First Nations have responsibilities

Interesting perspective from Canada:

First Nations have responsibilities
The Gazette
" Re: "State of First Nations reserves is a national disgrace" (Editorial, June 13).

Your editorial decried the unsanitary water, bad high school graduation results, shortage of housing, etc. on Indian reserves. The next day The Gazette reported "As many as 500 police officers are participating in a vast anti-drug sweep Tuesday in several First Nations communities in the Montreal area."

The Gazette and other media also regularly report on corruption and lack of democracy in native governments, gambling activity on reserves, and smuggling involving reserves.

All this has been a huge, unacceptable mess for far too long. Media, our governments and the natives themselves need to put political correctness aside, screw up their courage, and decide whether Indians are to be treated as wards of the state or as adult partners.

Alex Simonelis Montreal