Indigenous women from as far away as the North Shore and Abitibi-Témiscamingue braved the rain on Saturday to rally outside the National Assembly in Quebec City to demand recognition of systemic racism. A first, according to the president of Quebec Native Women.
Mothers, daughters, sisters: aboriginal women are at the forefront of dealing with the services of the Quebec state, explains Marjolaine Étienne, president of Quebec Native Women, an organization founded in 1974 to represent them.
To Marjolaine Étienne’s knowledge, this is the first time that Aboriginal women have come together in this way to raise the issues that affect them directly before the National Assembly.
“They use all the health services: for themselves, to give birth, then to support the children, the elderly, even the men, underlines Ms.me Stephen. It is therefore the women who are in the front line to seek the appropriate care, particularly in the medical field. »
However, violence and discrimination against Aboriginal women continue to make the headlines. This week, a Manitoba man was charged with the murder of four aboriginal women in the Winnipeg area. A news that has upset the country, as well as the political class.
It’s something that touches us, because indeed, to hear that there are still atrocities like that today means that there are big questions that we have to ask ourselves.
Marjolaine Étienne, President of Quebec Native Women
In Quebec, at the end of November, a damning report also highlighted forced sterilization practices of indigenous women in the province… until 2019. The cases of 22 women were documented by a team of researchers from the University of Quebec in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. “A clear observation [de] the presence of systemic racism,” they conclude.
In September 2020, the death of Joyce Echaquan, filmed live under the discriminatory comments of medical staff, had outraged Quebec.
Recognize discrimination
A hundred natives and non-natives therefore found themselves in front of the National Assembly at the end of the afternoon on Saturday, some coming from remote communities, others from large cities.
“There were Naskapi women who flew. Anishinabe women, from Abitibi, Innu, Mohawk, Micmac, Abenaki women… They came to be able to make their voices heard regarding the issues and concerns they have in their communities, or in urban areas” , details Mme Stephen.
Their main concerns: the recognition of systemic racism in Quebec, as well as discrimination experienced by Aboriginal people. And the adoption of Joyce’s Principle. Because we must tackle the “source” of the issues, believes Mme Stephen.
The Joyce Principle is a statement inspired by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It aims to guarantee to all Aboriginal people the right of equitable access, without any discrimination, to all social and health services, as well as the right to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.
The government of François Legault still refuses to adopt the Joyce Principle, more than two years after the death of the Atikamekw. It also does not acknowledge the concept of systemic racism, despite this being the first recommendation from coroner Géhane Kamel, who investigated the death of the 37-year-old mother.
Indigenous women come together
Saturday’s rally is “a demonstration that a group of women from different nations want to advance the issues [importants pour elles] and take concrete actions in this direction,” enthuses Ms.me Stephen.
His hope is to establish a dialogue with Quebec. “I really hope that by the holidays, we will have a signal from the Quebec government,” she says.
In his view, many reports have been filed over the years, whether concerning dead or missing children, missing or murdered Indigenous women and girls, etc. Each report comes with its share of recommendations.
“Through the recommendations that are there, there are a good number of them — I’m not saying that nothing is being done — but are we working on the good deals? asks the president. Couldn’t we sit down together to decide what are the best recommendations to work on now? »