Ipperwash Summer Series: Systemic racism grows roots in Canada since the release of Report of the Ipperwash Inquiry

September 6, 2020, will mark the 25th anniversary of the shooting death of unarmed protestor Anthony “Dudley” George by an Ontario Provincial Police sniper at Ipperwash Beach.  The Anishinabek News will feature an Ipperwash Summer Series to highlight the history,  trauma, aftermath, and key recommendations from the 2007 Report of the Ipperwash Inquiry.  First Nations in Ontario understood that the Inquiry would not provide all of the answers or solutions, but would be a step forward in building a respectful government-to-government relationship.

For information on the 2007 Report of the Ipperwash Inquiry, please visit: http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/inquiries/ipperwash/closing_submissions/index.html

By Nathan Wright

Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was declared in March 2020, just as many First Nations people have been killed by police services across Canada as the COVID-19 virus itself.*

Recent events have highlighted the fact that First Nations people continue to be caught in a vicious cycle of oppression. The number of First Nations people killed by police across Turtle Island continue to rise.  Our incarceration rates surpass the rest of the Canadian population and our children continue to be apprehended and placed in foster care where far too many end up back in the vicious cycle of oppression, and some, dead.

First Nations people know all too well institutional racism has led to issues such as discrimination in criminal justice, high unemployment, lack of housing, poor health care, unbalanced political power, and an inadequate education system, just to start. We live every day with the impacts of racism embedded within the Canadian fabric.

The mistreatment of First Nations people and visible minorities continues to feed the inaction by those who benefit from the systemic oppression played out in its institutions, essentially allowing this systemic racism to grow deep roots within our country and communities.

In the past 40 years, there has been a long list of government reports to end violence, discrimination, racism, and abuse against Indigenous people. These reports with thousands of equally repetitive recommendations are not doing anything to save lives. The reports and their recommendations are barely worth the paper they are written on with recommendations often going unimplemented or suspended for ‘budgetary’ reasons.

In Ontario, one of these reports was the Report of the Ipperwash Inquiry.

Released in 2007, the Report of the Ipperwash Inquiry was the most comprehensive look at the relationship between First Nations peoples and the structures that govern Canadian institutions. It dug deep into the roots of the issues and reported over 100 recommendations to prevent First Nations from experiencing violence in similar circumstances.

The Report broadly explored Treaty Relations, Public Awareness and Education, the Relationship between First Nations and Policing Institutions, and the government’s role in addressing systemic issues.  A chapter focussed on Bias-Free Policing, which included seven recommendations.

As it relates to the systemic issues that ultimately led to the death of Dudley George, the Ipperwash Inquiry conducted a literature review where Professor John Hylton summarized, at the time, the best practices, that later informed the Ipperwash recommendations.

The themes of these recommendations focussed on recruitment and diversity policies, proper cultural awareness training, and government support and recognition of First Nation policing services as essential services.

Police leadership were encouraged to support and model strong diversity policies and a proactive recruitment screening process to eliminate racist candidates who would bring in racist views. The recruitment of Indigenous peoples should be maintained over time with the goal of police services mirroring the community make-up which they serve.

The Report also encouraged cross-cultural training for recruits that is meaningful and evaluated by Indigenous leadership on an annual basis.

Finally, it was reported that both governments should work with First Nation leadership to fully recognize First Nation police services as an essential service. This means putting First Nation police services in the same tier as other police services across Canada.

When reporting on the findings in the Report of the Ipperwash Inquiry, Justice Sydney Linden made a point to spread the responsibility of reform to all Canadian Institutions and the federal and provincial governments.

We have to stop tinkering with the system and actually begin the process of dismantling the systems of oppression by untangling these deep roots of historic policing.

On March 9, 2006, the late Chief Simon Fobister of Grand Council Treaty #3 could not have stated things more clearly to the Inquiry when he said:

“It is one thing to forgive and move forward but when unnecessary death of our people continue to happen in this day and age, there is never any moving forward, just the recurring memories of seeing our parents humiliated and our sense of helplessness as children at how society views the ‘Original People of this land’. But we are survivors of our nation, and while we still have many struggles to overcome, we are prepared to work together with you to make the changes that are necessary so we can all live together in peace and harmony.”

We need only to look at the circumstances of events that led to the recent death of Chantel Moore or the video of the excessive police force directed at Chief Allan Adam as examples that Canadians have not fully embraced the individual and collective part they play in eliminating racism within our society.

We are not asking for an apology or another inquiry into the facts that we already know; we are asking those individuals who can influence change to educate themselves and review the guidance contained in these reports and begin to dismantle the system of oppression at the roots of law enforcement and other Canadian Institutions.

Police services across the country would be better served by not deflecting the issue of racism within their ranks, and rather take full responsibility from the top down. Police services should become leaders in Canada for their commitments to address systemic racism. The Report of the Ipperwash Inquiry and others provide a roadmap for change that has yet to occur. It is upon all of us to chart a new path towards inclusion and equality once and for all.  The question remains – if not you, who will be brave enough to take this path?

Nathan Wright has spent the last 18 years as a senior executive for various First Nation organizations at the regional and national levels.  During his time with the Chiefs of Ontario, Nathan led the First Nation engagement process into the Ipperwash Inquiry as well as coordinated the First Nation response and implementation for the recommendations.

*according to Indigenous Services Canada at the time of publication