The following is a guest post by Nanaimo's Casey Timmermans, a longtime supporter of the CTF.

We’ve all heard about Chief Spence and her hunger strike. The real question is; what is her point? If you haven’t, you should visit Sun News media and Ezra Levant’s synopsis of the obscene amount of money flowing into Spence’s reserve both from the federal government and then diamond mining industry. I think Chief Spence’s point is simply this, send more taxpayers’ money and do not demand us to account for how we spend it.

As I listen to the chiefs and their demands, the subliminal message I receive is, that we (First Nations) are individual kingdoms within this land and we are the kings and queens and we demand your tribute! Okay! Unfortunately this system doesn’t seem to be working too well for the individuals living on these reserves. Yet per capita we as taxpayers shell out more for each first nation’s individual than on any other Canadian citizen. How come this money doesn’t reach the bottom rung of their social ladder? 

What the chiefs are demanding is akin to watching the TV series Merlin of medieval England and all the fiefdoms with their wars and infighting. This is why over the last millennia of democratic reform and revolt we wound up with one central rule of law for all citizens, equal before the law. Our innate human nature is expressed by what Abraham Lincoln said: “You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.” To set people apart with special rights and privileges is simply going back to medieval times. Prime Minister Harper is absolutely correct by not buying into what is being proposed.