Canada Day muted as country reckons with treatment of indigenous, other minorities

OTTAWA, July 1 (Reuters) – Several cities canceled Thursday’s Canada Day celebrations after hundreds of children’s remains were discovered in unmarked graves in former indigenous schools, sparking a reckoning with the country’s colonial past.

Calls to reduce or cancel celebrations rose after nearly 1,000 unmarked graves were found in former residential schools in British Columbia and Saskatchewan as of May, mostly run by the Catholic Church and government funded.

Traditionally, the holiday is celebrated with barbecues and fireworks in the back yard, much like July 4th in the United States. That year, however, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the day was “a time to reflect”. Continue reading

A # CancelCanadaDay march in Canada’s capital Ottawa turned to an orange sea as thousands in orange shirts gathered to honor the victims and survivors of Canada’s boarding school system. They carried a large banner that read “No pride in genocide”.

The boarding schools forcibly separated indigenous children from their families in what the Truth and Reconciliation Commission described in 2015 as “cultural genocide”.

Hundreds of people, also in orange shirts, marched through downtown Toronto, Canada’s financial capital, in support of the indigenous children. Indigenous artist Danielle Migwans performed a healing dance during the march.

Orange symbolizes the recognition of the victims of the country’s boarding school system.

Vigils and rallies took place in other parts of the country.

“Canada is counting on its history,” said Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, a University of Toronto sociology professor who studies race, crime and criminal justice.

“I don’t think we can celebrate this country for what it is without recognizing this country for what it is not: a utopia and a bastion of equality and freedom and equal opportunities for all members of society,” he said .

Canada’s reputation for tolerance was based on its efforts to create a multicultural society, begun in the 1970s. However, the data show that there are inequalities for both indigenous communities and visible minorities.

In his Canada Day message, Trudeau said the discovery of the remains of hundreds of children in former residential schools “has rightly urged us to reflect on the historical failures of our country” and the injustices that persist for indigenous peoples and many others exist in Canada.

“On this Canada Day we want to re-commit to learning and listening to one another so that we can break down the barriers that divide us, correct the injustices of our past and build a more just and just society for all.”

STRONG DISPARITIES

Indigenous peoples, who make up less than 5% of the population, face higher levels of poverty and violence and shorter life expectancies.

The unemployment rate of the visible minorities, who make up more than 20% of the total population, was 11.4% in May, compared with 7.0% for whites, according to Statistics Canada. In 2020, the unemployment rate for the indigenous population in Ontario was 12.5%, compared to 9.5% for the non-indigenous population.

According to a Diversity and Racism poll by the Angus Reid Institute published on June 21, around 30% of visible minorities and indigenous peoples feel treated like outsiders in their own country.

The discovery of the remains and a fatal attack on a Muslim family in June that killed three generations of members have sparked a soul-searching in Canada over the country’s often touted reputation for tolerance. The suspect is charged with murder and domestic terrorism. Continue reading

According to the latest StatCan data, hate crimes against Muslims rose 9% to 181 in 2019. According to the Angus-Reid poll, about 36% of the indigenous population and 42% of visible minorities said Canada was a racist country.

In Alberta, too, several Muslim women wearing headscarves have been attacked in recent weeks, while in Quebec a law that bans civil servants from wearing the headscarf is being legally challenged and critics describe the measure as a form of institutionalized racism.

New Democratic MP Mumilaaq Qaqqaq, who is Inuk, said she felt insecure as an indigenous woman in the lower house and announced last month that she would not run for re-election. Continue reading

“I don’t think there is any reason to celebrate (on Canada Day),” said Qaqqaq.

Reporting by Steve Scherer, additional reporting by Julie Gordon; Editing by Aurora Ellis and Dan Grebler

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