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  • The Missing and Murdered: A Week of Domestic and International (In)Action

    A horrific but too often ignored situation in Canada received some very high profile attention this past month.

    The Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) and the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA) announced that the United Nations will be conducting an inquiry into the hundreds of murders and disappearances of Aboriginal women and girls in Canada.

    Photo courtesy to Ben Powless. Ottawa, ON.

    But while that announcement was welcomed by many, another announcement in December wasn’t so warmly received.

    The Standing Committee on The Status of Women released a report, Ending Violence Against Aboriginal Women and Girls: Empowerment – a New Beginning meant to address the problem.

    The Standing Committee is a group within Canada’s parliament responsible for examining legislation, reports and departmental policies and programs related to women.

    According to MP Irene Mathyssen (NDP) — the Standing Committee’s own chair — the report has been watered down by politics.

    In March of 2011, the Standing Committee tabled an interim report in the House of Commons that involved testimony from more than 150 witnesses at hearings held in 14 communities across Canada.

    At the time of those hearings, the Standing Committee was an intergovernmental group operating in a minority government.  But that all changed when the Harper Conservatives took power.

    Mathyssen says that major political shift meant major changes to the report. “New parameters were set and this included how much was spent in each of the areas,” she said. “The analyst could only go in and utilize what was said in connection with these new parameters. It wasn’t the report that we envisioned.”

    Mathyssen says the framework of the interim report took into account the 580 pages of testimony from witnesses, a great deal of it outlining problems and offering solutions to violence against aboriginal women and girls.

    “The second report is what the government wanted it to be. It was not what we heard, it was not what we promised,” Mathyssen says. “All they [the government] wanted to do was show that they invested money.”

    Sharon McIvor is an Indigenous activist and academic involved with FAFIA.  She says the Standing Committee’s second report was remarkably different. “In their interim report the Committee saw the issue of missing and murdered women as a pressing issue. They really backed off from that.”

    A total of nine recommendations were made in the new report but McIvor says all of them fell short. “None of them were very comprehensive and the last one was very disturbing as it said, ‘Should funds become available, this is what we’ll do.’”

    It was McIvor that appeared (with NWAC) before the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 2008 to request they pursue an inquiry under the Convention’s Optional Protocol.

    “When you have a body like the UN getting involved in an issue, I think it is because they came to the conclusion that things are not proceeding in the way that they should in a certain country,” says Claudette Dumont Smith, Executive Director with the Native Women’s Association of Canada.

    Women's March Memorial, Vancouver, BC

    “They will leave no stones uncovered, and by the end of the day they will provide the recommendations needed to change the status quo.”

    McIvor agrees that changes are needed.

    “We have a colonial history which has had an impact on the place of aboriginal women in Canada,” she says.

    “Men know they can prey on Indian women and no one is going to hold them responsible and we know that. We’ve got 600 plus missing and murdered and very few people have been held accountable,” added McIvor.

    McIvor and others often cite the situation in Mexico (where the UN conducted a similar inquiry) as comparable to Canada.

    In 2004, CEDAW concluded its first inquiry into the abduction, rape and murder of Indigenous women in the Ciudad Juarez area of Chihuahua, Mexico.

    “The inquiry had really highlighted the problem [in Mexico],” says McIvor. “They identified systematic problems and the policing was a systematic problem. I suspect that when they come into Canada we’ll get the same kind of report and Canada cannot turn a blind eye to it.”

    Although the inquiry itself will be confidential, McIvor says it was important for NWAC and FAFIA to go public with their announcement. “First, to let people know there will be [an inquiry] happening. Two, to try to get people organized so that when the inquiry does come, we can make sure that the inquiry hears from people other than the government sources.”

    But if the Canadian government is in any way concerned about the UN inquiry, they’re certainly not showing it. There has been no official response, and Status of Women Minister Rona Ambrose was unavailable for comment after numerous attempts were made to contact her.

  • Aboriginal Journalists Assemble!

    Ho-leh, the Canadian media world is getting browner and browner these days.

    Or so it seems to me. From print to radio to television to the world wide interweb, a new Indigenous face or voice practically emerges every few weeks. To my mind, that is an indisputably good thing for all concerned, not least, for Canadian audiences.

