Friday, June 20, 2008

Good idea


















The image on the left is the Canadian coat of arms. On the right is that of New Zealand. The difference between them should be apparent. Pat Martin has an idea:

Canada's coat of arms should include an aboriginal symbol for it to truly represent the country's history, Winnipeg Centre MP Pat Martin says.

The current national emblem has symbols representing England, Scotland, Ireland and France, but nothing to reflect the first residents of the country, Martin told CBC News Friday before introducing a motion asking Parliament to consider the idea.

"It looks more like the coat of arms for Narnia than for Canada," he said.

"What really struck me, especially after the apology of residential schools last week, is that there's no reference, whatsoever, to the original peoples of Canada — the First Nations, Inuit or the Métis."

Even the addition of an eagle feather or a medicine wheel would help the coat of arms be more representative, he said.

A vote in Parliament is not required to change the coat of arms — the government could simply decide it is a good idea and do it, he said.

Aboriginal people could be consulted about it over the summer, he said.

It was apparent when I lived in New Zealand that they seem to have a much more symbiotically inclusive (not assimilative) policy when it came to incorporating Maori culture in to mainstream Kiwi life. The Maori language has official status and is taught in schools. The Haka, a traditional war dance is used by NZ sports teams and military formations. NZ is often referred to with or by its Maori name, Aotearoa ("land of the long white cloud") as are government departments. Under their unicameral mixed-member proportional (MMP) parliament there are 7 seats set aside for Maori representatives.

Contrast this official adoption of Maori cultural statements and political inclusion by with the policies of paternalism, racism and division that seem to define Canadian-style First Nations and Government/public relationships, and we might learn a thing or two.

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