Homelessness and Native Problems

During the week on Jan7-11,2013 CBC radio in Winnipeg had a program called reality check for homelessness. which I found very inspirational. One of the individuals interviewed discussed the reactions of individuals as they encounter a homeless person on our city streets. When such homeless people ask for money , some individuals might reach into their pockets and contribute financially, others might just pass a remark expressing sympathy , while others(likely the majority) might be more callous remarking “ Why dont you get a job “. This person that was interviewed by CBC , also mentioned that he used to drink heavily and at one time also was one of them-a homeless person. I believed he also mentioned how he became a homeless person and if I recall correctly there was some family breakdown forcing  him to leave home at an early period. He now is involved in attempting to resolve the homeless problems by meeting such individuals on the street and listening to their stories of how they became homeless. (The reader is referred to the specific radio CBC program for more details) 

Another person who was interviewed the next day  was a working mother with 2 children. However  because she only worked part time her income was insufficient for her to rent a place. On one occasion she related that  she slept in a  car for 2 weeks while her 2 children were accommodated in a shelter next door. During the interview she emotionally stated she could have been accommodated in the shelter avoiding sleeping in the cold car -if she gave up her children for adoption. Imagine such inhumane Canadian rules if this is true.! As a retired physician not only was I deeply moved by these interviews but somewhat  intrigued as to the mechanism of how a person may become homeless. These fascinating interviews suggest that laziness may rarely (if ever ) is the cause and suggest that being unable to provide financially shelter, maybe  the main problem. 

In my view the homeless person is a microcosm of our current nation wide native problem. The past policies of the Canadian government of removing  native children from their parents- often under force and placing them in residential schools- which removed them from  the importance of parental  guidance and support. In addition in some cases this abuse of parental separation was extended to physical and sexual abuse. 

Then came the many diseases  that the “white man” introduced to the native population, what I call  the  “ds” - These include: tuberculosis, diphtheria, smallpox ,alcohol and addiction, ,obesity and diabetes, diet changes including soft drinks with the resulting tooth decay (in my medical practice I often saw young children admitted to hospitals for total extraction of all their primary teeth ) Finally the status of shelter, water,  nutrition and safety which were below the  standards accepted  for other Canadians. 

The current demonstration by  native population entitled “Idle no more “, indicated that the government is not resolving their homeless problem on reserves or in our cities. One should not be surprised of this failure since it seems that our governments have also failed in resolving many of our other health problems .For example: the past 50 years heart disease , cancer and stroke have been the 3 major killers in spite of the billions we are pouring annually into the health care system.  Could it be because the governments are paying for treating  symptoms  rather than the causes of the problems. Poverty in Manitoba and Canada as a whole is increasing.

In my view homelessness individually on our streets or among our native population living on reserves or in our cities is also increasing.It will not be eradicated until  governments at all levels adopt a different approach   The same strategy may be applied for our health care system 

I am glad to see that both our Prime Minister and our Governor General will be attending meetings for dialogue with the natives on Friday Jan 11,2013. If homelessness and native problems have so many similarities, maybe we can use similar strategies to resolve them. It does not seem that financial approach should be one of these strategies.

As a footnote: When our prime minister commissioned a historical account of the war of 1812-14, mention was made of the fact that had the the great Shawnee native chief Tecumseh not fought with the Canadians we may have lost  this war. If this were true  we may  be waving a different flag- one with 52 stars.