‘Inquiry will show racism is alive and well in Canada’: Madahbee

GATINEAU, QC (December 8, 2015) – Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee applauds the federal government’s announcement of an inquiry into murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls in Canada.

“An inquiry will bring some closure for families of our murdered and missing indigenous women and girls,” says Grand Council Chief Madahbee. “It will also show that racism is alive and well in Canada. Solutions need to be brought forward and we believe that public education and education in schools is one of the answers to this problem.”

The Union of Ontario Indians has already had several public education initiatives in the areas of Indian Residential Schools and the events surrounding Ipperwash.

“We have produced books, videos and booklets on events that have happened in our history,” says Madahbee. “We aren’t waiting for anyone else to teach our history, we went ahead and did it ourselves.”

Earlier this year, the Union of Ontario Indians Policy and Communications Department created the “We are all Treaty People” teachers kit that ties the Ontario curriculum to our history and the treaty relationship.

“Educational resources like the teachers kit that bring about the discussion of the treaty relationship at an early age,” says Madahbee. “We are in the process of translating this resource into French, as well as producing a secondary school teachers resource that will talk about the relationship between Indigenous Peoples in Canada and settlers. We believe by having these conversations at an early age will help eliminate racism and give all Canadians a better understanding of First Nations issues.”