Mushkegowuk Council
Statement from the Council of Chiefs on Systematic Racism
In the racial turmoil of the last few weeks, a number of people, and some Premiers in Canada, have spoken publicly to say that there is little or no systemic racism in Canada.
We the Omushkego Cree First Nations people of Ontario’s north know differently. Racism is alive and impacts us in many ways. We live and experience systemic racism every day, in the attitudes of some of the people we talk to, and in the poor quality of the housing, health services, and educational system that our Chiefs, our elders, our children, our mothers, and our youths have to deal with in our daily lives.
In 1870 when Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald convinced the British government to add the immense Rupert’s Land territories to become part of Canada, including our Mushkegowuk homeland, without our consent, the Parliament of Canada formally promised the British Crown that Canada would protect the interests and well-being of the native people who lived in those territories. Then they did the opposite.
At this time, our Mushkegowuk First Nations are not being protected as promised by the Government of Canada. We are experiencing the opposite; our communities are the most vulnerable, especially during this time of the COVID 19 pandemic.
In 1905, when Canada and Ontario made a foundational treaty with our people, the government representatives solemnly promised our people that we would be able to continue to use our lands as we always had, forever. Then they opened our lands to forestry, mining, and hydro dams, without our consent, and leaving us with almost none of the benefits.
That was racism, and it was deep, and it was systemic. And some of that continues to this day.
We experience systemic racism when our health care in our communities, and the education for our children, are far below in quality what other Canadians receive and something that other Canadians would not tolerate for themselves. We are restricted in the uses we can make of our lands. The interests of mining companies and forestry companies take precedence over ours.
It is true that there has been progress. Things are not as bad as they used to be. That progress is real. But there is much, much more that must be done. We are not yet equals in Canada, and we should be. Our inherent rights from our living on these lands from time before memory must be respected. The promises made by Canada in 1870 and 1905 must be kept.
Source: http://www.mushkegowuk.com/?p=5306
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