Reading about the circumstances of the Palestinians in Gaza, I was reminded of a piece of our own history: the infamous pass system. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Indians of Western Canada signed treaties with the Canadian government yielding control over their territories. They believed they
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Views from the Beltline: Indians—tolerant, but don’t marry my sister
A recent Pew Research survey of religious attitudes in India revealed some interesting insights into a society tolerant of, yet divided by, religion. First, Indians are a very religious people. Ninety-seven percent believe in God and the vast majority say religion is very important in their lives. Second, they are
Continue readingSettlers killed in Palestine—echoes of another colonialism
The killing of three Jewish teenagers from a West Bank settlement in Palestine brought to mind another colonialism—that of North America. As the Europeans swarmed across the Americas, the Native people found themselves overwhelmed. Sometimes they fought to keep the intruders out, but inevitably they found themselves outmatched by superior
Continue readingCanadian Progressive World: Thatcher to Trudeau: No desire to deal with “queues of Indians”
This year marks the 30th anniversary of patriation of the Canadian Constitution. And guess what? It took us 30 years to learn that British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher wasn’t exactly welcoming to Canada’s Aboriginal chiefs and elders seeking participation in the sensitive constitutional talks that resulted in our legal independence
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