Who will replace Harper?

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Acajack

That is totally believable.

It is ironic that it's cooler than ever to be aboriginal, just as most communities are declining fast.

I don't think it's a matter of "just" - the migration of First Nations people to the cities has been going on for decades now. That wouldn't be the only contributing factor, but I think it's an important one.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Nobody is advocating racial purity in Canada.

This is not to cast aspersions on you specifically but it's been a thing for the past couple of decades for the big guys to lay into small guys (who just want to survive) with the broad brush of intolerance.

The messaging is clear: if you do not assimilate with the big guys you are racist xenophobic backward blablabla.

It is very convenient!

It could be convenient, but it can also be true.

[PoscStudent]

Originally Posted by Acajack

That is totally believable.

It is ironic that it's cooler than ever to be aboriginal, just as most communities are declining fast.

Canada's aboriginal population is growing faster than Canada's non-aboriginal population. (which has nothing to do with who will replace Harper)

[eemy]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I don't necessarily disagree with you and I am also uncomfortable that there are places (reserves) in Canada where one cannot live because of one's ethnicity, or the ethnicity of one's spouse.

But I do understand where the feeling comes from. It's an act of desperation.

OTOH I find a bit rich the righteous post-modern globalist indignation from the descendants (either direct or societally) of those who deliberately tried to destroy those cultures in the past.

I can understand someone's responding to a disappearing culture by trying to preserve ethnicity while still calling a spade a spade. It's not righteous indignation on my part - I have no stakes in this case, so I hardly have cause. Someone like jmt, however, seems to have just reason to be indignant, and it's hardly appropriate to draw parallels between his very personal reasons and historic injustices from people he has no relation to.

To be clear, I'm not insensitive to the situation indigenous cultures face. I sympathize with people who fear their culture is disappearing and understand their desire to see their children marry within the culture. I'm even okay with that desire.

In cases, though, where people do marry outside their culture, the best case scenario is to share and spread the culture. This can be difficult, particularly where language is concerned and where outdated government policies interfere, but it's certainly better than pushing someone away.

Considering how much the anglosphere is criticized for lacking culture, most of us surely have a gigantic cultural void within us just waiting to be filled; just how hard can it be to sell us on pow wows or cabanes à sucre?

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by jeremy_haak

Considering how much the anglosphere is criticized for lacking culture, most of us surely have a gigantic cultural void within us just waiting to be filled; just how hard can it be to sell us on pow wows or cabanes à sucre?

Who ever said the *anglosphere* (which is made up of a number of countries) was lacking in culture?

I for one don't think that at all.

[kwoldtimer]

One can say, and believe, that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, but coercive measures are faster and easier when possible, certainly when they have popular support. I don't think, however, that the coercive is really an option for First Nations people, or at least those off the reserve. The Mohawk "no outside marriage" is the only contentious example I can think of in terms of Canadian First Nations, although there may be other.

[kwoldtimer]

edit

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by jeremy_haak

I can understand someone's responding to a disappearing culture by trying to preserve ethnicity while still calling a spade a spade. It's not righteous indignation on my part - I have no stakes in this case, so I hardly have cause. Someone like jmt, however, seems to have just reason to be indignant, and it's hardly appropriate to draw parallels between his very personal reasons and historic injustices from people he has no relation to.

To be clear, I'm not insensitive to the situation indigenous cultures face. I sympathize with people who fear their culture is disappearing and understand their desire to see their children marry within the culture. I'm even okay with that desire.

In cases, though, where people do marry outside their culture, the best case scenario is to share and spread the culture. This can be difficult, particularly where language is concerned and where outdated government policies interfere, but it's certainly better than pushing someone away.

I am not really thinking about people like you, but there is on the part of some of our global-minded fellow citizens a callous indifference and even an annoyance with aboriginal people and their issues.

"Fuck the natives, I've got didjeridoo lessons and my wife has a hennae appointment in 10 minutes. And pass me the tandoori while you're at it..."

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by PoscStudent

Canada's aboriginal population is growing faster than Canada's non-aboriginal population. (which has nothing to do with who will replace Harper)

We've never had an aboriginal party leader. I wonder if Shawn Atleo might be interested? Because it's 2016!

Athough he may be on the short list for next GG?

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

The Mohawk "no outside marriage" is the only contentious example I can think of in terms of Canadian First Nations, although there may be other.

I am 100% positive there are others. We just don't hear about them.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

One can say, and believe, that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, but coercive measures are faster and easier when possible, certainly when they have popular support.

Again, it's easy to say that from a non-native perspective.

I find that as a member of Canada's biggest "minority" (sic) group, we're lucky in a way to have been in the position we are in, and to now have lots of people of all origins who are full-fledged members of our cultural group, indistinguishable from the larger mass of us.

