Titanic Canada: The Indian Act, 1876

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All nations have their own political origin, and rhythm. The imposed, foreign, titanic Indian Act, does not give pattern, reason or logic to the rhythm of First Nations "dialogue." Yet, it speaks directly to, it speaks directly for, and speaks directly against First Nations cultural integrity, political autonomy and human dignity in a not-so-comedic monologue.

Absent from politics in what is today known as Canada is a recognized political framework to bridge the inter-societal nature and dialogue between Indigenous peoples and the newcomer Crown, both of whom have their own political origin and political bearings.

First Nations' dialogue, past, present and future, is grounded in the inherent right and inherent responsibility to protect and preserve our land, language, stories, traditions, customs and laws with cultural integrity and dignity. The arguably illegal Indian Act ? or what I refer to as "Titanic Canada" ? stifles, hampers, clogs, suffocates and silences First Nations' treaty dialogue.

The shameful history of Titanic Canada is on a collision course that will be the sum total of past, present and future one-sided costly navigational errors. Ongoing federal government policies aimed at tweaking Titanic Canada, (i.e. Conservative interest in fanning the ember and flames of the defeated Liberal proposed First Nations Governance Act), may be analogous to rearranging the chairs on the deck of the Titanic, as a preventative measure, shortly before collision.

First Nations ? the original guides and Indigenous navigators ? have their own Creation stories, which connect Indigenous land to people, place and identity. Titanic Canada would be wise to get its bearings straight.

First Nations dialogue rhythms might include land stewardship, consensus building, specific ceremonies, and the role of Elders, the clan system, and more emphasis on responsibility versus rights, collective values, and leadership by example versus leadership by election. The numbers of people you control ? the top-down approach ? does not measure power. Rather power as a creative, living force takes meaning and effect by the number of people you are able to empower. If you are able to empower a great number of people then you are powerful.

Every Nation must have a political origin, a beginning that marks its first directional step into existence.

The ancient living, speaking Gus-Weh-Tah (Two Row Wampum) precedent remains the starting point of an inter-societal political framework, with clear fundamental principles, embedded to ensure peaceful relations. For instance, the principle of "non-interference" embeds a first principle on Turtle Island, namely, respect. The built-in equality principle demonstrates respect.

The Gus-Weh-Tah vision remains a powerful Indigenous dialogic device and recorder, employed to record mutual understanding and mutual respect between equal nations. The belt has five rows of beaded wampum shell. View it as a five-lane waterway with two rows of purple to represent the two parallel and equal nations. On either side is a row of white bead with the third white row in the middle.

The three rows of white beaded wampum represent peace, friendship and harmony. The two rows of purple symbolize the two nations traveling down the same river together, side-by-side, no one steering the vessel of the other. The ship will carry all newcomer laws, traditions and customs.

The canoe will carry all our laws, traditions and customs.

Unlike the titanic Indian Act or the proposed glossed window dressing of the old or new FNGA!, one significant feature of the river-houses of dialogue model is that the dialogue is "a fit" for each nation. In other words, the dialogic rhythms are sent and received in a respectful way, which appreciates different worldviews for coexisting equal nations. No one nation is speaking for the other. Now there is meaningful dialogue for you.