To The Expositor:
A British Columbia First Nation won big time on its land claim. Now they have more power over their land. It got me to thinking about the Ring of Fire in Northern Ontario. I believe it’s on aboriginal land and this is the time for aboriginals to step up their land claims. Any amount of money they will make on this Ring of Fire project, the aboriginals have the right to claim 50 percent of their profits. This money would go into the health care system and social programs or other places it’s needed, also to jobs guaranteed for aboriginals and not just temporary full time jobs because the federal government is cutting back on funding in communities in this province. Now we have to find a way to sustain ourselves and this is the only way to do it. The money would be used in the health care system for prescriptions or eye care such as for glasses, or for dental care or improving medical transportation. This land used to be ours before the white man came and this has nothing to do with racism. This is a fact. We did sign a treaty in good faith but where is that faith now? All we’re facing now is discrimination from the federal government and I have seen so much unfairness in this country. The news reports that are coming out about aboriginal communities, some of them look like dumps. Sorry to say that, but it has to be brought forward because something has to be done about this unfairness. Then sometimes it’s the community leadership at fault. I have to admit to that also because I am a fair person. I just do not go around pointing fingers at whose fault it is. This treaty that was signed has to be followed true and that’s just it.
Ronald Osawabine, Wikwemikong
