Metaneos

Some notes, and free writing, (please excuse the free flowing nature of the following writing). Some musings on First Nations, and Canada, without much structure or cohesiveness. Simply ideas. Let us put to rest misconceptions and lies about the residential school system. First of all, it didn't work. Whether there were deliberate flaws in its design, or the flaws were placed within unknowingly we cannot state with any sort of certainty. The men behind the residential school system are all long dead. We can probably gleam some motives from what they'd left behind, but we cannot be certain, at all. Let us put this in the past, finally. We First Nations probably couldn't let it rest, just yet, however. Canada had never acknowledged the residential school system. Never deliberated. Never investigated. Never self-reflected on what had happened. And had allowed its history to fade and become terminal. And worse, there are those who would try to convince Canadians

CBC News Suddenly, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has released its findings. Well, I shouldn't say suddenly. It was a lengthy process, with little help from the previous federal government. Over 6000 people were interviewed by the commission. The official number of deaths is about 3200, but the commission believes this to be a conservative estimate. The testimony itself illustrates how the residential school system, to this day, weighs heavily upon Canadian First Nations peoples, influencing even the most recent generation, deeply, in ways not easily described. And please remember, the Harper government had done its best to neuter this commission, to restrain it from investigation into criminal matters. That the commission itself had survived the worst of the Harper government's tendencies toward introspection is testament to the resolution of those involved to shed even a bit more light onto this past. Symbolism is important. This commission was important. Let

CBC News Realistically, there's only so much can be done The long term goal should be to be helping these remote communities become more and more self-sufficient so there's less need for a community member to have to travel to and fro their home to a neighbouring town for particular needs, or to strengthen the presence of civilization along side those roads and highways. However, three million dollars? Honestly, it seems quite a bit low. This is over 700 kms, altogether, with many communities, in-between. And the winter conditions alone are harsh and demanding. Three million dollars will be used up, very quickly. The most helpful part of this would probably be the $1.6 million allocated toward BC Transit. An extra bus per community with an extra diver should help, although it's a question if the funding will stretch to cover all the communities, in-between. Considering this is the provincial government, they can only do so much, and only indirectly. Now it's up to

CBC News Ah, this is possibly good news. It might be painful, but hopefully, only for a short time. Then again, it might not be enough. Some short term pain to correct one of the Harper governments worst excesses would only help Canada, but we probably don't want to suffer. It should be like wart removal rather than cancer treatment.

CBC News When you have one event in three years that seems to have required this vehicle, then your organization probably has a problem. Mothball it, or sell it.