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Cece Hodgson-McCauley
Guest comment
Monday, October 01, 2007
Time has come to stop wondering how much longer Canadians will put up with the big problem and demands of aboriginals.
The headlines on an Ontario couple suing over a native standoff, $10 million from Ontario government and $10 million from the Federal government may be the show down from Canadians who are fed up with the billions of their tax dollars going no where to improve the aboriginal world, and why isn't the aboriginal's world improving? Blame the leaders!
Aboriginal leaders are like our NWT Government! Our system and process is designed to create a dependency on the GNWT.
Aboriginal leaders and chiefs never had it so good.
The GNWT dependency creates a very lucrative life for leaders. Just look at them, from the big chief himself, Phil Fontaine. Most leaders never did a hard day's work in their lives, some are barely educated, but the money and luxurious way of living comes from the backs of their own people.
It is embarrassing to forever listen to Phil Fontaine and other leaders talking about their poor people. In a rich land like Canada? You take the NWT for instance, the government builds all the infrastructure for our benefit, schools, Arctic College, training for trades. But where are all our professionals?
You may as well say, the infrastructures are only a showcase, because the GNWT and leaders are not really investigating why we are not turning out professionals and trades etc., and the shameful truth of not investigating and doing something about the drop out rate in the NWT.
The shame is, they need dependency of people to hang on to their good and fancy lifestyles! Don't worry, we hear people at the grassroots forever complaining about their so-called leaders.
But, Canadians must be made aware of the many hard working aboriginals who own a lot of businesses and pay taxes, just like ordinary Canadians!
The government should investigate and pull together working, down to earth people with vision and common sense from the aboriginal world and create a board of advisors. People with the true interest of trying to solve the problems in the aboriginal world.
They must push education, they can start today, not tomorrow, go after the dropouts. Many of them realize they should go back to school and most of them want to upgrade. But they don't know where to go to seek out help. I keep harping on field workers and a store front office, maybe the Women's Organizations should make education a priority, and expose the education problem.
Thursday morning - CBC phone in. Should we elect our Premier? Many arguments, I just about phoned in, but didn't.
My thought was, (I don't care) for all the power the Premier should have, he really is helpless, because he is under all the MLA's thumbs.
We were better off under a plain old commissioner, like Stu Hodgson. He sure used the big stick, he had power, made rules and laws.The white people have to thank him plenty!
I understand, at the beginning of our so called governments, someone remarked that all aboriginals or treaty people get free education, Stu said, "No bloody way!" Everyone in the Northwest Territories got free education as they did in the Delta in earlier years. I asked for statistics of how many Indians, Metis and whites went to further education - university diplomas etc etc. I think I still have the numbers, one year's numbers were six Indians, 11 Metis, and 68 white students.
I wonder how many government civil servants go south to further their education at our expense and some don't come back.
The MLAs better have a strong sense of duty and communicate closer to their grassroots people and do something about education and the Arctic College set up.
- Cece Hodgson-McCauley is the founding chief of the Inuvik Dene band and will remain honourary chief for life. She can be reached at fax (867) 587-3003 or by phone (867) 587-3037.