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The masters of our own domain

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Everything the Creator gave to us in the beginning is ours. We need to start asserting ourselves as a people, as a nation. But through this treaty process instead of taking ownership and taking control of our lives as a people, we are bargaining our rights away. Its like we have been given scraps from the 'masters' table for our whole life and suddenly we hear a knock on the door and we are told that the food, the table and the whole place actually belongs to us. I use 'master' simply because as a community we have come to think that we are dependent on the government and cannot get out from underneath it.


What would you do when you found this out? Probably kick them out, a totally justifiable action considering! But no, we are an incredibly generous people. We don’t want to kick them out because they are our neighbours and the Settlers that live among us deserve respect, just as we demand respect for ourselves. This is despite everything we have gone through, all of the trauma, residential school abuse and continued racism. The hard thing for me to accept is that instead of giving us the control over our lives back, this 'master' wants us to borrow millions of dollars to sit down at the table and negotiate the kind of rights we can have on our own land! The Canadian and BC governments are saying that instead of just the scraps from our own table, and from our land, they are throwing in a shiny apple, or a whole lot of shiny promises. Then they say we are supposed to be reasonable and let them continue to control our house, our food and our lives. That is the treaty negotiation as I see it.


We must assert ourselves to have real change. Most people are scared of this idea because we as a people have come to believe all of the 'masters'' lies: that they own the land, resources and the right to control of our food. That it is up to them if we can fish or hunt for the food we need for our very survival. It is not too late though, we can remember what our ancestors fought against when they decided against treaty in the old days. Be proud of who you are and where you come from.


Besides the ridiculousness of the treaty process itself, look at the record of Canada and BC in honouring their past and still valid treaties with other First Nations. I marched on the BC Legislature twice this year in support of the Kwakiutl, protesting infringements on the Douglas Treaties they signed in the 1850's. The rights of the Coast Salish in Victoria are constantly being threatened as well. Does this really sound good to anyone?

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