The Dene (pronounced Denay) people speak a language which has 39 consonants and 116 vowel sounds. That is a total of 155 phonemes. For the sake of comparison, English and French run from 40-45 phonemes (total consonant and vowel sounds). These people are indigenous to the northern regions of the four western provinces of Canada, … Continue reading Migrations
prejudice
WASPs and other Canadians
When I was young, WASPs (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants), considered themselves to naturally be the epitome of all that was right and good. It was the privilege of the WASPs to grant each other entrance to the best schools, the best jobs and the best clubs. The Orange Lodge bears a large share of the responsibility … Continue reading WASPs and other Canadians
Black day in July
Sunday, July 23, 1967. Detroit police officers raided an unlicensed bar in the offices of the United Community League for Civic Action. They found 82 black people celebrating the return of two soldiers from Vietnam and decided to arrest all 82. A crowd of people gathered on the street, largely outnumbering the police officers. The … Continue reading Black day in July
Prejudice + Poverty ≠ Hopelessness
Some years ago I read an article in Ebony magazine written by a man who had grown up in one of the worst black tenement ghettos in Chicago.Drug dealing, crime and violence were the everyday reality and the police felt the area was too dangerous to send in individual officers to patrol. Like almost all … Continue reading Prejudice + Poverty ≠ Hopelessness
Strange ideas about strangers
"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
Who let these people in?
There is a fine Christian lady doctor of our acquaintance who believes Canada is letting in way too many people from Asia and Africa. She is originally from South Africa, but left when black people were allowed to form the government. She fears for Canada's future. She's wrong of course. The native people of Canada … Continue reading Who let these people in?
Negro is not a polite term for black people
Back in November the U.S. Army acknowledged that Negro was not an acceptable term and removed it from their regulations, leaving Black or African American as the acceptable terms. Isn’t it about time for Christian people to catch on? Granted, it was once acceptable for black people to be called Coloured (Canadian spelling — “colored” looks … Continue reading Negro is not a polite term for black people
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
Lift up your eyes
Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. John 4:35 We often quote this verse in evangelical circles when the topic comes to missions. Do we remember the circumstances in … Continue reading Lift up your eyes
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