taken 250 years ago. The Japanese have no idea what it is to suffer injustice at the hands of the white man: it's not like we rounded them up and threw them in jail.
Actually, Toby Moorson, that "completely offensive" comment was a fair and accurate paraphrasing of the original article. The point was that you cannot judge how much a country cares for social justice by the content of tourist brochures, as the author seems to imply.
Here's what the original said: "This cleansed, family-friendly history is commodified and literally sold to tourists who imagine romantic lives of indigenous people but remain blind to their daily struggles against violent colonial circumstances that manifest themselves in personally destructive behaviours like alcoholism and suicide."
So, you see where I was coming from. The point, which you missed in your knee-jerk outrage, was that it would be silly to heap guilt on tourists by berating them with the sordid state of our native reserves, and the real plight of native Canadians generally. Tourists don't solve problems like that. And neither do close-minded grievance mongers who see in the Olympics nothing but a soap-box for their hobby horses. The Olympics are a treasured international tradition, and a showcase for the best of Canadian youth. Only an out-of-touch academic could reject and denounce the first Canadian Olympics in a generation in favour of "engaging ideas on campus and questioning the ways history is distorted and reconstructed." Snooze.....
What a horrific discussion this is... it really was way worse than I expected it would be.
Calls for justice by indigenous Canadians are responded to with such hostility because we know their claims are valid. Our society has been built at the expense of those who were here before us, and acknowledging that would require us to completely re-conceptualize our country. We are so fearful of coming to this realization that we erect mental walls which completely blind us to any discontent coming from the indigenous community. Are we so afraid that they will ultimately reject us because some level of our conscience tells us that they indeed have the right to reject us? Are we so in love with our settler country that we cannot even tolerate the thought that this country loses all moral credibility as soon as the indigenous population recounts their grievances?
Look, Canada is a reality and it's not going anywhere. Nobody is being delusional about this. Besides, it's the only home I have, and I would seriously take offense if someone asked me to leave. But nobody is asking that. All that is being asked is that we respect the fact that while many of us chose to come to Canada and become Canadians, some people did not come to Canada; Canada was forced upon them. They are not Canadians by choice.
The miracle is that practically all indigenous Canadians are completely happy to have us here... all they ask is that we follow our own laws, and that is all this article is asking. Those that are spitting in the face of those to whom much of this country legally belongs (according to Canadian law) are losing their right to even be here, in my humble opinion.
What nonsense. Kamal, you may have chosen to come to Canada, but many of us did not. I was born here, just like the average indigenous person. We both inherit our country's history, for better or worse, but neither of us "chose" Canada, and neither of us had it forced upon us. To say otherwise is nothing but ethnic nationalism masquerading as social justice. Kamal asks whether we can "tolerate the thought that this country loses all moral credibility as soon as the indigenous population recounts their grievances." That's also nonsense. Canada has a great moral credibility, which derives from the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and our 20-odd years of efforts to put it into practice. The government recently apologized for residential schools, and is paying out compensation. Clearly, that doesn't erase the sins of the past. But neither should it transform them into convenient cudgels with which to bludgeon the Olympic mascots, as the article under discussion implies. The two are not related, and the continued plight of native Canadians does not invalidate Vancouver 2010 as some racist colonialist sham. And Kamal, when you start talking about people losing their right to be in a country because of their opinions, and because they are not part of a favoured ethnicity, you start sounding like a fascist.
"They are not Canadians by choice."
Wow, now that is some logic. Your statement is true for the generations of natives who were around while the evil white man was stealing their land. Several generations removed, however, it's simply incorrect. This place has been Canada now for some time, and they're free to like it and stick around or they can go to a country that's more to their liking. I'd like to go back to Ottawa around 1980, but i don't believe i can.
There's a reason almost no one moves to Russia from Canada to make a better life.
"Calls for justice by indigenous Canadians are responded to with such hostility because we know their claims are valid."
This could not be more true. Well said!
I meant moral right, not legal right. Don't be silly and start with the name calling.
Hand over copious amounts of crown land back to their possession.
End all federal dollars.
The comments here demonstrate both ignorance and selfishness---a completely redneck provincial attitude.
Barney of Bath (what an apt nom de plume!) is more concerned about cocktail party chatter than addressing serious issues. This speaks more about Barney than Mr Gaudry's thoughtful and well presented argument.
