Turtle Island - Our Home in First Nations' lands - Preface

The Mithraic and early Christian association of the turtle with 'internal forces' is a reality in Canadian historical and contemporary society and culture. It is an apt description for these lands we all share and consider as, "...the true North, strong and free". "Our home and native land..." has indeed been governed for generations by the use of power and violence on people who were already living in these territories when the forefathers of European immigrants claimed 'dominion' over them and established governing laws and institutions to facilitate their assimilationist and genocidal intents. It is an abhorrent legacy for any 'Village' to acknowledge, but We own it no less.

The rights and freedoms of the First Nations' peoples housed within the shell of Turtle Island has been the subject of public discourse for as many centuries as immigrants from European nations have lived amongst them. Debates employing Canon Law, Natural Law, the Law of Nations, International Law, along with English and Canadian Law have all been exhausted for and against the inalienable First Nations' inherent right to be respected in law and in fact as equal in their humanity and in their capacity to own title to these lands preceding the arrival of European colonizers, to justify today an inherent right to self-government and self-determination in these lands. The Federal government has acknowledged these rights, and even enshrined them as "hereby recognized and affirmed" in Canada's Constitution Act, 1981, and still more than a quarter century later our society is grappling with what that means and how best to make it a reality. The Chief Justice of The Supreme Court of Canada recently acknowledged this pathetic record, but until the Government of Canada starts living the spirit and intent of the words it has agreed to in both national and international treaties, covenants and pronouncements that pace of progress will continue in keeping with the speed of a tortoise.

Through the decades of debate First Nations' women continue to go missing at alarming rates, alcohol, drug abuse and violence rip apart families and communities, that themselves suffer the added challenge of insufficient opportunities for employment, a lack of adequate schools and resources, and poor or non-existent infrastructure in terms of fresh drinking water and the systems for dispensing it, along with inadequate housing and challenges with respect to the costs and delivery mechanisms of food supplies rage on. These challenges are endemic and glaring examples of the incapacity of the Government of Canada to live up to its fiduciary responsibilities toward "Indians and lands reserved for the Indians" as specifically recognized and affirmed in the British North America Act of 1867. Since the invention of television and the advent of the nightly news you will undoubtedly find news stories about the third world living conditions, abject poverty and high rates of substance abuse and crime in many of Canada's First Nations' communities. In contemporary times gang and drug turf challenges increase the complexity of needed solutions.

It is long past time that Canadians demanded that the Federal and Provincial governments work together with First Nations' peoples to make significant strides in achieving an enhanced quality of life and improved communal and economic conditions for Canada's First Nations peoples. If Canadians valued the humanity and historical legacy of First Nations' peoples we share as much as they valued "black gold" you can be certain they would all be living in Utopias by now. The fact is that there have been enough pronouncements from enough politicians and representatives of the judiciary. We do not need as a society any more guilt and shaming exercises and speeches. What we do need is for the Federal government to live up to its fiduciary responsibilities honourably, and to commit with priority in manpower and resources to the obligations it has, as long as the sun rises and the rivers flow, to serve ALL of its citizens with equality and justice before and under the law of this nation. To do any less is to bastardize the integrity of The Government of Canada and prove it disingenuous in its sacred commitment and obligation to the service of our collective well being as its nation's citizens. That must no longer be tolerated.

The record is clear, it is no longer uncertain, and it is not at all pretty. It is time to do something about that in the now. The next Government and political party I vote for will commit to doing exactly that or they will not be getting my vote. I urge all Canadians to take an equal stand. Canada and all that makes it wonderful and unique began and is at its core identifed with its First Nations' peoples. It is past time ALL Canadians benefit equally and are able to be rightly proud of the reality that is our cultural mosaic. It is past time that We treated all of Our peoples with the honour, dignity and respect that they deserve as Our brothers and sisters in humanity and as Our fellow citizens in Our home and their native lands.