A "First Nations" Unit Merged Thread.

[The Bread Guy]

- edit - I thought I also heard a CBC Radio story this morning alluding to formation of a unit as well as a base.

Shared in accordance with the "fair dealing" provisions, Section 29, of the Copyright Act.

Coderre urges military base for natives
Canadian Press, via Globe & Mail, 11 Apr 07
Article link

Liberal defence critic Denis Coderre is calling on the federal government to build a Canadian Forces base for native soldiers.

"I think that we have to show sensitivity since Canada is also composed of first nations," Mr. Coderre said yesterday.

"The Canadian Forces have always reflected what Canada is," he said.

The base, which would be a first in Canada, would be built in the Restigouche area of northern New Brunswick.

The idea was first floated by Serge Noel, a local resident who noticed that many natives from the area were crossing the border to join the armed forces in the United States.

"The Canadian Forces have taken steps in the past to attract more aboriginals to their ranks and have achieved a certain level of success, but not as much as they would have hoped for," Mr. Noel said.

Mr. Noel added that Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor has already rejected his idea.

However, Mr. Coderre said the issue could resurface during the next election campaign.

"I promise to speak about this project with our leader, Stéphane Dion, and I hope that it can become a campaign promise," Mr. Coderre said.

Mr. Coderre also said he plans to meet aboriginal leaders to gauge their support for the native base.

 

[Journeyman]

Mr. Coderre also said he plans to meet aboriginal leaders to gauge their support for the native base.

"I have a solution....now I have to find a problem it fits"  :

 

[The Bread Guy]

Government "problem solving" sometimes involves asking, "what's the problem?", and "what's the solution going to be?" without asking, "will the solution SOLVE the problem?"  :

 

[GAP]

So now we need a race based segment to the CF? Liberal thinking at its' best.....why, I'm sure if we put up the effort we could have separate Muslim segments sorta along the lines of the Sunni and Shite militia's in Iraq........

 

[Journeyman]

Can you imagine the uproar if someone said "we need a regiment and base for only white people."

Yet Coderre's statement is OK.  :

 

[Patrolman]

Sounds kind of like what me might call a reserve! Look how well segregation(reserves) has worked so far. We need to integrate not segregate. Liberals and their new ideas!

 

[niner domestic]

I think these guys (and the thousands like them) might have something to say to Coderre...
and it won't be sure.. we agree...

 

[gaspasser]

I can't believe that a Parliamentarian actually said that!!!  Is this Canada?  I thought we were a more intergrated poplulace?
I work side by side with an Aboriginal person, I've never seen a difference.
I also work side by side with some french people, some from Quebec and some from all over, and I've never seen a difference.
Except in language, which I try to learn.  :-[
To re-segregate the military...where is Goderre's head?  Next he'll want African-Canadian units only.
:rage:
I wonder how his constituants feel?
Aaargh, time for a coffee!
edited to add:
Many of The First Nations peoples shed blood on foreign soils for him to able to say that.

 

[3rd Herd]

Not the first time just prior and in the early stages of WW1, complete aboridginal bns were formed. But the were broken up prior to overseas deployment. There are several references to this in The History of the County of Brant, Reville, Douglas F, Brantford:1920, Hurley Publishing Company.


As to the African Canadian issue. At what level could Canada put together an "african-canadian" contingent for service in the Sudan etc.

 

[kas]

The idea was first floated by Serge Noel, a local resident who noticed that many natives from the area were crossing the border to join the armed forces in the United States.

Which is clearly due to the United States' sensitivity towards its First Nations population. Does the US still have racially segregated units? Oh wait, when you phrase it that way it suddenly sounds rather negative...

I can't find any references at the moment, but it was my impression that natives from Canada tend to be drawn towards the American military because they perceive it to be more warrior-like. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. But if that is in fact the reason, then creating a racially segregated unit / base is doing nothing to address the root of the problem when it comes to recruiting natives to the Canadian Forces.

kas.

 

[Etienne]

I demand that all English-Canadian be boot out of Valcatraz and Baggotville. Also in all the other base across Canada all non english speaking and aboriginal soldiers should be kicked out of their base and ship. After that, all soldiers should be placed in base or ship were they will all be the same skin color, religion, sex, sex oriented, same hair color and same lenght of toenail. I will immediatly past this to my ridding representative and will also send an email to Mr. Coderre looking for is support. Should have an answer soon enought from him...is he not always looking for a cause to fight ? Good or wrong as long as he fight ?

Good day

RIP to our fallen today   

Etienne

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I guess he didn’t notice the Ranger units that have a high proportion of Aboriginals as do many of the Northern bases that support them.

 

[Big Foot]

"The Canadian Forces have always reflected what Canada is," he said.

Geeze, so you mean back in the day, Canada was comprised almost exclusively of white men with some visible minorities thrown in there? What a clown, first suggesting we simply by trucks INSTEAD of C-17s when we clearly need both, now this... God help the CF if he ever becomes the MND. Oh, and I want a strictly Irish-Canadian artillery regiment established so I only have to fight alongside other first generation Irish-Canadians. I should ask Mr. Coderre to support me. He probably would, too. It should be an election issue, lets rebuild all the walls that Canadian society has spent so long breaking down! Blah...

