Should aboriginals be treated differentially?

[Randy]

Debate I seen somewhere else:

Australia, Canada and the United States of America have struggled with the aboriginal question since the first colonialists arrived from Britain. In North America and Australia, there existed large groups of nomadic people, today commonly referred to as aboriginals or First Nations. The settlers made treaties with the aboriginals. In some cases, the treaties regulated the exchange of goods between the settlers and the aboriginals. In other cases, the aboriginals and the settlers made treaties of peace and friendship, promising to act as allies against other invading colonials. What was an equal partnership between the aboriginals and the settlers deteriorated. In North America and Australia, aboriginals were pushed onto reserves as their numbers dwindled due to small pox infection and tribal infighting. Aboriginal lands were used by settlers to establish farms and colonies. The Crown took advantage of the aboriginal’s language barrier to interpret treaties in favour of the settlers.Today, aboriginals in all three countries, but especially Australia and Canada, are using the court system to protect their treaty rights. Issues that are being litigated include whether aboriginals have a historic right to fish, hunt or trade on certain lands and whether aboriginals have title to lands seized by the Crown in violation of their treaties. Aboriginals are also struggling with issues of self-government and criminal justice.

 

[Skillet]

Should they be treated differently? To a point. That point is long past. We have been giving back to Aboriginals since the beginning of Canada's history. Free houses, free university, etc. The idea of the money was to help these people adapt to the change. I'm sure 150 years is more than enough. I see so many of them take advantage of this money, and never work a day, get free university if they choose.. Yet if my parents weren't paying for mine, I'd be scrounging to get the $250,000 to go to 10 years of Law school and living expenses. How is that fair?

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

I guess here that would be the Indians (native americans)..

Yeah it seems that we were unfair to them. We came in and took their land, then gave them crappy pieces of land in the middle of nowhere that we dont care for.

However, we did that to their ancestors. Not the ones alive today. They should just become normal citizens and live amongst us like everyone else.

 

[Raven]

^ I disagree. That is theyre heritage and people are taking it away from them. I have always been facinated by the Natives, theyre culture, how they live and theyre way of life.



I think they should be left to live theyre own lives.

 

[Skillet]

^ I disagree. That is theyre heritage and people are taking it away from them. I have always been facinated by the Natives, theyre culture, how they live and theyre way of life.



I think they should be left to live theyre own lives.

At whose expense? When do we quit paying for $100,000 education for those that decide to go to university, or the living expensive of those who decide to never work a day in their life? That's not heritage. Unfortunately, at least here, their heritage is almost gone.

 

[Raven]

They never had universitys and colleges and schools before, they learnt from the land. They Lived and worked on the land, theyre money came from trading. The only reason why they don't still do this is because the governments took it away from them.



I say give it back.

 

[Skillet]

We have been for hundreds of years. At some point they're going to have to adjust to the way things are NOW, are they not? I in no way think what happened in the past is good, but we have to get real. Eventually, it'll catch up with them, and they'll have no ideas how to do anything for themselves, with all the handouts. It's already getting like that in some cases.

 

[Raven]

I don't see why it should. They have been living that way for longer. I think it should be upto them to decide if they want to adjust or live theyre way.

 

[Skillet]

I don't see why it should. They have been living that way for longer. I think it should be upto them to decide if they want to adjust or live theyre way.

The way they lived is long gone. I believe high in equal opportunity for everyone. This is not equal, nor is it fair. It's been 150+ years here, even more in the US. How are any of them going to know what it is to work, if they keep getting handouts? What messages are they sending their kids? And their kids' kids. They don't do it the old way of hunting, and moving around as the buffalo go. (Most) just take what is given to them, in a free house, money, etc. The quicker we change it, the easier it will be to adjust. Because if it happens in 100 years, they will become already more reliant on the handouts.



You know what's funny.. I want to use a thought. Think of if China invaded Canada. They would be complaining. They wouldn't help. The percentage of natives in the army is barely a pinpoint.



Same with native votes. They barely exist.



Listen I`m sorry your land was taken from you, but that happened to every civilization in history almost, and no one apologized, no one paid anyone. People moved on, they live in the present, they don`t complain about how something that happened centuries ago was not fair. Native Americans should live in the present because everyone has sad stories about their history, why is yours so special?



Did the French get their land back?

 

[xneseyx]

what do they want us to do? move out? we can't give them their land back, cause that would be the whole frggin country! they should be made into a stronger part of society. they need to stop whining, stop relying on us to fix their problems, and grow up. they're almost as bad as Quebec! the Natives need to move out from under the wing of the government.

 

[Crusader]

Here is a question. Should you be treated differently?

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

Here is a question. Should you be treated differently?

Nope and neither should they.. I wish my ancestors land was stolen so I would get free land and govt. breaks.

 

[Bluezone777]

I think it's safe to say the only ones who shoudl have gotten anything are those directly affected by our actions in the past. The people who committed these wrongful acts and those who were affected by those choices are long since dead and I don't think simply being the descendant of a person directly affected earns you the right to handouts for things you never lost.



The only reason they fight for these handouts is not because they care for what they never had in the first place but to ensure they keep getting free handouts because they become dependent on them.

 

[xneseyx]

Here is a question. Should you be treated differently?

what exactly do you mean by that? I wouldn't want to be given everything and not learn responsibility for what I own just because of something that happened to my ancestors. most of the kids I go to school with have been given their cellphones by their parents or given their vehicles and their parents make the payments on everythin and they don't take care of these things. I bought my own phone and I take good care of it because I make the payments on it. I have been in some of the houses on the reserve, and they aren't treated very well. and when the Native children come over to our house, they slam the doors and jump on couches and they treat our house like shit. mom doesn't let them come overmuch anymore. but they don't take care of the things they're given and don't understand the concept of responsibilty. I'm not saying that they're all the same, but a lot of them are like this, especially the ones that live in reserves.

 

[Jonathan]

Should they be treated differently? To a point. That point is long past. We have been giving back to Aboriginals since the beginning of Canada's history. Free houses, free university, etc. The idea of the money was to help these people adapt to the change. I'm sure 150 years is more than enough. I see so many of them take advantage of this money, and never work a day, get free university if they choose.. Yet if my parents weren't paying for mine, I'd be scrounging to get the $250,000 to go to 10 years of Law school and living expenses. How is that fair?

Agreed. Natives should learn how to live with others equally. I know it's difficult but equality is important to unite a country.