Native Canadians

Today the First Nations Chiefs and delegates are meeting in Ottawa, continuing to seek ways forward for Canada's Native people.

There are some very positive stories of native people and communities from across Canada, and there are some very troubling stories. And as diverse as the stories are, so are the opinions of what the solutions to the problems are.

The Anglican Church of Canada, and hence our Diocese and our parish of the Resurrection, have had a part in the healing and reconciliation of the Church and the North with the Residential Schools Compensation. We have offered financial compensation for those who were harmed in the past in Anglican Residential Schools.

Various forms of compensation have rightly been offered to indigenous communities and people for injustices done over the years and in different contexts.

But there does come a time for moving on in the context of Canadian culture.

On CBC national news last night, there were at least two stories of indigenous people and communities who are saying to other native people that it is time to start looking after ourselves within our communities. And if our communities are not sustainable or viable, then people need to consider re-locating.

Not comparing Newfoundland issues to Native issues, but when fishing could no longer provide for my grandfather and his family, he re-located to an area where there was more economic potential. This is a human reality since the beginning of the human people.

It is a fine and political line to balance the maintaining of cultural living and the need to be part of a viable economy. Individual's have to make those choices. It is good to hear some native Canadians encouraging other native Canadians to make those choices for themselves.

None of us can live in the past. Like the Anglican Church and the North, we have to reconcile for injustices of our history, but then there is a moving forward with the new reality that every day brings.