    There was once a time — perhaps even as recently as the 1980s or 1990s — when you could maybe count on one or two hands the number of working Aboriginal journalists combined in this country. These days, I bet APTN National News’ core of reporters alone would exceed those tiny totals of yesteryear.

    Indeed, you could say we have achieved critical mass in this regard.

    Oh yeah, I did say that. (I’m so prescient.) Or, at least, I raised the possibility that a ‘tipping point’ has been reached in the numbers of First Nations, Metis and Inuit journalists now plying their trade North of 60.

    But see the other piece to my tweet? The bit where I implicitly ask what more can be made of all that storytelling talent, experience and skill? Could that corpus of creativity perchance be amassed and thereby generate a whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts — in, say, the form of a Canadian Aboriginal Journalists Association? (First order of business: find a far better name.)

    Here, I’m simply thinking of some form of regular, quasi-formal, in-person networking where participants from all four corners of Canada would connect and compare their experiences. Beyond that, it’d be up to us ‘members’ to decide what we did when gathering together. It could be no more complicated than enjoying over drinks the shared relief of not always being the only brown voice bobbing about in a vast sea of non-Aboriginality back in our respective newsrooms. (APTN being one of a few obvious exceptions.) But, knowing the wide pool of wickedly smart Indigenous journos that exists out there, I’m confident we’d figure out all sorts of cool reasons to connect and craft a multitude of ways to help each other out personally and professionally.

    That’s the vague idea, anyway — deliberately so, in fact, because any truly member-based association would necessarily have to be member-driven.

    So, my fellow AboJournos, I invite you to tell me what you think of all this in the comments area below.

    Meantime, as you compose your thoughts, take a glance at the compilation of Aboriginal ‘media tweetas’ below. It should give you an idea of just how many Indigenous press types are out there. It is indeed a respectable number, an ever-evolving list to which new names will be consistently added, I expect, so check back often.

    UPDATE  [6 July 2018] Well, I’ll be: Storify, the tool I was using to compile that list of Indigenous journalists on Twitter is no more as of two months ago. I will have to find another way of presenting that list.

  • An Aboriginal Who’s Who of Canadian Politics: Provincial/Territorial Version

    Your guide to Aboriginal politicians in provincial and territorial governments

    Nunavut's Chamber of the Legislative Assembly

    As I’ve pointed out in my previous ‘Who’s Who’ posts, a small but growing number of Aboriginal people have been running for and winning seats in the federal government.

    Now here’s a quick overview of how many Aboriginal people are already sitting in provincial and territorial governments, as of December 2011.

    Enjoy!

    __________________

    Yukon Legislative Assembly

    In the Yukon Territory, where 25% of people identify themselves as Aboriginal, just 3 of 18 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA’s) are Aboriginal. They are:

    The Yukon has no Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs, Aboriginal Affairs Minister, or even legislative committees for Aboriginal people.

     

    Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories

    NWT operates under a so-called “consensus government,” which means NO political parties. Those who aren’t members of the executive council or caucus serve as an unofficial opposition.

    In the Northwest Territories, where 50% of the population is Aboriginal, 9 of 19 MLA’s are Aboriginal. They are:

    The Premiere is Bob McLeod (Metis), who also serves as Minister of Aboriginal Affairs.

     

    Legislative Assembly of Nunavut

    In Nunavut, where 85% of the population is Aboriginal (almost all Inuit), 14 of 19 MLA’s are Aboriginal. They are:

    That’s got to be a record of some kind!

    Like the NWT, the government operates without political parties. There are no committees on Aboriginal Affairs but the territory does have a Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs.

     

    Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

    Despite 5% of the population being Aboriginal, none of the 85 MLA’s in British Columbia are Aboriginal (correct me if I’m wrong).

    There is however, a Minister of Aboriginal Relations  & Reconciliation and a Select Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs. Yay?

     

    Legislative Assembly of Alberta

    In Wild Rose Country, where almost 7% of the province’s 3.7 million people are Aboriginal, just 2 of 83 MLA’s are Aboriginal.

    They are:

    As you can see, ‘all’ two belong to the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta. In October 2011, the province’s Ministry of Aboriginal Relations was folded into the new Ministry of Intergovernmental, International and Aboriginal Relations, with Premier Alison Redford at the helm.

