Troy's blog

$90,000,000 sounds like a lot, but break it down.
$90,000,000 divded by 2000 Attawapiskat residents equals $45,000.
$45,000 divided by 5 years equals $9000.
Therefore, the town of Attawapiskat has $9000 to spend on each resident of Attawapiskat.
However, break it down one more time.
$9000 minus 80% equals $1200. That 80% is allocated for education.
Therefore, Attawapiskat really has $1200 to spend per resident. That includes roads, water, welfare, and housing. The first three are given priority over housing, which means $500 is left over per house.
Band funding can not be shuffled about. You can't spend education monies on non-education projects, especially with INAC jealously watching every spent dollar.
Stephen Harper knows this, yet he asked where that $90,000,000 went? He damn well knows! The band sent its budget to INAC every year. That damned lying liar!

For the past four months, I lived in Vancouver, BC. I was in training for a customer service representative role with a company, but I didn't succeed in attaining a position. However, the lessons I learned both in class and on the streets of the city were invaluable.

I left from Salmon Arm with a heavy heart and a single change of clothes, after I had learned a friend had disappeared, which was a startling event following on the heels of a funeral for another friend. I just wanted to get away from my home, but due to my depression, I'd made an impulsive decision that had me living in the gutter and in shelters on East Hastings Street upon arriving there. Those times were difficult. I can remember a constant feeling of insecurity and helplessness. My possessions, too, were always on my mind, as I only had a single bag, and seemingly no place to store it during the day were I to try to improve my lot. Anything left on its own in Skid Row is picked up and either claimed or sold; this rule may apply even to human lives.

My home, I.R. #3. Standing at the mouth of the reserve, we're looking down the old dirt road. We can see quite a ways, but it turns gently rightward. More so than the road, however, we see deep potholes. It's my own belief that there have been cars lost in them. The highways department grades the road every spring, but the potholes are ancient, having existed before time began, and so return the very next day, simply waiting.

Now before we actually start walking, let's have a show of hands. How many of you people have ever been on a reserve before? You may experience a bit of culture shock, but I can't guarantee that. Many things are the same, but things are also different. It's difficult to state what exactly, but you'll probably notice the small details.

Behind us, across the highway, we see a funeral home, and a towing company. Where the funeral home is, there used to be a fruit stand. When I was seven, I used to buy cigarettes there.