Having traveled, lived and worked in various
parts of the world, Canada is by far one of the best countries on earth. Yet,
my bubble keeps bursting the more I learn
about the plight of aboriginal people and to realize that, I as an
immigrant have more rights and opportunities than the First People makes me
very sad. I am inspired to write this as I heard a memorable tribute by
Australian Aboriginal Elder, Noel Pearson to their 21st
Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam. I look forward to hearing an aboriginal tribute
like this for a future Canadian leader. His speech is accessed here
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| Noel Pearson |
He went onto say why. “The
achievements of this old man are present in the institutions we today take for
granted and played no small part in the progress of modern Australia. Who can say that liberating the talents and uplifting the horizons of
Australians for equality is not a worthy charter for national leadership? My
chances in this nation were a result of the Whitlam program. I share this
consciousness with millions of my fellow Australians whose experiences speak to
the great power of distributed opportunity.”
| PM Gough Whitlam |
That was 3 years before the
last residential school was closed in Canada.
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| Author James Daschuk at Ottawa Book Fest |
Daschuk’s emotional
presentation spoke of the state-sponsored
attack on indigenous communities whose effects continue to haunt us as a nation
still.
He spoke of the turning point for
the plains people after the 1878 election of the John A MacDonald led
Conservative government, which cut budgets and staff for Department of Indian
Affairs including medical personnel. The opposition Liberals were no angels in
this, as when they complained about the budget and spending, MacDonald is on
record stating that the emergency rations would be refused until the “Indians”
were on the verge of starvation. This was
part of his plan to force the Aboriginal people off the plains onto
reserves in order to settle the West and pave the way for the Canadian
Pacific Railway.
This chilling story of
calculated callousness left me further confused about the contradictions of
Canada. The divide between the First Nations people and non Natives, and the
racism that drove those policies go largely unnoticed and unabated even today. The political and social discourse
perpetuated through education and the media makes us ignorant of this Canadian history.
The ultimate irony for
Daschuk was receiving the Sir John A. Macdonald
Prize from the Governor General a few days later.
Daschuk
ended his talk by reflecting - “As we
approach the 200th anniversary of Macdonald's birth, will these revelations
about our first prime minister alter our perceptions of the man - and of
ourselves as Canadians?”.
Canadians have to face this history, not
with guilt and defensiveness - as this happened long ago in another reality
steeped in the settler notion of “Manifest Destiny” – a racial doctrine based
on the god given right to expand land ownership, commercialism and Christianity
by driving away aboriginal people off their land - but with the spirit of
reconciling with the past and looking to the future to thrive in peaceful
co-habitation.
The Canadian Charter for
Rights and Freedoms Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau enacted in 1982 laid the
groundwork for much social and political
change for Aboriginal people and their rights today - including the Harper apology.
Yet there continues to be political and bureaucratic inertia in settling land claims and other areas including funding inequalities in education and healthcare for Aboriginal communities for instance. Many aboriginal leaders are fatigued and frustrated from legal battles and what a waste of people and resources for Canada.
Noel Pearson born in an Aboriginal reserve liberated his talents to have a fighting chance at equality only after the Australian government outlawed the institutionalized discrimination and the bureaucratic apparatus that controlled the reserves. Now they can hold their head up high in dignity and self esteem, as the laws of the land protects them, like every other citizen. However, conditioning, attitudes and prejudices of the European Australians are slow to change.
There is an awareness of all this and a momentum mounting with the "Mainstream" who see Canada’s future clearly as a plural and multicultural nation. This includes honouring the First People’s historical significance on this land in the complex balance between inclusion and assimilation, and enabling the distinct nations to govern their own lands and people to flourish for mutual benefit.
Yet there continues to be political and bureaucratic inertia in settling land claims and other areas including funding inequalities in education and healthcare for Aboriginal communities for instance. Many aboriginal leaders are fatigued and frustrated from legal battles and what a waste of people and resources for Canada.
Noel Pearson born in an Aboriginal reserve liberated his talents to have a fighting chance at equality only after the Australian government outlawed the institutionalized discrimination and the bureaucratic apparatus that controlled the reserves. Now they can hold their head up high in dignity and self esteem, as the laws of the land protects them, like every other citizen. However, conditioning, attitudes and prejudices of the European Australians are slow to change.
There is an awareness of all this and a momentum mounting with the "Mainstream" who see Canada’s future clearly as a plural and multicultural nation. This includes honouring the First People’s historical significance on this land in the complex balance between inclusion and assimilation, and enabling the distinct nations to govern their own lands and people to flourish for mutual benefit.
Acknowledging and Reaching Out
Tears welled up in me as I sat at the Carleton University’s 145th Convocation on 15th November 2014, as Master of Ceremonies and Vice Provost John Sheppard opened the ceremony acknowledging the Algonquin land we are occupying. Then he invited Metis elder Lois McCallum to recite the opening prayer who thanked the creator in gratitude for all we have and blessed the graduates for abundance of good things to come. My emotions tugged at me as this gesture to acknowledge set an amazing example to those young graduates and their loved ones.
Tears welled up in me as I sat at the Carleton University’s 145th Convocation on 15th November 2014, as Master of Ceremonies and Vice Provost John Sheppard opened the ceremony acknowledging the Algonquin land we are occupying. Then he invited Metis elder Lois McCallum to recite the opening prayer who thanked the creator in gratitude for all we have and blessed the graduates for abundance of good things to come. My emotions tugged at me as this gesture to acknowledge set an amazing example to those young graduates and their loved ones.
Most Canadians have an open and an inviting heart and according to John
Ralston Saul, this is because everyone has some of the original Aboriginal
Culture of welcoming to the circle. I know this from all my experiences here,
even after coming through a traumatic introduction to Canada in the racially
fraught 1970s.
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| Chelsea Mayor Caryl Green and friends walking to | Kitigan-Zibi |
Eight months ago on 23rd March 2013, Chelsea residents, gave the
Nishiyuu Walkers - the six Cree youth and two guides who walked 1,600 kms from the remote
village of Whapmagoostui, Quebec on the shores of the Hudson Bay and their 200 plus
supporters, among them from Kitigan-Zibi north of Chelsea - a rousing welcome at
the Meredith Centre.
Chelsea elder David Maitland recited a welcome
poem at the well organized event coordinated by Helen Patterson, Robert Vandenberg and other community
leaders. The centre was a hive of activity with entertainment and abundant
sumptuous food served by Les Fougeres restaurant. That
day, I heard many a visitor voice their surprise and delight at the warm
welcome, which they said was the best they had on their long journey.
There
was a perfect “aboriginal” storm brewing for Chelsea as it was around the same
time
that the Meredith Centre
featured the documentaries produced by Robert
Chitty of the Gordon Group, on the James Bay Cree’s, Billy Diamond and the band (Eeyou Istchee) https://www.cngov.ca/press-november-10/ fight
to protect the land from Quebec Hydro’s development.
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| Billy Diamond |
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| Robert Chitty - Gordon Group |
Chelsea was smitten by all this
and decided to make a reciprocal gesture of reaching out, of listening and
consulting their nearest First Nations community, which happens to be
Kitigan-Zibi. “We wanted to express our
solidarity with them and to demonstrate in a concrete way that some people are
indeed listening”, said Janet Intscher, as inspiration for the walk.
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| Kitigan-Zibi Community Center Display |
My reflections on the walk and the welcome to the Kitigan-Zibi reserve will be next.
Stay tuned.
Meegwetch.
