Dear editor,
I just finished reading the response letter written by Dennis Guelpa (Record, Jan. 18).
What Frank Assu wrote had some truth to it but it isn't what he said but how he said it.
Dennis doesn't understand what First Nations go through. It is funny how when a First Nation person is proud of one's own accomplishments it is turned into someone being self-centred.
Yes, a lot of the remarks and feedback by other First Nations were harsh and at the same time there were remarks of applauding Frank's article by the non-native community.
I did not see anything about being a victim in Sonny's response, he is one of the ones who chose to live life, rather than be a survivor of life. The various levels of government are structured to keep First Nations in the place they are, bottom of the ladder.
Better yet, that stereotypical phrase "bottom of the totem pole."
Governments have masked the continued process of assimilation and colonization to the public. The practice of removal of children has been done by a different route, instead of residential schools they use Ministry of Child and Family Development (I don't know what they are called in other provinces).
The governments have created a codependency relationship with First Nation people around the world.
Dennis talks about being Canadian, what is a Canadian? He talks about being equal across the board and yet the very government and sadly still a majority of Canadian citizens see First Nations as below them.
I know that majority rules and that we as the minority are supposed to conform to what the majority says. When we don't we are seen as trouble makers, people who don't want to work together or be a part of Canada. Our worlds views are different and we hold onto what was given to us. We are the ones expected to always compromise. No matter all the BS and mistreatment we face and receive across Canada, we still play good host to those who are not true Canadians (everyone who can not tie themselves to a first ancestor story amongst the various first nation territories in Canada) We are the real Canadians, it is mainstream Canadians who are the ones that do not have a proper place.
Why should the original peoples of Canada be the ones to give up who they are? Our culture is not just song and dance, there is more to it.
I am a First Nations man and I do have a status card but I live off reserve. I walk comfortably in both worlds. I am fortunate to have caught the old people who understood the balance between our culture and white man ways.
I own a house and have a daily job and if Dennis is true to his form, he'll say I'm self-centred. Reserves are getting overpopulated and the boundaries don't expand like municipal and private boundaries do.
Like any other body of government, ours has its up and downs and its troubles. Can any Canadian tell me they are totally happy with their municipal, provincial and federal government?
Charles Willie,
Port Hardy