It was 1984 in Brantford, for God's sake!

Back in 1984 I travelled across Canada looking for a manufacturing site for a range hood fire extinguisher.  One of the places I reviewed was the Six Nations Reserve at Brantford, Ontario.  I met with the Elders, the Chief and an economic development official.  Which of those persons do you think was non-native and a non-resident of the reserve?

In my conversations I explored the downside of relying for product from within the reserve system.  The answers could not have been more contradictory.  The ED official claimed that there were no downsides.  The Elders and the Chief both disagreed with the official and stated that the Indian Act, under which all First Nations existed, was the real force on the reserve and that Indian Affairs in Ottawa could pull the plug on any endeavour without notice or recourse.

Not a nice way to live, is it?

And here we are nearly 30 years later and the discussion still goes on.