When is a citizen not a citizen? When he or she is born a member of one of the First Nations of Canada. To our shame, Canadians have moved from a policy of assimilation to a policy of non-acknowledgement regarding indigenous people. We seem to be attempting to render a whole group of our own citizens invisible.
We Canadians are living in one of the wealthiest nations of the world and year after year we accept without question the degradation and victimization of hundreds of thousands of indigenous people. Despite the Royal Commisions and the parliamentary inquiries and the hundreds of journalistic articles clearly outlining the problem, the state of many indigenous communities continues to reflect our collective shame. Canadians cannot claim to be caring compassionate people if we will not lift a finger, or our voice to respond in any concrete way to the cultural violence that is being directed by our society through governmental indifference and inaction.
In 1996 the Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples stated that:
Aboriginal people’s living standards have improved in the past 50 years – but they do not come close to those of non-Aboriginal people:
- Life expectancy is lower.
- Illness is more common.
- Human problems, from family violence to alcohol abuse, are more common too.
- Fewer children graduate from high school.
- Far fewer go on to colleges and universities.
- The homes of Aboriginal people are more often flimsy, leaky and overcrowded.
- Water and sanitation systems in Aboriginal communities are more often inadequate.
- Fewer Aboriginal people have jobs.
- More spend time in jails and prisons.
In many First Nation communities these situations have become worse, not better since the Royal Commission reported in 1996. The rate of suicide for indigenous people continues to be the highest of any group in Canada and in particular, suicide and self-injury continues to be the leading causes of death for Aboriginal young people.
CBC reporter Kazi Stastna, on November 26th reported on the problems of housing, the need for clean water and the lack of roads at Attawapiskat, Wasagamack and Pikangikum. These communities, and many others, continue to underline the ‘johnny come lately’ approach to government intervention regarding indigenous communities. On November 17th the House of Commons debated a Liberal Party motion to assure clean water for all aboriginal communities. The Harper Government was quick to assure that they were on the case. Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan said in response to the motion, “We all are in agreement that the current standards are unacceptable,”
So much agreement, and so little action. The Liberal government was no better, nor worse than the present Conservative government when in office. They have all had their time in government, and we are still seeing human persons being degraded and diminished in a nation that has the resources to make a difference in the lives of all its people , but seemingly no political will to follow through on the promises that have been made, time and time again.
What we need is concrete action NOW. No more studies, no more urgent debates in Parliament, no more promises of a new day of cooperation between indigenous people and the government. Let compassion and respect for our fellow citizens, who happen to be indigenous people, be shown in concrete policies and actions which display to all the world our real support for the building up and the affirmation of the importance of the First Nations in Canada.
You stated “The Liberal government was no better, ” however wouldn’t the Kelowna accord, which was negotiated by a Liberal government, have been a significant step towards finally addressing these issues ? Do you not agree that a Liberal government would have, beyond any reasonable doubt, carried thru with implementing this agreement ? Unlike Harper who has paid brief lip service to it, and largely ignored it.
It seems to me The Kelowna accord was a significant step forward. A great deal of work went into negotiating it. The approach, having First Nations representatives at the table, was the right one. Merely reaching an agreement was an accomplishment. Admittedly it would have been a meaningless accomplishment if the agreement was not implemented. It seems to me however that we have no reason not to assume it would have been implemented under a Liberal government. No reason to assume it would not have been implemented, and good reason to assume it would have been.
I will agree that the Liberal government would have implemented the Kelowna accord. However I continue to say that we have many long years of policies that have victimized the indigenous peoples of Canada. And successive federal governments have not done the basic work to change that. One good initiative does not absolve any one or any group from generations of systemic evil.
” However I continue to say that we have many long years of policies that have victimized the indigenous peoples of Canada. And successive federal governments have not done the basic work to change that.”
Undeniable and irrefutable.
“One good initiative does not absolve any one or any group from generations of systemic evil.”
Agreed. I didn’t mean to suggest that the Kelowna accord absolved the Liberal party of culpability for years of neglecting the issue. I was suggesting that the Liberal party was to some extent better than the Conservative party because they had finally made some attempt to address the issue. Better to some extent because the Liberal party had finally made some attempt to address the issue where as the Conservative party has not only not made any attempt to address the issue but have also undone the work of the Liberal party by refusing to implement the Kelowna accord.
The lesser of two evils perhaps ? And in todays political climate that is too often what we have to choose between.
I agree. Let’s look for a day when the aim of all parties is the Common good of all citizens.
Those Bishops that have passed on may you go to where you deserve, even though, i forgive you for all your ill will that you msy or may not hsve had toward the aboriginal peoples of North America.
I wish Pam Palmater had become the National Chief – she’s brilliant, and she has a blog at rabble.ca:
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/pamela-palmater/2012/10/canadas-indigenous-nations-face-humanitarian-crisis Things will change for the better only when the First Nations of this land stand up to the thugs in power.
Link to Pam’s blogs: http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/pamela-palmater
I am one Canadian who has writteng to my MP all the Political Leaders and all the Prime Ministers in the past two decades….dozens of time. They don’t care. Many Native Bands have land claims that are very rich in resources. The Corporations want these lands and we have governments who would like to give it to them. There is a deliberate soft genocide going on especially with Bands in out of the way places such as Atawapiskat. Until more Canadians indicate they care nothing much is going to change.