Relatives of Joyce Echaquan slammed the door on Wednesday from the hearings of the bill on cultural security in health, considering themselves exploited by the minister responsible for relations with First Nations and Inuit, Ian Lafrenière.
“We had a deep, deep uneasiness to see Minister Lafrenière excessively mention Joyce’s name while targeting his cause for his needs and his political purpose,” said Jennifer Petiquay-Dufresne, general director of the Office of the Principle of Joyce.
With her, relatives of Ms. Echaquan — who died almost three years ago under insults from Joliette hospital staff — demanded that the minister resume writing his bill, this time “in partnership with the competent indigenous authorities”.
The Joyce principle aims in particular “to guarantee to all Aboriginal people a right of equitable access, without any discrimination, to all social and health services”. Although he names it in the preamble to his bill, Minister Lafrenière does not recognize it, because it refers to systemic racism, a notion that the Legault government rejects.
Before leaving the parliamentary committee, Ms. Petiquay-Dufresne delivered a speech lasting around ten minutes. “I am more proud of Quebecers than of the government,” she said. “Non-indigenous Quebecers support us, they are on our side and we feel it,” she also said later.
Not a decoration
In the opinion of Ms. Petiquay-Dufresne, who was also Ms. Echaquan’s cousin, Joyce’s principle “cannot be a decoration in a bill.” According to her, Minister Lafrenière did not include Indigenous people enough in the preparation of his legislative text. “Sending emails to 13 indigenous people and organizations is not enough,” she said.
Before those close to Ms. Echaquan, representatives of the College of Physicians and the Order of Nurses also criticized the minister for his refusal to recognize systemic racism.
“We must recognize that it exists. The whole world saw it,” said Jolianne Ottawa, a nurse who heads health services in the community of Manawan, where Ms. Echaquan lived, on Wednesday.
“These are subjects that are already in the evidence, in the literature. Research shows it: it has impacts at the service level, on access to care,” also underlined Sandro Echaquan, head of nursing in Manawan and clinical assistant professor at the University of Montreal.
Although he had left the consultation, Joyce’s Office submitted a memorandum to the parliamentary committee. Minister Lafrenière said he read it “with great interest”. “I understand that this is a subject that is charged with emotions. You have to be fixed on the goal, but flexible on how to get there. We are going to be the first province to legislate on cultural security,” underlined the elected official. “We must not give up [le projet de loi]he added.