Needs assessment suggests racism overt in city
By Lethbridge Herald on March 20, 2024.
A woman carrying a duffel bag walks with a bicycle past a display at a jewelry store downtown on Wednesday. A report on an Indigenous women's emergency shelter needs assessment will be presented this afternoon to the Safety and Social Standing Policy committee of Lethbrige city council.
Herald photo by Al BeeberAl Beeber – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – abeeber@lethbridgeherald.com
The final report of an Indigenous womens emergency shelter needs assessment, to be addressed at today’s Safety and Social Standing Policy Committee of Lethbridge city council, paints a dark portrait of the local political structure.
The report, to be presented by Gabrielle Weasel Head and submitted by Indigenous Relations Specialist Echo Nowak is an indepth look at issues impacting Indigenous women in the community.
In February of 2022, the City contracted Blackfoot researcher Gabrielle Weasel Head-Lindstrom to undertake a needs assessment using a mixed methods research approach to equip the City with adequate data to place it in a strong advocacy position. The final report was submitted to the City in in December of 2022 by the Lethbridge Indigenous Relations Office. Last December, that office, through Weasel Head completed an Indigenous Women’s Emergency Shelter Needs Assessment.
A total of 14 organizations were engaged in the assessment including Lethbridge Police Service – Neighbourhood Watch, Blood Tribe Women’s Wellness, Alpha House, Indigenous Recovery Coach Program, YWCA of Lethbridge, Streets Alive and Lethbridge Sage Clan Patrol among others.
The 53-page assessment – which can be viewed online at https://agendas.lethbridge.ca – covers many topics, among them being Lethbridge-specific barriers.
The report says what works in cities such as Calgary won’t work here with the majority of conversations with assessment participants showing they “identified a lack of collaboration and coordinated efforts among shelter services and other municipal agencies in arriving at effective and humane ways of addressing the needs of Indigenous women facing homelessness and associated barriers. Indeed, as we were conducting this study, we found a lack of support from the local emergency women’s shelter in Lethbridge and the nearby town of Taber which was made evident through a refusal to engage with us,” says the report.
It also cites a lack of Indigenous representation in leadership positions within municipal government which intensifies politics as a barrier to properly dealing with the homeless situation due to an absence of Indigenous people with lived experience at municipal meetings.
“Essentially, some participants felt city politics translated to a group of settlers dictating policies that directly affect Indigenous people. Indeed, others blatantly accused racist politicians within city council as hindering progress and identified the real problem as racism within the city council,” notes the report.
It adds that in the perspective of participants in the assessment who aren’t from Lethbridge is that racism here is “overt, socially acceptable and normalized.
“According to some participants, racism has only gotten worse over time and the Lethbridge city council only listens to the wants of the settler population who are not affected by homelessness,” says the report adding that the size of shelters is inadequate to meet needs.
“The City of Lethbridge leadership is unsupportive of Indigenous partnerships and does not collaborate with Indigenous groups such as Sage Clan. Instead, one participant felt that the City takes ideas from Sage Clan and try to implement programs on their own with little if any Indigenous involvement, even though Indigenous people make up the bulk of cases,” says the report citing Neighbourhood Watch as an example.
The report also says the shelter system can do more to support cultural programming with participants pointing out “there was minimal incorporation of Indigenous culture and traditional healing. Others shared that Indigenous women should be a top priority for shelter services because they are the most vulnerable and largest group on the streets but to meet their needs, the connection to culture is critical to healing.”
The report adds participants feel any new shelter stuff must be trained to deal with addictions – and different types of addictions.
The report states that collaboration with Indigenous-led shelter organizations “requires that non-Indigenous people accept that they have something to learn from Indigenous organizations. Non-Indigenous people must relinquish control and listen to Indigenous voices.”
It says that the City needs to pay more respect to the homeless population and that humility is required to work effectively with Indigenous people and health professionals to provide exceptional care.
Findings of the report also demonstrate an under-representation of Indigenous people employed in the emergency womens’ shelter system and Lethbridge shelter “e despite an overrepresentation of Indigenous women accessing shelters. There is a general lack of Indigenous inclusion and a dire need for shelter service providers to include a greater degree of Indigenous culture.”
18-17
“Essentially, some participants felt city politics translated to a group of settlers dictating policies that directly affect Indigenous people. Indeed, others blatantly accused racist politicians within city council as hindering progress and identified the real problem as racism within the city council,” notes the report.
So is the thought process here to insult all Canadians and then ask for help? I support all Indigenous assistance but these kind of statements don’t help a “racist” transition, perhaps you should have considered that?
That has to be one of the most insulting statements I have read in the Lethbridge Herald, it exceeds even my own insulting statements 10 fold! It is repeated further down the article so it was not a phrase uttered by mistake.
“A group of settlers”? Really? the knee jerk response would be as bad but I won’t utter it!
“Racism in City Council” I feel badly for our City Council because I personally do not think they have a Racist bone in their bodies, but this could rile them with ease!
Not really sure what to say, normally I can work around a Hot Zinger and spin it, but this spins as bad as it seems with no way out!
I find this summation eye opening and truly distressing! It is unfair, cruel, unjustified, and undeserving! Not sure I want to read the entire report, I already have heart issues!
PS This should be filed under “How to win friends and influence people”
Signed
74 year old settler
I find Weasel Heads report offensive and shows that as much as society has done to help the First Nations, we are still just a bunch of racist Colonialists in her eyes. Your report and comments will only push reconciliation further away!
Where to start, there is so much to say about this! How about the First Nations grow up and start taking responsibiity for their own actions and consequences? No other nation in this world gives any of their Indigenous the social and financial supports that Canada does! NONE!
