What part is the Catholic church going to play?

Education is Free, show me what the Problem is, but your Head to the Books, work and get ahead it is the only Solution for all of us!

Many urban Aboriginal families are currently living in multi-generational cycles of poverty.

At the same time, many of the chiefs, band council members and their families are doing very well as they pay themselves exhorbinant salaries!

For far too long, the average band member suffers while their leaders line their pockets. When we ask for accountability for the tax dollars received and spent, we are told to mind our own business. Pay, pay, pay without any idea where the tax dollars go. All of this while the average band member lives in a shack, with no heat or running water.

Time for a major shake-up!

Self esteem is what it is “self esteem”, no one can give it to you, no one can sell it to you and no one can get you to recognize it but you. Hand outs and support are just that, you need to be able to look in the mirror and hate what you see looking back at you, then and only then in that moment of self realization are you going to be able to change where you are and where you’re going.

Pull your head out of your behind and realize that “you” can change your destiny, no one else has that power over you. If you walk in the dark and lament over where you’re at in live you are always going to be walking in the dark. Seriously one needs to realize that you can’t go through your whole like being an idiot. At some point you need to make a change, be it right now, or next week. You only get out of life the amount of effort you put into life.

We need to learn from our past, not sit and bitch about how it’s done us so wrong. You are defined by your actions and your actions alone. Wear the responsibility for the situation you find yourself in, it’s no one else’s fault, and only you can change it. Too often we molly coddle people who are “less fortunate”, fortune has nothing to do with it. There are too many out there who don’t “need the help”, but they will take it because it’s easier than actually “working for it”.

It’s easier to crawl into a bottle and bum smokes than it is to earn your own self respect. Is this sounding harsh? Damn rights it’s harsh, but it’s the reality that we all try to ignore. You won’t see TLC doing a reality show about “life on the down and out” however there are plenty of posers out there (just like a reality TV show) who take opportunity away from those who really truly need the assistance. The help is there for those who realize they need help, want help and have a commitment to themselves to change. Another program, group, association, club is not going to change anything. Change starts with the individual’s realization that they need to “make the change”.

I knew I’d click on this story and hear the old “no one can help you but yourself” “the tools are there” etc. etc. The only people that should be able to make these judgements are ones the same terrible backgrounds.
If you grew up in a broken home, with absentee parents, rampant substance abuse, incest, no one encouraging or supporting you, or maybe feeding you, then perhaps you can judge. I will not judge because I grew up in a kind, loving, supportive household and I am grateful for the wonderful life I’ve enjoyed so far.

Those are all valid points. I know some of the natives that I’ve worked with have all been very hard workers that have personal dignity in themselves and the future they are building for their children. A lot of it does come down to the perspective they choose to take.

Half the battle is to maintain ones dignity and with that comes respect and opportunities.

Self esteem however can be a long road that is slowly built one click at a time and can easily be trashed by others… to maintain personal dignity on the other hand is within ones own control no matter how bad one feels about themselves or their lot in life. The most valuable asset anyone can have is to maintain their dignity… a lesson sadly that is often learned the hard way.

Success isn’t defined or necessarily gained by money, especially in first nations culture.

Last week I was watching the news and noticed a huge contrast that I’m surprised no one else has picked up on.

On one channel they were interviewing a parent of one of those young children that were senselessly murdered in Newtown. The mother obviously distraught made a point to emphasize that as huge a tragedy as this is for her family they choose not to allow this to bring hate into their lives… they want to move forward focusing on creating positive solutions so this never happens again, but not to allow hate to rule their lives. A very hard thing for most of us to comprehend.

Then I switched the channel and came across the media briefing on the murdered women inquiry. All one could hear is negative comments from the families in the gallery to anything Mr Opal had to say, whether enabling solutions or not, and even going so far to try and shout him down with accusations of racism.

It was astounding the contrast. Both families victims of heinous crimes committed against their children. Two completely different perspectives taken.

The families in Newtown opting to maintain their dignity and rejecting hate from entering their lives. The families of the Womens inquiry on the other hand speaking in tones and language of hate and invoking racism as a motive.

The difference in perspective isn’t easily explained… the victims of Newtown had closure and the victims of the missing women did not get the closure they would like. But what if its more than that… culture, upbringing, perspective… that can poison one mind and for another enable an enlightened dignity to the tragedy.

IMO it was a missed opportunity for the families of the missing women… an opportunity to maintain their dignity when it counted most and thereby helping to enable genuine consideration of their plight, as well as motivating new allies in creating positive actions and leadership towards eliminating the risks of lifestyle and the failure of the justice system to take seriously their plight.

Wow, great comments. this reminds me of the saying “don’t judge a man until you walk a mile in his shoes”. Unfortunately we need to have this type of open and honest dialogue at the national level before we can see any real progess on this black eye Canada has regarding the plight of its first natios people. I don’t know what the answer is, but what we have been doing isn’t working.

Kind of hard to have national level discussions when the Prime Minister ignores the requests for meetings being sent by First Nations leaders. Our government is more interested in fixing problems in Afghanistan than in fixing the problems in native communities. These programs are band aid solutions.

Jim the government called a meeting way back in March if I remember right and only two people showed up. Now that the chiefs and councils belatedly have awaken to the fact they may loose power to the common reservation members, and, have to report their pay all hell has broken loose. The natives protesting don’t realize they have been taken by their own chiefs and councils again.

This is a very emotional and complicated issue that has not come close to being resolved. Doing more of the same things is not the solution though. More money is not the solution. More protests are not the solution. More blockades are not the solution.

Change your attitude and you can change the world. That is where I chose to start.

Congratulations, this is likely the most profound group of comments that i have ever read on this site, and on this subject.

There are opportunities in this country that are available to us..all of us no matter what ethnic or social background. we all have the opportunity to enjoy the quality of life that we dream of, if we are willing to work for it. And I don’t mean simply work hard to earn money because money alone will not get you there. You need to add a commitment to yourself, and a commitment to your family and friends.

There is no easy way in this life and anyone who thinks that they are simply entitled by birth to whatever they dream for is sadly disillusioning themselves and they will always finish last.

Aboriginals have that same opportunity to learn, to work, and to succeed, and they can do it and achieve to the level that they are willing to work for.

As a kid I lived so far below the poverty line that our family almost fell through the hole at the bottom. But I learned that hard work and commitment was the way out. I proved it to myself and others that I could achieve only that which I was willing to commit and work for.

Servant in the previous comment said it right…”+”Change your attitude and you can change the world (that means your life).

I look at this whole “Indian issue” as a train going down a track for decades, it has long been forgotten where it came from, and still has no idea where the destination is, but it continually is fueled by politicians jumping on with bags of money and jumping off when it is burned up. And the train keeps rolling down the track to nowhere.

And while on the subject of bags of money, lets not forget all those bottom feeding lawyers and “consultants” who NEVER EVER want to see their “Indian Industry” cash cow killed. Take not of the Algonquin agreement that is now being challenged by the “dissidents” that the lawyers have convinced that this is a bad deal notwithstanding that the majority of Algonquins signed off on the deal.

In signing off let me say that I use the word “Indian” with the greatest respect, and only to identify the probl;em that we all know about but are reluctant to talk about.

Gimmeabreak, best damn comment ever!!

Hardship and misfortune has befallen even the best of us. The strongest and best among us are those who blame no one for their misfortune. Instead they pull up their britches, dig in their heels and make a commitment to themselves to do better, be better and reach for more in life!