The Assembly of First Nations has warned Canadians to prepare for a “day of action” next month.  National railways that do not “voluntarily” stop running on 29 June could be blockaded.

How did native grievances become so volatile?  Gordon Gibson writes in the Globe and Mail that it’s the fault of Canadians themselves for allowing courts and “the Indian industry” to take over the aboriginal file.

Indians account for only 2 per cent of Canada's population and have been governed by our racist law (our Constitution singles them out) for well over a century. Mainstream society has created a culture of victimhood, collectivism and bureaucracy worthy of the old Soviet Union.

For the past 50 years, the public has been subject to sporadic guilt on the issue, usually after chilling stories of suicide, poor health or poverty. We shake our heads and turn the page. Our politicians mumble and send some more money.

The only serious attempt at addressing the question was Pierre Trudeau's famous "White Paper" in 1970, which called for natives (with massive assistance) to become ordinary Canadians. This removal of a hundred-year-old security blanket was rejected. The government backed off, traumatized, and since then policy has been run by an Indian Industry of chiefs, academics, consultants, lawyers and the courts, all employed by the taxpayers.

Ill-conceived and open-ended court decisions based on the notion of collective rights have handed immense power to aboriginal leaders.  Native bosses have capitalised on the court-sanctioned system of collectively owned assets, and our political leaders have succumbed to pressure tactics.

Canada expends billions annually on aboriginal issues, but the condition of the people seems never to improve.  One cannot avoid wondering whether Canadian aboriginals would be better off if their leaders pushed self-reliance instead of life-long welfare.  But, then, the Indian Industrialists would be out of work.

Native leaders have every incentive to continue to portray their people as victims with potentially unlimited claims against the government.  Canada reaps the whirlwind.

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