Dear Editor,
Most of the exceptionally beautiful and bountiful places in British Columbia, the major river valleys, estuaries, deltas and oceanfronts, were once solely inhabited by the Indigenous people.
The people were tied to these places by the abundance. These are the same places the colonizers chose to establish themselves. Competition for these lands and waters meant the Indigenous people were run off and reduced to living on postage stamp-sized Indian reservations.
The economic opportunity the people once enjoyed and the abundant resources once available to them were no more. Restrictions imposed by the colonizers made life difficult and constrained. Attempts to mitigate the damage and dislocation came too late for many Indigenous people and their communities.
The voices for reconciliation with Indigenous people have grown louder, but could soon be silenced. There are those who would turn back the clock on the progress that has been made in making our country more inclusive, more caring and more generous.
What kind of country will your vote support?
Brian Mitchell,
Comox
