Treatment of Native people 'a tragedy'

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The treatment of Native people in Canada in a "national tragedy" that can no longer be ignored by the general public, says the head of the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

Maxwell Yalden said Native people are facing the same racial discrimination today as they did in 1988. He has called on the government to set up a royal commission to investigate the plight of Canada's aboriginal peoples, whom he said are living in "misery and hopelessness."

He also lashed out at the federal government for slashing funds to Native communications and political groups across the country. Yalden told Windspeaker in a telephone interview from his Ottawa office he has written Gerry Wiener, minister for secretary of state, telling him the funding cut was a "very harmful decision."

I his recently released 1989 annual report, Yalden said the problems of abuse and prejudice toward Natives should be viewed disgracefully on the international levee.

He noted Native people need to communicate and to fight for their rights on a national scale.

"If there is any single issue on which Canada cannot hold its head high in the international community, and single area in which we can be accused of falling down on our obligations, it is in this area of aboriginal relations," he stated before the House of Commons last Thursday.

He said Native people are at "the bottom of the heap."

Yalden has placed Native issues at the top of his agenda along with discrimination against the disabled..

In his 1988 report, Yalden pointed out proposals for the betterment of Native people, which are still going unheeded.

Self-government, justice systems and employment for Native people are still not being implemented the way they should be.

"Discrimination is alive and well in Canada," he said in the 1988 report.

Yalden told Parliament there was no need to alter his judgment in the current submission.

"Not much has changed," he said.

The chairman of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) justice committee said Yalden's report indicates someone from Canadian society is realizing the severs problems affecting Canada's aboriginal people.

"When you get support from the Canadian Human Rights Commission, that's very important in terms of advancing our agenda," said Ovide Mercredi.

"It can only help to persuade government there is merit to our cause. I'm glad (Yalden) is doing what he can to raise the Canadian consciousness about the problems we face."

Mercredi said he hopes Yalden's position will put pressure on the federal government to reinstate funding to Native groups.

In his February budget announcement, Finance Minister Michael Wilson slashed $3.5 million from Native communications and $562,000 from the AFN budget, which caught the ire of Native groups from across the country.