Global News: ‘This is genocide’: Final MMIWG report says all Canadians have role in ending violence
The chief commissioner of the inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) told survivors and families on Monday they have started to rewrite Canadian history.
The tragedy, former B.C. judge Marion Buller said, is a direct result of a “persistent and deliberate pattern of systemic racial and gendered human and Indigenous-rights violations and abuses, perpetuated historically and maintained today by the Canadian state, designed to displace Indigenous people from their lands, social structures and governments, and to eradicate their existence as nations, communities, families and individuals.”
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Canadians do not see themselves complicit in committing genocide against Canada's indigenous people. On the contrary, in my years of being a Canadian citizen (since the 1990s), this country has always been supportive of policies and politicians who are committed to improving the lives of this country's native peoples. I live across the river from the Kahnawake First Nations Reserve, and over the years I have gotten to know many people who live there, and many of them are my friends. I play golf there. Socialize. And even pursued business and educational projects. I have seen first hand the problems on this reservation (and others in Quebec), and more importantly I have seen many who have sacrificed their time and energies to improve the situation. I have seen success stories. I have also seen disasters. The sexual violence that exists in some of these communities, especially on children, is truly horrific .... Open secret: Sexual abuse haunts children in Indigenous communities (CBC). One of my girlfriend's closest friends is an indigenous person who told her that before she fled her Ontario reserve, almost every girl (including her) experienced sexual abuse before they reached the age of 18. This has to stop.
Prime Minister Trudeau refused to use the term "genocide" today .... Trudeau avoids calling the violence against Indigenous women a ‘genocide’ (National Post). In my opinion he did the right thing. The mass majority of Canadians want to support policies and initiatives that make sense. Labelling them as complicit in genocide is going to kill the conversation. It will also frankly hurt the Prime Minister's chances of getting re-elected when Canadians go to the polls this October, especially in places like the province of Quebec where the French and native communities have a long history of animosity that goes back centuries.
As to the report itself. I think the severe criminal penalties and rules that it wants implemented be adopted for all Canadians instead of just for Canada's indigenous peoples. The report also calls for more police in these communities, but in my experience many of these communities have trouble recruiting people who want to be policemen or policewomen. Crime insome of these reservations is a huge problem, and according to the RCMP almost 70% of all murders of indigenous peoples occur within these communities. Who wants to work in such an environment? Especially in small communities where everyone knows everyone, and crime is an endemic problem.
I also believe that we must rethink on what to do with isolated reservations with no jobs (unless you work for the government), resources, or opportunities. Other native communities have also been given land and resources that are valued in the tens of billions of dollars. I believe a strategy should be developed on how to use these resources effectively, and to encourage investment. I understand that many native groups are against development, but a compromise must be found because the status quo is not working. The report's call for a guaranteed income will also not solve the crisis. Throwing money never solves social ills, and in some cases will only perpetuate the misery by creating a dependency on these funds. I have also seen first hand on what happens when government money flows into these communities. Many act responsibly, and many do not.
The full report is here.
Update #1: Prime Minister Trudeau used the term genocide this evening. It looks like he received an earful from his progressive base for not using the word earlier today. The French media in Quebec are also giving a story a far more critical review than their English peers.
Update #2: A regular reader of this blog who is also a Canadian asked me on what should be the priority to combat this crisis. My answer is simple. Focus on the children and instill in them a culture for education and learning, and be persistent about it. Make schooling and the activities that promote it the center of their lives from preschool to the end of high school. And for those who have earned the marks and who want to go to university, promote that too. This is going to take decades, but what better way to start now.
More News On A Canadian Report That Calls The Murders Of Indigenous Women And Girls A Genocide
Trudeau declines to call deaths of Indigenous women and girls a genocide -- CTV News
Canadian inquiry calls deaths of indigenous women 'genocide' -- Reuters
Inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women issues final report with sweeping calls for change -- CBC
Some of the MMIWG inquiry's farthest-reaching recommendations -- National Post/Canadian Press
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ReplyDeleteGenocide has very specific and legal connotations in the international courts. No government will allow a genocide accusation to casually be tossed around without any formal denials. The fact that 91% of the violence committed against aboriginal women is perpetrated by aboriginal men stands in stark contrast to the accusation that there is/was a planned elimination of one race by another.
I think that we are here dealing with two separate things that are being conflated.
ReplyDelete1. genocide took place in the past
2. the aftermath of white treatment of first Americans has had lingering repercussions...this has happened too in U.S. reservations
The Canadian inquiry was focused on the disappearance and murder of over 1,000 aboriginal women in the past few decades. It's mandate was to not focus on what happened centuries ago.
ReplyDeleteGreat comment Editor.
ReplyDeleteMy father-in-law worked for children's aid on Manitoulin Island. In 1970 he told me about the widespread violation of young girls by the men of the reserve including fathers and older brothers. As soon as the girls were close to child bearing age they were sold/traded via a native trading path that went well down into the USA.
A local optometrist in the town near where I live told me about the stuff they can see when they look deep into a person's eyes. Of the natives from Christian Island and North of here she said she has seen evidence of severe malnutrition and diseases she haden't seen for a long time and yet they get a lot of money from the government.
A guy who operated a small factory told me he had hired eight young native girls, paying them normal, but, minimum wage to work in his factory. He found they were good workers. They told him they had to give up most of their pay to the chief. One day the chief visited the company and demanded extra money to allow the girls to continue working. When refused he pulled them off the job.
A friend of mine who hung around with some of the young guys from the Island years ago, told me some really disgusting stuff you wouldn't want to see posted here.
After widespread community support a community center was build on the island but deteriorated rather quickly. The chief at the time it was built had insisted that all the labor come from the tribe. Another friend worked for a window company that was hired two years later to replace the windows that should have lasted much longer. When the chief asked his boss how many men he needed for the job the boss told him none because of the crappy job they had down first time around. He finished with "and if you are wondering why the walls leak water when it rains it is because your men put the beveled siding on upside down".
A woman I worked with long ago was married to a CA who worked as an auditor for the Department of Indian Affairs. His job was to travel and audit the use of the funds given out all over Canada. He passed on nothing concerning his audit work, but commented that for the third year running the office equipment and furniture had been replaced/upgraded in the office he had and used in total about ten weeks a year.