FELDSTED -- There cannot be reconciliation while most members of the indigenous community are considered as wards of the state. The imbalance of powers prevents meeting on an equal and respectful basis

Trudeau Says He Accepts MMIWG Inquiry’s Findings Of Genocide - the term was used repeatedly in the final report released Monday.

Amy Smart ~~ The Canadian Press / Huffpost ~~ 06/04/2019

VANCOUVER — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday he accepts the finding that Canada’s treatment of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls amounts to genocide.

Debate has erupted over the definition of the term after the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls repeatedly used it in its final report released Monday.

But people are wrapped up in the use of the powerful word, when the focus should be on how to put an end to the issues raised by the inquiry, Trudeau said.

“Our focus is going to be, as it must be, on the families, on the communities that have suffered such loss.”

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Our government has squandered $92 million on the longest, most useless group hug ever. Hundred of people mourning the loss of loved ones went home with no sense of efforts being made to alleviate their anguish. The 1,200-page report tries to paper over the incompetence of the Commissioners. They did not address fundamental issues.

Girls and women facing violence is not confined to indigenous people and is a symptom of a broken society, not the cause. There cannot be reconciliation while most members of the indigenous community are considered as wards of the state. The imbalance of powers prevents meeting on an equal and respectful basis.

Recent court decisions, including the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) decision that Metis people are part of the indigenous community, have created an impenetrable tangle of law that is unacceptable. Metis people have not been members of indigenous bands living on reserves, so we have various groups of indigenous people who have different laws and rights.

 

We have to scrap the Indian Act -- and the massive departments that administer the legislation. We have to empower indigenous bands to control their lands and build their destinies.

The Indian Act has seriously damaged traditional indigenous bands.

The pride in membership and belonging to a tribe with a rich history has been lost to a framework of government hand-outs and civil service corruption ... which has led to corruption in band leaderships. That can be rebuilt over time, but it cannot happen without a change in indigenous band control over its property, people and well-being.

Another factor, that is not considered, is the isolation of many indigenous bands. They have limited resources, no powers of self-determination and no means of keeping young people from leaving to experience the wider world. The youngsters are ill-equipped to cope in an urban setting due to poor education and a lack of marketable skills.

We need to invest in regional schools and hospitals, run as cooperatives by indigenous bands, where they can provide health care and education for indigenous people -- without loss of connection to their cultural heritage if we wish to. We need to encourage development of urban reserves as a refuge for aboriginals transitioning from reserve to urban living.

Isolation also contributes to feelings of despair and addictions. Indigenous families have been torn apart by hopelessness and addictions. Generations of youth have been raised by grandparents or relatives, which is inconsistent with the strong family ties of traditional indigenous people. We have too many indigenous people overwhelmed by circumstance they cannot control.

The Indian Act needs replacement, with a combination of provincial and municipal authorities, that allow for local taxation, property development and private ownership.

That is where reconciliation must start.

Hope and opportunity are powerful catalysts missing from indigenous affairs as it is currently practiced. We have to take a deep breath and allow indigenous people to break free of outdated colonial law. Progress entails risks, and we need to get on a path for the betterment of our indigenous population and ... correct errors as they occur. We won’t get it right with the first attempt. 

Argument over whether the MMIWG Inquiry found evidence of ‘genocide’ or not is useless -- it detracts from the real issues that drive violent behaviour.

The Indian Act is condescending, disgraceful, racist legislation that makes me thoroughly ashamed of my government.

Please don’t apologize for it – get rid of it without further delay.   

   

John Feldsted

Political Consultant & Strategist

Winnipeg, Manitoba