[Urban recluse]

Originally Posted by windypeg

Are we really pandering that much to indigenous culture? I've often wondered before why we don't do more to promote it. If you go anywhere else in the world that sort of thing is a huge part of tourism, local identity and promotion - look at BC and how much first nations art and clothing gets sold there. Meanwhile you come here and there's very little that tourists can learn about first nations - there's one little shop hidden away on the top floor at the Forks that sells some native art and stuff, they get a few mentions in the CMHR and that's it. There's no museum dedicated to first nations, they get maybe one gallery in the MB museum.

People coming here should be able to buy native art, go to a pow-wow, see smudging ceremonies, try bannock, etc. It's rich culture and tourists would eat it up if we showcased it properly and respected it ourselves. Sorry but first nations have been here thousands of years and the rest of us only about 150 - there is no long-term culture here other than native culture and we're long overdue to have a place to showcase it. Yet despite how under-represented that culture is there's always the same old, thinly-veiled racist refrain from white people "oh no not more of this native crap again, enough already." It's quite ridiculous actually.

This was my hope for what was referred to as Neeginan, a village concept along Higgins. That never happened. It would be wonderful to have this cluster of aboriginal retail, etc.