 

[Bart Nikodem]

Do they still do "Bold Eagle"? That was pretty cool.
Bart

 

[Signalman150]

I have always looked to the Liberal Party of Canada for forward looking--and forward thinking--ideas like this.  It's wonderful...someone should have thought of this years ago. I gotta tell you, this man Coderre is friggin' brilliant.

Now, right after we finish creating this new base, (and one would assume new regiments and formations that will be lodger units for the base) we will need to raise several other units and open more new bases. This will be in keeping with the concept of recruiting from various ethnic and special-interest groups, and "reflecting what Canada is", to use Mr. Coderre's erudite words.

I foresee a whole new way of organizing Canada's Army:

a)  A formation comprised of Eastern European immigrants, who specialize in mountain warfare. We'll call them The Lithuanian Infantry Commando - Mountain Equipped, (the LIC-ME regiment).

b)  The large Francophone community in Winnipeg has been unfairly overlooked, and I think should be permitted to raise it's own proud unit in defence of Canada. We'll call them the Manitoba's Own French Ordinance Corps, (the MO-FOs, natch).

c)  I don't think it would be fair to leave those following alternate life styles out of this. How about an arty battery made up of gay soldiers?  Well call them the GAGGLE - The Gay Artillery Gunners Gleefully Launching Explosives.

d) Being an Albertan, I'm very aware of the Ukrainian roots of many around the Edmonton area, hence it would behoove us to form The Free Ukrainian Companies of Killers (hmmmm; not even gonna go there).

e) Of course, then I'll be expecting a unit for white Anglo-Saxon protestants with bummed up cardiovascular systems, and killer Alzheimer's related oh-ohs; that will be the one for me.  Lemme see, it will be the WASP-BUCKAROOS Regiment.

Uh--Mr Coderre--the only reason to do this kind of thing is so that one could then take Canada as a country, and break it into dozens of little ethnically aligned states, divided by colour, race, religion, language....(each with their own army no less! Gee whiz!).

The idea of a united country, with a common good and common interest is not part of your party's agenda, is it? You and your feeble attempts at garnering votes by pandering to minorities, (like those good friends of Canada's Liberal Party, the Tamil Tigers) is pathetic and destructive to my country. Please get off my planet, and for heaven's sake, stop breathing my air.

 

[cplcaldwell]

Signalman-150

LMAO


On a serious note though, sometime ago the 'Native Protestors' thread got mangled into a 'How to empower Aboriginals thread.'

I noted that urban reserves would be a good idea. (IMHO)

Several Aboriginal members of the board indicated to me that that would not be a good idea as it would be unworkable. There was, they said, no way that all the different native cultures would come together on one urban reserve as it would be to difficult to maintain the linguistic, tribal and other cultural differences that were so important to the many cultures in the Aborginal community.

Okay so I thought that was a bit hokey: but it's not up to me to tell my neighbour how to arrange the furniture on his patio either. I took the comments at face value and dropped the issue.

I wonder then, how this would work. Suppose we have the "Canadian Aboriginal Regiment". To be correct then, should we have Mic Mac Coy, Mohawk Coy? Cree Coy? Haida Coy? 1....

What uniting affect will this have?

My 0.02.

A half baked idea. I'd rather work or fight next to any Canadian based on our citizenry, rather than be segregated (voluntarily or not) based on race, or colour or religion.




1 - I know these are not the correct names, they are names attached by whites and often do not even come close to the proper (aboriginal) name. I do not mean to offend and I apologize if I do,
I guess I'm just 'culturally bound' on this, these are the words I know I will use them.

 

[Dale Denton]

Signalman-150

LMAO

[Sarcasim on] Why doesn't he bring up the "need" for an all African- Canadian unit? [Sarcasim off]
I'm surprised that nobody has written in a newspaper or gone on TV blasting the Grits for wanting racial segregation in the CF.

 

[JesseWZ]

I am shocked and appalled that this person is elected as a representative of his constituency. I should hope his constituents send some angry letters demanding he apologize to the country for representing them as bigots.
On another note have the Tories jumped all over this one yet?
If they haven't, they really should.

 

[RangerRay]

The more I hear from Coderre, the more I'm shocked that this clown was once a cabinet minister.  He really scares the crap out of me!  This idea is as assinine as it is ridiculous.

Slightly off topic, but I've always admired how the New Zealand Army has integrated it's British colonial heritage with its' Maori heritage.  A large proportion of Kiwi soldiers are Maori, and Maori warrior traditions, such as the haka have found their way into common practice in the New Zealand Army.  Below, is the logo of the New Zealand Army, which at first looks like the British Army emblem.  However, on closer inspection, it replaced one sword with a taiaha, a traditional Maori weapon.  As well, a scroll which reads Ngati Tumatauenga, a Maori phrase, was added to it.  I like how it's a uniquely Kiwi design that retains it's British past.

 

[Armymedic]

I find this whole concept racist

This is a purely political ploy. It does not surprise me that a Liberal MP would stoop so low to gain votes.