[BC Mary]

<strong>Written By:</strong> BC Mary
<strong>Date:</strong> 2005-11-01 10:04:00
<a href="/article/144221190-contaminated-water-on-reserves-known-since-2001">Article Link</a>

"I was told that the government would bring in a dynamic water policy to remedy this situation; that I should keep cool and await this new policy," said Toronto Liberal Sen. Jerry Grafstein last week. "Regretfully, that has not happened in four years."

On Aug. 22, 2001, former Toronto Liberal MP Dennis Mills had 300 bottles filled with contaminated water from an Indian reserve near Edmonton.

The Liberal caucus was having its semi-annual meeting in the city that summer, and Mr. Mills was hoping to send a message that his fellow MPs would not forget.

The Liberals stopped him from bringing in the water, but he still managed to make a statement.

On the head table, Mr. Mills managed to sneak in two bottles, right in front of then prime minister Jean Chrétien.

"One is filled with the water we are drinking, given to us from the hotel," he told Mr. Chrétien. "The other is the water that natives are drinking in the reserve not far away from here."

Mr. Chrétien was about to take a sip from the second bottle of brown, murky water before Mr. Mills stopped him.

"Sir, don't drink it, it is contaminated."


<a href="http://www.thehilltimes.ca/html/index.php?display=story&full_path=/2005/october/31/angelo/&c=1">http://www.thehilltimes.ca/html/index.php?display=story&full_path=/2005/october/31/angelo/&c=1</a>

[no1important]

The problem is no one wants to take responsibility for the absurd inhumane condions the majority of the first nations live in. It is disguesting how all level of governments and corperations ignore, use and abuse the first nation population of this country. It has been going on for far too long and it is time for politicians to get off their asses and do something about this. But yet all they do is talk talk talk and pose for photo ops all the while nothing gets done.

I believe the majority of the population either is ill informed or does not care about how bad the first nations of this country have it, yet they bitch and whine when the first nations take a few fish from the Fraser river, don't have to buy hunting or fishing licenses, get tobacco and recieve fuel tax free (so they should,we stole it), access to free education etc.. Like wtf is that? Pretty selfish if you ask me. The average Canadian citizen does not know what real poverty and 3rd world (sometimes worse) are. They just bitch because they do not get the same.

I think their should be a third party to manage and see that the money is going toward where it should like housing, education, health care, employment services, etc.

I also think since global warming seems to be affecting the ice floes up North and since the costs of goods are criminally priced Ottawa should use the military to deliver food at the same prices we pay plus 5% surcharge for delivery. 52.49 for a package of cool aid that makes 25 litres? come on, that is extortion. After all they are taxpayers and citizens of Canada as well. See other prices in the "Shocking pictures from Nunavut" thread.

I think it is time we all rise up and see that land claims are settled forthwith and natives compensated for past dirty deeds like being forced from their homes, land stolen , physical and sexual abuse that occured because the government removed them from homes, not to mention the emotional abuse that has caused some of them.

The governments stole their land and way of life, flooded their lands for dams and hydro electricity that benifits us all, let oil, mining and forestry companies cut down trees and run roughshod over their traditional lands and did they recieve any compensation for this? very little.

As compassionate human beings we need to fix the crimes against humanity the first nations have suffered and still suffer, and it is time they get their land with mineral rights back. The reason they have not is because governments and corperations will lose too much money from oil, forestry, mining and hydroelecticity. But guess what? Make a deal with the first nations, as I am sure they would be willing to sell it to us at a fair price. After all it is theirs to sell, not ours. We stole it and more than that we treated them very cruelly.

We seem to welcome people from other countries and other races into Canada, but yet we treat the first nations so poorly?

As a good Canadian, how can you or I or anyone let this racism and abuse continue?

[Guest]

I agree property ownership would help the natives as would self governing and more promotion of the native culture. There have been experiments with making laws to balance the budget, why not make laws to improve the lives of natives. Something like the poverty level of natives must improve until it better or the same level as the rest of Canada.

Also, this is a non-partisan issue and is the interest of all the political parties and regions.

[Guest]

The First Nations need to govern themselves. They are truly the ones who need Sovereignty Association!

[Ivy_Ross]

I do honestly believe that the Federal Government has known about the contaminated water for some time now. It is hard to believe that they wouldnt when Health Canada has had boil water advisories set in place for years now.
This may disturb some people but it is often a way of life and just shows how ignorant the Canadian Government is when it comes to First Nation peoples.
This situation reminds me of the mercury poisoning up in the James Bay region. Which was because of the Hydro Quebec dam and it altered the way of life for those people in that area. They still have to test their fish and wild game before they can hunt or fish in that specific river or area in order to avoid more mercury contamination. The Cree in the northen communties do not seem to get there needs met.
Creating a new reserve will help to solve the immediate problem for now but how long will it be before the tragedy of these people are forgotten and something new catches the publics attention? How long will it be before the people of Kas. are poured into mist and obscurity and then fade from sight for another 50 years?
These all seem like band aid solutions to me and the real problem lies with the governments of Ontario and Canada. Ontario could have intervened and pressured the gov't to do something but it did not.
How long can band aids be applied before you remedy the actually situation? So many questions but no one can answer them.

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"The wind mocks me"- JA