Over the years the Truth and Reconciliation Community Bobcaygeon has worked towards ‘Shifting Perspectives through re-imagining relations with Indigenous Peoples, Settlers and the Land’. That goal has lead us to continuously review books and documents pertaining to that ‘shifting perspective’, discuss these sources of information and opinion and then try to figure out courses of action.
Recently we read and reviewed together the late Arthur Manuel and Grand Chief Ronald Derrickson’s 2017 release ‘The Reconciliation Manifesto, Recovering the Land, Rebuilding the Economy’ (James Lorimer & Co, Toronto). The Reconciliation Manifesto is Arthur Manuel’s call to action for everyone who cares about the futures of First Nation, Metis and Inuit people in this country called Canada. For those who have not fully grasped the deadly accuracy of the two- pronged spear of Colonialism and Racism, Manuel sets out to outline just how well it’s all worked out to undermine the lives of Indigenous people. Colonial institutions and laws combined with racist attitudes of white supremacy have resulted in untold cruelties of assimilation and annihilation for many generations of Indigenous people. Residential schools, prisons, reserves, welfare, poverty, exclusion, court systems, laws and more have been used to try to ground down the spirit of a population who make up 5% of Canada’s population yet occupy only 0.2 percent of the land in Reserves.
Manuel cautions all of us to be careful in what, if any, Federal or Provincial government legislation regarding Indigenous affairs we support. Anything that comes out of these jurisdictions often infringes on the sovereignty of Indigenous people and their particular nations. He proposes finding a way to unite people at the tribal level and create a method of governing that encompasses the tribal/family authority of hereditary Chiefs over federally funded territory and elected Indian Act councillors and Band administrators. Any change cannot be ‘top down’ it must be grassroots and ‘bottom up’ leadership.
Manuel looks to all 60 Indigenous Nations to unite and force the Canadian government to recognize Aboriginal land title and rights and reject the long held thinking of Canada as an empty land or nobody’s land, ‘terra nullius’. Manuel further states that the prime minister and premiers “must first respect and affirm our Indigenous rights to our lands before real reconciliation is even logically possible.”
Manuel looks to all 60 Indigenous Nations to unite and force the Canadian government to recognize Aboriginal land title and rights and reject the long held thinking of Canada as an empty land or nobody’s land, ‘terra nullius’.
Manuel has some last words of advice for us all. He says we are ‘demented’ to think this will be ‘given’ by the governments of Canada. Bodies like the Assembly of First Nations and other arms of the federal agencies are not the ones to lead this movement. It must come from an external force like the UN and be lead by grassroots warrior societies and groups like Idle No More. For too many generations poverty has been used to control Indigenous people who live in fear of losing what little they have achieved. That is why he feels the need for all ties to federal agencies to be cut in order to create a fair and level field for talking and achieving self-determination and ultimately, reconciliation.
A Great Resource
Naomi Klein, in her Preface to Arthur Manuel and Grand Chief Ronald Derrickson’s book, The Reconciliation Manifesto (which was also her speech at the funeral of Arthur Manuel in January 2017), describes Art as “a visionary”, “an incredible organizer and teacher” and also a “savvy tactician” inspiring many grassroots organizations.
She states:
“For me, what Art taught me that changed me and changed my life forever, was that what is good for Indigenous people, what will ultimately fight poverty and heal trauma, is the return of the land. And he also taught me that what is good for Indigenous people is good for the land, is good for the water, and ultimately is our only hope for fighting catastrophic climate change and ecological collapse. Our only hope.”