When I first came out of Attawapiskat to attend high school, I was surprised and confused to hear comments from people about how I had it so good being Native. Many times, I stood by and listened to people chastise me for not paying all the taxes that other Canadians do. Often, people would say to me that Natives were lucky because the government gave them all kinds of money and provided everything they needed. In addition, someone always seemed to be ready to put my people down by saying that all Natives were on welfare.
I was surprised at all these comments because they had nothing to do with reality. I thought I surely must have missed something in all the years I experienced growing up in a remote Native community.
It is true that we Aboriginal people don’t pay as much in taxes as do non-Aboriginal Canadians. This situation came about by historic agreements made between First Nations people and the Canadian government. The government at the time didn’t offer this deal out of the goodness of their hearts. It was decided on the basis of providing some compensation to my people, the first and original Canadians, due to the fact that we were being restricted to certain tracts of land. These reserves meant a whole new way of life for us. Some compensation deals were struck with the government. A system was set up whereby the government provided some assistance in terms of money and expertise to help Aboriginal people deal with the painstaking endeavour of leaving a nomadic lifestyle, ending a traditional way of life and taking away a means of survival based on roaming the land.
It is probably a small miracle that my people have survived at all. The truth is, most remote communities have had a very diffi-
cult time adapting to a new and restrictive way of life. It was only a few years ago that Attawapiskat got running water and proper sewage systems. Before this, the community was very much like a town in a Third World country. Only recently, Attawapiskat has seen the development of adequate housing for people and in the past few years there has been much success with the building of a new school, a new arena and a substance-abuse treatment centre. By the way, these facilities and all other facilities in the community are being run largely by professional Aboriginal people
Even though we don’t pay as much in taxes as other Canadians, the cost of living in a remote Native community is astronomical. Almost everything must be flown in by plane or arrives in the winter season on the winter road and in the summer by barge.
There is only one way in and out of Attawapiskat and that is by aircraft. Incredibly, one can fly to many points in Europe and back to Canada for less than it costs me to fly return Timmins to Attawapiskat.
Earlier governments, the religious community, and private business in their treatment of Aboriginal people, has resulted in many wounded individuals. We have problems with alcohol, drugs and all forms of abuse. There is considerable healing going on these days but it will be many years before things are much better for my people.
I’m not complaining about our life today; I am very proud to be an Aboriginal person.I am just taking this opportunity to educate those who still feel some need to commentnegatively about Aboriginal people. I am extremely grateful to be in a position to sharethe realities of the life of Native people from remote communities on the James Bay coastwith other Canadians.
