Canadian Aboriginal Story

My mother was part of Canada's dirty little secret. She is a residential school survivor sent into the new world to fend for herself. Removed from her family, torn away from her language and culture she began her stuggle amongst the people who hated her most.

Well that was forty years ago, since then like most of that generation she is overcome by her on addictions and homeless. I am her oldest Daughter, I struggled to do right by my younger siblings and my new family. I have a College Diploma plus 1 year of University and I can not find a job amongst a booming economy. I was even degraded to the point of be offered a part time buffet waitressing position within a Indian Reserve Casino. The non-indians control the hiring. I tried to fight this, thought to myself, the Canadian Government promotes equallity and diversity boy was I wrong.

I have been ignored by my own people, by the government and by the press. I live in one of the richest countries in the world and the majority of my people are still uneducated, homeless and our children are still being tortured in foster homes. Today I am not homeless,I did have to take a waitressing position tho.

After living in the Canadian system I understand why my people are homeless and addicted and most are broken beyond repair. It's time the world knew it's time this treatment towards my people stopped but we are outnumbered and our voice is weak.

Here is a quote that is still true today.

"The white people who are trying to make us over into their image, they want us to be what they call assimilated, bringing the Indians into the mainstream and destroying our own way of life and our own cultural patterns. They believe we should be contented like those whose concept of happiness is materialistic and greedy, which is very different from our way.

We want freedom from the white man rather than to be integrated. We don't want any part of the establishment, we want to be free to raise our children in our religion, in our ways, to be able to hunt and fish and to live in peace. We don't want power, we don't want to be congressmen, bankers, we want to be ourselves. We want to have our heritage, because we are the owners of this land and because we belong here.

The white man says there is freedom and justice for all. We have had "freedom and justice," and that is why we have been almost exterminated. We shall not forget this."

1927 Grand Council of American Indians