Salish Indians Against the Metric System
Unfortunately, in the mid-1970s, all Canadians were forced to adopt the metric system whether they wanted it or not. Canada's First Nations were totally ignored in the process. At best it was assumed that Canada's aboriginal people would passivly go along with the idea. As a result we, the original inhabitants of Canada, are forced to use a system of measurement developed artificially by Europeans far removed from our traditional measurements that were based on nature and our own human experiences. At least the traditional European "Imperial" measurements previously widely used in Canada had something in common with our own traditional measurements: they were directly descended from nature through the intermediary of the every day experiences of men and women.
What can be done now? Well, I call on my first nations brothers and sisters across Canada to immediately reject the use of this measuring system created by European scientists and forced on us by the Federal Government without asking our opinion (or, as it happens, the opinions of the rest of Canada's population). Instead let's use traditional measurements, ours own where there are not lost or, where necessary, the traditional measurements that existed before forced metrication.
If you would like to discuss this with me, you can contact me, Violet, at my e-mail address:
Some links:
First
Nations Search Engine
First
Nations Web
First
Nations' of Canada and the USA
Native
American Authors Index
Freedom2Measure
Inch Perfect
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