The Aboriginal Canadians

There has been much media coverage of the residential school episode in Canadian history. Anglo-Saxon people are told that they have a disgraceful history of treating the aboriginal people of Canada. We are told that the current problems in the native community are wholly the result of the residential schools. From what I have seen and heard in my lifetime I would dispute that statement.

One of the greatest arguments against the Israel Truth movement is the statement, “Look at how the British Empire trampled people throughout the world.” The current belief is that the Anglo-Saxon and kindred people are to blame for most of the problems people are facing in the lands that were once part of the British Empire. The report on the residential schools in Canada continues this theme. The leading native judge in the case criticized the plan of the residential schools as an effort to erase the culture of the aboriginal people in Canada. My opinion is that our people sinned in taking the aboriginal children away from their parents and secondly in trying to destroy the native culture. However, when the native culture is connected to native religions of spirit worship, I believe that part of their culture is harmful to them.

I have worked in native reservations and villages in the past and I have discovered that the ones in which the chief is a born again Christian have relative peace and security and are often dry (no alcohol allowed). Other reservations often have violence, sexual abuse, and drug and alcohol addiction. I believe most of those problems are caused by native religions of spirit worship. There is a native broadcast in Canada called Tribal Trails in which there are testimonies of native Christians about how they found the connection to the true Lord, Jesus Christ. I remember the testimony of one man on the program who said he was glad the white man came to this land, because the white man brought the knowledge of the Bible and of Jesus Christ. I have talked to people on the Onion Lake Reservation north of our city when our church joined with the native people there for a church service. One man I talked to told me that he has a difficult time talking to one of his relatives because the man rejects the “white man’s religion”. The man I talked to told his relative that the question is not about a religion, but about a person, Jesus Christ. On that reservation, the pastor, who is native, is working as hard as he can to bring the gospel to the thousands of people on the reservation. Recently they completed the construction of a new church and it is a beautiful building. God is certainly at work there.

I have met Anglo-Saxon people who have contempt for the natives. Those people with those attitudes were not Christians. They were filled with “white pride”. People of the lost tribes of Israel (the Anglo-Saxon and kindred people) were not called by God to crush and dominate the world nor to think that they are better than everyone else. We were called to be servants, firstly of God and secondly of other people. Jesus said, “Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Mark 10: 42-45.

In Jesus Christ, everybody is lifted up. The world wide empire that He will set up when He returns will be an empire of peace, security, and prosperity for everyone. This is the answer to the race problems in our world. All people will be treated with respect and dignity if they only obey Him, and He said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11: 28-30. This world needs rest from all of the conflict of this age, but the age of peace is approaching.