Good.

This is a good news story. The only way it could be better is if it would lead automatically to personal responsibility, but I fear that isn't going to be.

"Status matters, because all our funding is tied to how many status Indians we have in our nation," said Beaver, 69, whose 1,000-member community expects to see its last status Indians born in 2032.

Do these people hear themselves when they talk? When the rest of Canada is worried about industries and companies going out of business, and keeping their jobs. When the concern of rural communities is their children moving away to find work in the bigger cities these people are worried about being cut off from the federal teat.

When the majority of Canadians are worried about being able to work for what they need these people are worried about having to work for what they need.

We don't need status Indians, or status anyone else for that matter. We need all individuals in this country treated exactly the same regardless of birth, race, creed or colour.

JUST THINKING: By the way Chief, if you want to keep the land your band currently squats on let your people buy property and have property rights.

The government of Canada recognizes property rights in principal if not explicitly (see the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms) and would certainly allow you to own the land you occupy... Of course you'd have to join the rest of the country and pay taxes for it.