This is a response to two different subjects.
One is the the brutal and unjustified slaying of a non-combative Native man from B.C. in Washington state recently. Why is it that the government has not cried out in outrage over the brutal killing of one of its own countrymen?
Canada should be using every single resource at their disposal to have this officer brought up on charges of murder.
Too many of our people have been brutally slain without any sort of real action being taken to put these police in prison. It is getting to the point where most natives don't trust the police and we, as a people, will have to decide if we allow them to keep doing this or we start to defend ourselves from anyone who wishes us harm be they police or otherwise.
This is true for anyone, when anyone wishes to put their hands on you, you make sure they never lay their hands on anyone ever again.
Secondly I would like to talk about recent comments made by former Prime Minister Paul Martin on First Nations education in this country.
He hit the nail on the head when he said "in too many parts of the country aboriginal students are sent to schools that other Canadians would refuse to send their kids to. There are no labs, no vocational programs, it's not only reprehensible... it's also dumb."
We as a people are being given an inferior type of education. Our children are being educationally short changed and, at least in my mind, that is a criminal act.
Not only that but then you send these children out into the world unprepared because of that inferior education. And that is the biggest reason why we have gang problems in almost all of our communities.
So I will leave you with this plea. We need help.
There are some things we as a nation can do but there are areas we need help. And if the government or anyone else for that matter is unable or unwilling to help then we make it so they can help by whatever means are necessary to do so.
Steven Kakinoosit
Prince George
