Nickel Belt News Volume Volume 58 60 Number • Issue 1011
Friday, 16, 2018 Friday, March March 6, 2020
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Working towards reconciliation is never easy and requires sacrifice by those in power, lawyer tells gathering BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMNPSONCITIZEN.NET
Post-secondary institutions need to do more to acknowledge the part they played in Canada’s genocidal policies against Indigenous people and take steps to correct historical imbalances, Pam Palmater told attendees during the opening day of University College of the North’s (UCN) fourth-annual Truth & Reconciliation Gathering in Thompson March 3. Palmater, a Mi’kmaq lawyer, professor, author and social justice activist from Eel River Bar First Nation in New Brunswick, said that righting past wrongs will require genuine apologies and sacrifices on the part of universities and colleges, all of which are on native territory and have a history of being complicit in the miseducation of students regarding how Indigenous peoples have been treated in Canada. “Reconciliation is more than just redress for residential schools,” Palmater said. “It has to be first about exposing the whole truth.” Introducing hiring quotas that ensure that institution employees reflect the diversity of the population at large is not going far enough, said Palmater. “Those are the things that should have been done all
along,” she said. “You don’t get to pat yourself on the back because you stopped discriminating. What does your institution do to make it a friendly place? Do Indigenous faculty feel supported? Have you ever asked?” She also said it requires reaching out beyond the university to the First Nations and Indigenous people in whose traditional territory the school is located and inviting them to take part in running it. “It requires Indigenous people to be represented in the governance structure,” Palmater said. In some cases, pursing true reconciliation may mean making cuts in other areas. “Reconciliation isn’t just doing it if I have enough money,” said Palmater. “Reconciliation requires sacrifice.” UCN, she said, is light years ahead of many other colleges and universities, but that shouldn’t encourage complacency. “This needs to be done urgently but not rushed,” Palmater aid. “We don’t have time to wait 10 or 20 years. There seems to be nothing more urgent than ending genocide in this country.” The requirement for urgency when it comes to rec-
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham Mi’kmaq lawyer, professor, author and social justice activist Pam Palmater spoke at University College of the North’s fourth-annual Truth & Reconciliation Gathering March 3 about what it means for colleges and universities to acknowledge their past wrongs and work towards a future in which Indigenous people achieve equality in the realm of education. onciliation was also noted by Cree elder Stella Neff from Misipawistik Cree Nation, who spoke before Palmater about using Indigenous storytelling to achieve
reconciliation. “Let’s start tomorrow so we can understand our beliefs as Aboriginal people before Columbus, before Walmart,” Neff said. “We
have to get going with this. It’s moving too slow as far as I’m concerned. We have to teach our language, our culture, our history. Our schools have to
open up to us teaching our spirituality. It was certainly the residential schools that destroyed that. It was also the day schools in our communities.”
Case of Flin Flon health care aide fired for drinking outside of work will be heard by Canada’s Supreme Court rights adjudicator’s decision claiming she was the alcohol at all times – insion was reasonable based victim of discrimination on cluding non-working hours The Supreme Court of on the merits of the disthe basis of her disability – and receive for Nickel Belt News photo treatment by Ian Graham Canada said Feb. 27 that crimination complaint and of alcohol addiction. the alcohol problem she Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. it will hear the Northern the remedies that were Government-appointed admitted she had. Regional Health Author- to ordered. adjudicator Sherri Walsh The complete ban on alBY IAN GRAHAM For all the harsh weather write things that you have ‘Oh, I’m just as bad, right?’ was not a very safe thing swallow when people say ity’s (NRHA) appeal of to The for I have all these stories and to do but I jumped at it. I that ordered in 2015 residents that Hor- and coholthe concerned EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET figureNRHA out. It’sapplied pretty clear Churchill dangersHorrocks, of polar a 2015 Manitoba appeal to the Su- I need to capture them for thought that was exciting rocks reinstated, granted who to sign Though she’s nowHuman written leave when Itoget through.” shouldbejust find somewhere bears,refused deMeulles said ifthe it Rights Commission rulpreme Court in December full back pay and awarded agreement on the advice of a book about her experienDeMeulles said she wrote my grandchildren really until the plane landed and easier to live. had been viable she would ing growing that it up discriminated her union, called the 2018. “for‘Those injurypeople to her have ces in Churchill, her book, titled Whispers in because they will be lost if they started throwing the $10,000 “To say, movedwhich back to Churchagainst a former employee is critically or They self- deal Addictions Foundation of the“This Wind:case Stories from the I don’t.” fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy dignity, choose tofeelings live there. ill in discriminatory a heartbeat. toward when it fired her fordirector drink- important further disability.I Manitoba northern North - Lifetoindetermining Churchill for She also has a reputation cats, I was probably