I Am My Self

I remember reading somewhere the adage, "If it's to be, it's up to me."* It is this little saying that I hope will get me through the next few paragraphs that deal with a rather complex and thorny issue.

The issue? Nothing other than the creation in people of a sense of dependency, further exacerbated by a feeling of entitlement to whatever largesse is on offer. Such largesse may take several forms such as monetary stipends, land use, housing rentals and even travel expenses to attend meetings that invariably push for more of the same.

Now my aim here is not to name names or castigate certain individuals who profit from this at the expense of those less connected --- this is the job of the media and (often more effective) auditors general. Rather I wish to get at the heart of all this, the loss of a person's selfhood when that person accepts rewards for something not earned.

This applies to many situations. One of the more stark examples is the effect of the Federal Indian Act.

On a First Nations reserve, for instance, the band members all receive monetary assistance as part of a prior treaty negotiation.** Individual members need do nothing else but exist, although one would hope they would use the funds wisely in terms of housing, health care, education and the like. Some do, some don't, and one can say that there has been a kind of gain.

 But what has been lost?

In a nutshell, a sense of self. Without earning the right to use and enjoy such largesse, the sense of who one really is, over time, withers into nothingness. The person involved has become a hollow shell, often turning to drugs and alcohol.

Put more bluntly, if you haven't earned something, the acceptance of it will have terrible inner consequences. It is this factor that is often missing from articles on the topic.

In contrast, turn to the portrait of First Nations peoples as described in Joseph Boyden's novel The Orenda. There each tribal member has a profound sense of self, and honour is only possible to achieve from effort, effort that benefits not just the individual, but also the tribe. If any gifts are given, those gifts have been earned. My wish here is that certain Federal officials and Ministers read that novel carefully, and then act accordingly.*** This would not only be the right thing to do, but their sense of self would grow immeasurably. It is as if each M.P. would take to heart the title of this particular missive, "If it's to be, it's up to me."

And yes, action in this sensitive area would certainly produce howls of outrage and self-pity, but as the Scots so well put it, "Self-pity never boiled a haddock."

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* Sentence taken from Ben Bova's sci-fi novel, Moonrise. --Ed.

** Whether the band members actually receive what is owed them lies under the purview of the band Chief. In certain cases, this has led to scandals involving mis-appropriation and outright fraud. I hasten to add, however, that this affliction goes well beyond First Nations peoples. -- L.S.S.

*** This would require repealing The Indian Act, a complex business. So is much of life. Just get on with it. -- L.S.S.