While Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence concludes the 11th day of her hunger strike, Stephen Harper tweets, “@HomerJSimpson Mmm... bacon.”
Whether his tweet is, considering the timing, intentionally a mockery, we’ll never know. Either way, it is unacceptable that our prime minister refuses to give aboriginal leaders, such as Chief Spence, a few hours of discussion. No wonder the Idle No More movement has gained so much momentum.
As a privileged white male, I acknowledge that we live in an inherently racist society. I’ve noticed that it is more acceptable, among privileged individuals, to make derogatory statements about aboriginals than it is to state the opposite: colonization continues today.
All of us, no matter what ethnicity, are colonized from birth, but, through the eyes of the privileged, it’s difficult to understand what marginalized life would be like, and, because of this, most of us privileged individuals throw our support behind continued colonization without question.
I want to see the conditions of aboriginals improve, but nothing positive can happen unless aboriginals have a voice in Parliament.
The Idle No More movement, as I understand it, is not only concerned with aboriginal issues. To speak very generally, it is for the protection of the land and human rights.
I refuse to recognize Canada as a nation until there is justice and equality for all and I call upon everyone to do the same. It is time to curve our attention and listen to the original inhabitants of this land.
Graham Janz
Brandon
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition December 27, 2012
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