What an informative article. I have no doubt as to its veracity. In the 1990s I was asked to write literature for a First Nations campaign that sought to help indigenous teenagers avoid alcohol and mood-altering drugs. My contact was an aboriginal social worker. Although she didn't get into the details that the author of this article did, she mentioned the root problem was with the families and extended families within indigenous communities. She never once blamed the federal government, colonial oppressors, etc.
"Immediately prior to his suicide he had been tied to a post in a school yard and sodomized by a serial child molester who was a relative of the chief. The chief and his councillors had repeatedly interfered in the work of the child welfare workers, as well as the police investigation, in order to protect the criminal. "
The first nation leaders who protect murdering swine like this are evil. And so are the woke politicians that enable these terrible crimes.
Thanks to the brave author for this important exposé!
Brian Giesbrecht has written an article that every Canadian ought to read, my favourite passage being: “The politicians pretend that if they only reorganize the child welfare systems a bit more, provide more money for their operation, apologize a bit more, “deconstruct colonialism” (whatever that means), or further “Indigenize” the system, or place helpless children even more under the control of Indigenous activists – the problems will go away.” No they won’t. As Judge Giesbrecht also states, we must get rid of the racial politics and serve children, all children, in the ways we know best. That politicians ignore problems like native FAS babies is criminal.
Brian - very powerful. This isn't my area of expertise but I am prepared to believer every word you write. Canada needs more people willing to be unpopular and to tell hard thruths. Keep it up.
I also think this does a good job of explaining the rent-seeking cohort related to the aboriginal industry. No one seems to really have an incentive to break some aboriginals from the dependence cycle, and promote taking of individual responsibility. which is the only true solution to the problems stated.
You can throw money at them until the cows come home but nothing ever changes, unfortunately the great majority of them are drug and alcohol addicted and so entrenched in the welfare system as to be entirely unsuited for a productive life.
Brian Giesbrecht had me almost weeping here. Not because any of this comes as new news; I’ve read too many books like “A Poison Stronger Than Love” (Shkilnyk) to be stunned by these realities. And not JUST for the neglected, suffering children and the parents who have given up on life. I’m tearing up chiefly out of frustration, because I know that the people who need to read a piece like this WILL NOT READ IT. They will not. They’d sense that they would encounter truths in it that they could not acknowledge without “tainting” themselves (blaspheming themselves, really) and compromising their status as “good” people. (Or, in the worst cases, they’re personally profiting from, or are otherwise invested in, the counter narrative.) How do we reach them? How do we shift them out of their sanctimonious certainty?
Just one small quibble here for Woke Watch: the title is inappropriate to the substance of the article (even though it was also used for the Frontier Centre article in 2019).
Short of a mass cultural exorcism to expel the demons of willful ignorance and willful blindness, I am not optimistic of any promise of immediate change. Your question does bring to mind the biblical quotation of Jeremiah 5:21 which says:
"Now hear this, you foolish and senseless people, Who have eyes but do not see, Who have ears but do not hear."
One final comment, on what is an excellent essay. James Lindsay once pointed out that the expression 'historically marginalized', which is often used to describe the aboriginal peoples, has a little psychological poison-pill built in to it, which most people miss. I don't know if its deliberate or not. But if you think about its meaning, 'historically marginalized' is a forever thing. It will always be true, for the rest of time, and hence to use it condemns the recipient of the designation to victim status forever. Its a really insidious and destructive turn of phrase. Most people never notice.
Bravo. This organization of indigenous christians works among the reserves to preach the good news of jesus. Accepting one’s own brokenness and responsibility, asking the creator for forgiveness and help to walk his path. This is a spiritual problem and neither government nor ideologues have any good news to offer. These folks do: https://ncem.ca/donate/
What an informative article. I have no doubt as to its veracity. In the 1990s I was asked to write literature for a First Nations campaign that sought to help indigenous teenagers avoid alcohol and mood-altering drugs. My contact was an aboriginal social worker. Although she didn't get into the details that the author of this article did, she mentioned the root problem was with the families and extended families within indigenous communities. She never once blamed the federal government, colonial oppressors, etc.
"Immediately prior to his suicide he had been tied to a post in a school yard and sodomized by a serial child molester who was a relative of the chief. The chief and his councillors had repeatedly interfered in the work of the child welfare workers, as well as the police investigation, in order to protect the criminal. "
The first nation leaders who protect murdering swine like this are evil. And so are the woke politicians that enable these terrible crimes.
Thanks to the brave author for this important exposé!
Brian Giesbrecht has written an article that every Canadian ought to read, my favourite passage being: “The politicians pretend that if they only reorganize the child welfare systems a bit more, provide more money for their operation, apologize a bit more, “deconstruct colonialism” (whatever that means), or further “Indigenize” the system, or place helpless children even more under the control of Indigenous activists – the problems will go away.” No they won’t. As Judge Giesbrecht also states, we must get rid of the racial politics and serve children, all children, in the ways we know best. That politicians ignore problems like native FAS babies is criminal.
Brian - very powerful. This isn't my area of expertise but I am prepared to believer every word you write. Canada needs more people willing to be unpopular and to tell hard thruths. Keep it up.
A meet and greet with the Elephant in the room who we all know, is rather pink.
I also think this does a good job of explaining the rent-seeking cohort related to the aboriginal industry. No one seems to really have an incentive to break some aboriginals from the dependence cycle, and promote taking of individual responsibility. which is the only true solution to the problems stated.
You can throw money at them until the cows come home but nothing ever changes, unfortunately the great majority of them are drug and alcohol addicted and so entrenched in the welfare system as to be entirely unsuited for a productive life.
Calling it what it is.
Brian Giesbrecht had me almost weeping here. Not because any of this comes as new news; I’ve read too many books like “A Poison Stronger Than Love” (Shkilnyk) to be stunned by these realities. And not JUST for the neglected, suffering children and the parents who have given up on life. I’m tearing up chiefly out of frustration, because I know that the people who need to read a piece like this WILL NOT READ IT. They will not. They’d sense that they would encounter truths in it that they could not acknowledge without “tainting” themselves (blaspheming themselves, really) and compromising their status as “good” people. (Or, in the worst cases, they’re personally profiting from, or are otherwise invested in, the counter narrative.) How do we reach them? How do we shift them out of their sanctimonious certainty?
Just one small quibble here for Woke Watch: the title is inappropriate to the substance of the article (even though it was also used for the Frontier Centre article in 2019).
Short of a mass cultural exorcism to expel the demons of willful ignorance and willful blindness, I am not optimistic of any promise of immediate change. Your question does bring to mind the biblical quotation of Jeremiah 5:21 which says:
"Now hear this, you foolish and senseless people, Who have eyes but do not see, Who have ears but do not hear."
One final comment, on what is an excellent essay. James Lindsay once pointed out that the expression 'historically marginalized', which is often used to describe the aboriginal peoples, has a little psychological poison-pill built in to it, which most people miss. I don't know if its deliberate or not. But if you think about its meaning, 'historically marginalized' is a forever thing. It will always be true, for the rest of time, and hence to use it condemns the recipient of the designation to victim status forever. Its a really insidious and destructive turn of phrase. Most people never notice.
Bravo. This organization of indigenous christians works among the reserves to preach the good news of jesus. Accepting one’s own brokenness and responsibility, asking the creator for forgiveness and help to walk his path. This is a spiritual problem and neither government nor ideologues have any good news to offer. These folks do: https://ncem.ca/donate/