Voting "yes" may mean Canada's end

Page 4

Marvin Cetron, the author of Crystal Globe, studies trends. He is the president

of Forecasting International Inc. and has acted as an adviser to nations and large corporations. Native people should find his forecast for Canada extremely interesting.

As you may know, the real power in the world today is held by large corporate interests. These interests routine influence the policies of their host nations. As a result, the concept of sovereignty is becoming increasingly meaningless. In Canada, for instance, 32 families and five conglomerates have controlling interest in the country's economy.

The Canada/U.S. Free Trade Agreement is only one corporate initiative which has caused real changes in world events. Developments in southeast Asian nations have been entirely due to business ventures. Their governments have merely stood back and watched as corporate interests formed the trading blocs which will probably congeal into political unions such as the European Economic Community. Modern corporations owe allegiance to no flag; their patriotism is to profit. Patriotism is demanded only of the poor working stiff.

Cetron sees the Canada/U.S. Free Trade Agreement as the beginning of an absorption process. He states (on page 84) "We expect that by (the year) 200, or soon thereafter, Canada will cease to exist as an independent dominion. It will be replaced by the nation of Quebec and four new states of the United States."

So, what will happen to those "First Nations" who relinquish their special status and land claims for a "secure" place within a disappearing Canada? Angry, abused and short-changed Native nations will finally be reduced to controllable municipalities who will probably have to cure the social and economic ills of their communities (caused by governments and churches) through money raised by accepting garbage and industrial wastes, much as many Native communities in the U.S. have had to do.

It seems as though salesman Mercredi and his government-funded AFN is herding the whole Native population towards one huge "buffalo jump." Canada has long hoped to rid themselves of aboriginal obligations through the process of assimilation. The final part of this process will be when Native communities agree to "self-government" within the Canadian constitution.

We now see great pressure being exerted to bring this about - the year 1992 might be of some significance here. Certain members of our own community are pushing for take-overs of this and that in preparation for our eventual acceptable of self-government. There's big money for those "sell-outs" who are in on the bottom floor of self-government.

Quebec is bound by the national constitution but has refused to ratify it. It doesn't want to go down with a sinking ship. I hope my fellow Native people realize where Mercredi and his government-funded AFN are leading them!

This is one deal that definitely will not last for as long as the grass grows.

Alex Jamieson

Six Nations-Grand River

HAGERSVILLE, ONT.