The inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women has commenced. Why men are not included as they make up the majority of victims and perpetrators is beyond me.
One of the darkest issues in Canadian history is the treatment of our indigenous people in general and the residential school debacle specifically. We are reminded of this continually with testimonials. apologies and inquiries. I appreciate that this in some way attempts to right the wrongs and lessen the impact but I feel that by doing so we are creating a division.
We have curriculum focusing on aboriginal education and programs and even sporting events limited to the select few. We recently hosted an all native baseball tournament whose only criteria for participation is not your athletic ability but your race. Sounds like Germany in the thirties or South Africa in the sixties. Could you imagine the outrage if we hosted an all white baseball tournament? Our collective asses would be hauled into a human rights tribunal before the first pitch was thrown.
I respect Chancellor Andrea Merkel who rose in their parliament and apologized on behalf of the German people for the horror of the Holocaust - no inquiry, simply an apology. We can't take back the past; what's done is done.
As Red Green says "we're all in this together."
Doug Strachan
Prince George
