The systematic destruction of the Native Americans, First Nations, Metis and Inuit people and their entire way of life was not only one of recorded history’s greatest tragedies, but, as with the slave trade, deeply spiritually wounding to all involved. The utter decimation of their culture is one of the most shameful aspects of our history, the extent of the damage still being down-played and denied entry into textbooks and history-lessons to this day. The inability of governments everywhere to come to grips with their dark past and allow the aboriginals who are native to this land – as well as the descendants of everyone else involved – the healing required to move forward is not only a denial of basic human rights, but a tell-tale sign of the type of current racism, economic neglect and mistreatment that would surely come to light were they to do so. Yet many groups and factions still persist, such as Idle No More and AIM, working to bring attention to both the current and historical injustices in order to move forward in a positive manner. The importance of such efforts cannot be overstated. The threads of these ancient cultures – having existed here for tens of thousands of years prior to the arrival of the ‘pioneers’ – no matter how tenuous they may currently be, must be preserved, strengthened and woven back into a quilt that tells the unique story of not only their past, but of their bright future as well. The reasons for this run much deeper than one may suppose. The genealogy of western aboriginals has been of great interest to certain research groups for a number of years. Recent findings have proven something that many long suspected: that, genetically, the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas are amongst the most unique in all the world. {WP}
Posted on: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 18:05:15 +0000
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