[wwbirds]

but I dont see it happening in my lifetime nor that of my children. My great grandmother was ottawa objibway and died in the 60's and her understanding was that equality according to the local predictions would not happen for 7 generations so probably 3 more to go. Equality would be simple but making it happen is complex. Dating back to the Magna carta in England with the blessing of the churches explorers were encouraged to seek out new land and if the savages resisted they should be destroyed but if they converted they should be enslaved. A lot of that "they are savages" is still prevalent today but the greater problem is the slavery has made many of the people dependant on handouts. Some with education and skills generally are in vocations where they can help their own such as teaching or social work. Even if there were a lot of skills on the reservations they were intentionally often located on remote land far from what we would consider "opportunities". If someone had the balls to admit the colonial "reservations" and the indian act were mistakes because they made natives reliant on and subserviant to the government that would be a great start. Sell the reservation lands and give the one time money to the occupants who wanted to live elsewhere or the land they occupy to be owned by individuals instead of intrust of the department of indian affairs. Some with no skills would need support and past a certain age I am not sure they could gain skills or even a job. Many who had the desire and mobility to relocate to a centre with opportunity would likely experience "not in my neighborhood" from some residents. Nothing to do and no where to go accounts for the highest drug and alcohol problems per capita in the country as well as the highest suicide rate. I hear people complaining about the 3 month shut down contributing to stress suicide drug abuse and abusive relationships yet often native populations have endured another type of involuntary shutdown for decades. No jobs no opportunity has created a dependant culture that is not going away anytime soon.