Sipi Flamand has both feet firmly rooted in her community. Filmmaker and occasional pow-wow dancer, he is also, at 32, the new chief of Manawan, one of the three Atikamekw communities in Quebec. He just published an essay, Nikanik and itapian. A “decolonized” Indigenous futurea work rich in reflections and confidences.
This well-known figure of the Atikamekw, whose almost predestined traditional name Miaskom Sipi means “where two rivers meet”, was elected to the band council last August with the promise of bringing a breath of fresh air. His arrival has indeed coincided with a changing of the guard within his community.
“The population wanted to give the chance to a new form of governance, more dynamic and reactive”, explains Sipi Flamand, in an interview with the To have to. “I accepted this responsibility to get things done. »
The publication of his essay is also part of the young activist’s approach to offer a way of thinking freed from institutional shackles in which Aboriginal issues, but also self-determination and the recognition of ancestral rights, would be put at the forefront. plan.
“The title of the book means, in Atikamekw, ‘looking ahead’,” he says. I do not propose a political program. It is more a reflection on our future. How will the younger generations be able to [ou pas] make their voices heard? »
No to a one-sided reconciliation
That the readers do not trust the number of pages of the work – less than a hundred – presented as a pamphlet. Because as short as her essay is, Sipi Flamand shares a personal, deep and powerful discourse on the condition of indigenous peoples in the era of reconciliation.
“I recognize the healing steps that are being taken in relation to reconciliation, especially what happened at the time of residential schools for aboriginal people. The fact remains that the reconciliation that we are being offered is like a kind of one-way imposition. We are asked to forget the past, whereas we are asked to be listened to, to have our rights recognized. »
Before speaking of reconciliation, the author proposes the restoration of “indigenous political thought”, the establishment of new legal perspectives in order to “decolonize consciences”. Above all, he advocates openness and a critical spirit, because only a paradigm shift is necessary to restore, in his own words, “a fair, equitable and respectful environment”.
“Despite the systems that have been imposed on us over time, we need to change our approaches and our relations with the authorities. This can be done collectively in several ways. I suggest setting up a real sovereign Aboriginal confederation that can change the balance of power with the different levels of government and society in general. »
The author recalls that several political structures that still exist, such as band councils, reserves or the Indian Act, remain “colonial creations”, designed by the federal government and which, according to him, often contradict the First Nations values, philosophy or modes of governance.
“Elders, women and young people must take their place in discussions and decisions that involve communities,” he said. In Manawan, for example, I took the initiative to organize a forum to promote the participation of the population in community life. »
Sipi Flamand does not call for confrontation, but rather relies on dialogue, hoping for the openness of political authorities and the involvement of young people from the communities. “It is through negotiations that we will be able to agree. The foundations are there, they exist. The time has now come to act to defend our traditions, so that they are restored, but also revitalized. »
Utopia and dystopia
While drawing on Aboriginal mythology and cosmogony, the author questions several contemporary challenges, such as environmental protection and sovereignty in ancestral territories, Nitaskinan for the Atikamekw. “Canada was founded on the lands of the first peoples. Our elders have unique knowledge of the territories. When it comes to exploiting our resources, we are only consulted on decisions that have already been made. »
However, Sipi Flamand sees no improvement without the recognition of indigenous knowledge and ecological cooperation. He returns to the “Seven Fires prophecy”, a concept common to all Aboriginal nations in North America, which states that before making a decision, the communities are called upon to reflect on the consequences it may have on the next generations. “Imagine if the world’s governments took this philosophy into account; the world would be totally different today. »
The essay is both utopian and dystopian by imagining various scenarios, some optimistic, others pessimistic. What will be our future in 10 years, 25 years or 50 years? asks the author. He hopes, among other things, that the indigenous nations will be recognized as founding peoples, that the languages of the first peoples will be taught in all the schools of the country. “Yes, I allow myself to be a little dreamy,” he says. But nothing is written, everything is possible. »
The worst is also envisaged, he mentions, adding that there will be decisions made by Canadian and Quebec society that could go against Aboriginal rights. “First Nations can also make negative decisions about their own well-being. This is why we must plan and try as best as possible to predict the directions we want to take. »