"Roland Chrisjohn, Ph. D." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > >> To All: > > I'm circulating this in hopes that you'll pass it along as you see fit > (or not). Overall, I think it's less interesting than the story that > goes with it. I was approached late last year by Cantilevers, a > Montreal-based peace organization that publishes a small-circulation > journal, to do a short (3-4 pager) on the theme on Indigenous Peoples > in Canada and the recent Conference on War-Affected Children. With > the help of some of the more engaged students in the Native Studies > department, I put together the piece you see below. > > Shortly after the piece was submitted, Eric Abitbol, Cantilevers' > editors, was informed by the Canadian International Development > Agency, a governmental office that partly sponsored the issue of > Cantilevers for which "Darkness Visible" commissioned, that my article > was NOT TO APPEAR in Cantilevers, and if it did, CIDA would withdraw > for all time any CIDA funding Cantilever's might ever obtain. > > Eric contacted me to ask my opinion on what might be done. As editor, > he found this attempt at censorship intolerable, but as a member of an > organization, the possibility of losing a funding source would be > disastrous. I certainly didn't feel it was a good idea for > Cantilevers to commit suicide over me (and I still can't see what CIDA > finds so damned offensive about the article), so we agreed he would > try to bargain so kind of compromise while I altered the article > somewhat to address some of the excuses CIDA had cited to demand its > removal. The section in the 2nd paragraph, where I comment on > Canada's denial of National status to indigenous nations, is the only > substantial adjustment I made. > > Meanwhile, on the negotiation front, Eric quickly found out that CIDA > was unwilling to make ANY COMPROMISE WHATSOEVER. This, regardless of > any content changes I might make to address their concerns. They even > stipulated that "Darkness Visible" could not even be included as a > separate pamphlet in the same envelope used to mail out the > CIDA-sponsored issue of Cantilevers. I suppose they want to kill my > cat, too. > > Anyway, Eric is still trying to find some way to circulate this piece. > I'm more interested in using it to expose the "Canadian Way" of > censorship, which is, NOT to tell you NOT to say it, just make it a > life and death decision for you as to whether or not you WILL say it. > And if Canada is willing to impose such high stakes for such a piddley > little thing as my article, what would they be willing to impose for > something that really mattered? > > Roland Chrisjohn, Ph. D. > > Cantilevers home page: > > http://ssmu.mcgill.ca/qpirg/cantdir.html > > > ****************************************************************** > > > DARKNESS VISIBLE: CANADA'S WAR AGAINST INDIGENOUS CHILDREN > > Roland Chrisjohn,1 Pierre Loiselle,2 Lisa Nussey,2 Andrea Smith,2 & Tara > Sullivan2 > > Introduction > > The World Conference on War-Affected Children (Winnipeg, September, > 2000) seemed to promise winners all around. After all, who but the > obvious bullies and outlaws of the world could possibly be in favor of > the impressments of children as combatants, deadly and disfiguring > land mines, waging war on civilian populations, and the like? Not > only would the victims of such abuses be provided with a forum > allowing them to detail publicly their circumstances, measured steps > towards redress, remedy, and prevention (like the formation of an > International Criminal Court to try offenders) could be promoted or > even taken. Groups, governmental and non-governmental alike, already > engaged in program planning and service delivery to war-affected > civilian populations, would get a chance to network and take a > much-deserved international bow. And Canada, the Good (if not Great) > World Citizen, could award itself another row of gold stars for their > variety of jobs well done. Who could complain? > > About 100 or so indigenous peoples and their supporters outside the > conference, that's who. Though numerically small, they stood in place > of thousands more, absent for a variety of reasons which included > being defined as outside the terms of reference of the conference. > Specifically, by unilaterally declaring indigenous peoples "citizens" > in 1960, Canada, like many colonial powers at the time, obviated any > move by indigenous peoples to bring grievances under the forthcoming > UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights before the International > Court of Justice, since only countries (and not "internal minorities") > would be recognized. This "enforced citizenship" evasion, touted as > an act of humanity by Canadian press and politicians at the time, > would itself have been included as an act of genocide had not Canada > and the other major colonial powers removed it from the draft UN > Genocide Convention during the post-WWII deliberations. "Enforced > citizenship," a fundamental denial of the human right to > self-determination, is a Canadian "gift that keeps on giving," since, > among other things, according to this dodge First Nations are not > "really" nations, Indian Treaties are not "really" treaties, and > Aboriginal Peoples have no right to