My opinion regarding Canadian natives, according to 'Ed The Know It All', Heh heh:

Foremost, the natives are Not Indians, that is a derrogatory term imho, with no offense meant towards real Indians from India. Nor are they Aborigines or Aboriginal, that to me is almost as much an inappropriate label. If I were a native I would consider the two labels as misrepresentative and offensive in many situations. They and Eskimos are the only true natives of the Americas.

I have said such to some of my native aquintances in southern Ontario as far back as 30+ years ago. Some were amusingly surprised but I never heard of the notion being passed on or publicly stated by them. (I may have said same in the past on this forum.)

On the above I am 100% behind and encourage them to stand up for themselves.

Next, natives should not own most of the land they claim is theirs. They never owned it in the manner that ownership is understood and practiced by Europeans. I use Europe as a basis because Canada is basicly a country occupied by Europeans and using European style definitions.

What they had was use of vast territories to sustain themselves. In my view they ceeded the rights to the usage of large portions of those lands when they signed treaties in exchange for support from the federal government. They need not have all signed trieties, acceptance of support is equivalent imo.

Here lies the crux of the problem.
They still want to have the rights and ownership of past land while at the same time maintain the newly aquired federal support. I feel that these two are mutually exclusive, they can not have it both ways.

Are they properly compensated by the Feds?

Many native comunities are over funded. The complaints of underfunding should be directed at their administrators instead of the federal government or 'white' citizens of this country. Most of their administrators are lining their own pockets at the peril of their communities.

Where the federal government, and it's politicians, are to be blamed by natives and remainer of Canadians alike is for allowing for this wastefullness to continue for such a long time.

Here again while I am against the incompetent, shoddy and often fraudulent management of bands, I am all behind the ordinary native who is being cheated. Each and every member of such a band should take more dilligence in voting in who represents them.

Next they should take examples from bands that are being not only managed properly but some are stellar success stories.

Everyone has an opinion, but not everyone puts it out for criticism.