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For the record, I agree with you - I live in Manitoba, with the highest indigenous and Metis population and a poor province. First Nation’s people still suffer deep inequality and systemic barriers to success. That’s the disclaimer.
Canada has made a tremendous amount of progress socially and systemically in a very short period of time. 30 years ago residential schools were still operating. Many forms of discrimination were still legal and socially accepted. Open racism was much worse. Many more communities had no water supplies and no economic prospects, and no federal government support.
Canada has a long way to go - hundreds of years of oppression cannot be undone in 30 years. But the fact that we’re able to make progress so quickly is indicative of the fact that our society is free to push for these sorts of changes and see results. We have an Indigenous premier! That would have been entirely unthinkable just a third of a lifetime ago. Many forms of discrimination have been made illegal, federal funds have been directed for direct and indirect support, water plants have been built, languages are being taught and preserved, and the social perspectives are massively different. We have much work to do, but I don’t think we should be dismissive of the systems that have allowed us to do lots of work already.
For the record, I agree with you - I live in Manitoba, with the highest indigenous and Metis population and a poor province. First Nation’s people still suffer deep inequality and systemic barriers to success. That’s the disclaimer.
Canada has made a tremendous amount of progress socially and systemically in a very short period of time. 30 years ago residential schools were still operating. Many forms of discrimination were still legal and socially accepted. Open racism was much worse. Many more communities had no water supplies and no economic prospects, and no federal government support.
Canada has a long way to go - hundreds of years of oppression cannot be undone in 30 years. But the fact that we’re able to make progress so quickly is indicative of the fact that our society is free to push for these sorts of changes and see results. We have an Indigenous premier! That would have been entirely unthinkable just a third of a lifetime ago. Many forms of discrimination have been made illegal, federal funds have been directed for direct and indirect support, water plants have been built, languages are being taught and preserved, and the social perspectives are massively different. We have much work to do, but I don’t think we should be dismissive of the systems that have allowed us to do lots of work already.