Whether you live in Brazil or Canada, the plight of the Native Indians/First Nations is a very sad situation.
I came across this article in the Calgary Herald
The similarities between the Brazilian Indians and the Canadian First Nations is sometimes uncanny.
The Portuguese were ruthless in their colonization of Brazil, and murdered many Indians for land and resources. They also considered them to be animals.The Brits and the French were not much better in Canada. I won't even go into the residential school debacle that happened in Canada.
Levels of obesity and diabetes within the Indian community has skyrocketed in the last generation, due to the introduction of sugar and processed foods into the native diet. This is true in Canada as well as Brazil. Alcoholism is also a problem in both countries.Tuberculosis on some Canadian reservations is almost as high as what is found in Third World countries.
Suicide is also a component in the reservations, here and there.
I am not sure which country is better in treating its First Nations people, but somehow it is better to be an Indian in Canada. At least the government made the first step by publicly apologizing for the treatment the Indians received in the past. Hopefully this is the first step towards a fairer future for all First Nations, all over the world.
1 comment:
I was in Iguazu this weekend and was struck (not for the first time since being here) at the similarities between the native Brazilians and native Canadians back home. The art is similar, the music is very similar, physically they look the same - which I found surprising, and even have the same haircuts for the kids (blunt bangs on the girls). The art here is amazing, much like it is at home, I am still looking for that piece...
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