Solutions sought to stamp out hate, racism

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The Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) has launched a one-year campaign-Sisters in Spirit-to lobby the federal government to establish a $10-million fund for research and education related to violence against Aboriginal women.

The launch was part of Hate and Racism: Seeking Solutions, a four-day conference held March 20 to 23 and hosted by the Indigenous Bar Association (IBA) and Quebec Native Women in Montreal.

The conference heard that between 1988 and 1995, five young Aboriginal women went missing along Highway 16 between Prince Rupert and Prince George, B.C., now commonly referred to as the Highway of Tears. NWAC reports that despite community protests, neither the police nor the media took the disappearances of these women seriously until 2002 when a non-Aboriginal woman disappeared on the same stretch of road.

NWAC also reports that 500 Aboriginal women living in Canada have gone missing over the past 20 years and government, media, and Canadian society as a whole have remained silent about their disappearance.

The conference explored some of the causes and consequences of hate and racism and discussed local and national strategies for their elimination.

Chief Roberta Jamieson of Six Nations of the Grand River spoke of David Ahenakew's anti-Semitic comments of late 2002. Ahenakew was a senator with the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, a member of the Order of Canada, and the former chief of the Assembly of First Nations, who, in his opening remarks to a gathering in Saskatchewan, made several disparaging remarks about Jews.

Jamieson said on the day of those comments, Aboriginal people lost their innocence.

"Too many of us said [Ahenakew] was victimized; too little said he was wrong."

"After those comments, we organized a symposium on racism," said Mark Stevenson, a Metis lawyer from B.C. who was president of the IBA at the time. At the end of the symposium, it was decided to hold a conference that addressed the issues of hate and racism and possible solutions to eliminate them.

March 21 is the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and March 19 to 28 marked Quebec's fifth annual anti-racism week, with events featured in Montreal, Laval, Quebec City, Sherbrooke and Gatineau.

"We supported Quebec's events," said Stevenson, adding they were a factor in determining when and where the conference would be held.

During a discussion in a non-governmental organization strategy session held at the conference it was decided there is a need for organizations to build a network to easily share resources and be able to co-ordinate and communicate properly.

"We need a council or organization where all [anti-racist NGOs] can get together," said Stephen Lewis, the United Nations special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa.

"We have a lot of the same common strategies because we have the same common goals," added Karen Eltis, interim director of community relations at the Canadian Jewish Congress, Quebec Region.

Many conference participants, including Jamieson and Eltis, said people need to speak out when somebody is a victim of racism.

"We all must speak out when somebody is demonized, even when that person is not of our culture," said Eltis. "When one person or group is demonized, we all are demonized."

"Education is crucial," Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine said to conference participants. "Children need to learn about Canadian history-the real history."

"Racism is a part of Canada's cultural heritage," added Jamieson.

Dr. Bahram R. Shahmardaan, author of "The Journey of Life Eternal," said hate is a result of the combination of "the instinct of self-preservation, the insecurity of the human mind and the force of inertia."

Shamardaan said all creatures, whether plant, insect, animal, human being or society, will strive to preserve and perpetuate who or what they are.

He explained that anucleus of fear enters the human mind at birth with the sudden separation from the womb and "the gasping for life sustaining air in a radically new environment." This nucleus of fear leads to a closed and insecure mind.

Because of the force of inertia, said Shamardaan, "all creations tend to propagate themselves." He concludes that in an attempt to strengthen and preserve itself, "each culture tends to increase and spread its influence," which inevitably leads to a clash.

"Racism is the theory and hate is the practice," said Lewis.

Mark Stevenson illustrated the institutional racism that exists in Canada by using examples such as residential schools and unsettled land claims.

Former British Columbia premier Ujjal Dosanjh said "the role of politics and government is very important" when fighting hate and racism. Dosanjh encouraged Aboriginal people and minorities to seek influential positions in government so they can make a difference. He said "politics is power" and "power equals change."

Concerns about the lack of practical solutions and action coming out of past anti-racism conferences were expressed by some participants.

"We need to find practical solutions," said Dianne Corbiere, president of the IBA. "Something that hasn't been done that well up to the present." Corbiere, along with many other participants, agreed that dialogue between all NGOs must continue to formulate these solutions.

Conference organizers say they will encourage and work to keep the communication lines open between all conference participants and will continue to discuss, plan and initiate strategies discussed at the conference to bring practical solutions to the problems of hate and racism.

About 200 people took part in the conference.

Speakers and panelists included lieutenant-general (Retired) Romeo Dallaire; the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Irwin Cotler; and president of the Law Commission of Canada, Nathalie Des Rosiers.

Mohawk Eldr Alex Sonny Diabo of Kahnawake performed the opening and closing ceremonies.