Have we provided enough support to the First Nations, or should we provide even more support? Government funding for the First Nations reserves come from taxpayers dollars, to which this article poses that taxpayers have been too generous for too long. Arguing that First Nations do not need more support than it already gets, this article outlines a strong opinion in which is supported by statistics and facts. As predicted by many, there is a demand for more funding in First Nations communities. However, it is proved that First Nations are already receiving much funding: the spending for an average First Nation has risen by 882% from 1950 to 2012. Also, much funding and spending is not seen as ‘extra’ even if the federal government is not involved and it is not required by treaties for these acts of spending to happen. These are often things such as dental care, which many Canadians have to pay for from their own pocket. This article is largely favouring the viewpoints of the non-native, taxpaying Canadian. Although it states, “whether taxpayers spend ‘enough’ or ‘not enough’ or ‘too much’ money on Aboriginal matters cannot be answered with a general response.”, the author influences readers to believe that taxpayers are also victims in this as all of the facts and statistics prove that the First Nations are receiving more than enough funding. While this article showed an unique viewpoint often not addressed, it evidently shows favour for taxpayers.
Reflective Questions:
- Do the First Nations deserve this much money that is essentially coming from taxpayers? Is it other Canadians’ responsibility to help them out? Why or why not?
- Should there be regulations to the maximum amount communities can receive money from the government? Should these regulations also be applied to non-government funding?