     

    Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan

    When the Saskatchewan Party (SP) swept to power in November 2011 (winning 49 of 58 seats), they brought with them 3 successful Aboriginal candidates, making the total of number of Aboriginal MLA’s in Saskatchewan 5.

    They are:

    According to Statistics Canada, Saskatchewan is home to nearly 1-million Aboriginal people!

     

    Legislative Assembly of Manitoba

    Another province with a whole lot of Aboriginal people (almost 14% of the population). But of 57 seats in Manitoba, only 3 are held by Aboriginal MLA’s.

    They are:

    Robinson, a well-known politician in Manitoba, also serves as the Minister of Aboriginal and Northern Affairs (the second time he’s done so).

     

    Legislative Assembly of Ontario

    Ontario joins BC in having no elected Aboriginal officials (they’re called Members of Provincial Parliament (MPP) here) and therefore should stand in the corner for a bit.

    They do have a Minister of Aboriginal Affairs. Sort of. In 2011, First Nation Chiefs in Ontario were angered to learn that Minister of Aboriginal Affairs Kathleen Wynne would only be performing those duties part-time.

    The first Aboriginal MPP elected in Ontario was Peter John North (?), NDP, way back in 1990.

     

    National Assembly of Quebec

    Another province with a different title for elected officials (Member’s of the National Assembly (MNA) here), and one more without any elected Aboriginal officials. The first Aboriginal MNA was Ludger Bastien (Huron), elected in 1924.

     

    Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick

    In 2009, Thomas James “T.J.” Burke (Maliseet), LIB, became the first (and so far only) Aboriginal person elected to provincial office in NB.

     

    Nova Scotia Legislature

    From what I’ve seen, NS has never, nor does it currently have any Aboriginal MLA’s. I think I speak for all of us when I say, “you’ve got to get on that, man.”

    They do however have an Office of Aboriginal Affairs and Darrel Dexter serves as the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs.

     

    Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island

    PEI should read what I wrote about Nova Scotia above, and then think long and hard about it.

     

    House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador

    In 1993, Wally Anderson (Innu), LIB, became the first Aboriginal MNA (Member of the House of Assembly) for Newfoundland and Labrador. He stepped down in 2007, amid allegations of fraud and breach of trust.

    __________________

    So there you have it. Of 753 elected provincial and territorial officials, only 41 are Aboriginal (just over 5%). And as with the other ‘Who’s Who’ posts, that’s either much browner than they thought, or altogether way too brown for their liking.

    I have a strong feeling this list is far from complete so if you know of anyone I might have missed, or if I got someone’s affiliation wrong, feel free to register and leave a message below.

    Just please don’t ask me to do ‘An Aboriginal Who’s Who of Canadian Civic Politics.’

  • UPDATED: An Aboriginal Who’s Who of Canadian Politics

    Parliament Peace Tower

    After a record number of Aboriginal candidates participated in the last federal election, just how browner is Canada’s parliament?

    As you can see in this updated ‘Who’s Who’ of Aboriginal politicians in Canada’s Parliament, the numbers have risen slightly, but the biggest gains have been within the Conservative ranks. Read on!

    The House of Commons

    Made up of 308 (By 2012, this number will rise to 338) Members of Parliament (MPs), the House of Commons is arguably the most visible arena of Canadian politics.  It’s where bills are born and often fiercely debated (until they die because of prorogation). But just how many Aboriginal voices ring across those hallowed halls?  Good ask!

    As of December 2011, of the 308 MPs, seven are Aboriginal (five of them Conservatives):

    A total of 31 Aboriginal MPs have been elected to the House of Commons over the years, beginning with Conservative member Angus McKay (Metis) way back in 1871! Check out the full list on the Parliament of Canada website.

    The Senate

    Consisting of 105 members appointed by the Governor General (on the advice of the PM), the Senate is the upper house of Parliament, aka the “sober house of second thought.” Here, bills are sent for scrutiny before either being returned to the House of Commons to become law, or outright rejected. (Bills are only occasionally first introduced in the Senate).

    So how many Aboriginal people are in the Senate? Glad you asked! As of December 2011, just six of the 105 (non-elected) Senators are Aboriginal: two Conservative, two NDP, two Liberal. How balanced!

    Let’s meet them:

    All together, 15 Aboriginal people have sat in the Senate, beginning with Conservative Richard Charles Hardisty (Metis), way back in 1888!

