All of the political parties would do well to remember that in another 10 or 20 years, aboriginals are going to make up more than 20% of the voting population.

They are thinking that far ahead. Why do you think they are so eager to get Aboriginal people signed on to accepting taxation. Think about the recent legislation with respect to marriage. It’s designed to decrease the number of future aboriginals. Same thing with Bill C-24.

Whooee! It’s been just over two years since the direct action began in Caledonia. The land claim is no closer to resolution now than two years ago, despite $200/hour that Jane Stewart got and the ongoing negotiations continuing even today. Another 18 years to go?

If Aboriginals vote at the same rate as TROC, only 60% of that 20% will bother voting. That will put the native political clout 20 years from now at about the same level as Green Party support today. As with environmental progress, making a difference in FN relations will require an attitude shift from the other 80%.

“There’s not a single politician in Ottawa today that thinks that far ahead, …”

Well, maybe not an elected politician.

JB

…if direct action was taken on a unified national scale it would be a far different story.

Agreed. Same with all progressives banding together in a common front. But, shee-it! Even the Liberal Party can’t quit squabblin’ amongst themselves and they’ve been workin’ at presenting a united front fer about a hunnert years.

But, I’m ever an optimist. Someday, all the treehuggers and earth-lovers and First Nations folks and farmers and fishermen and factory workers and store clerks and hippies and peaceniks and liberals and Liberals and Dippers and Greens and pergressive boogers and ballot-spoilers’ll all join up and the glorious revolution will be upon us. Until then, I’ll just keep acting locally and doin’ what I can all by myself.

JB

ST said…”Someday, with luck, the national Aboriginal leadership may put aside differences and look at the big picture and unite itself, and its’ respective regional nations and memberships - and, instead of ducking, or only being concerned with their individual issues, when the government goes thuggish, like this stand up and say - enough, and then issue a joint statement along the lines of….”

That’s it in a nut shell….As long as AFN,etc play the game,according to the white mans rules (i.e indian act’).First Nations peoples will continue to be marginalized and ignored.