Get ready for the next generation

Page 6

Homeless people bother me. They really do. As I walk down the street, or try to ride in the subway, there are always people begging, trying to wring the last few coins out of my wallet. The homeless come in many shapes, sizes, ages, and races. All of them will hit me up for money if given the chance. Some of them have newspapers dedicated to homeless issues that they'll try and sell to me. But most just have a cup and a request: "Spare change, please."

Yes, they do bother me because they're constantly haranguing me. But what really bothers me is that we have homeless people at all. Granted, there will be some people who will refuse to fit in and insist on living on society's fringes, but I'd wager that most homeless people don't want to be there.

I now live in Canada's biggest city, Toronto. It used to be a mere hamlet of 2 million people until Jan. 1, when the Ontario government decided that it would save taxpayer's dollars by merging six separate municipalities (York, North York, East York, Etobicoke, Scarborough and Toronto) into one "mega city." Still called Toronto, it now has over 4 million people within its borders. I thought Edmonton was big, but it only has a paltry 800,000 residents. Aside from the merger of the other municipalities into one, Toronto is also growing because of the many people moving here. I'm included in that list. This is a truly cosmopolitan city. You will probably hear at least four different languages every day. This city is inhabited by a great mix of ethnic groups. Toronto is the great cultural mosaic that Pierre Trudeau envisioned for all of Canada.

But mixed in with of all this cultural diversity and economic prosperity are homeless people sleeping on the streets, trying to stay warm in winter, begging for whatever scraps people are willing to throw them. Some take the initiative by selling newspapers or cleaning the windshields of cars that stop for red lights. They are annoying. They are a problem, and something has to be done other than locking them up all the time.

We, as Aboriginal people, had better start examining this problem, because we are like Toronto. Our population is growing faster than any other population in Canada, but we have a housing crisis on most reserves. Our people are in jails, unemployed or drawing welfare at disproportionately higher rates than any other cultural group in Canada. And now, on top of every other thing we have to worry about, we have a baby boom about burst onto the scene.

We have to prepare the world for the next seven generations, but just how prepared are we for the next one? Usually, countries welcome population increases because they mean economic growth. The Baby Boomers enjoyed stable economic growth. Jobs were plentiful. Wages were good. Housing was affordable. But a very strong economic foundation had been laid before them, one that does not now exist for the "Aboriginal Baby Boomers."

It will take more than seven generations if we wait for the federal or provincial governments to lay out that foundation. We must do it, and we must start now. Some tough decisions will have to be made. Band councils will have to be more open and accountable to band members, as well as encourage band members to create businesses on reserve. We may have to face the prospect of taxing ourselves on reserves. I know this won't be popular, but we have to start taking different approaches to our old problems.

But this baby boom could also be our first real opportunity to fulfill our dreams of self government and self reliance. People are power. If we stand together as Aboriginal people, and I mean together as Métis, First Nations, Inuit and non-status people, then we can flex economic and political muscle. We have to build bridges between our people and unify our voices to accomplish this.

Right now, our economic and political power is growing. We have the smarts and the resources to free ourselves from the burden of welfare dependency. Nonation can truly guarantee employment for all its people. Even a country as wealthy as Canada is plagued by homeless people. But Aboriginal people have a tradition of caring for those who can't care for themselves. We always fed the hungry, housed the homeless, and cared for the elderly. If we can prepare the world for this next generation, so that they believe their dreams and ambitions are achievable, then we will have fulfilled the dreams of our ancestors. We will become strong, self reliant nations.

I am bothered by homeless people because I know the wrong set of circumstances could put me in their place. I am bothered too because this is a wealthy country, and it seems impossible that there isn't enough for everyone. And I am worried that if we are not ready for this Baby Boom, we're only laying the foundation for them to be the next set of homeless, asking for change.