Indigenous leaders say issues largely ignored during Quebec election campaign
Indigenous leaders in Quebec are lamenting the fact that their communities' priorities have been largely ignored during the election campaign.
Atikamekw Grand Chief Constant Awashish said he wasn't surprised that issues such as Indigenous self-determination, land use, resource sharing or "nation-to-nation" partnerships were overlooked in the campaign.
The issues are not championed by political parties, he said, because party leaders do not need Indigenous votes to get elected.
"Obviously, I want things to change," said Awashish. "I want to have a better future for my people, a better future for my children, and I think there is a moral responsibility within the parties."
The Atikamekw community is calling for a series of measures -- called the Joyce Principle -- to be enshrined in Quebec law.
It is a list of recommendations to the Quebec and Canadian governments on how to combat systemic racism in the health and social services sector.
Joyce's Principle is named after Joyce Echaquan, the 37-year-old Attikamek mother of seven from Manawan who died in the Joliette hospital in 2020. Before she died, she used her phone to film racial insults of staff members.
The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government has refused to adopt the Joyce Principle because it refers to systemic racism in Quebec institutions -- a phenomenon that CAQ government says does not exist in Quebec. CAQ leader François Legault had to apologize to Joyce Echaquan's widower after he said during the TVA leaders' debate that the situation at the Joliette hospital was "fixed."
Chief Sipi Flamand of Manawan, an Atikamekw community around 200 km north of Joliette, is also not surprised by the absence of Indigenous issues during the campaign.
"It is very important that the different parties work together to resolve the issues raised by the Indigenous communities," said Flamand.
People take part in a march on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Montreal, Friday, September 30, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
"WE FEEL IGNORED"
Chief Awashish would like to see the political class in Quebec be more aware of Indigenous issues and understand the communities more.
"I think First Nations are more involved at all levels politically, but what is sad is that (political leaders) only talk about our peoples when something bad happens; that's the image that society has, collectively," he said. "We need more education, we need more awareness, for everybody, but mainly for the non-Indigenous elected officials: they need to see us differently, they need to know us differently, so they can see us as the solution of the future."
Legault was confronted live on Friday with the reality of Indigenous people who feel rejected by his government, as he spoke to federal residential school survivors on National Day of Truth and Reconciliation in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
One residential school survivor, Johnny Wylde, told him "we feel ignored."
Legault promised that if re-elected Monday, he would spend more time with First Nations communities.
"The parties don't talk about it enough. We are forgotten. We just talk about Quebecers," said Edouard Kistabish after the ceremony on Friday. "It's going to take time before we trust. We have experienced too much rejection."
Speaking to reporters later Friday, Legault said his goal is to reach agreements with First Nations and Inuit on such things as protected areas and economic development. He said the negotiations are taking a long time because each of the 11 nations in Quebec wants its own agreement. The Quebec government has signed five agreements so far.
Legault also said that protecting Indigenous languages would be a priority in a future mandate, and suggested that a CAQ government would introduce a bill to pass something like Bill 96 to protect their languages.
HOLIDAY OR NOT?
In Montreal, Liberal leader Dominique Anglade told reporters that if elected, she would introduce the Joyce Principle in her first 100 days in office. She also promised that the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, Sept. 30, should be a statutory holiday in Quebec, as it is at the federal level and in some provinces.
Legault refused a year ago to make Sept. 30 a provincial holiday, citing a loss of productivity if Quebec added another vacation and arguing that the initiative would be too costly.
Taiaiake Alfred, a (Kanien'kehá:ka) Mohawk writer and political strategist from Kahnawake, south of Montreal, said there is simply not much incentive for political parties to engage with First Nations and Inuit communities in provincial elections.
"The relationship between colonial governments and First Nations should be on a different level," he argued. "They are a nation, and we are a nation. We should be relating to them on a collective level, rather than drawing them into our politics and getting involved in theirs.
"Whoever is elected politically - whether it is a nationalist, federalist or separatist government - is irrelevant to those living in Kahnawake, he said. It doesn't make any difference how the Crown and Quebec identity manifests itself to us; it's never been a factor, so we don't get involved."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 1, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.