by Mike McDonald, MMNN Contributor

I had the opportunity to view a youtube video where Sioux poet, actor and musician,  John Trudell was interviewed. One of his main points was that, in a general sense, we have lost the spirituality which connects us with our ancestors and our Aboriginal roots. In other words, we have lost what it means to be an Indian.

His warning was that we must protect our spirit because we find ourselves in a place where spirits get eaten. Seeing this interview and hearing from a couple of my aquaintances about the ill treatment of Elders in their respective communities got me thinking about the evolution that I have been able to witness in my 66 years of existence. I remember a time when Atlantic salmon and cod fish were plentiful, when you could eat shellfish like clams without fear of contamination, when game was plentiful and families limited themselves to one moose and one deer per season and everyone in the community was treated with dignity and respect. We hear so much about respecting the Elders, Spirituality, the Red Road and being traditional but in practice that is but a facade or a front for far too many of our people who have become what I call Convenient Indians.

Far too many of our communities have elected Chiefs and Councils who unilaterally make decisions without consultation with community members or Elders.They talk about transparency but criticize and punish community ...