sitting respect.” should just Walsh leave,’ is quite a person “I misswith the ashoreline, ing outside of work the rightsofofreasons. unionized em- as a storyteller herself. ordered the the miss NOR-MAN Gisele deMeulles saidhours. writ- a couple on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’sNRHA, quite disrethe rock, fired I missHorthe case something is expectedshe to ployees file of complaints successorIf to rocks on Julyeven 20, 2011. ingThe wasn’t “I justtosort thought, “I had such a varied hisAnother thing that spectful. weNOR-MAN, were in the polar bears though be heard sometime later of under implement a policy to they’re Horrocks’s union filed always thought she would youdiscrimination know what, this his- tory and I would tell people spurred her on was the to same boat in another area very dangerous and this year, the commission tory, the Human Rights “reasonable ac- Ia really grievance. 5, do. this stuff that’sCode,” in my stories and they would go, hard times facing Churchill Iprovide think we would scream miss On the April Hudson said. said Karen Sharma, commodation” todon’t employ2012, she to get her job back “In my youth I never head, that so why they Bay,” says. “When I go it’s going to beacting gone ‘That’s not true, is it?’ I’d go, since the Hudson Bay Rail- about ruling was previousdirector of she the ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, way suspended operations ees have an alcohol an agreement feltThe good at writing,” she executive if I don’t write it down,” havewho the option to do that? she backsigned home, standing on the ly reviewed by a Manitoba Manitoba Human Rights addiction. similar to the one she said. “But when I moved said. “My kids are not go- ‘You didn’t do all that, did north of Gillam last spring. I think right now they’re Hudson Bay looking outhad on Court of Queen’s Bench Commission, a March Horrocks had been previously refused, agreeto Thompson to get into ing to get it if Iindon’t do it you? You’ve got to be really “It used to be a really feeling like they’re pawnsa the bay, it just gives you an justice, who hu- 3and press “While care game aide for to abstain from the school of said socialthe work, it’srelease. something I’ve the al- old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually thriving large community health in a political andabout that’s ing incredible sense. Youalcohol feel so man not Court of Appeal’s ruling years whenI at all times. at thatrights point case I hadwas to write ways wanted my mom to I did all that before I was and it’s just dwindled down two-and-a-half really sad for them because small and you feel great.” valid becauseand neither the do. provided some a manager deemed her to She hadthat not yet returned for university realized, My mom’s anguidance elder and 27,’ and they went ‘What?’” to such a small population think the people of ChurchNow she’s got woman who nor she’s as to the right ofshe’s unionized be really under the influence of one to work when, on April 30, ‘Holy, I’m notwas badfired at this, an artist, got so book under her belt, Looking back, some of now,” deMeulles says. ill want to thrive. her union filed a grievance to file comat work in 2012, NOR-MAN right?’ I certainly developed employees many wonderful stories be- those experiences are things Though she’s not there alcohol They’ve while built their worlds deMeulles says she told mayher try casemight and look forward MAN Regional Health to lot theof human dir- cause plaintsshe with the commisJune 2011. it had received reports that a skill resources in university always tells her she not do again. to any longer, her parents and there. How would we feel to produce another. much Authority, accused of if someone ector. Theout Manitoba sion, there remains ambiShe was suspended of alcohol and came of thereCourt with stories at Parks Canada in receiving “I did some prettyneeded bizarre her sister and other her family came to youwithand she “Ismelled have another bookatina onfuel thishauls issue.” of Appeals disagreed on and the I’ve interaction further a very strong skill in and my guity Churchill always clarity stuff like into the drinking said,pay ‘I’mpending sorry, you haveinto grocery me,” shestore says.and “It’ssounded a darker membersoutside still are.of work in out Health care of an agreement sent the and matter back to the rights just and high Lesscommunity than three intoxicated writing confi dence in between hounded human her, ‘Please, Arctic at aide -35,”Linda said violation “My cousin owns the vestigation. leave your home story, more when about reached personHorrocks lost job dawn at the hardware she signed. reviewing judge for a decilabour schemes weeks later, NOR-MAN at home byand phone. my writing. I write very put it onrelations tape, I will write it deMeulles. “Ither didn’t store there,” she and we’re going to displace al growth struggles. Manor Horrocks filed a com- told sion not it. onIt’s procedWe are pleased her she could return Horrocks both reclear based and that’s there. in forCanada. you because your story Northern on me untilLights after. That wasin a says. you somewhere else and all Maybe in thedenied next five years Flin Flon in 2012 after her plaint with the Manitoba ural grounds but whether that Supreme Court of Canto work if she signed an ports, but on May 1, 2012, Some people say it’s kind of is going to be lost,’ and she’s very dangerous thing to do. Because of that, your loved ones and your it’s something I’ll focus on employer, then the NORHuman Rights or notorthe original human ada has agreed toI hear this Being agreement to abstain from doing.” was again fired. blunt direct. I don’t tend never done it and thought, on a plane full of fuel deMeulles finds Commisit hard to history is gone?’” BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET