Because We Need More Protection for White Rights

[bcholmes]

The rights of non-native Canadians would have been threatened had the government not opposed an indigenous rights declaration that the United Nations overwhelmingly approved yesterday, Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl said.

The Universal Declaration of Indigenous Peoples' Rights is inconsistent with Canadian legal tradition, and signing on to it would have given native groups an unfair advantage, the minister said.

— Montreal Gazette (A CanWest Global paper)

Apparently we're one of only four countries to vote no. Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand.

Comments

Australia's Shame

[laura-seabrook.livejournal.com]

Non indigenous Australia has a disgraceful history of treating the folk who were here before them, by about 40,000 years. Almost as soon as the continent was colonised by Europeans, they started shooting, baiting, poisoning, swindling and dispossessing them of their inheritance. Not all settlers did this of course, but few resisted or stood up and decried the injustice of the genocide.

After Australia became an independent nation, it continued to abuse its indigenous folk. Families were torn apart when children were taken from their parents for "their own good" and placed in foster care, for no better reason than that the authorities could. Aboriginals had no right of vote until a referendum in the 60s granted them citizenship.

And my government has the gall to vote against the measures suggested that might help restore some dignity to these people.

I think I might add a "i think my government might suck" tag to my own journal.

Re: Australia's Shame

[aquaeri.livejournal.com]

Sing it, sister!