In one of his more curious appointments, Prime Minister Mark Carney chose a newly-elected MP from the North to step into the role of Minister of CrownSA国际影视传媒揑ndigenous Relations.
It was a move that demonstrated a lack of understanding about the North on CarneySA国际影视传媒檚 part and brings into question this governmentSA国际影视传媒檚 commitment to Indigenous relations.
A record 12 Indigenous MPs were elected to the House of Commons this year, five of them Liberal. Of those, two were given cabinet posts, while a third, Metis Buckley Belanger, the only Liberal elected in Saskatchewan, was handed a secretary of state position. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 kind of like an administrative assistant. A ministerial position related to Indigenous Affairs would have been better suited to him, a First Nations person with lived experience who speaks the language.
There are numerous concerns about the Northern appointment. One is that it questions how committed the Carney government is to resolving unsettled land claims. Another is this governmentSA国际影视传媒檚 interest in working through the many recommendations that remain from the Truth and Reconciliation commission.
Carney was elected to an almost majority government because people are running scared. Voters wanted someone who could take on U.S. President Donald Trump and help us in our struggle to protect Canadian sovereignty. Carney knows it. Almost every other issue, except housing, became secondary. Yet they are equally important.
We must not back-pedal on the commitment Canada made in the last decade to a new relationship with this landSA国际影视传媒檚 original inhabitants. The Trudeau decade did much to forge a new relationship with First Nations.
To his credit, Carney appointed two strong Indigenous women to head other ministries: Rebecca Chartrand, of Churchill, Man., was named minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs while Mandy Gull-Masty, of Abitibi, Que., becomes minister of Indigenous Services. This is a great start. However, Belanger was worthy of a similar posting SA国际影视传媒� he worked hard for it.
By choosing a non-Indigenous person from the North to head Crown-Indigenous Relations shows that Carney does not understand the workings of the North and the level of disparity in the communities where most of the population is First Nations.
He did spend some of his early years in Fort Smith, but most of his youth was lived in Edmonton SA国际影视传媒� not up here. If that would have been the case, he would have been more familiar with the inequities between the communities and Yellowknife, and what's required to level the playing field. He would have understood that half the population in the NWT is Indigenous SA国际影视传媒� the majority of whom live in smaller rural centres, where Third-World conditions are the norm, not the exception.
Limited health services, limited educational opportunities, poor drinking water, no emergency shelters and growing drug problems because they feel abandoned are among the serious issues confronting many remote communities. Carney would have understood, then, why colonization is still a force to be reckoned with and that white privilege is real. He would have understood why people in the communities are far more comfortable talking to one of their own because of the way they have been treated and, failing that, someone dedicated to resolving rural needs.
It is why some community governments prefer hiring non-whites for key roles because they are not comfortable with white people. They have a deep appreciation for people from countries where colonization has left its mark. No wonder.
Maybe because Carney has spent so little time up here, he does not understand that the imbalance persists and why it's so important to have people able to negotiate in a way where all people feel heard and respected. He would have better appreciated how tenuous the relationship is. If he would have understood the importance of resolving land claims, then he might have put more emphasis on developing teams and a better support structure to work on the Indigenous affairs file.
Whoever is in this role must commit themselves to resolving land claims and getting First Nations communities the resources and services they need. This is the only thing that will bridge the gap between the 'haves and have-nots' SA国际影视传媒� and create an atmosphere where Indigenous and non-Indigenous can work together well. We need them.
Artic security and sovereignty are on the line SA国际影视传媒� and those issues can only be addressed successfully between parties who understand the shared importance of standing up for our country. So much is at stake in these perilous and dangerous times, and Indigenous folks will be asked to contribute much. We need committed people working on this file to bring Northern residents together and nurse the North back to health.
The fate of not only the North, but all of Canada, rests on this.
