Indigenous leaders in Quebec deplore the fact that the priorities of their communities have been largely ignored during the current election campaign that is coming to an end.
Attikamek Grand Chief Constant Awashish isn’t surprised the campaign neglected issues such as Indigenous self-determination, land use, resource sharing, or “nation-to-nation” partnerships. These issues are not championed by political parties, he said, because party leaders do not need the indigenous vote to be elected.
“Obviously I want things to change,” said Mr. Awashish. I want to have a better future for my people, a better future for my children, and I think there is a moral responsibility” within the parties.
The Attikamek community is demanding that a series of measures — called “Joyce’s principle” — be enshrined in Quebec law.
This is a list of recommendations to the Quebec and Canadian governments on how to fight systemic racism in the health and social services sector. The “Joyce principle” is named after Joyce Echaquan, 37-year-old Attikamek, mother of seven from Manawan, who died in Joliette hospital in 2020. Before dying, she had filmed racial slurs with her phone. of staff members.
The Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) government has refused to adopt the “Joyce’s principle” because it refers to systemic racism in Quebec institutions — a phenomenon which, according to the CAQ government, does not exist in Quebec. The head of the CAQ, François Legault, had to apologize to the widower of Joyce Echaquan after declaring during the leaders’ debate on TVA that the situation at the Joliette hospital was “settled”.
Chief Sipi Flamand, from Manawan, an Attikamek community located some 200 km north of Joliette, is also not surprised by the absence of Aboriginal issues during the campaign. “It is very important that the different parties work together to resolve the issues raised by indigenous communities,” Flamand said.
“We feel ignored”
Chief Awashish would like the political class of Quebec to be more aware of Aboriginal issues and to better understand the communities. “I think First Nations are getting more involved at all levels politically, but the sad thing is that [les dirigeants politiques] only talk about our peoples when something bad happens […] . This is the image that society has, collectively. »
“We need more education, we need more awareness, for everyone, but mainly for non-indigenous elected officials: they need to see us differently, they need to know us differently, so that they can see us as the solution of the future,” said the Grand Attikamek Chief.
Mr. Legault was confronted live, Friday, with the reality of the Aboriginal people who feel rejected by his government, while addressing the survivors of federal residential schools during the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. A residential school survivor, Johnny Wylde, told him “we feel ignored”. Mr. Legault promised him that if he was re-elected on Monday, he would spend more time with First Nations communities.
“The parties do not talk about it enough, we are forgotten, somewhere, we are just talking about Quebecers, added Édouard Kistabish after the ceremony on Friday. It’s going slow, it’s going to take time before we trust, on our side. We have experienced too much rejection. »
Speaking to reporters later on Friday, Legault said his goal was to reach agreements with First Nations and Inuit on things like protected areas and economic development. He maintained that the negotiations were long because each of the eleven 11 nations present in Quebec wishes to conclude its own agreement. The Government of Quebec has so far signed five agreements.
Mr. Legault also said that the protection of indigenous languages would be a priority for a future mandate, and he suggested that a CAQ government would table a bill to pass something like a law 101.
A holiday or not?
In Montreal, Liberal leader Dominique Anglade told reporters that if elected, she would adopt “Joyce’s principle” in her first 100 days in office. She also promised that the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, September 30, should be a public holiday in Quebec, as well as federally and in certain provinces.
Mr. Legault refused a year ago to make September 30 a provincial holiday: he spoke of a loss of “productivity” if Quebec added another holiday, and he argued that the initiative would cost too expensive.
Taiaiake Alfred, a Mohawk writer and political strategist from Kahnawake, south of Montreal, said there simply isn’t much incentive for political parties to engage with First Nations and Inuit communities. in provincial elections. The relationship between settler governments and First Nations should be on another level, he argued.
“They are a nation and we are a nation: we should relate to them on a collective level, rather than luring them into our politics and getting involved in theirs,” Alfred said.
Whoever is elected politically — be it a nationalist, federalist or separatist government — matters little to those who live in Kahnawake, he said. “It makes no difference to how the Crown and the Quebec identity manifests itself towards us, it has never been a factor, so we don’t get involved. »