The Quebec inquiry into relations with Indigenous people raises hopes

Amnesty International has a simple message for the Quebec public inquiry into discrimination against Indigenous communities – provide proper services, fight discrimination and stop police violence.

Karine Gentelet, chairperson of Amnesty International Canada’s francophone section, said she told the commission that they had documented “very systemic discrimination” against Indigenous women in Quebec. She urged Canada and Quebec to simply implement the international agreements they had signed onto, including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Gentelet urged them to work closely with Indigenous organizations that are already familiar with the problems – and solutions.

Amnesty is one of many groups that have weighed in on the ongoing Public Inquiry Commission on Relations Between Indigenous Peoples and Certain Public Services, commonly referred to as the CERP. Many Cree individuals and organizations have given their testimony and recommendations to the commission, which has heard from around 150 people in its 13 weeks of hearings.

The regional coordinator of the Cree Women of Eeyou Istchee Association (CWEIA), Manon Richmond, said she wanted the commission to deal with the discrimination and the lack of trust many Cree feel in provincial public services.

Richmond has decided to put a lot of trust in the commission, recently accepting a position as a liaison officer, trying to get people to come to meetings, and preparing the groundwork in communities.

“I have faith that this is the beginning of an era of change, but it won’t address all the needs related to safety and services, because it took many years to get here,” Richmond said. “I have faith in the long run that this is a step forward.”

She urged women to come forward and trust their gut: if someone “didn’t treat you right, it’s the time to come forward.”

The CWEIA submission noted that many Cree suffered traumatic or unpleasant treatment that have “left them reluctant to either come forward or further utilize the public services located in these settings.”

They urged the government to educate service providers about Indigenous rights and history, as well as ensuring that language no longer remained a barrier. As well, the association called for the decolonization of public services, by enshrining cultural rights in Quebec’s Civil Code, which makes no mention of Aboriginal people.

Richmond also wants the commission to consult First Nations before submitting its final report to include their feedback. Too often, she says, Indigenous groups will see a final report, and wonder where the recommendations came from.

Cree School Board Chairperson Kathleen Wootton addressed the commission January 24. According to Wootton, young people can sometimes face overcrowding housing, which leads to difficulties in school. She says youth and their families might decide to move south, where they’re at risk of even more serious problems.

There, they’re more likely to fall victim to homelessness, violence and abuse, she said.

Wootton has heard stories of Cree who go to southern clinics only to be mistreated by doctors and nurses. “Sometimes I feel that First Nations are not considered as valuable or not treated as human beings,” she said.

Wootton is pessimistic about dealing with some individuals, but is still hopeful that public services can improve. “You’re always going to have people who are racist and ignorant, but at least public services connected to health will be able to learn and understand better how First Nations people are just as important.”

Chief counsel to the commission, Christian Leblanc, says that the commission has heard testimony that deals with all six public services that commissioners are investigating, including police, corrections, legal, health and social services, and youth protection services.

So far, he said the commission has heard from a lot of experts, but they expect to hear from more citizens soon, whose testimony will require more investigation. The commission is meant to submit its final report by December 2018.

Leblanc notes that the commission has already made two preliminary recommendations, which are only issued to remedy situations that need immediate attention.

After the commission became aware that individuals were being put in jail when they couldn’t pay fines in Val-d’Or, commissioners urged the city to stop this practice. In September, the commission issued a press release saying they were “pleased” that the city had taken steps to address this recommendation.

Leblanc said he’s heard the concern that the recommendations will not be followed through by government.

He said that the more relevant, long lasting and practical their recommendations are, the more likely they will be followed. Leblanc also noted that the implementation of recommendations is often a matter of timing.

“Sometimes you recommend something, and society is not ready. Society then evolves, you recommend it again, and maybe society is ready,” he said.

Karine Gentelet believes it takes continual pressure to prepare society and its government for change. While she thinks the commission is doing a “great job” so far, and confident they will have a good report, she’s not as hopeful that the government will listen.

“It’s a government – if we don’t put pressure on them as citizens and non-governmental organizations, they won’t do it,” Gentelet said. “It will be a shame if the government pays for the commission and doesn’t want to implement the recommendations.”