OT: Pakistan earthquake and the Muslim community.

I have never lived in Scotland lol What is left of the family in Scotland is in Perth and Glen Cova. My father was born in Jamaica and went to sea at 14. He didn't stop roaming until he retired. I married David and we roamed for several years with the RN, then came here in 1967 and stayed put forever!

Except for the two in Scotland all the rest are scattered throughout the world. New Zealand, Australia, India, Ulan Bator, Vancouver, Viet Nam, Tasmania, San Francisco and I have probably missed some.

Didn't know I could surprise you anymore !

I heard about that and I would think people my age would be desirable. Don't want a job but need services and accommodation. I have to say though, my allegiance is to Canada and Nova Scotia now, they have both been very good to me. That is not to say I do not have an irrational love of Scotland too, if they called and told me they needed me to help fight the bloody English, why, I would be gone in a thrice in my kilt with claymore in hand lololol

We had a forum at the church last night on "Christian Attitudes towards War" (yes, starting them certainly came up.) A Lady of English Descent referred to the Scots ( the Jacobite rebellion was being refought--we also did the War of Jenkins Ear--quite the evening) as being the "best dressed, but worst fighters". Am I allowed to bash her on her carefully coiffed head as I join you??? Dawne

Well, from all the places you`ve lived, I didn`t think that you`d lived in Scotland for long! There`s nowt more Scottish than an ex-pat - or even one who`s never lived there, anyway! LOLOL!

Love it around Perth and Stirling, but favourite is the Western Highlands and Islands - totally different way of life and lovely people. We were very tempted by a bungalow just outside Fort William when we were up there - but John still had several years to go before retiring. Not a lot in the way of work for him up there, and too far from the kids. Sue and Richard love it up there. Jane`s never been and thinks it looks creepy!!! :-(( If we could wave a magic wand and find ourselves there without all the hassle of moving, we`d still love to go. Skye or Glengarry would be first choice.

Pat P

Oh yes indeed, (my 25% Scots coming to the fore). Remind her who helped scale the heights of Abraham!

Pat P

Definitely Dawne, together we would make a simply terrifying duo lol

Mackenzies originally came from way up Wester Ross way, not much up there I am afraid.

I think of you when I wipe dishes with the Skye or Melford tea towels lol Skye took it's turn just last week.

That would be MacDonell.

Elizabeth

That's because they are a separate and "sovereign " Nation and NOT under control of either the US or Canadian governments.

Another words we're giving them money with absolutely no strings attached. And they can do as they please while crying about all the terrible things that were done to them. What a bunch of hogwash.

That's actually a farce, but if you want to trot it out, you can. It just shows that you don't really understand much about it.

I'm sorry, Dorsey, but that's both ugly and ignorant.

Elizabeth

No, they are not regarded as a sovereign nation within Canada. There were treaties made which have to be respected today, but they are Canadians, they just don't have to pay taxes and they receive very generous funding from taxes taken from the rest of us.

Thankfully in NS some sanity is arriving. Just today an exChief is up in court charged with several thousand dollars worth of fraud. All the time he was buying a new Cadillac every year and the latest truck, single mothers lived in abject poverty. I believe he is not going to get away with this and about time too. I hope he is a warning marker for other chiefs who are cheating their tribes and living too high on the hog. It's a shame as they bring all of them, guilty or not, into disrepute.

MacKenzies (or Mackenzies) are amongst the four main clans on Skye - MacDonald being the top, and the McLeods and the Nicolsons being the other two. LOL! It`s not often I get associated with dish-washing!

Pat P

He`s learned his lessons well from his "Conquerors". He certainly doesn`t have the original attitude about wealth of his ancestors - it`s something he/they have been introduced to.

Pat :-P

So I take it you condone his behaviour ?

Another example of power corrupting.

I hope they force him to watch them auction off all his assets, and the proceeds go to the tribe as they should have to begin with.

Yeah, I'm a bit vindictive, but I watched a CEO trash my family's future by lying about his company all the time buying himself more and more mansions and other rich man toys.

Caryn

No, of course I don`t. All I`m saying is that it`s a shame that he has so far strayed from his original culture, but it`s hardly surprising that he has done so with all the temptations brought to him by "Civilisation".

Pat P

I totally agree with your idea of punishment for him, Caryn. It`s just so sad to see.

Pat P

All these free things "they" get--- DH is one of "them", status Indian, member of the Mohawks of the St. Laurence. We do not have, nor have we ever had, a free house. He pays income tax, and all the relevant provincial taxes on everything he buys, unless he wants to drive to one of the new gas stations operated by one of the bands near our city, where he can buy gasoline cheaper than in town (status Indians pay less than everyone else there, but gas is cheaper for anyone). We paid for DD's education. DH worked to pay his own way through university. All of his brothers and sisters have post-secondary education and are gainfully employed; none of them received a free education. We do not have a casino in our yard, and we do not get any money from the government that anyone else does not get. The reasons for this are many, the most important being that we do not live on an Indian reserve. On-reserve Indians do have housing provided, but there is a considerable wait list for most bands, and the housing provided tends to be fairly basic, and overcrowded. Bands receive money to pay for post-secondary training for members, but there is not enough so that anyone and everyone gets a free ride to university. As well, DH's band did not sign a numbered treaty with the Crown, so he does not get the lavish annual treaty payment of $5 and a ball of twine or box of shotgun shells. I think we can manage without it. I do agree that there is corruption and nepotism in some bands--and prosecutions are not new here in the west. There is also gang activity. Society pays dearly when it deprives people of the ability to work and participate over several generations. Dawne

"Dorsey" wrote .

Nations. There are more than 500 Indian nations in North America, as different from each other as, e.g. Croatians and Finns, with different languages, different social organisation, different traditional economies etc. Dawne