expose the injustices done to them > in international fora. > > Whether the delegates from other countries listened to and heard these > protests is not determinable from the press or web coverage; that the > Canadian delegates heard nothing can be taken for granted. For in > order for Canada to appropriate credit for a World Conference about > children and warfare, its appointed representatives must ignore one of > the protester's points: that Canada has and does in fact conduct war > against children, and probably will for the foreseeable future. > > It all hinges on what you're willing or unwilling to call "war." > Canada characterizes what it does and has done to indigenous peoples > "building a renewed partnership" at best and "assimilation" at > worst. To us, "low-intensity warfare" seems to us an over- > complimentary description of Canadian policy and practice; "genocide" > is the correct term.3 However, whatever you wish to call it, Canada > has found and continues to find the children of indigenous people easy > targets for its machinations. > > Some Background > > The most infamous attack on indigenous children was perhaps the system > of residential/boarding schools, operated by Canadian governments in > partnership with major churches from Confederation until 1986.4 Under > the guise of fulfilling treaty obligations to educate, and with the > Canadian variation of the "White Man's Burden" firmly in mind, untold > thousands of indigenous children were removed, under force of law, > from their parents, families, and communities and placed under the > absolute control of church officials, some for as long as 13 years. > Many of these officials had no qualifications whatsoever as educators. > However, this merely serves to emphasize the fact that "education" was > not the mandate of these institutions; rather, "assimilation" was the > agenda explicitly agreed upon by church and federal officials. Thus, > a treaty responsibility to educate indigenous people was metastasized > into an opportunity to eliminate a federal moral and financial burden > by obliterating those peoples' identities. > > Since governments and churches both recognized the difficulty of their > task, a great deal of leeway was permitted the churches in carrying > out this assault. This lack of accountability gave rise to an > enormous number of specific abuses carried out by people in various > positions of responsibility, including rape, impregnation, and other > actions that were nothing short of torture. Incidents of flagrant > abuses were either ignored or covered up.5 During the past few years > it has also been revealed that children in residential schools were > used as unwitting experimental subjects, with dental and dietary > mistreatment documented (deliberate non- treatment of tooth decay and > intentionally supplying non-pasteurized milk) and darker deeds being > hinted at. Sterilization of native women is also known to have > occurred, although a systematic study of the extent of this crime > still needs to be done. > > While some have argued these abuses may have been infrequent, what is > not confronted by such suggestions is that, after November 28, 1949, > removal of indigenous children from their families constituted > genocide.6 Thus, for more than 30 years, Canada knowingly operated a > genocide machine targeting indigenous children. That Canada did so > knowingly is apparent from the fact that, when the federal government > incorporated the "crime of genocide" into its civil code of laws (thus > making it a charge which could be brought and decided upon in Canadian > courts), it failed to incorporate into the code 60% of the specific > actions constituting genocide, including the forced removal of > children. > > Nor was residential schooling a unique assault on indigenous children. > State intrusion into indigenous family life gained strength with the > rise of provincial family and children services in the early 20th > century. Not only were massive numbers of aboriginal children removed > and placed within non-indigenous foster and adoptive placements,7 > thousands of aboriginal children were shipped overseas, where, > presumably, the children would never learn of their ways, their > families, or their rights, or of Canada's legal responsibilities to > them. Like the Home Children institutions they developed from,8 > family and children services institutions had no mandate to deal with > the economic and legal bases of aboriginal family difficulties, and > regarded their incursions into Indian families as unquestionably > humanitarian. > > Here and Now > > While much more could be written in a purely historical vein, the > current circumstance of indigenous children in Canada is nothing short > of a calamity. The January, 2001, issue of Windspeaker9 documents the > range of disasters lining up against Indian children: > > § Record levels of suicide;10 > > § Epidemics levels of gas-sniffing and solvent abuse;11 > > § Rampant sexual exploitation;12 > > § High rates of AIDS prevalence.13 > > And, as if these circumstances were not enough, readers must bear in > mind that they are grafted onto an already existing framework of high > infant mortality rates,14 sudden infant deaths,15 dropout rates > approaching 50% in some locals,16 over-representation