Truth And Reconciliation

Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Marie Wilson, in unveiling the preliminary report on the commission's findings, deplores the history of misunderstanding and oppression and discrimination that befell the Aboriginal community in Canada over the past one hundred and thirty years. There is much to deplore about it, in truth.

But it is the history of the country. Nothing can change that. What must change is the way that First Nations people and other Canadians react to each other. As equals we must behave as equals among ourselves and toward one another. To dwell on the past, its inequities and dishonour does no one any good. It should be remembered, it can be studied and taught, but to linger on it only deepens resentment and trauma.

First Nations people have a right to be proud of their heritage, all people should feel good about themselves. But their continual disclaimer to self-responsibility does them no good. Nor does their adamant refusal to merge with mainstream Canadians and become fully integrated with the country and its population. Nothing will change the fact that they were here first and Europeans treated them ill.

But it was not always so. There were exchanges and interchanges between the settlers and the First Nations that were good and useful. Just as, for example, there were tribal hostilities between different First Nations tribes. And not all settling Europeans treated First Nations badly, and not all First Nations peoples resented the appearance of others upon the land.

Canada is a huge land mass, and there is ample room and plenty of resources to enrich everyone. But until and unless the adversarial attitude between First Nations and the government comes to an end, not much will change for the better. First Nations people should demand from their chiefs and their grand councils the kind of fairness and justice that has been singularly absent.

Fairness and justice is demanded of government and its agencies and it must be exhibited by First Nations agencies toward those who depend upon it as well.

When a former residential school student, Salamiva Weetaluktuk bitterly says: "But we would not be drunken Inuit or drunken Indians had we not been abused when we were children, had we not been exposed to assault and stuff like that", she is indulging in caustic, self-absolving fantasy.

No white agency has abused Aboriginals by forcing liquor and drugs upon the unwilling recipients. The reverse is true and always has been. Any period writing of historical interaction will mention in passing the problems relating to First Nations people and alcohol because it was so disturbingly prevalent.

At one camp Indians solemnly watched the governor having dinner and looked wistfully at the wine flagon containing "Great Chief's rum"; he treated them to a drink which they accepted "with all becoming gravity", but "they were evidently disappointed by the want of pungency in the draught."

"The brigade was bringing back an Iroquois "banished for Life from the Columbia for his uniform bad conduct", and on the second day of the trek the governor was informed that "the Blackguard Iroquois" had "broached a keg" and with six companions had proceeded to get gloriously drunk. He had then lightened his burden by throwing his provisions into the river.

At Fort Edmonton he was told of the Indians who had found a keg of rum in the river and were about to make the most of this good fortune, when one of them begged his companions to consider a moment. Suppose it were a trick? After all, the white man was rather annoyed because some Indians had shot at the brigade last year; maybe he had poisoned the rum and left it here in a spirit of revenge! They were persuaded to exercise due caution and eight old women were recruited as official tasters. As the only effect produced by this test was that "they commenced singing with great glee," the warriors soon stopped "their potations".
The Canadian Rockies, Early travels and explorations, Esther Fraser

He too had met with great annoyance from the possession of a little rum, and Atahkakoohp and his friends had let him have no peace until they had obtained the whole of it. Their drunken orgies lasted through the night.

As it was, we merely thanked him for his courtesy, and made him and his companions what we considered a very handsome present of knives, ammunition, tea, salt, and tobacco. They did not seem satisfied, and wanted a gun, blankets, and above all, rum. These we refused and at length they took their departure, apparently in good humour, although they intimated that they doubted whether we were such very great people, after all, since we had no rum.

A short time before Chealde's visit, Mr. Lillie had been surprised by a band of 300 Assiniboines, arrayed in gayest dress and full paint, who marched up to the Fort in solemn procession. After the calumet had been duly passed round, and proper presents made, the chief arose, and, in a complimentary speech, expressed the delight with which they had received the news that the Company had come to a better mind, and again provided the much-loved firewater for their Indian friends. Mr. Lillie assured them they were mistaken, but without obtaining belief, and they proceeded straightway to make a strict search. Every corner of the building was visited and turned out, and they even went down into the ice-cellar, where the meat is kept. Failing to discover anything, they expressed great regret that the good news was not true, and requested Mr. Lillie to forward a strong remonstrance from them to Her Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, for prohibiting that which her Red Children loved so well, intimating that they themselves were the best judges of what was good for them. The North-West Passage by Land, Viscount Milton and Walter Butler Cheadle