The unphased alumni is simply blaming the victim. He seems to think that we should forget that it is mainstream society that has benefitted and continues to benefit by refusing to settle outstanding land claims. And yes anonymous, I think we DO need to settle the land claims. It is perfectly possible to do so. Our laws demand it.
As for anonymous, he seems to have swallowed Canada and the rule of law, democracy and all that stuff hook line and sinker. Anonymous...if you were to take the time to read that Charter that you think defines us, you would see that it has many clauses that are overlooked by various levels of goverenment when it suits them.
Just because we have "nice" laws does not mean that we have a just society. Laws are not observed equally, in case you hadn't noticed. While we will never live in Utopia, some people are committed to social justice and they work to bringing inequality to the attention of the broader public.
And one of you yahoos suggested that no Native person had made a contribution! There is an ignorant statement to top all ignorant statements!
You may not like what Mr. Gaudry has to say. He certainly hasn't sugar coated his comments. But he is right about exploitation of Native land. And co-opting Native culture to create a false impression of justice and harmony at these games is just one more slap in the face to First Nations.
I guess the Journal has more readers think exploitation is okay than I had thought.
"And one of you yahoos suggested that no Native person had made a contribution! There is an ignorant statement to top all ignorant statements!"
So I take it you have no example of a "...major tangible contribution Native Americans have made to society over the past 500 years? By tangible I mean just that, i.e. somehting that has had a profound effect on how we all live, for example, the polio vaccine, the automobile, the birth control pill, the computer."?
Like I said, just looking for one (1).
How about federalism? Used any of that lately?
You can thank the Haudenosaunee for that one.
I have been reading the comments from afar with disbelief. I think many people need to get past themselves and develop a little empathy and critical thinking skills. I didn't expect to find this at Queen's, but then, I'm inferring that everyone commenting has attended the university, which may be incorrect.
To answer Fife's question, which he doesn't really want answered, aboriginal people have contributed tremendously in many areas, including, federalism, exploration, botany, as one science example, literature and the arts. Since Fife mentioned the automobile, I counter with the canoe, an amazing invention responsible for the exploration of this vast country. If the original residents of this country didn't assist us in exploration and warfare, we would not be the country we are today.
I am simply shocked by how slanderous, misinformed, and downright stupid some of the comments have been. Christopher Hitchens, a famous journalist,once said the he always knew when others did not know what they were talking about (this particular lecture was about 'The Axis of Evil'). They would say things like "Okay, I concede Sadaam Hussein is a bad guy." In this case, however, it is beyond question that those who have written things that imply that if only the indigenous peoples worked hard enough..., or that they fought and lost to the colonist invaders and should accept that, have no clue what their talking about. Regardless if some of these commments are from Queens students or not, the fact is no one should be so uninformed and insensitive to the issues. If there's one good thing the olympics can do, it is to bring these unresolved issues under greater scrutiny. As Socrates famously said, "The unexamined life is not worth living" so start living!
Adams article has been a lightning rod. it appears that we have lots of work to do on our campuses and in society to educate people about the agency of indigenous people in our midst. Historical myopia and the sense of conditioned paternalism is astounding. I concur with Ralston Saul that Canada is a metis country, not in the sense of race, but in the way we think of ourselves. He reminded us that canada is a product of the first 250 years of our 400 years together, a blend of aboriginal and non aboriginal, that the driving ideas underneath are aboriginal! Gaudry demonstrates the courage to make a stand. I may not share all of Mr. Gaudrys conclusions, but, if anything, his article reminds us that amidst the celebrating, we need better answers to complex historical grievances that won't come from definitive political solutions with a side-order of indigenous heritage and culture.This goes against the true fabric of canada in the long run. Culture and history is used to demonstrate an inevitable 'native progress' on terms that are divergent with native people, and historic Canadian values, if we care to be honest. Myopic, compartmentalized thinking is a malady of the Enlightenment, in spite of its many blessings. Bravo Adam.
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ArtSci '09
March 6, 2009 at 1:04 p.m.
This article has opened my eyes to what the Olympics could really mean to the people in BC. I'm embarrassed to have been so initially excited to hear that the Olympics were returning to Canada in 2010. I love sports, but not at this cost. Why not host the Olympics in the same place every year, such as Athens? What a waste of money these Games will be, given our current economic situation. I do think it could be better directed towards our social safety net, something we will need as the job losses mount and our resources become increasingly depleted.