I get respecting the wishes of First Nations, but where does this end? Are you implying that First Nations people should get a veto on every policy of the Canadian government? Ultimately, wouldn’t this essentially be establishing people of native descent as a kind of inherited aristocracy over the rest of the Canadian people?
I want to see native peoples, both in Canada and the US, to be well taken care of. Hell, I would like to see government benefits and investment so high that First Nations people had, on average, a higher standard of living than the general populace. The land was stolen from their ancestors; the least we can do is make sure they’re rewarded economically for what was taken from them.
But, it’s also important to remember that the people alive today aren’t the ones who committed the genocide of the ancestors of today’s First Nations. Hell, a sizable portion of Canadians don’t even have ancestors who were in Canada at the time of that genocide. And if you grant one group of people unique political rights, even if as compensation for past harm against them? After awhile, that starts looking really weird in a democracy. Just how long do those of Native descent get this special veto over national policy? How many generations does this go on? We still going to be doing it five centuries from now? Two wrongs don’t make a right. Subjugating one group of people cannot be justified because of the crimes of their ancestors. Compensation and restitution? Sure. Subjugation? No.
If you’re not careful, you’ll end up with an Israel/Palestine situation. Compensating people for crimes against their ancestors is one thing. Giving them special legal rights over others and establishing them as a new aristocracy is an entirely different thing.
I get respecting the wishes of First Nations, but where does this end? Are you implying that First Nations people should get a veto on every policy of the Canadian government? Ultimately, wouldn’t this essentially be establishing people of native descent as a kind of inherited aristocracy over the rest of the Canadian people?
I want to see native peoples, both in Canada and the US, to be well taken care of. Hell, I would like to see government benefits and investment so high that First Nations people had, on average, a higher standard of living than the general populace. The land was stolen from their ancestors; the least we can do is make sure they’re rewarded economically for what was taken from them.
But, it’s also important to remember that the people alive today aren’t the ones who committed the genocide of the ancestors of today’s First Nations. Hell, a sizable portion of Canadians don’t even have ancestors who were in Canada at the time of that genocide. And if you grant one group of people unique political rights, even if as compensation for past harm against them? After awhile, that starts looking really weird in a democracy. Just how long do those of Native descent get this special veto over national policy? How many generations does this go on? We still going to be doing it five centuries from now? Two wrongs don’t make a right. Subjugating one group of people cannot be justified because of the crimes of their ancestors. Compensation and restitution? Sure. Subjugation? No.
If you’re not careful, you’ll end up with an Israel/Palestine situation. Compensating people for crimes against their ancestors is one thing. Giving them special legal rights over others and establishing them as a new aristocracy is an entirely different thing.