of indigenous > children in youth correctional systems,17 and widespread misdiagnosis > of "learning deficiencies" accompanied with forced medication,18 all > embedded in a dominant culture of overweening racism.19 > > Canada's willingness to ignore those provisions of international law > it finds inconvenient,20 apparent from their earlier contraventions in > residential schooling and social services, manifests itself in present > day policies and legislative initiatives affecting both "normal" and > "abnormal" indigenous children. For example, Aboriginal children are > denied the funding necessary for schooling in indigenous languages, > despite the provisions of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons > Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic > Minorities;21 provincial governments introduce legislation for young > offenders that violates the Convention on the Rights of the Child;22 > and toxic dump sites, obviously impacting the quality of health of > children,23 are mysteriously situated on the borders of First Nations > reservations. As these and other mainstream abuses occur, the > mainstream shows no hesitancy in blaming the victims for their > economic and human rights-based misery.24 > > Sad Cure > > Were more space available, we would argue the past and present > circumstances noted here (and many other circumstances as well) are > manifestations of Canada's enduring war against indigenous peoples, > often carried out directly or indirectly on indigenous children. The > Canadian initiative on the World Conference Against Racism, for > example, explicitly defines racism as the problem that some Canadians > (the "racists") are not helping to assimilate indigenous peoples fast > enough!25 Thus, in the near future our daughters and sons can look > forward to a renewed battery of programs that will remove impediments > to their assimilation. > > The aim of this prolonged conflict, across years, parties, and > policies, has been consistent: "to take the Indian out of the Indian," > in the words of Duncan Campbell Scott. Whether you wish to call this > "assimilation" or "genocide," it still has been, in our opinion, war. > If it has not been universally recognized as such, this is due more to > who owns and controls the "spin machines" than a matter of > incontestable fact. > > What alternative "spin" can be placed on this pattern of consequences > seen in indigenous children? As hinted just above, mainstream Canada > does have a ready explanation, encourage by politician, media, and > other arms of economic power, for the degradation all too commonly > observable in Aboriginal communities: something is wrong with those > Indians! Whether one is a hard-nosed racist (and attributes these > problems to some kind of genetic defect or problem in our > "hard-wiring") or a bleeding heart (and attributes these problems to > "cultural deprivations," "bad parenting," "dependency," or some > similar pattern of experiences), the mainstream tends to propose > "cures" on a limited range of themes: change those indigenous people. > Indians need therapy, or drugs, or confinement, or to be thrown into > the deep end of the pool and forced to sink or swim. The difference > between a "liberal" and "conservative" approach to the problems of > Aboriginal peoples in Canada involves the severity of the program of > changing us, and does not involve a fundamental critique of the > structure of mainstream Canadian society.26 The "cures" for programs > like residential schooling and incarcerations are more of the same. > > Outside the mainstream, however, it is considerably easier to relate > the misery of Aboriginal children and adults to the material > conditions of our existence. For example, the Windspeaker issue > mentioned earlier contains article after article identifying the > failure of successive Canadian governments to deal squarely with > Aboriginal, Status, non-Status, Innu, Innuit, and Metis geopolitical > grievances as the source of past and present degradations. Similar > conclusions apply to nearly every other critical resource we have > examined here. > > The problem, then, is ultimately the existing power relations in > Canada. And, as history knows no instances of the wealthy and > powerful voluntarily ceding hegemony, Aboriginal Peoples can > anticipate a continuation of subtle and blatant attacks on who they > are, how they are, and why they are, unless and until people of > conscious stand up and understand what is being done in their names to > indigenous children. > > End Notes > > 1. Director of Native Studies, St. Thomas University, Fredericton, > New Brunswick. > > 2. Research Associate with The Praxis Collective, Fredericton, New > Brusnwick. > > 3. Chapter 4, R. Chrisjohn & S. Young, The Circle Game: Shadows and > Substance in the Indian Residential School Experience in Canada. > Penticton: Theytus Press, 1997. > > 4. J. Milloy, A National Crime: The Canadian Government and the > Residential School System, 1897 to 1986. Winnipeg: University of > Manitoba Press, 1998. > > 5. E. Furniss, Victims of Benevolence: Discipline and Death at the > Williams Lake Residential School. Toronto: Arsenal Pulp Press, 1995; > I. Knockwood, Out of the Depths: The Experiences of Mi'kmaw Children > at the Indian