Caledonia

Over the past weeks I have been following the "uprising" in Caledonia on the news. A number of times I have been tempted to comment on the situation on this blog but up until now I have refrained. My hesitation is largely due to the fact that my knowledge of the dispute is limited to media reports and I have learned long ago that it is never wise to believe anything reported in the media without checking the details myself. However, all of that still being true, I want to say something based on what I have heard thus far. Because I do not have firsthand knowledge my comments will be general in nature, the reflections of a Christian Canadian in that order of importance. I also want to say something because this is the second time in my life that I have lived near this kind of unrest. Back in the 1990's I lived in Sarnia, which is close to Ipperwash Provincial Park, where there was a similar kind of land claim dispute and a tragic confrontation and loss of life and yet as far as I know for all the hype, bad feelings and promises, not much has changed to this day.

First, it must be possible to work out a solution. There is no way the situation in Caledonia and Ipperwash and wherever else needs to go on indefinitely without a resolution that is satisfactory to both sides. Someone needs to determine what agreements were made with the native population way back when, which ones have been honored and which ones remain outstanding. Where there are agreements that have been honored the natives need to promise never to raise these matters again. They cannot keep going back to the well whenever they need more money and insist that they be paid over and over again. Where agreements have not been honored then it is high time to do so and to compensate the natives for the years of non-compliance. It may be difficult to set the record straight after all this time but that should not be an excuse for further inaction.

Second, the relationship between Canada's native population and the rest of us who call Canada home needs to be examined. The present relationship is not working. The "reservations" that I have seen are deplorable places that are frequently characterized by third world living conditions right in the middle of one of the most prosperous nations in the history of the world. Fixing this mess is not a matter of throwing more money at the problem but of helping the native population to take responsibility for their own lives and weaning them off financial dependence on Ottawa. The world has changed. This is not the same world that existed when Europeans first came to these shores. The clock cannot be turned back to the good old days which were really not that good at all. What we need are men and women who understand the times and the needs and have the courage to hammer out new agreements that will benefit all citizens of Canada.

Third, the violence and lawlessness that inevitably marks these protests must stop. There is too much downright silly "tough talk" on both sides. Childish roadblocks that make it difficult to take those who engage in such tactics seriously. And then there is the wanton destruction of property that is inexcusable. Not to mention the grown men running around in ATV's and pickup trucks dressed like macho-type Rambo characters out of a Hollywood movie who just plain need to grow up. There is absolutely no excuse for this kind of behavior. There is also no excuse of government inactivity or for the failure of the police and the courts to do their job in upholding the law for all peoples. These skirmishes are an embarrassment for everyone involved and no one comes out looking heroic except in the opinions of the most simple-minded rebels among us. Surely, there is a better way.

Fourth, although this is not very politically correct today I think we are seeing the difficulty of trying to build a country on secular principles and values. In the past there was in Canada a great consensus based on Judeo-Christian principles but those days are long gone and they are probably not going to return. This makes it all the more necessary and urgent for Christians to speak up and let their voices be heard in the public square. We need to work hard at communicating the Gospel and at living out the truths of that Gospel in our lives. We have something important to contribute to the conversation when we are speaking in a way that is consistent with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Sadly, churches are sometimes the last places one would look to see people who have learned to get along with each other and to find the kind of leadership that is mature yet progressive and not childish and meddling. We need to do something about this. We need to grow up into Christ who is the head of the church and thus be prepared to do whatever we can to bring others to know the Savior of the world, including the world of nations that is Canada in the the 21st century.