My Little Corner of Canada, July 3

I was born in a tent at a small seasonal camp just north of Inukjuak in Nunavik. The world was very different from what it is today.

The Inuit of Canada were still largely living in a very traditional way of life. Living in tents in the summer and iglus in the winter. Travelling and hunting in qajaqs and umiaqs in summer and using dog teams the rest of the year. We had spring camps, summer camps, and winter camps.

Canada, as a nation, was still young and very much a colony of the United Kingdom. Canada and the rest of the world, were still recovering from the ravages of the Second World War against the Nazis.

The Inuit of Nunavik still lived and hunted in their family and clan territories along the eastern shores of Hudson Bay and the Ungava region depending largely on the resources of their lands and waters.

Back then, Great Britain was still a powerful imperial power. The United States now had super power status.

The U.S. was still a segregated nation. Blacks were not allowed in what were designated as “white” establishments.

Public drinking fountains were labelled “white,” “black,”or “colored,” They couldn’t eat at “white only” restaurants. Their children were not allowed in “white schools.” They could only ride at the back of the bus.

A historic figure of human rights emerged from the southern United States. His name was Martin Luther King Jr. His famous “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington began the march towards racial equality and desegregation.

Inspired by the black movement in the U.S., the Aboriginal land claims movement in Canada gathered steam. After years of hard work, land claims settlements were signed, new governments created, apologies were made, and the Canadian constitution was amended to recognize the Aboriginal reality in Canada.

The world has changed from the world I knew as a child. Not just in terms of technology but also a more enlightened society has emerged.

But, as they say, the more things change the more they stay the same.

Racial hatred still makes it into news headlines. Religious madness still exists. Narrow-mindedness still lurks at the fringes of our society. War still erupts in many parts of the world.

Huh?

Did I hear this right? Did Mulcair actually apply to be Harper’s senior advisor?