Coming to terms with Aboriginal Peoples
John Ralston Saul's new book prompts this incisive review by Haroon Siddiqui: (excerpt below)
"We are either indifferent to the indigenous peoples or sympathetic to them. But they do not want our sympathy. They want their rights — as spelled out in the treaties between them and the Crown. Those "permanent nation-to-nation agreements" are what made Canada possible on the triangular foundation of aboriginals, Francophones and Anglophones. The indigenous peoples gave massive tracts of lands in return for a permanent partnership of equals. Yet "we pretend that we do not have partnership obligations. We criticize. We insult. We complain. We weasel: Surely, these handouts have gone on long enough. But the most important handout was to us. "
What's to be done?... Read Saul's book to find out.
============
