MORGAN: Western independence would serve indigenous people well

If any identifiable group in Canada would be well served with the changes brought about through Western independence, it's indigenous citizens. The status quo is serving indigenous communities terribly and nothing short of radical action will change that.Neither Western independence nor a referendum to pursue independence violates treaty rights, though some people financially married to the current system are trying to spread that misconception. Consultation with indigenous citizens is constitutionally required to make major changes within Canada. Consent is not required, however.What better means for consent can there be than holding a general referendum?.Western independence supporters must reach out to indigenous communities and foster independence support among them. The conditions on Western indigenous reserves are abhorrent. Thousands of citizens are living in abject poverty in horrific socioeconomic conditions. While some chiefs, bureaucrats, and lawyers find themselves very comfortably served under the current system, most of the common citizens on reserves are trapped in a cycle of dependency and misery.One of the best and unexpected developments with the current surge of support for Western independence, is that it has brought treaties into the sphere of public discussion. Advocates for the status quo have long quelled discussions of systematic reforms by howling that any attempt to change things would violate the treaties. Since most people both on and off indigenous reserves have never actually read a treaty, these activists have gotten away with pulling the wool over people’s eyes for a long time.When opponents to independence tried to claim independence was impossible due to treaties, it drove people into looking at the treaties for themselves. Every treaty is available to be read online, and they are surprisingly simple documents. Most of the text in the treaties is dedicated to defining the extents of the reserves. The treaties are all very clear in establishing that indigenous bands are forever ceding all claims to the territories outside those reserves. Unless a referendum proposes to change reserve boundaries, it isn’t in conflict with the treaties..The treaties establish other rights such as offering small annual stipends to chiefs and council leaders and providing resources for agricultural development. The payment figures are clearly out of date as are the aspirations of creating an agriculturally focused culture from indigenous people. All the same, there aren’t many direct obligations placed on governments within those treaties. No tax exemptions, no housing obligations, no funding for advocacy groups such as the Assembly of First Nations.One ironic obligation entrenched within the treaties was that the government was to provide education for indigenous children. That clause was supported by the government and indigenous leaders alike, as it was hoped at the time it would help the next generation of indigenous kids integrate productively with the modern world. That led to the creation of the residential school system, which ended poorly to say the least.Today, indigenous reserves are rife with crime and poverty. Corruption is rampant among indigenous leadership groups, while decades of massive spending increases and payouts appears only to have made things worse. The average indigenous man in Alberta dies 19 years younger than the average non-indigenous person..How bad does it have to get before serious changes are made?While the treaties can’t be changed, most of the regulations managing the governance of the reserves stem from the outdated and racist Indian Act. Acts are just legislation and can be changed at any time if politicians find the political will. Unfortunately, political cowardice is much more common than proactive political will.Independence could be the catalyst that finally breaks indigenous people away from the Indian Act which is killing them figuratively and literally.A new deal and new legislation could and would be created in an independent West. The deal must be made with the participation of the indigenous citizens, though. They don’t need another top-down, patronizing approach and they aren’t going to be receptive of it. We must reach out to indigenous citizens as equals and partners on the road to independence. They will embrace change if they can be convinced it can break them from the current cycle of dependency and dejection..To do this, we must bypass the indigenous leadership. They act as gatekeepers to the citizens on reserves and want to hide the terrible conditions. Indeed, I am in the midst of a court challenge against the Siksika First Nation right now as they have tried to charge me with trespassing for filming the conditions of their reserve from a public highway. Many in leadership positions in the indigenous system are making a lot of money in keeping things just as they are. Siksika was given over $1.2 billion by Trudeau only a few years ago yet the citizens live in squalor. Little wonder the leadership doesn’t want people seeing what’s happening out there.The independence movement has many things to do and many priorities to sort out. One of those priorities must be to bring indigenous citizens into the independence fold. Independence offers them a bright future, but they must be convinced of it. They have been fed bad bills of goods many times before. Indigenous citizens aren’t adversaries of independence. They will be allies when the right case it made to them.

MORGAN: Western independence would serve indigenous people well

Related Stories