"If a white person marries a black person," my father said to me one day, "their children will be born with one black leg and one white leg, one black arm and one white arm." I was still in my early teens but I didn't think such a thing was possible and I told my … Continue reading Strange ideas about strangers
First Nations
The Welfare Trap
Welfare systems began with the noble intent of helping those unable to help themselves. Well, actually those noble intentions were somewhat tainted from the beginning. Christians had long felt a need to help those most in need. Governments, motivated by the social gospel, decided people needed something better than to rely on charity. Thus a … Continue reading The Welfare Trap
The hoary head
Continuing with the events of the day I was writing about in my last post, after finishing my supper at Tim Horton's I went over to Dollarama. Two young ladies were just coming out of the store, loaded down with their purchases. I stepped aside to let them through and then one of them held … Continue reading The hoary head
Remedy for the Indian problem
Starting in 1701, the government made treaties with the Indians living in Canada. The treaties were rather open-ended arrangements, promising schooling and health care, giving the Indians parcels of land for their exclusive use, but not limiting their right to hunt, fish, and trap wherever they wanted. Left to their own devices, the Indians would … Continue reading Remedy for the Indian problem
The power of turning the other cheekl
I had devotions at our school this morning. Part of what I told the chlidren and their teachers was the following story from the life of Albert Tait. Albert Tait lived on a Saulteaux Indian Reservation in North-Western Ontario. The Saulteaux (pronounced Soto) are one of the most widespread First Nations groups in Canada, called … Continue reading The power of turning the other cheekl
Pigment triggered cognitive dysfunction
My personal observations, perhaps not very scientific but still quite realistic I believe, have convinced me that a substantial portion of humanity is afflicted with a strange malady. This malady manifests itself when a person meets, or even hears of, someone with a different colour of skin. The symptoms are that this person then seems … Continue reading Pigment triggered cognitive dysfunction
Fur traders and Indians
The fur trade, in which millions of Canadian beaver gave their lives to provide felt top hats for European gentlemen, was the major impetus for the exploration and settlement of Canada. The fur traders employed by the Hudson's Bay Company were of French and Scottish origin. They fanned out across the country, establishing trading posts … Continue reading Fur traders and Indians
God’s way is still best
“For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind” (Hosea 8:7). Progress and family have never been very compatible. The economic development of the U.S. south depended on capturing large numbers of African people, who knew more about raising cotton than the plantation owners, bringing them to America and treating them as … Continue reading God’s way is still best
Rebels without a clue
I am struck at how clueless protest movements have become. The “Occupy” folks seem to think it is the fault of government and business that they don’t have a job. You worked hard and got your BA. You apply for a job that seems to offer the pay and perks that you feel you deserve. … Continue reading Rebels without a clue
Dare to be a father
A single mother was complaining about the school her boys attended; there were too many First Nations children (“Indians” she called them). I observed the conduct of her boys and thought to myself that they suffered from the same affliction as many First Nations children in our area: they did not have a father. We … Continue reading Dare to be a father
Flatlander Faith 