Riel’s battle rages on
Aboriginal and Métis people deserve the same standard of living
Greg McVicker
Although Louis Riel Day is the latest provincial holiday Manitobans will enjoy, there are those who view Riel as the Métis hero that led the Red River and Northwest Rebellion and who fought to sustain Métis rights, whereas others view him as being nothing more than a traitor who instigated a civil war.
Riel was a grassroots leader of the the Métis, a Manitoba community of the descendents of First Nations women and European fishermen. As a result of his sometimes-violent protests, Riel was hanged for treason in Regina on Nov. 16, 1885.
Upon the unveiling of Riel’s name to recognize this holiday, public backlash was overwhelming and made headlines on television, radio talkshows and in newspapers. Callers voiced their anger and condemned Riel, even though he fought for his people’s rights. However, this is no different from the blockades at Hollow Water First Nation in 2007, whereby a group of residents from this community stood up for their rights which again invoked media attention and public backlash.
As a result of this, many individuals feel there are two standards within this country: one to suit “regular” Canadians, the other for Aboriginal peoples which encompasses First Nations, Inuit and Métis. However, how do we define who is Canadian when this country boasts many immigrants regardless of their origin, language and/or cultural background? And why does this matter when race is a socially constructed term?
Do we all not share the unique characteristic of being human?
With the exception of First Nations and Inuit and with the creation of the Métis, like every other person within Canada, I too am an immigrant and still carry a passport from Northern Ireland. Although I am indigenous (Irish), I am neither aboriginal nor Canadian and as such, should separate laws apply to people like me? Saying that it is because double standards exist within Canadian society is likely what caused the public outcry against the naming of Louis Riel Day and the efforts presented by our sisters and brothers at Hollow Water!
Do we all not share the unique characteristic of being human?
Canadian society creates these double standards, especially against aboriginal people. Prior to the influx of immigrant populations and colonization, First Nations and Inuit were self-governing people. Many of the laws currently in place, although rewritten, were formulated by the Dominion of Canada. As a result of this, the standard which is used for the rest of Canadian society often benefits those who are non-aboriginal. For instance:
1. Aboriginal people are heavily over-represented within Canadian jails. According to Statistics Canada in 2003-04, only 11 per cent of the adult population within Manitoba was Aboriginal, yet 68 per cent of those were in provincial custody.
2. Aboriginal veterans who served Canada did not receive the same “welcome home” treatment upon returning from both the First and Second World Wars, as many were not included to receive entitlement of land nor were they permitted entry into legions. Clarence Silver said it best: “When I served overseas, I was a Canadian. When I returned home, I was just an Indian.”
3. Aboriginal people have been bound to live under the Indian Act as established in 1876, which has been re-written time and time again, imposing Eurocentric ideas unto a population of people seen as being second- or third-class citizens, or in many cases, outcasts in Canadian society.
4. Canadians did not have their children forcefully removed during the “‘60s scoop” (record-high adoptions and foster-care placement of aborigial children, documented by aboriginalsocialwork.ca), nor did their children attend the residential school system and undergo the appalling experiences of having their family, culture, language and teachings completely eradicated through despicable acts that have involved countless human rights violations.
5. Canadians have not been colonized, displaced or relocated onto small parcels of land away from the rest of society, onto systems known as reserves and in which many people are faced with issues of poverty, vastly inflated food costs, unemployment, dilapidated living conditions, a lack of community resources including healthcare facilities and limited or no access to clean water. Suicide rates within reserve communities are vastly appalling. We should be ashamed by these statistics, although it is probably easier to turn a blind eye.
The barricades at Hollow Water affected only a small number of privileged Manitobans who could not gain access to their cottages. Louis Riel also faced many barricades but continued to fight for the freedoms of his people. In both cases, this has infuriated some individuals and opened the eyes of others, but it is readily apparent that many still simply fail to look beyond the scope of issues that are not only recent, but have affected millions of aboriginal people for centuries.
Many people feel Canadians need to be assured that one law applies within this country. However, we should ask our elected leaders to ensure that aboriginal people are entitled but not limited to: basic human rights, dignity and respect for cultural practices and languages, unbiased justice and education systems, acknowledgment of the courage and dedication presented by those who served and died for this country, proper access to health care, affordable housing, healthy food and drinking water, traditional lands and community resources.
The residents of Hollow Water may have erected barricades for eight weeks, but those who are Indigenous to this country, including Hollow Water, have personally faced systemic barricades for centuries. Louis Riel also fought such barricades, so let us enjoy this provincial holiday named after Riel while reflecting upon those who have given everything for the rights of their people, rather than fill radio talkshows and local newspapers with outrage and condemnation.
Greg McVicker is a fourth-year undergraduate social work student.