Residential School at Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia. > Lockeport: Roseway Publishing, 1992. Canadian Broadcasting > Corporation News, Former Nun Says Church Covered Up Labrador Abuse. > February 21, 2001. > > 6. United Nations Genocide Convention, Article IIe, named "Forcibly > transferring children of the group to another group" a specific act of > genocide. > > 7. A. McGillivray, Therapies of Freedom: The Colonization of > Aboriginal Childhood. Vancouver: UBC Legal History Papers, 1995; > Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, Stevenato and Associates, > & J. Budgell, Repatriation of Aboriginal Families: Issues, Models, and > a Workplan. Toronto: 1995. > > 8. P. Rooke & R. Schnell, Discarding the Asylum: From Child Rescue to > the Welfare State, 1800 1950. New York: University Press of America, > 1983. > > 9. This special issue of Windspeaker is available on-line at: > www.ammsa.com/windspeaker/children/JAN2001ForTheChildren.html . > > 10. "Suicides Plague Northern Ontario Reserves," Winnipeg Free Press, > Sept. 16, 2000; "Aboriginal Girls Taking Their Lives in Record > Numbers Across Ontario's North, Canadian Press, Dec. 6, 2000; "Ottawa > Wants Labrador Innu to Kill Themselves, Lobby Group Says," National > Post, Nov. 8, 1999; "Suicides Stagger Reserve," Calgary Herald, > Dec. 8, 2000. > > 11. Of numerous print and audiovisual prints, "Innu Urge Tobin to Get > Involved in Finding Help for Labrador's Gas Sniffers," Calgary Herald, > Dec. 8, 2000; and "Davis Inlet Children Flown to St. John's for > Treatment," CBC News, Jan. 9, 2001, are typical. > > 12. C. Kingsley & M. Mark, Sacred Lives: Canadian Aboriginal Children > and Youth Speak Out About Sexual Exploitation. Toronto: Save the > Children, Canada, 2000. > > 13. "Aids Battle Reaches Natives," Health Canada Fact Sheet, Dec. 1, > 2000; C. Kingsley & M. Mark, footnote 12. > > 14. "Fact Sheet on Infant Mortality," Canadian Perinatal Surveillance > System, Health Canada, 1995. > > 15. "Fact Sheet on SIDS," Canadian Perinatal Surveillance System, > Health Canada, 1995. > > 16. A. Bear-Nicholas, Canada's Colonial Mission: The Great White Bird. > Brandon University Press, 2001. > > 17. "Youth Custody and Community Services," The Daily, Sept. 29, 2000; > "Aboriginal youth continue to be over-represented in the youth > correctional system relative to their population. In the reporting > jurisdictions where Aboriginal status was known, Aboriginal admissions > accounted for 26% of the total admissions to custody and 18% of > admissions to probation. However, in those jurisdictions Aboriginal > youth made up only 5% of the total youth population." > > 18. R. Chrisjohn, You Have to Be Carefully Taught: Special Needs and > First Nations Children. Assembly of First Nations, 1999. P. Breggin, > Reclaiming Our Children: A Healing Plan for a Nation in Crisis. > Cambridge: Perseus Books, 2000. > > 19. R. Chrisjohn, Racism as an Institutional Phenomenon: The Canadian > Experience. Available on-line at > www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=2362 . > > 20. Lloyd Axworthy, then Minister of Foreign Affairs, obviously > ignored or was ignorant of Canada's failures to live up to the spirit > and intent of international law with regard to indigenous peoples when > he stated at the Conference on War-Affected Children: ".rights have > been violated and vital societies enfeebled. To bring this to an end > we must first abide by and enforce the ample law and conventions > already on the books." We agree, and call his successor's attention to > the issues raised here and by the Aboriginal protestors at the > conference. > > 21. See, especially, Article 4. > > 22. "Statement of Opposition to the Secure Care Act," Vancouver, > Justice for Girls, 2000: "Looking at the implementation of the Alberta > legislation, it is clearly discriminatory in terms of gender (over 99% > of youth apprehended were girls). The Secure Care Act violates young > women's rights to equality before and under the law in that it will > almost exclusively be used to detain you women, and especially First > Nations girls." > > 23. Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility, In Harm's > Way: Toxic Threats to Child Development. Cambridge: 2000. > > 24. "It's Time for Native People to Help Themselves," Ottawa Citizen, > Dec. 10, 2000; "Money 'Won't Help' Innu People," Ottawa Citizen, > Dec. 3, 2000. > > 25. From the Draft Discussion Paper, Canada's Consultations for the > World Conference Against Racism, September, 2000, p. 4: "This broad > discussion. we hope, will produce consensus on what we need to do at > home to ensure that no Canadian is denied the opportunity to > contribute fully to society because of intolerance, discrimination, or > racism." P. 5: ".many Canadians remain conspicuously absent from the > cultural, social and economic mainstream. Individuals are prevented > from reaching their full potential and making their unique > contribution to society because of racism and intolerance." > > 26. R. Chrisjohn & S. Young, The Circle Game, footnote 3, above. > > _______________________________________________ Leninist-International mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.wwpublish.com/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international
