Dave Reesor, 24 April 2009

on: Pointless in-Fighting, by Andreas Zumach

Your article suggests that Canada boycotted the Geneva conference because it might be subject to criticism over its treatment of its aboriginals. Some clarification is in order. Canada does have unacceptable levels of poverty, drug addiction, and crime among its aboriginal people. At the same time, billions of tax dollars each year are directed toward the aboriginal community; sufficient funds, in fact, to enable each aboriginal Canadian to live at a lifestyle level well above the Canadian average – if the money were to reach them.

The problem is that hundreds of millions disappear into the bureaucracy that administers the department, and most of the balance of the funds goes to the chiefs, and supposedly, on to the people. The problem is that many chiefs have assembled a cadre of parasitic family members and friends around them so that the general population sees little of the money.

Zimbabwe anyone? (That said, there are some outstanding chiefs who run against the tide and are positive examples not only for their people, but for the whole nation) When the government undertakes to change the rules so that the money goes directly to the people, the chiefs call out their hellraisers who blockade a road, the press hear about it, report the "tragic conditions" (true) that the aboriginals live under, and the government backs down. Until the laws and system can be changed, nothing else will or can change.