A situation where aboriginal groups might become a modern, diverse pluralistic societies or communities where a good lot of the people are WASP, Black, Asian, etc. but fully ensconced in Cree or Inuit culture, is just not realistic.

They really are in a tough spot.

That's why at least some aboriginals are not feeling "generous" on this matter.

But sure, it's easy to be generous when you yourself have a lot.

[Gresto]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I am not really thinking about people like you, but there is on the part of some of our global-minded fellow citizens a callous indifference and even an annoyance with aboriginal people and their issues.

That's true, and unfortunate. I think some of those so inclined view Canada's Aboriginals as perpetually helpless, needy drunks and druggies who belly up to the government trough for welfare and then have the nerve to complain about everything.

Originally Posted by Loco101

Place your bets! Here are the odds on the CPC leadership candidates

http://www.pressprogress.ca/place_yo...hip_candidates

Every one of those has "destined to lose in the general election" written all over him/her, with the exception of Chong and possibly Raitt.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by PoscStudent

I'm not that familiar with his provincial career. I can't really think of anything he did federally that was so right-wing, but those on the left are usually better at telling the public who the evil right-wingers are.

Provincially, Tony Clement over his time in cabinet at Queen's Park was minister of about five different ministries. But he is probably best known for when he was Minister of Health. And as I mentioned in previous posts, health care and hospitals were suffering under that PC government.

Not all of the things he did were right-wing though. When he was transportation minister he started Drive Clean which is emissions testing for all vehicles in Southern Ontario. And I don't remember him being a social conservative but he certainly was a hard right economic one.

I have worked at a federal government agency and a department when Clement was the minister. He knew very little about the day to day operations and made statement and press releases that were very out of touch and lies. The other CPC ministers were had were always much more respectful and actually learned how their department worked.

[1overcosc]

Just because an intermarriage makes someone mixed race doesn't mean they'll be out of touch with the minority culture.

Anecdotally, among the people I know, mixed race children are actually more likely to identify with the "minority" part of their heritage. Every half-white half-black person I know well enough to talk to about these things (there's five of them) identifies as "black" more than they identify as "white". I see the same thing among Aboriginal-White mixed race people.

My partner is mixed race; his mom is white and his dad is aboriginal (specifically, Potawatomi, a related group to the Ojibwe), and he was raised off-reserve in a very white community, yet he's much more aboriginal than he is white, in identity, the way he acts, dresses, his beliefs, etc.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Just because an intermarriage makes someone mixed race doesn't mean they'll be out of touch with the minority culture.

Anecdotally, among the people I know, mixed race children are actually more likely to identify with the "minority" part of their heritage. Every half-white half-black person I know well enough to talk to about these things (there's five of them) identifies as "black" more than they identify as "white". I see the same thing among Aboriginal-White mixed race people.

My partner is mixed race; his mom is white and his dad is aboriginal (specifically, Potawatomi, a related group to the Ojibwe), and he was raised off-reserve in a very white community, yet he's much more aboriginal than he is white, in identity, the way he acts, dresses, his beliefs, etc.

That's probably because in a NAmerican context, such people are generally considered to be black, regardless of their cultural affinity, although "bi-racial" seems to have a bit of traction these days.

By the way, what constitutes "dressing aboriginal"?

[PoscStudent]

Originally Posted by Loco101

Provincially, Tony Clement over his time in cabinet at Queen's Park was minister of about five different ministries. But he is probably best known for when he was Minister of Health. And as I mentioned in previous posts, health care and hospitals were suffering under that PC government.

Not all of the things he did were right-wing though. When he was transportation minister he started Drive Clean which is emissions testing for all vehicles in Southern Ontario. And I don't remember him being a social conservative but he certainly was a hard right economic one.

I have worked at a federal government agency and a department when Clement was the minister. He knew very little about the day to day operations and made statement and press releases that were very out of touch and lies. The other CPC ministers were had were always much more respectful and actually learned how their department worked.

I have family in the federal public service - who can't stand the Conservatives - who like some of the policy changes that were made while he was Treasury Board President.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

By the way, what constitutes "dressing aboriginal"?

Chokers, ponytails, certain types of earrings, etc.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by PoscStudent

I have family in the federal public service - who can't stand the Conservatives - who like some of the policy changes that were made while he was Treasury Board President.

REALLY? What changed did they support? All I can think of is the law he crafted that imposed things and took away rights from the collective agreement, most notably sick days but luckily the election happened before he could do anything drastic.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

I don't think it's a matter of "just" - the migration of First Nations people to the cities has been going on for decades now. That wouldn't be the only contributing factor, but I think it's an important one.

What I meant is that it's just only recently that it's become cool to be aboriginal.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by Gresto

Every one of those has "destined to lose in the general election" written all over him/her,

So did Harper, Justin Trudeau and Chrétien, in contrast with can't-miss winners like John Turner.