expropriate the land? really?

[Laurel]

In response to D. Larsen's letter to the editor in monday's paper. I don't understand how people can be so ignorant in regards to native land management issues. Have you ever looked at buying a piece of highway or lakefront property in this town? Well if you don't have millions of dollars then you had better forget it. If the natives want more than what the average real estate agent says it is worth, then so be it . People will pay what the market will bear. As for inflating the price 100 times over ; you and I both know that's garbage. After the gov't returned less than 1% of their original land back in the form of reserves, you really think they can start expropriating it ? And then we are going to let them have what land you say? As for the chief having "gold in his eyes", he doesn't even own any of the land in question on the lake. As for the lake being a federal waterway, of course it is and always has been ...BUT.. yes the natives own to the middle of the lake as it was originally part of their traditional fishing grounds. Do you want to take that away too? Get a life, quit dissing the first nations, find out your facts and keep them straight before you start flapping your gums.
Oh, by the way I am NOT Native but I respect them and every other culture in this land. Show a little tolerance and once again get your facts straight

[pend]

What nonsense you speak. I live on a lake and fish that lake so according to you I own half the lake. What stupidity.

[Laurel]

What stupidity is right ! how ignorant On Federal Waterways, landowners who own lakeshore property only own to the high water mark . The natives only own to the middle of the lake in their reserve land. If you own property that has a lake on it that is not a federal waterway, you own the lake. simple as that. How many miles in Canada are we talking about where natives own to the middle of a federal waterway? not very darned many. I'm glad you live on a lake, that's great, and yes you own part of the lake if others live there too.

[polisci]

Well said Laurel...the opinions that i've encountered on this site regarding Aboriginal peoples are so disheartening. I had hoped, i suppose naively, that more people would have made an effort to understand at least some Aboriginal issues in this country, province, and region. Alas, ignorance seems as rampant as ever. I don't mind if people disagree with me, but at least know something about what you are arguing. Peple are just too keen to bash Aboriginal peoples without having made an effort of any kind to understand the issues at hand. That is disappointing.

[gmun]

As far as owning the lake, I know little to nothing about it, but the whole subject of native rights and land claims in BC and Canada, has gotten out of hand and people are tired of it.

The Indians were here first..they owned it all! However, that's where it ends. Through wars, they lost it. If wars come to us, we may lose it. The war of independance shows that the Americans try to take Canada but we beat them back and burned their White House down. I over-simplified this because it is another topic altogether.... point is, war is hell and never fair. Rarely, are the losers in war ever fairly compensated.

We are in the 21st century trying our best to accomodate a people that have endured attrocities at the hands of our fore fathers but it's not working. We are botching the job simply because over the years, promises, conditions and current times have become grossly mis-matched. At a time when we are trying to protect a whale species, the natives want traditional hunting prividges to go kill the whale we are trying to save. But what's traditional about this? The whaling boat has become a modern vessell with a full galley and $30,000 Caterpillar engine in it. The tradional spears have become top of the line Co2 powered modern weapons.

They want tradional hunting priviledges that we are not allowed, but go to the bush in a $40,000 Ford Explorer 4x4 using a Remington 30.06 semi-auto loader with wide angle scope. If a stay is desired you will see Coleman camping gear, new tent from Canadian Tire, lawn chairs. Now, nothing wrong with any of this because it is the 21st century we live in and this is normal but it is a long way from being traditional.

I don't know about anybody else, but I'm sick to death of trying to piece together a solution for some deals that our ancesters were supposed to have made. How long do we continue to feel guilty over something we had nothing to do with?

In all fairness to us, the native peoples and all the other cultures in Canada including Quebec french, I feel ALL "Special Status" for everyone should be abolished. That puts everyone on a level playing field with the same scope of availabilities and fairness.

One Nation, One people, One launguage, One Law for all!

Teach your children their cultural ethics, language and traditions whether you be native, German, Lebonese, French but do it in a way that promotes co-existance among the communities instead of inviting aggrevation as we do now.

[polisci]

You've just used three main arguments often used against Aboriginal rights and title: the denial of cultural evolution (ie: if they want their traditional lands, they should have to live in a traditional manner), the assumption that Native peoples were ever 'conquered', and the utopian ideal of giving no 'special status'. I'll tell you right now, not one of those arguments stands up in the least, but i'm too tired of repeating myself on this site, so i'm not gonna tell you why they fail. All i'm going to do is to suggest that you do some reaing in the area. I know we're all busy people, but the reading is interesting and very worthwhile. UBC Press has published a number of good books on the subject:

Cairns, Allan. Citizens Plus: Aboriginal Peoples and the Canadian State. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2000.

Harris, Cole. Making Native Space. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2002.

Tennant, Paul. Aboriginal Peoples and Politics: The Indian Land Question in British Columbia, 1849-1989.

Any one of these texts is very a very worthwhile read. Check them out when you're browsing for you next book.