At its basic level, reconciliation is defined as “the act of coming to an understanding and
putting an end to hostility, as when former enemies agree to an amicable true”.
Canada’s definition is based on the
UN’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It advocates for a
nation to nation and government to government relationship between the
Indigenous peoples and Canada. As such, it would seem to state that the
Indigenous are not a part of Canada but a separate country (or group of people)
with whom the government must work.
That is an enormous idea already. But let’s break it down a
bit. Basically, to my understanding, instead of treating the indigenous people
as inferior or sovereign citizens of Canada, under rule of the Canadian
government, they should be considered their own independent people with their
own culture, government, and way of doing things that are equal to (and some
would argue superior to) the “Canadian way”. This is very much in line with our
Canadian multicultural identity. I remember being taught – somewhat smugly – in
school that Canada was a multicultural country not a melting pot like the
United States. Here in Canada, we not only allowed but encouraged and embraced
many different cultures and ideas. So, logically, that idea applies to our
Indigenous policies.
By right of previous stewardship and residence on the land
now called Canada, the Natives have a superior right and culture – at least
that’s what it feels like the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples and similar documents seem to say. That is where I struggle. I
understand that the indigenous people were colonized and that their culture was
(mostly) destroyed) but just because they lived on this land prior to
colonization does not make them inherently better than colonizers- no more than
colonizers were inherently better than the Indigenous peoples. How can we based
our decisions on the idea that that “Aboriginal rights are distinct and
different from the rights of other Canadians.”
After all, section one of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms states that everyone has the:
- fundamental
freedoms, democratic rights
- the
right to live and seek employment anywhere in Canada
- legal
rights (life, liberty, and personal security)
- equality
rights for all
Naturally, I must note that there is a bullet point on
Aboriginal rights on the front page. That might really be the heart of the
issue. Our Charter and other official legislation have this inherent contradiction.
All people are equal, all people have equal rights. But some are more equal
than others.
