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With its current edition, Maclean’s magazine has sparked a national debate about the nature and extent of Canadian racism. Through the simple device of calling Winnipeg the “most racist” city in Canada, it has shone a light on one of the greatest “wicked problems” (a complex problem for which there is no simple solution) in Canadian public life. But it moves us no closer to a resolution.
Racism is clearly part of the picture. But attaching it to the situation facing First Nations suggests that the solution lies in tackling the racists and changing their attitudes. That’s putting the cart before the horse.
Picking on Winnipeg also blames the city for demographic and social accidents beyond its control. The challenges facing indigenous peoples are particularly acute in cities with large aboriginal populations, both in percentage and absolute terms. In these cities — Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Calgary — the size of the First Nations population makes the issue a collective challenge and responsibility.
There are serious issues in the Manitoban capital. The migration of First Nations people from northern Manitoba, which has one of the lowest per-capita incomes in the country and many communities in serious crisis, exacerbates the existing problems in the city. For northern First Nations people, Winnipeg is an “arrival city,” a place that at least holds the promise of a better life and an escape from hardship. There is thus little reason for Canadians in other cities to look down their noses at those on the frontlines trying to deal with the legacy of Canada’s failed aboriginal policies.
The point to bear in mind is that — strident racists aside — there is an overwhelming consensus in this country about the need to end that legacy and improve opportunities for aboriginal people. The constructive and positive developments in recent years, from constitutional and legal recognition of rights to surging aboriginal business development and large-scale indigenous enrolment in colleges and universities, have set the country on a much different course. That problems persist is widely recognized.
First Nations want — and deserve — full recognition and acceptance of their aboriginal and treaty rights. First Nations also generally want greater autonomy, less interference from the federal government, and the resources needed to secure the same level of services that other Canadians take for granted.
For the rest of this column, click here: http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/01/28/ken-s-coates-in-defence-of-winnipeg/