While white Canada can take pride in its results in Harvard's comparative study on the health of Canadians and Americans (see the entry below), we need to collectively hang our heads in shame over a report just released by the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. The Aboriginal Identity Concept, (that is people identifying themselves as either North American Indian, Metis, or Inuit), used in the 1996 census put Canada's aboriginal population at 3% of the country's total population. Close to a million people number themselves in this group, and that is far too large a group to be appearing in certain statistics. 40% of all Aboriginals find themselves being victimized by violent crime, compared to the national average of 28%. Only 3% of the Aboriginal population achieves university education, compared to the 13% of the non-Aboriginal population, while unemployment troubles Aboriginals at almost twice the rate it does non-Aboriginals.
   In a country that so busily sells itself to prospective immigrants as the best country in which to build a wonderful new life, there is something very wrong with the picture that excludes our first inhabitants from the rosy scenario. Contrary to what you might first think, I am not about to indulge in a non-sequitur in the next paragraph. Bear with me for a moment.
    I was reading about the Juno Awards the other day, and the "loot bags" given there to presenters and other stars. These awards are meant to celebrate Canadian achievement in the world of music. At previous ceremonies, cheques have been given to various schools, like the $10,000. one presented by Blue Rodeo's Jim Cuddy to a Hamilton school. Let's get these loot bags involved in the statistics quoted above, since education can go such a long way toward making the wrong right.
   The "coveted" bags presented to performers and presenters are each worth thousands of dollars. Canada needs to make a start somewhere, somehow, to change those stats, so why not start with the loot bags? They're going to people who can afford their own bedding, eyewear, "cool" clothes, cosmetics, and gadgets (only some of this year's contents), so why not hand them out next year with just a little difference in their content? Give the performers and presenters bags that have one little piece of paper in them; a paper that says the purchase price of a loot bag's contents has been given to a school on a reservation, here in Canada. Make sure that each donation is credited as having been given in a particular celebrity's name. What do you think? Would those bags still be "coveted"?
   We need to make a start on bettering the lives of our country's original peoples. It's never right for the privileged to be complacent about the situations faced by the underprivileged. White Canada owes the Aboriginal people so much, after all we have stolen from them through history. Privileged Canada owes the People a helping hand. They are our neighbours.