    Committees

    While all the yelling and hammering of the House may seem exciting (and definitely gets the most airtime), much of the actual work of government takes place in Committees. This is where policies get reviewed, budgets hashed out, and reports get produced.

    In the House of Commons, issues relating to Aboriginal people are discussed in (where else?) the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development (AANO).

    As of December 2011, the 11-member AANO committee includes:

    And…

    As you can see, only two AANO committee members are Aboriginal.

    Up in the Senate, the primary place of business for Aboriginal issues is the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Peoples, namely:

    And…

    Four members, or a third, of this 12-person Committee are Aboriginal.

    So there you have it. Depending on who you ask, Canada’s Parliament is either much browner than they thought, or altogether way too brown for their liking.

    Regardless, it can be interesting stuff for political wonks like me and — if you’ve read this far — you too!

    [Image via jpctalbot]

  • Manitowapow: A Preview

    Book cover. Credit: The Creation of the World by Daphne Odjig (which stands in the Manitoba Museum)My family holds reunions at the St. Peter’s church virtually every summer, just north of Selkirk and on the banks of the Red River in southern Manitoba. Growing up, I never knew why we did, nor cared really; the homemade pie was far more of a concern.

    Last summer, we held races, a candy scramble, and ended in a water fight around the underground well pump – which happily gushes as it has for generations.

    Just a few metres from our reunion site is Chief Peguis‘ grave. Just a few more there are headstones, with dozens of names of my relatives. On the other side remains the foundation of the old St. Peter’s Store. Not to be forgotten is the church, a powerful spiritual place that has held up well over the years.

    In all this beauty, you would never know what happened here in 1907. After bribing leaders and waiting until much of the community was absent, government agents visited and held a vote for removal. You see, unscrupulous Manitoban citizens and farmers desperately wanted the fertile and rich land the Cree and Anishinaabe residents of St. Peter’s had negotiated through treaty and lived on. The vote – in which anyone who voted “yes” was promised $90 and no voting record was kept – unsurprisingly passed.

    The following years were rife with violence as St. Peter’s residents were forcibly removed north, where Peguis First Nation now sits. Those who remained were harassed by police, forced to squat on their own territory, and subjected to ridicule when they entered town looking for work.

    Amazingly, and regardless of this violence, my ancestors persevered. Many eventually made homes in Selkirk. Some bought back their family homelands. The Selkirk Friendship Centre became a meeting place for all of us. In fact, that’s where I first learned of the removal.

    That’s because, inexplicably, I never heard about St. Peter’s in school, in town, or read about it on any monument.

    Surrounded by the very land in which this happened, this history was never mentioned. I grew up surrounded by the erasure and silence created by one of the most violent and unjust acts in Manitoba’s history.

    That is until every summer, when my family showed me the complexity of the story of St. Peter’s through laughter, food, and water fights. While I have never forgotten the painful parts, I remember far more the beautiful gifts they give me.

    Later, as a researcher and writer, I discovered the most amazing thing of all: this story is not unique. It continues to be, however, one that few know. Like it, there are many more. Stories of relationships, resisting violence, and resilience are everywhere; our province is filled with powerful visions and experiences told through the eyes of Aboriginal peoples.

    All of Manitoba should hear these stories in order to get a full understanding of all that has happened in this place; the beauty, the struggles, and everything in between.  This is what my co-editor Warren Cariou and I hoped to do while assembling the anthology Manitowapow: Aboriginal Writings from the Land of Water.

    Manitowapow: Aboriginal Writings from the Land of Water is a anthology of Indigenous storytelling and writing, available Feb. 3, 2012. Get a sneak preview Thursday, November 17, 7:00 p.m.at the Millennium Library in Winnipeg, at a reading featuring authors Alyssa Bird, Warren Cariou, Althea Guiboche, Wab Kinew, Emma LaRocque, Columpa C. Bobb and Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair   

    For a sample piece of the anthology, click here.

    Note: Manitowapow or “the narrows of the Great Spirit” is the original Saulteaux and Cree name for the lands and waters in and around what is now known as Manitoba . This name honours the sacred sounds when waves hit the loose surface rocks on the north shore in the narrows of Lake Manitoba – sounds that traditional peoples believed came from the drum beats by Gichi Manitou (The Great Spirit).