"That systemic racism had cut them off from the benefits of Canadian society and they had to resort to crimes. The worst the crimes they committed, the worse they had suffered systemic racism at the hands of the government and the RCMP."

Not entirely false. For example, did you know that rez property can't be used for private business unless the Band Council and Minister say so, and that every two years such business can be put in jeopardy by local elections; nevermind that the rug can be pulled out from you on a whim? The Indian Act IS systemic racism, and it keeps employment on reserve almost non-existent.

I read a lot into aboriginal street gangs in Winnipeg a while back. The Ballad of Danny Wolfe, a biography of the founder of Indian Posse, pretty much covers everything. It's partly youthful rebellion and taking on the world with your friends. Mostly, though, the kids who get caught up in gangs are the ones who have a single mom with a drug problem.

Mom can't feed them cuz she's feeding an addiction. So, the older kids are like, "Fuck. I gotta get diapers and food and shit." And this is when they're still in elementary school. So, they start hooking, running drugs, selling drugs, etc. It's not their fault, but, sadly, it is their responsibility. If they don't take care of their siblings, they'll be taken away to foster homes, and then they won't have their siblings or their mother.

The elephant in the room is literacy, though. They give you a pass if your role is seen as one of protecting and preserving muh community. Otherwise, you're an apple (red on the outside, white on the inside). It's the same as the blacks and their Uncle Tom slur. They can't see past "bad whitey" to "the English language is an advanced communication technology that drives nearly all human progress:.