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Directives to military chaplains urge expunging God, religion from Remembrance Day, public ceremonies

Feel free to correct me if I am wrong here. But the way I read the latest CMP directive is ensuring institutional neutrality. While many have pointed our we are predominantly a Christian nation. From a governmental perspective, we are secular in order to seperate church from state. The charter also protects not just freedom to practice religion, but also the freedom to not have another religion shoved down our throats to put it bluntly.

If this is the case, I dont see a problem with it, as frankly we, as a organization that represents the entire spectrum of canada, shouldnt shoe favoritism towards any one religion.
 
I don't know much about the Maori and New Zealand. What I've parsed online (quickly) points to Maori culture being a more developed institutional framework. More of a national identity.

In Canada it feels more like a gesture.

Its a matter of taking it seriously. NZ will have the Maori name for the army printed under NZ Army for example. It becomes a more developed frame work by doing the gestures well.
 
Its a matter of taking it seriously. NZ will have the Maori name for the army printed under NZ Army for example. It becomes a more developed frame work by doing the gestures well.

The motto of the NZ Army is Ngāti Tūmatauenga, Tribe of the God of War.


Canadian First Nations are much less monolithic, though. Conflating the Haida, Cree, Algonquin, Mohawks, Miqmac and the many other groups (to say nothing of sub-groups - Akwesasne isn't Kanesetake isn't Kanewake, just ask any Mohawk) just leads to confusion. Which is about as Canadian as you can get...
 
I don't know much about the Maori and New Zealand. What I've parsed online (quickly) points to Maori culture being a more developed institutional framework. More of a national identity.

In Canada it feels more like a gesture.


I'll believe it if someone here says so. I remember 2 Field Amb canceling soldiers leave so they can attend a brigade change of command parade. One dude had to drive back from either Newfoundland or New Brunswick just to sit in the stands because he end up an odd man out. We're pretty crazy about parafe attendance.


The stuff they use to ward off evil spirits? Interesting.


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I remember losing a weekend in Meaford because we had to watch a Change of Command parade as well as be in attendance to watch two days worth of parade practices. But it could of been worse, fortunately I wasn't one of the staff chosen to fall in the ranks with the BMQ troops because they were short the desired number.
 
The motto of the NZ Army is Ngāti Tūmatauenga, Tribe of the God of War.


Canadian First Nations are much less monolithic, though. Conflating the Haida, Cree, Algonquin, Mohawks, Miqmac and the many other groups (to say nothing of sub-groups - Akwesasne isn't Kanesetake isn't Kanewake, just ask any Mohawk) just leads to confusion. Which is about as Canadian as you can get...
100 percent itd be more difficult but not impossible.
 
Its a matter of taking it seriously. NZ will have the Maori name for the army printed under NZ Army for example. It becomes a more developed frame work by doing the gestures well.
Should Canadians writ large embrace First Nations more as a part of our national identity?
 
Should Canadians writ large embrace First Nations more as a part of our national identity?
why? Should England reach out and embrace the Celts as a part of their identity? How about Hungary or Germany reaching back in history to the Goths and the Vandals? We should be taking steps to unify not diversify. We should learn from history definitely but not try to relive it. I cherish my past and have done a lot of research on my heritage. It was important for me to do and to pass on to my children but I don't expect you to cater to my national quirks any more than I would make a big deal of your heritage.
 
why? Should England reach out and embrace the Celts as a part of their identity? How about Hungary or Germany reaching back in history to the Goths and the Vandals? We should be taking steps to unify not diversify. We should learn from history definitely but not try to relive it. I cherish my past and have done a lot of research on my heritage. It was important for me to do and to pass on to my children but I don't expect you to cater to my national quirks any more than I would make a big deal of your heritage.

You dont think the UK celebrates its Celtic history? Ever been to Wales? Hungary is literally named after the groups that formed the country, ans German traditions go back centuries. Were talking about groups that inhabit this country today.

Should Canadians writ large embrace First Nations more as a part of our national identity?

I think we should celebrate the local traditions in this country. Its not a one size fits all but localized and where possible. I think land acknowledgments are performative nonsense largely but some encouragement and promotion of those local cultures to me would be a positive. Let's remember that Powwows and other cultural practices were illegal in this country for a long time. Until 1951 infacf, we you stomp something out unfairly you should probably make efforts to build it back up.
 
You dont think the UK celebrates its Celtic history? Ever been to Wales? Hungary is literally named after the groups that formed the country, ans German traditions go back centuries. Were talking about groups that inhabit this country today.



I think we should celebrate the local traditions in this country. Its not a one size fits all but localized and where possible. I think land acknowledgments are performative nonsense largely but some encouragement and promotion of those local cultures to me would be a positive. Let's remember that Powwows and other cultural practices were illegal in this country for a long time. Until 1951 infacf, we you stomp something out unfairly you should probably make efforts to build it back up.
Your argument actually supports mine. We cherish our history whilst building our future and you don't do that by segregating a portion of your population. In a way, our reservations are nothing more than a 21st century version of the Jewish Ghettos in cities like Rome and Barcelona and many others. And it isn't just us 'white' settlers that have encouraged it. Local leadership has fostered the isolation for their own nefarious reasons. From what I have read the Metis were the result of European trappers marrying into tribes in the areas they were working. But they were kicked out, weren't welcomed or had no desire to return to their roots so ended up establishing their own communities. Louis Riel was the result of their being rejected. Separation/segregation always eventually leads to discrimination and our forced diet of land acknowledgements and legal shenanigans' is creating hate not acceptance. IMHO
 
The recent posts don't really answer Jarnhamar's question of 'embracing FNs as part of our national identity'. In addition to my question of which one, my other question would be 'what does that mean'. Clearly no longer suppressing FN culture is a good thing. Spending public money to support FN culture, or that of any other 'contributing' culture (grants for events and festivals, etc.), might not be supported by everyone. Some might argue that anything less than total integration would be proforma and performative.

Does it mean integrating it (FN culture) into our parliamentary, legal, etc. structures? Changing our flag? Adding an official language? Again, it begs the question of 'which one'. New Zealand has the advantage being a small country reflecting a single aboriginal culture.

Another question might be how far the State can go to drive culture.
 
And highlights the problem in the CAF - FN religious symbols and activities are considered part of "culture", not part of chaplaincy. Hence some of the disconnect.
 
And highlights the problem in the CAF - FN religious symbols and activities are considered part of "culture", not part of chaplaincy. Hence some of the disconnect.

But that is just a reflection of how 'Canadian society' (the white, predominatly AngloSaxon-Franco Christian, with sprinkling of Eastern European peasants on the Prairies) viewed First Nations practices. What they (the FNs) did wasn't "religion" because they didn't believe in "God" - not "our God". The things they did - dancing, drumming, burning grass and other plants, etc was what the weirdos back in the old country did and that we (our European ancestors) burned them at the stake for when such irritated us.

The same "religious" disconnect could be applied to Sikhs and Rastafarians et al. I don't know if any Rastamen are currently serving with dreadlocks, but turbans are now a common sight. The acceptance of First Nations practices (both religious and cultural) is slowly catching up.
 
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