Thread by @sunnshiiny

I need to explain the politics behind the recent indigenous issues that have emerged.

They are about indigenous treaty rights.

One is for hunting/fishing rights.

One is long unresolved land title claims.

Many for water safety and sanitation.

https://twitter.com/204queen0574/status/1319818989195833346

All involve the inaction of a federal government that has long neglected FN indigenous communities and ignored the rights supposedly guaranteed by signed treaties and the constitution.

Both liberals and conservatives have long ignored and frankly, exacerbated tensions.

One political party campaigned for years to become the de facto champion of FN issues. Another is attempting to be the virtuous political party.

That’s the background.

The current situation. Years of neglect & continued abuse has become known & is widespread in mainstream news. Though it still sits at the fringes of mainstream. The public is aware that FN and indigenous peoples in general have been mistreated. But true understanding is limited.

This is an opportunist politician’s favourite type of situation to gain public support and increase their political profile. Support of indigenous issues is political gold. Help indigenous people, or appear to help, and you’re instantly more popular.

Call out injustices done to indigenous people and lack of government in power’s efforts to address them when you’re in opposition is one of the quickest ways to gain in popularity and social approval for your ideology.

Indigenous victims are campaign gold. Being labeled with blame for inaction is difficult to maintain popularity. It’s an easy target for opposition parties & a difficult situation for governing parties.

One federal government has taken indigenous issues seriously. PMJT Liberals.

The public’s memory is short and fickle. Most people pay attention to issues that impact them directly but only in the present moment. They don’t remember who did what, who created which policy and how economic policies impact all other policies and people.

At the same time, the majority of people are compassionate and caring and disapprove of injustice and discrimination.

Public sentiment and political support for the low information voter is pretty easy to manipulate if you play your cards right.

With all the background and current information in mind, 2020 has been a horrendous year.

First Iran shot down a plane carrying numerous Canadian passengers and WW3 looked imminent. Trump was hot off of being impeached and heading into a senate trial.

But PMJT’s diplomatic skills, along with his able MP’s diplomacy averted war and retaliation. For now.

Wet’suwet’en reemerged as a scandal. BC courts favoured corporate demands over constitutional obligations and created chaos across the nation with multiple blockades.

Again averting disaster and violence with calm diplomatic intervention of PMJT and MPs. BC courts, premier Kenney and foreign investors/ownwers were clearly attempting to swindle quick action of the law using the courts to legitimize and legalize the abuse of treaty land rights.

Then Covid hit Canada. Along with the rest of the globe, lockdown prevented anything but basic needs be met. The federal government scrambled to meet the basic food and shelter needs of millions of Canadians.

They did this with one hand tied behind their back, since premiers would not agree to invoking the Emergencies Act. Although every conservative premiere (and BC) invoked provincial Emergency legislation, temporarily increasing their power and reducing civil liberties.

Not to be sidelined, PMJT and Minister Morneau focussed on financial support of the public and economic infrastructure. Provinces actually had independent COVid responses which Feds mostly paid the bill.

But they also provided direction and consistent information nationally.

Feds warned against opening too soon fearing a second wave. The second wave of a pandemic is ALWAYS worse than the first because the baseline is not zero for the second wave, like it is for the first.

Canada is in the very beginning of second wave.

COVid will get much worse before it gets better. Our economic position is severely weakened by the first wave. The US is about to implode, in disease and violence. Tax revenues are down, unemployment was already an issue. And opposition has combined obstructionism and smears.

Overall revenues were cut 15 years ago through tax reductions and reducing GST. Inflation increases costs, but Canada has less revenue to work with.

So, suddenly, Canada finds itself in multiple domestic crises requiring financial contributions and federal intervention.

Provinces who have reduced provincial revenues due to corporate and income tax reductions are responsible to beef up healthcare since it’s their purview & responsibility. But they are blaming Feds for reduced transfers that were arranged during Harper years.

And there is no money left in the coffers since Harper cut revenues and created enormous debt. And the pandemic has greatly reduced financial position of the federal bank account.

At precisely this juncture in time, several FN issues have bubbled up to the surface and need immediate attention.

That does not seem organic to me.

This is the time when water safety is emphasized. On the eve of the second wave which will be brutal?

This is the time when NS lobster fishermen refuse to acknowledge and respect the constitutional rights of FN to fish out of season. Much of the motivation is reduced capacity for them to earn $ because of reduced numbers of crabs. Because FN are fishing out of season.

Ontario is moving ahead with developing stolen land. That land really is stolen. Not just land dispute. It was acquired illegally.

You know that movie “Woman in Gold” about the jewish woman forced Austria to return a painting to her that was stolen by Nazi’s? Same kind of deal.

Several FN water issues (typical in the autumn when the rotting vegetation is at its highest in PPM in all water and creates toxic & dangerous chemical reaction when chlorine is combined to make the water safe to drink.

There is increased pressure for an election. Who doesn’t have money or the popularity to win an election? Who aims to increase their power in parliament and split the progressive vote?

That’s why issues are popping out of the woodwork.

That’s how opportunist politicians work.

You may think all politicians work this way.

No they don’t.

Opportunists who are after power and don’t care how or what the ethics are behind the means to gain power, are the politicians who think this way.

Funny how it’s the ones who virtue signal the most actually have little for virtues. They just tell you what you want to hear.

As an indigenous person, I’m angry and frustrated that some FN are choosing opportunistic political schemes to unseat the only government that has actually tried to address indigenous issues.

There is a faction of FN that side with libertarian values.

Left libertarians and right libertarians have the same end goal.

Anarchy.

For different reasons of course, but the end result is the same. The dissolution of Canada as a unified nation.

Just like every white person is not a racist...

Every indigenous person is not an honest & trustworthy person.

You have to learn to tell the difference and learn about indigenous issues if you want reconciliation.

I’m don’t believe NS was opportunism. I’m not so sure about other indigenous issues popping up.

NS issue reveals white fishermen are most willing to infringe on constitutional indigenous rights because they don’t believe those rights are valid.

What they don’t realize is the only reason they themselves have the ability to fish in Canadian waters is because of treaty rights of FN. Abolish those treaty rights and we dissolve Canada.

Broken treaties are why FN are so angry. When FN and other indigenous people assert their treaty rights, those without those rights feel slighted.

Then give back the land and possession of property (fish, natural resources) and pay full price for what it’s worth.

That was the treaty rights as defined by Supreme Court. Canadians get to stay in North America in exchange for indigenous people possessing additional rights to self provide at any time for subsistence and a moderate living. So says the SCOC.

A loosely organized cartel that eliminates indigenous competition and denies rights should not have negotiation rights.

I’m not sure why the RCMP aren’t addressing this accurately. NS fishermen are acting like a cartel protecting its exclusive access to means to profit.

Threats, physical violence, thuggery, destruction of property, death threats.

Why are police and provincial and federal governments negotiating with a group of people totally ignoring the rule of law?

Because they’re white?