Bird’s-Eye: As Bruce Cockburn sings, “The local third world’s kept on reservations you don’t see.” But as the injustices continue, they’re getting more visible. Al-Jazeera talks about Canada’s looming native insurgency, while the Iroquois re-enact a scene straight out of Thomas King’s story “Borders”, in which Blackfoot are trapped in limbo because they won’t accept US/Canadian passports. And back in reality, the Canadian government gets slammed for tossing a baby band-aid at a major issue.
* Canada’s brewing ‘insurgency’ Al Jazeera
But with Canadian soldiers, snipers, commandos and police tactical units representing the sharp end of a security budget that is poised to top $1bn, the most significant threat to business as usual for the summit may turn out to be far-flung rural blockades enacted by Canada’s long suffering native communities. “It’s a very dangerous situation,” said Douglas Bland, a retired Canadian forces lieutenant-colonel who is now the chair of defence management studies at Queen’s University.
In recent years in particular, Canada’s indigenous communities have shown the will and potential to grind the country’s economic lifelines to a halt through strategically placed blockades on the major highways and rail lines that run through native reserves well outside of Canada’s urban landscape.
* Native Americans Should Not Have To Earn Sovereignty | James Mackay Guardian
This week, the Iroquois Nationals lacrosse team found their right to travel on Haudenosaunee passports challenged. Britain denied them visas to attend the world championships in Manchester, after the US state department refused to confirm that they would be permitted to re-enter the USA.
This is only the latest occasion that the Haudenosaunee (also known as the Six Nations), who have never accepted citizenship in either the US or Canada, have suffered attempts to deny their right to travel using their own documents. Previously, a group of three Kahnawa’kehró:non were held for a fortnight in San Salvador in a standoff with the US and Canadian authorities, who would only permit them to return to their homes if they took up the offer of temporary passports issued by one of the two countries – in other words, if they allowed themselves to be (if for a moment) colonised against their will.
* $10 Million Not Enough To Restore Justice And Dignity For Indigenous Women In Canada rabble.ca
After 600 Aboriginal women and girls go missing or are found murdered in Canada, the federal government decides to throw-a-bone and give $10 million dollars. In March, the Canadian Minister of Justice budgeted $10 million over two years to address the issue of murdered and missing women in Canada, however, they have yet to figure out how to use the money.
Many justice organizations such as Amnesty International and Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) have made recommendations. Both organizations suggest that the $10 million is not enough to support the decades of injustice ….
