Silent no more on 'Idle No More'

I haven't written anything on the 'Idle No More' movement yet, not because I haven't been following it, but becaue the issues at stake are incredibly complex and answers are anything but easy.

We're talking about treaty rights here of course, treaties that were signed back when Canada was in its infancy.  Obviously the world has changed a lot in the past hundred plus years.

I have to admit having a bit of a problem with individuals being assigned rights based on things such as race.  I keep thinking about that old saw about all people being created equal and how we should all be treated in the same fashion before the law.

Canada's Supreme court recently opened a can of worms, creating the possibility that Métis and other non-status Indians may be accorded rights under our Indian rights act.  Something some status Indians are opposed to, fearing they'll be forced to share limited government sfunding earmarked for native programs. 

Welcome to enlightened Canada, where your rights as a citizen can in some cases be determined by race.  Am I living in the twenty first century or nineteenth?

Some might argue I'm talking about assimilation, and perhaps I am.  I'm generally in favour of all races and all groups living in harmony with one another.  The result is a new culture that takes elements from all peoples.  Obviously when groups come together, no one culture remains intact, there is evolution and progression.

The `Idle no more' movement has had more than its fifteen minutes of fame and is quickly being relegated to the back pages of our newspapers.  Maybe its time to replace it with a discussion about bringing all Canadians together and ensuring equality of at least oppourtunity for all citizens.