how can I bring some balance to the issue of aboriginal people in North America?

Question

Is there a solution? Can we clean up the past based issues and together, empower our native communities in an honorable decent, generous way? Is it in our hands or thiers?

Answer 1

I do have some solutions to your answers but it would take years to happen. First the government should stop companies from using the American Indian to sell their products. Being a leader of our community is a great honor, a sacred honor, but, we see that honor disgraced because a chief is selling everything from beef jerky to tires. Also, the names of sports teams are demeaning to us. The Chiefs, The Redskins, The Indians, The Braves, using our image as mascots or images of tomohawks, making chopping motions is deaming to Us as a people. I've heard the argument that it is supposed to honor us but I don't see Asians being honored by a sports team called The Yellowskins or African Americans being honored by a sports team called The ****** with a big lipped black face imposed over the stadium. Why? Because its racism. So why isn't it racism when American Indians are used. Do you not think that our children see this and it does not bother them? We do not dress up in buckskins and feathers and go off to work. We like baseball, we drive cars, we wear jeans, have jobs, use cell phones, and are citizens just like everyone else.
American Indians do not get checks from the government...lol
Although reservations do get free medical care the substandard care that they get is rediculous. If you compare employment and poverty rates, reservations are the lowest in the country. I have seen people actually burn their own furniture to keep warm in the cold winter months. Toxic dumping and mercury in the water on reservation land is causing cancer, and causing stillborn children and retardation among the Indians.

So what is the solution?
Reeducate misconceptions about our history - from aboriginal slavery, treaty rights and land claims. Our people - cultural theft, and reservation conditions. Teach the real history in our schools. Teach Aboriginal contributions to the world. Keep sports teams, and manufactured consumer products from using our image. The government needs to help clean up our reservations. Honor the treaties.

You can ask is it in our hands or theirs? Its in all our hands.

Thank you for asking this question as it is an important one. And thank you for giving me a chance to speak out on behalf of First Nations everywhere.

Answer 2

It's in their hands. If they want to hold on to their old ways, then they will enjoy both the benefits and the drawbacks of those ways of life. But what makes you think it's your problem? Are you their great white father or something? Why don't you go ask them if maybe they'd prefer to "bring some balance to the issue" of YOU?

Answer 3

The casinos are going a long way to balancing out the past.... Now if we could just build one on my rez..

Answer 4

With our modern actions, we need to be together, most people possible, in any way possible(positive way), because we are responsible of bad changes: Mc Donalds...