The Dark Side of Canada

I do not have to go far away but just look within canada to see there is starvation poverty and death now, this will never be taught in schools but not a secret that our first prime minister sir john a macdonald starved the aboriginal people into submission deliberately to clear a path for the canadian pacific railway his national dream . . . it was not enough that fur traders brought diseases small pox measles influenza but they hunted the wildlife almost to extinction in time the crystal clear waters were polluted leaving the aboriginals starving and desperate the government withheld food until the first nation people agreed to live on reservations designated areas trapped and humiliated unable to leave they could not farm not hunt not fish in time dependent on the government for food and if they complained the substandard food rations were cut often the food was contaminated anyways children died many died sir john boasted proudly of the indigenous people "on the verge of actual starvation" some hero and even today 2017 there is widespread poverty starvation on first nation reserves in canada infant mortality, no running water, NO access to drinking water (laced with e coli) high price food brought by air imagine, $25.00 for a loaf of bread living on welfare (with no way out) no education little heat in the freezing canadian winters teenage suicide on the rise - a national disaster prejudice and discrimination to this day oh no I do not have to go far to see starvation slum conditions overcrowding sewage backups garbage and broken houses and extreme poverty it is a national disgrace (in canada) oh yes there are some sanitized reservations there are some really pretty places they show off but still there are many not so nice but canada is always ready to step up and help others (look in your own backyard) first mr prime minister it is a horrible situation with hopelessness and what is the answer to that circle that goes on and on, since sir john a macdonald stole their land their way of life their culture and even their children to provincial schools that abused the children, yeah lets pay them into silence the government of canada should be ashamed to allow this in this day and age of abundance in my country- ____________________________ November 13, 2017 Poetry/Free Verse/The Dark Side Of Canada Copyright Protected, ID 17-9609-61-0 All Rights Reserved. Written Under Pseudonym. Submitted to the contest, In The Name Of Country The Dark Side of Nationalism sponsor, Debbie Guzzi First Place