If you subscribe to The Beaver as you should, you have already received the July/August 2006 issue with my column entitled “A Short History of Barricades.” It reflects on why we so regularly find barricades, defended by armed men and women, arising around First Nations communities across this country.
An excerpt:
“Are the barricades justified, therefore? Clearly violence has best rewarded those who are good at violence. It damages normal political life within First Nations communities, and often erodes the prospect of settlements based on trust. But Canadians have to admit that for First Nations non-violence has also been a spectacular failure for 150 years. The Crown that declares itself responsible for native Canadians has been their worst enemy, and the Canadian courts have consistently played for the home team against the native one.
“Are there actions Canadians and their governments could take to turn First Nations communities away from barricades and resistance? It has to begin with an acknowledgement that Canada’s treaty obligations are serious. We cannot simply accept the parts that work for us (essentially, we got Canada) and ignore the commitments we made in exchange, whether in land, in rights, or in self-governance.”
The Beaver -- at www.TheBeaver.ca
