(Québec ) L’absence de représentants autochtones sur le nouveau comité sur le développement du hockey du gouvernement Legault est critiquée par les chefs de la Nation Innue. L’ex-hockeyeur Joé Juneau accuse le gouvernement de « manquer le bateau » et « d’ignorer » les Premières Nations et les Inuits. Québec promet pour sa part de les consulter.
Le premier ministre François Legault a annoncé jeudi au Centre Bell la création d’un tout nouveau comité québécois de développement du hockey, présidé par l’ancien gardien de la Ligue nationale et analyste à RDS, Marc Denis. Le comité sera composé de 14 Québécois ayant fait carrière dans le hockey, mais aucun représentant des communautés autochtones n’est présent.
Une absence remarquée. Le chef innu de Uashat mak Mani-Utenam, Mike McKenzie, a interpellé M. Legault directement sur Twitter, disant ne pas s’expliquer pourquoi aucun représentant autochtone n’a été nommé. « Il y a des experts autochtones qui ont joués dans la [Ligue de hockey junior du Québec] and the [Ligue nationale de hockey] and you know that there has been racism in hockey in arenas in Quebec, ”wrote Chief McKenzie under the Prime Minister’s publication.
In an interview, Chief McKenzie recalled that hockey “is a religion in the communities” and in particular helps to break the isolation of young people in remote communities and to improve relations with the First Nations. “We are here, we exist. We want to be part of the solution, ”he said. All the chiefs of the Innu Nation are calling for an Aboriginal representative to be included at the table.
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The Innu chief of Uashat mak Mani-Utenam, Mike McKenzie
The chiefs want to communicate with the members of the committee to discuss the place of hockey, the additional challenges facing young people in the communities in addition to submitting a few names of experts for their consideration.
“We took these people, but these people will go and consult elsewhere, including the indigenous communities,” Prime Minister François Legault assured Friday.
A commitment taken up by the chairman of the committee, Marc Denis. “We couldn’t include everyone inside the committee, but everyone who has to have a voice is going to have one. I’m not saying it’s an overreaction [des Premières Nations], not at all, I absolutely understand it and I can tell you that we will have an outstretched hand when the work begins, ”argued the former goalkeeper in an interview.
Quebec “misses the boat”, according to Joé Juneau
The former hockey player Joé Juneau, reputed to have created a hockey program for the children of Nunavik, went there for his part in a harsh criticism of the Legault government.
“For me, it’s just a huge disrespect once again and that there is systemic racism, there are no other explanations, it’s that simple,” he said. he underlined in an interview. “Unless you live on another planet, you cannot know how important hockey is to young people in aboriginal communities,” continued the one who has been going from one community to another for 15 years to teach hockey. .
According to him, “it’s not a question of making them professional players, but rather of giving them an equal chance, of including them, of helping them, of respecting them. ”