Wednesday 6 June 2012

So... Why bother?

My father’s friend was sentenced to three years in jail. He is an aboriginal man who, because of repeated abuse from his girlfriend, made the grave mistake of retaliating. He deserved his sentence. What he didn’t deserve was the racism and prejudices he received once inside the prison gates. The aboriginal community does not receive the same treatment as non-aboriginals. They do not receive the funding for their programs; they do not have the funds to have decent lawyers who care about their freedom; they are not treated like they ought to be. In the case of my dad's friend, the programs that ran for Aboriginals weren't even run by Aboriginals, but by outsiders who didn't know the customs or the heritage. Some of the guards even took the art they had made and sold it for a profit, giving the artisan only a small portion. Also, whenever a non-aboriginal wanted food from their culture they were granted it without having to pay; Aboriginals had to pay to have traditional food and it was rarely offered to them. These small things make a huge difference in the lives of Aboriginal offenders.For me, as a young girl thinking Canada was a perfect and free place, I was appalled. Ever since then I have had the strongest desire to help those aboriginals who are emotionally abused in our justice system.This, along with the horrible stories my dad's friend has told me about reserve life, have steered me towards this issue. I feel very strongly about the issues and it has since been my life goal to make Canada an equal place for Aboriginals, the very first Canadians.Through this blogging endeavor I have learned even more about the terrible inequality problems they face and I have come to understand that the causes are so complex and confusing making the multitude of problems difficult to solve. I used to think that I could simply 'fix' the problems with a few anti-racism policies and some funding for their schools but I now realize it goes much, much deeper than that. 

4 comments:

  1. Hi, I agree with you that Aboriginals do not have equal rights especially those who are more vulnerable and I really think it is great that you have a specific cause that pushes you to help the aboriginal community.

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  2. Thanks for the comment, Dorina!
    I feel like I have found the passion and drive that is needed to really make a change in their lives. This has become a personal mission and I hope that I can fulfill my dreams in making Canada a more socially just place to live. Thank you for your comment! It makes me feel good that my passion is evident to others.

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  3. I found it interesting that you brought a personal story into your blog. It proves that this marginalization is close; that it's happening all over. Continue in your dreams of making Canada a Socially just place to live, you will do well.

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    1. Thank you Anne! I truly hope I will make a positive difference. It is very true about what you said about the issue being closer than we think. This is the way it is with most issues in Canada; we feel like it does not affect us but it really does.

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