Indigenous Peoples and governments are here for the long haul

More than ever, Canadians understand that our shared history requires us to walk the journey of reconciliation together. On this journey we must acknowledge that colonization, discrimination, and a history of underfunding have created more than 150 years of harm. This journey is also a relationship: it will evolve, it will change and grow, and will go through ups and downs, but as Canadians we must embrace it together. As a First Nations MP who lives on a First Nations reserve, I try not to get high with the highs or low with the lows, because through it all, I stay focused on the work ahead, which can be overwhelming if you let it. As South African Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu said, the only way to eat an elephant “is one bite at a time.” The Indigenous Liberal Caucus advocates for three key aspects of advancing reconciliation: 1) closing the gap between Indigenous people and non-Indigenous Canadians; 2) addressing the harm created by colonization and the denial of Indigenous rights; and 3) continuing to invest in economic reconciliation. Firstly, closing the gap between Indigenous people and non-Indigenous Canadians requires all levels of government to take a hard look at the conditions many Indigenous people are living in. Most non-Indigenous Canadians would never accept these conditions, but they are an unfortunate result of decades of underfunding, which must be addressed through greater investments in water, policing, housing, health, etc. Secondly, addressing historical harm requires acknowledging that colonization and racist policies have resulted in long-lasting trauma, mistrust, and the loss of Indigenous languages, culture, families, and even lives. This requires difficult conversations about our dark history, but also difficult decisions about how to resolve injustices, recognize Indigenous rights, and restitute lands and resources to Indigenous nations. Jaime Battiste was first elected as the Liberal MP for Sydney–Victoria, N.S., in 2019. Photograph courtesy of the House of Commons And third, it is important that we create pathways to prosperity—sometimes called economic reconciliation—to allow Indigenous communities and Indigenous Peoples to thrive on their own terms. This also requires investments so that Indigenous Peoples, communities, and enterprises have access to capital, training, and support. There is still work to be done, but I believe we have taken more steps forward to achieve reconciliation than any government in history. We have introduced the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) Act and are releasing an action plan to ensure federal laws and policies align with UNDRIP. We have also enacted legislation protecting Indigenous languages, and once Bill C-29 moves through Parliament, we will have a National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation which will report annually on the progress of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action in a yearly address from the prime minister. We also have legislated a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30 so that Canadians have time and space to reflect on where we are, where we have been, and where we are going as a country. Besides legislation, we have seen historical firsts: the first-ever federal department of Crown and Indigenous Relations, the first-ever Indigenous Languages Commissioner, the first-ever Indigenous Governor General, and the first-ever Indigenous Supreme Court justice. We have seen historic investments in Indigenous people in Canada and significant progress resolving land claims and other outstanding issues across the country. As a government, these are meaningful steps towards reconciliation, but it's important not to be boastful, because there is so much more work to be done, and we will need Canadian society to help. There are critics who will say reconciliation is dead, or some other expression of pessimism for the future. Yes, we have 150 years of a damaged relationships between Canada and Indigenous Peoples to make up for, but Indigenous Peoples and governments are here for the long haul. As with any relationship, you can choose to fight, or you can choose to heal. I think most Canadians value healing. Reconciliation will always be a relationship that we strive to improve. It won’t come easy. As an Indigenous MP who represents a largely non-Indigenous riding, I continue to be inspired by Canadians who care about and want to see reconciliation, in my riding and many others. I was proud to be the first Mi'kmaw elected, and then re-elected, to the House and am confident that Canadians are up to the challenges in our future, even if it is only one bite at a time. Jaime Battiste was first elected as the Liberal MP for Sydney–Victoria, N.S., in 2019. He is the first Mi'kmaw to be elected to Parliament. The Hill Times

Indigenous Peoples and governments are here for the long haul

There is still work to be done, but I believe we have taken more steps forward to achieve reconciliation than any government in history.

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Indigenous Peoples and governments are here for the long haul

There is still work to be done, but I believe we have taken more steps forward to achieve reconciliation than any government in history.

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