Canada Bring Conscription

There are 49 countries who have mandatory military service requirements of their citizens. Yeah, we know North Korea and Israel are examples of the ugly face of conscription. Still, there must be some good for people to serve in the country's military (not a question). There was a documentary on the Fifth Estate about the Black kids being taken from Toronto. As you can guess, it's an ugly life for these boys and their parents. I did write about Indian kids should be joining the army. In the post: "The Armed Forces is a way out of the life of slow death. It can give hope to a group of youth that are deemed to fail. Doomed to face a hard short, in many cases violent life. A life of despair, not the good life. The Armed Forces can provide a new lifestyle, not a street lifestyle. It can give them pride. Pride in who they are and what they can be. A view of something other than decay, rot and slow death. A view other than the falsehoods of gang life."  

The notion of being forced into the Army is frightening. You lose your freedom for a specific period of time. For sure this is not what anyone would agree to. I think we have no choice to give away the freedom for a brief moment in the life. The Fifth Estate highlights how society sees the Blacks, the Indians and we are nothing (in their eyes). The only lives that matter are not ours. The military provides an escape from the world which doesn't see or care. Hopefully in the military, you can be part of something, some kind of team. Maybe learn some life skills that can you can carry throughout your life.  Maybe you become to like the army and make it a career. Who knows? 

Would Canada have the guts to introduce mandatory military service? After all, it is only the Global South we expect to have forced military service. Surprise, "go ahead and call the cops, you don't meet nice girls in coffee shops."  Greece, Switzerland, Denmark, United States (yes they still have it, but are not using it, but can at any time), total of 15 countries in Europe, Finland, Norway,  New Zealand does not have mandatory military service.  Canada borders a Wild Boar. "This Wild Boar is an invasive species which destroys: Feral swine (wild pigs, boars, or feral hogs) are a destructive, invasive species that are prevalent in the U.S."  The Wild Boar has no natural predator. "Territorial agencies are actively working together to manage the threat and damage caused by feral swine and to mitigate their impact. This collaboration includes: NATO, NGO's, ICJ. 

Canada in terms of military strength is anemic, like a marsh mellow, the small colourful ones. Not the big fluffy ones, Canada's military is not big, it's small and soft. It's actually still capable of being a military with spirit and some bite. 

In the end maybe having those Brown and Black kids in the army will quiet down those white supremacists who have made the army their home. 

boldeagle@forces.gc.ca

100 million, What our We Going to do with it?

 Our Reserve is going through interesting times. Our Chief and Council are coming up to their third year in their four year term. Yeah, we went "Custom Council" and made our own election law. Supposed to be different than the Indian Act election rules. In my opinion our Reserve's election law is funny, stupid funny. The folks who drew up the law, did some wild dancing in a dark room, naked, listening to Tiny Tim's Tiptoe Through the Tulips and came up with a dog's dish of an election law. We have just voted on a TLE for 100 million dollars (20 or 30 million for lawyers fees). The TLE process was years in the making. The Band didn't get into court and settled out of court. The community had to vote on the settlement and the Trust Agreement attached to it. First round of voting, not enough of a clear majority, a second vote sealed the deal. Where things go from here, I don't know. Our Reserve has not made sound financial decisions in the past. Not suggesting any misdeeds, rather just stupidity and naivety on our part, which happens to many people. Montana Power is a prime example of stupidity in doing business and bad decisions. Montana Power was making good money and did some crazy selling, the result loss of cash and lots of it. The reason I point this out, it's not just an Indian thing of being stupid in business. 

I recently started working in our community a few months ago. It seems I'm a functioning Depressive. Luckily I'm in no position of authority or decision making authority. It would not end well for me, I'm sure. I am told what to do and it is rewarding: no drama, no inter-office romance, no high-level-executive-meetings, no firing children from their dungeon toil of  digging holes, making shoes and shirts. I never knew just how bad our Meth problem was in the Reserve. The amount of homeless Indians in the Reserve is gummy eye opening. We do Harm Reduction activities to try and help. Other than this news, I'm sworn to secrecy to protect names of people and I intend to honour my Oath to Office. 

It's funny because I tend to tell stories of my deeds on social media. I may have exaggerated a time or two about my magnanimous exploits of courage, heroics and romantic encounters. Lot of what I share is factual. Like the time I pooped my pants while I sped away from the cops, stopped over by a train on the tracks, and I lay under the train as it hummed in the spot. I watched the cop hand lights as they ran around my abandoned truck. Yeah, I was 18 and drunk as a turtle waste high in ketchup and maple syrup. I escaped the arrest and took a cab to the Reserve, which cost $65 dollars, it was 1978. I only actively drank alcohol to 19 years of age. A funny story, I stopped drinking New Years eve, 1980. The Chief we have now is the guy who beat me up that night. He beat me so bad, I didn't drink after that. Mean bugger he was, I can still feel the hurt he put on me. Funny thing is I like talking with that guy. 

The TLE process is a closed door. We don't know the formula used to calculate the amount of compensation for loss of land, the potential, the length of time and what things were worth back then compared to today's dollars. Me, I did vote yes. Not that I am happy about the amount or the Trust agreement and how it will be looked after. What would you think the community should do with it? The TLE will be locked in a Trust Fund. People are afraid of a consultant company owned by Phil Fontaine. His partner is Kathleen Mahoney, one of the Architects for Indian Residential School agreement (TRC).   I guess the membership of Sagkeeng no longer trusts them. I don't know but I am sure the community will use the Trust as a guarantee for Bank Loans. RBC is the Trust holder and people know Phil has a long time affiliation with Royal Bank. Naturally people wonder about the selection of financial institution and who decided. There is no use for people to complain as it is a done deal anyways. 

We are all hoping good things come out of the Trust Agreement. How the use of the Trust will grow and be used for the betterment of the community. Lot of folks were hoping for a direct payout of the Trust to community membership. Me, I thought that would be nice but who benefits? Not the community but the outside community from the purchasing actions of the people. The money would be gone in moments, to used car dealers, appliance stores, and other retail outfits. Quads, skidoos would be all over the Reserve. Not sure about off-Reserve folks and their purchases. With the Trust maybe the community will decide to do some exciting stuff, maybe small manufacturing business, who knows. I know if you give a dollar to someone poor, they are going to spend it. We don't have finance portfolios, savings bonds or other money instruments. That is a upper white thing. Poor people of all stripes will spend. They won't try grow it because they need it now. 

So the Band will have some cash to toy with. Some ideas on how to play is what's next on the agenda.