Happy 143 birthday to our free country. Free, let us look at this word. I live in a country where if I wear traditional regalia to a gathering or any other public place I can be assured one out of three people I meet will say "nice costume". However, bluenotes and teeshirts are considered clothes. Any clothing not considered mainstream is relegated to costume status, something one might wear on Halloween. I live in a country that embraces other cultures. Embraces them for a weekend in various cities around the country, usually for a weekend, but only if the 5 D's are involved; dress, dinner, dance, dialect, and drum. We call them multicultural festivals. They are a time where people can go and watch the entertainment and feast on exotic foods..because anything outside of mainstream has that exotic label. In other cultures, it is called just food. A country where if my children qualify for a scholarship targeted for strictly their culture, I can be assured that the comments in the audience will consist of "great use of MY taxpayers dollars" or "where are the scholarships for the white students?" Based on a the systemic and institutional racism that plagues not only our schools, but the curriculum itself, the majority of scholarships are designed for whites only (but to come out and say that would be considered racist, but the comments of taxpayers dollars and on designated scholarships is not...it is freedom of speech. A country where, speaking of freedom of speech, our federally funded broadcasting corporation, will allow racist comments to be posted on any story relating to minorities, but refuse to post comments from someone who points out the truth about topics such as racial profiling, racist attitudes to minority communities, the abuse our elders faced in the government sanctioned residential schools, and the continued legacy they carry. A country where the government loves to announce the billions of taxpayers dollars that goes towards the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, without mentioning the majority of that money goes to the bureaucracy that it is. That money goes to White folks who run the department, not us. And it is not only you tax dollars, mine go there too. A country where a racist action from a white youth can be brushed off as a confused person, who in most circumstances, was just carrying on..kids will be kids. But when a Black or Native youth lashes out because they have dealt with upwards of 40 racial incidents...by lunch, they are considered violent, dangerous to society, angry, disrespectful, criminals, and example of whats wrong with their race. A country where if a white community has water problems, it is a disaster and the government will help right away. After all, clean water is a basic human right. However, we still live in a country where over 112 First Nation communities do not have access to water clean enough to wash their hands.
Happy Birthday Canada, you do not look a day over one when it comes to racism. Do not get me wrong, I love my country, I only wish it would love me back
I agree with much of what you say, but it could be worse. You do have the freedom to wear what ever you want even if many call it a costume, you can wear it and 7 days a week if you so desire, by the way Scots get the same crap if they wear their kilts. I see your point about multicultural events, but some recognition is better than none, and you have the right to gather as often as you like, it doesn't have to be an advertised public event, you have that freedom.
ReplyDeleteFor sure most scholarships go to white people, but if you are talking about scholarships based on grades & school achievements, all kids can apply - not just white people, colour isn't even a consideration and I will say one thing as a native I got my university education free FREE, no white people I know get that and in hind sight I don't think it was fair because my white friends were born native in this country, just like me.
oh and what taxes are you paying, I don't have to pay taxes, so I'm pretty sure you don't either.
Oh I pay taxes as do the majority. There are strict limits to tax-free status. As for scholarships, what you have to keep in mind is not the criteria for them, but the hidden criteria. For example, if you look at the scholarships for many schools that are available for family members of alumni, the majority of alumni are white do to segregation. When you are talking about all other scholarships, yes anyone can apply. However, when you have racism built into the education system, it is so much harder for non-whites to get them. For example, people always blame low achievement is school on certain things; socioeconomics, mobility, family structure. These are all false. Mobility for example. If this was the case, most military children and RCMP children would be low performing..not the case. If you look at family structure, all single parent children would be under achieving, not true. The most interesting one is socioeconomics. However, if this was the case, how could one explain the data for the past 20 years that shows the poorest white kids outperform the richest black and native kids? It has everything to do with the built in racism within the system. As for you getting your education for free, what people need to understand is there is not a free ride for all of us to attend school. There is a limited amount of money transferred to communities for education. This has to cover ll aspects, such as the 6800 per year tuition for our children to attend public schools. Keep in mind the schools also receive the money for our kids through the province. So, in essence we are paying for our kids twice. Before people get up in arms saying "well it is tax payers money anyway" keep in mind, this is the same tax money that is transferred to the provinces from the feds each year as well. That is my tax money, just the same as everyone else, but do you hear me complaining about my tax dollars going to education of the general public..same thing..except for our this..it costs approx 5,800 per year to educate on child..our FN kids pay over double..half coming from the province based on enrollment numbers and once from tuition agreements between bands and schools. When it comes to post secondary, yes it is a federal responsibility, as it is in the Indian Act that states the federal govt is responsible for education (hence residential schools). There is a very limited amount available. Some communities can afford to send maybe one student a year..some many more due to internally raised monies.
ReplyDeleteI don't quite see things the way you do, but I do thank you as there is much food for thought here. Maybe I've just been lucky, I've not felt descrimination, at school, work or from friends.Though I've not hidden'who' I am, perhaps if I was more visably different it would be a different story, but like you, to look at me I just look like another 'white' person. So I can't argue that this discrimination exists I've not had to deal with it and we do base our lives on our experiences. I will add that I know many people black, oriental, hispanic & white that have won scholarships not based on their race, but on their grades.
ReplyDeleteI think one thing we both agree on is that in Canada, a country that says it prides itself on it's diversity etc., we should all be playing on equal footing and if this was a perfect world, which sadly it's not, we'd all celebrate our differences, not discriminate whether it be agains black, native, or fat people, and all have access to a good education.
Its very sad really to see that even if things could be worse, they could be and should be better.