Feb. 7, 2007: Bud Talkinghorn

An inconvenient truth about our Aboriginal leadership

Phil Fontaine, the Grand Chief of the Indians, is on the warpath again. Now, it is that the government is not paying enough to stem the tide of native kids put in foster care. That number is an astounding 27,000, or one in ten; as opposed to one in two hundred for non-aboriginal children in Canada. That figure, along with equally and appallingly high percentages of suicides, instances of child sexual abuse, spousal abuse, substance abuse and rampant vandalism, is indicative of a failed native leadership. Fontaine never stops talking about aboriginal independence; nevertheless, these pathologies are all laid at the federal government's doorsteps. The mantra never changes, "Give us billions more and all these problems will disappear."

The inconvenient truth, Phil, is that nothing is going to change substantially, at least not until aboriginals face the fact that isolated, subsistence reserves are doomed to failure. This was a hard lesson learned by millions of white rural communities. If the local industry collapses, the people leave for greener pastures. Why do you think all those white folk came to such a hostile land as Canada to begin with? Perhaps the old Anglo-Saxon word, "gumption" covers it best. Canadians have little sympathy for people who show none, be they natives or immigrants. East-Indian PhDs will drive a taxi in Toronto, if that is all that is available to them. In other cases, slum dwellers from Trivandrum in southern India move (without family) to Bombay because they can get further ahead.

Then there is the question of Canadians' penchant [at least those of some political persuasions] for throwing money at a problem. This has been the partial solution for past governments. What the Canadian taxpayer wants to know is simple, "Where the h**l does all that $9 billion go that we give you?" I once talked to a woman who taught on the Eskosoni reserve in Nova Scotia. She confirmed that the problems that plague the isolated reserves affected hers. Yet, the Chief of the Eskosoni brought down a heftier salary than our P.M. Am I missing something here? The Chief of Davis Islet convinced the feds that the desperate housing situation and the lack of community buildings and services was the main problem there. At enormous cost, the whole reserve was moved to a brand new community with modern houses and top-notch facilities. Even before the entire community moved in the early arrivals were throwing drunken parties, while their kids ran wild and vandalized the new homes. Hello, New Davis Islet.

Mr. Fontaine is no fool though. What he can't get through political channels he thinks he can bring in by getting the Human Rights Commission to pry out more loot. This commission is the last refuge of the loonie left. One of their rulings forced an Edmonton bar owner to allow a 6'2" broad-shouldered tranny to use the ladies' washroom. His female clientele fell away sharply, needless to say. This country has not only developed a robust "rights" lobby, but has multiple connections with UN and other governmental organizations [and NGO's]. In fact, Phil mentions the Save the Children group as one of his allies. Take some time to check out this organization and its links to a panoply of far left lobbies.

Finally, Mr. Fontaine, just tell the brutal truth to your people. And that is, leave your grotty reserves and integrate with your fellow Canadians. If people with no language, cultural background or religious connection to Canada can succeed, so can you.

© Bud Talkinghorn--Please get with the reality, so I may stop writing these critiques. I know that in the hierarchy of victimhood, aboriginals top the list ... but you can't be infantile and independent at the same time.