The National Assembly of Quebec will adjourn on Friday, ending the last parliamentary session before the next general election. As usual, Prime Minister François Legault will take the opportunity to take stock and throw a few flowers at his government before the summer holidays.
Posted at 11:27
It’s a safe bet that relations between the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) and the First Nations will occupy little space in the exercise. It would take a lot of imagination and a good touch of arrogance to find something positive to say on the subject. Thus, you will allow me to use this forum offered to me to present our own assessment of our “relationships”, one day in advance.
Four years of missed appointments
I have had the privilege of being the Chief of the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador (AFNQL) for 30 years now. Among the benefits this provides is that of perspective. In three decades, I have had the opportunity to establish relations with no less than eight premiers and a premier of Quebec. It was never easy. From the point of view of relations between Quebec and the First Nations, the first mandate of the government of François Legault is however distinguished from all the others in modern history by the sum of missed appointments with the Aboriginal peoples.
The passage of Bill 96, the An Act respecting the official and common language of Quebec, French, on May 24, was the culmination. In 1977, when Bill 101 was passed, René Lévesque understood that the Aboriginal peoples – whose languages and cultures are themselves heavily weakened – did not represent a threat to the survival of the French language. Aboriginal communities were then exempted from the application of the Charter of the French language, a principle recognized and respected by all governments since.
By denying our rights, the Legault government is thus imposing a historic setback on the linguistic rights of the First Nations.
At the same time, for four years, all the ministers of the Legault government, who follow their leader’s line of conduct, have stubbornly denied the existence of systemic racism against the First Nations in Quebec, despite the evidence and the reports that continue to accumulate to demonstrate it. In the wake of the tragic death of Joyce Echaquan, the Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, Ian Lafrenière, committed to the minimum required by the circumstances: to include the notion of cultural safety in the Act respecting health services and social services (LSS). Guess that was too much to ask. This spring, the government cowardly reneged on its word by refusing to amend the LSS in this sense.
In terms of youth protection, the Legault government set aside several of the main recommendations of our brief, which were inspired by the calls to action of the Viens commission and the recommendACTIONS of the Laurent commission, in particular those aimed at the recognition and respect for First Nations jurisdiction in youth protection and the abolition of placement delays in Aboriginal communities. To add insult to injury, Quebec is challenging the constitutionality of the An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families (C-92), which affirms First Nations jurisdiction over child and family services.
However, the reports of the Viens and Laurent commissions recognized as a basic principle our right to self-determination.
Things were, however, auspicious. Newly elected, François Legault signified his intention to multiply “nation-to-nation agreements” with the Aboriginal peoples. In October 2019, the National Assembly of Quebec even unanimously adopted a motion recognizing the United Nations Declaration on Indigenous Peoples. However, once again, the boots never followed the chops.
We will make ourselves heard
We could go on and on for a long time, but beyond the gestures, there is also the attitude. Unfortunately, relations between this government and our representatives will have been colored sometimes by arrogance, sometimes by contempt, paternalism or a flagrant lack of consideration for our realities.
François Legault likes to pose as a defender of the nation and evoke his “pride” in being Quebecois. It is his right. Except that a nation proud and confident in itself should not be built by denying the rights of other peoples who share a territory with it.
His predecessors understood this well.
Our approach has always been one of good faith and an outstretched hand. Faced with so many rebuffs and such a disappointing record, we have now chosen to make our voices heard. The First Nations are more determined than ever to play an active role in the coming months and in the upcoming election campaign. Because the respect of our fundamental rights depends on it.