Everyone can claim to be an Indian

Page 5

Dear Editor:

In today's world and with the employment equity allowing Aboriginal people to claim their descent for opportunities, [this suggests] new Aboriginal recruits. It appears that almost anyone can claim to be Aboriginal.

I started asking people working in the federal and provincial public sector how they obtained their positions. Many had indicated they checked the box for Aboriginal on applications. There is no proof of Aboriginal identification required, just check the Aboriginal box.

This leads to further curiosity. I started asking people how they obtained employment in Aboriginal positions. Some examples were that being Aboriginal was enough to hold a position. Others were hired by saying they are Aboriginal or friends hired them. At random many could not justify their Aboriginal heritage.

Well, how does a person become a true Aboriginal? Any individual would give their points and opinions [about] what an Aboriginal person is.

However, in the public sector it appears that anyone claming to be Aboriginal can be considered for Aboriginal employment opportunities.

What can we do about this? Any suggestions? I recommend that proof of lineage and gene grams could be next step towards identifying Aboriginal descent.

Ann M. Nipshank