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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 143

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 7, 2022 02:00PM
Context: House Hansard - 143 - Dec/7/22
Mrs. Jenica Atwin (Fredericton, Lib.)
  • Dec/7/22 7:21:06 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for her speech. One thing that is often missing from the discussion is the ongoing problem of anti-indigenous racism. Can the member tell us what we can do to address this problem?
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Context: House Hansard - 143 - Dec/7/22
Mrs. Jenica Atwin
  • Dec/7/22 7:21:49 p.m.
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Madam Chair, something that is often missing from the discussion is the specific and ongoing issue of anti-indigenous racism. I am wondering if the member could comment on what more we could be doing in society, perhaps in education, to confront this disease.
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Context: House Hansard - 143 - Dec/7/22
Hon. Dan Vandal
  • Dec/7/22 7:48:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for that good question. I would like to abolish racism, not just against the first nations, but also against the Inuit and the Métis. I am certainly prepared to sit down with the member to try to find ways to achieve that goal. As for his question on the Indian Act, I am prepared to sit down with the member, but also with the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations to try to find a way that makes sense in order to work first with the first nations on replacing the Indian Act with something better.
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Context: House Hansard - 143 - Dec/7/22
Hon. Dan Vandal
  • Dec/7/22 7:50:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, the systemic violence and racism that we are seeing manifest itself today in the murders of four women has its roots in the colonial values that Canada had at its beginning. Our first Indian Act policy was the civilization of first nations, then the Christianization and ultimately the assimilation, thereby erasing the Indian out of the Indian person, which was clearly a racist policy. However, that was 150 years ago. Today, there is more that everybody can do, including the federal, provincial, municipal and indigenous governments and the community. We all have a spectre of influence in our lives and in the communities where we live. I think that is what reconciliation is about. There is more that everybody can do, including institutions, governments and individuals. We must come together to look for solutions. We must call out racism when we see it and hear it. We need to work with indigenous nations, person to person and government to government.
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Context: House Hansard - 143 - Dec/7/22
Mrs. Jenica Atwin
  • Dec/7/22 9:22:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am extremely passionate about education. It is the key to unlocking so much of this. Some of the issues I mentioned were misogyny and racism. These are big issues. It is going to take so much to really get to the root causes of these societal and systemic problems. I think back to my wonderful times in education and working with students. If one empowers their voices, if one teaches the truth about their history, about colonialism and, again, listens to their lived experience and provides that springboard for action, it is incredible to see the heights these students will reach. So many of my students are pursuing now their master's in social work or law. They will be the leaders who will replace us in the House. Those voices and that representation will matter in such a big way that it will start to break down some of these barriers that continue to oppress in society. Absolutely, education is the key. It will always be my passion, and I bring that into the House any chance I get.
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