People and businesses are tired of seeing their parks, neighbourhoods and downtown turned into slums by graffiti, filth and constant open drug use perpetrated mostly by First Nations. Businesses have lost their livelihoods and many had revenues reduced. They see the First Nations on our streets committing all these crimes and destroying the city they once loved and are getting angry because it is costing them!
The federal government, in several disbursements in the last several years have paid out or is in the process of paying out over $70 billion for the residential schools, child welfare issues, and other mistakes society made in trying to help these people have a better live, but was found to be wrong as everything us Colonialists do when we try to help, not to mention the $25 billion that is paid out by the federal government and provincial government to support them, which includes their monthly treaty checks.
The treaties were signed, good or bad back in the 1870’s and were a binding agreement. It is evident they were bad for both sides!
Nothing seems to ever be good enough for you! Why are so many of your young on our streets? Why do so many have stories of being sexually abused by their families? No one can fix a problem until they acknowledge they have a problem and want to fix it. Instead you continue to blame everyone else, instead of taking responsibility for your own actions and dealing with them. You allowed crime and corruption to flourish in your communities, and when police tried to help, they met a wall of silence, so they couldn’t help!
We are all getting tired of seeing billions being poured into a thankless cause!
I am opposed to Sage Clan being on our streets, especially after one of their leaders stated that we are all a bunch of colonialists Lethbridge is on their land. He has continued to make racist statements. It is not out fault that you banish all your troublemakers from your communities and they end up here on our streets.
Many our our ancestors built this city, build up businesses that pay taxes that paid for your supports and continue to pay at a high costs.
This is our land the city sits on!
It is not stolen land! Your leadership made agreements that they saw fair back then and many of your other leaders continued to make variances to those treaties as time passed.
This city even added an Indigenous relations department in city hall, with several staff members and has collaborated with other governments to built Indigenous housing projects, one was announced about a year ago.
There is no money tree! This all comes out of taxpayers pockets, their bank accounts!
I am tired of getting beat up from the mistakes of the past, which between parties on both sides who are not even alive now!
Grow up and start taking responsibility and acknowledge your actions, your issues in your homes, your brainwashing your children that we are all a bunch of colonialists who stole your land, just might be why you suffer in so many ways! It all starts in the home, your homes in your communities!
You are not going to help yourselves or your people by constantly attacking us and calling us names and for me, the biggest racists on the our streets are First Nations. Stop trying to force yourselves on others and allow a relationship to grow!
This city is on the right track to resolving the issues on our streets, and you are only making their job worse by such comments. They have gone far and beyond other communities in their collaboration with First Nations and the Shelter is only one of many examples!
Ah, the fantastic fourteen. How to create division and bully your way to more. Not the best road to reconciliation.
WRONG!
Arrogant, privileged, stupid, and extremely racist. You must be what the report was about!
You might want to take off your rose coloured glasses, your trope is a reinforcement of colonization.. ” take responsibility for your actions”
Ah, yes, actions in response to ongoing colonization, systemic racism and oppression. I can see why your feathers are ruffled settler.
This article is way more harmful then helpful to Everyone. The ‘blame game’ is getting Very old and lame. Canada and other countries are trying their best to make restitute of their part in a horrible past for this culture which many of us knew little about, nor still don’t know. All I know, it is a black cloud in our history, one that hopefully will Never be allowed to happen again. That is, if the Indigenous don’t allow it to happen. Canada alone has spent over 30 billion dollars! to ‘social service groups’ who ‘say’ they are dedicated to ending homelessness. Yet, we see how this is going… the numbers are increasing, non-profits are making a huge profit and not many people are healing. This tells me that waiting for others to fix the problems with money, money and more money is not helping! When will the word ‘self-responsibility’ become part of the Indigenous dictionary? It’s only Then when the healing will begin. Before the horrible residential schools were brought in, Indigenous peoples were already suffering from starvation, alcoholism and disease. We Know the residential schools were Not the answer. So here we are today; have a beautiful chance to say, Well, what would have we done differently? And do it! What would have been the answer of yesteryear? Is it their own ‘current’ Council’s belief that the answer is the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ and to be rid of their youth who have issues, only for the ‘white man’ to heal? Where the Indigenous Rich become richer, and the Poorer poorer? Until the people on the reserves Speak Up and protect their youth of today, absolutely nothing will change tomorrow. Look at how You can help, and not what your expectations of others are… As any expectation, is a resentment waiting to happen.
I agree with you, this report will do more harm than good.
Change needs to happen on the Indigneous communities themselves if there is going to be any hope and that begins right in the home. We used to say a strong country begins in the home. What happens in that home dictates the impact on the community.
We are not going to get anywhere by attacking each other for things we cannot change in the past. We can stop blaming each other and working together to solve the issues. Alvin Mills has a good spirit and has done some good work trying to save his people and you wouldn’t hear him make such comments as in this report which seems to be very focused on one outcome, instead of truth. This truly will negatively impact Reconciiation.
Reconciliation used to mean, realizing the wrong, speaking about the wrongs and coming together to forgive and then forget and move on in peace. Somehow that has been twisted and even dictionaries have changed the definition.
I have seen this city move in directions that to end the needless deaths on our streets in multiple ways and build better relationships with our Indigenous peoples and it is evident with tangible proof in many areas.
Seeing the damage to our city caused for the most part by Indigenous from their addiction issues and their lawlessness has not been a good way to gain support for Reconciliation, and thousands have been impacted. There is anger towards the offenders and many unfortunately blame all Indigenous peoples, which is wrong. My best friend was Indigenous, but died of cancer in his 60’s.
Chief Clarence Louie has proven how the Indigenous can succeed under the right leadership.
He turned his community which was in a dry area of BC, in Ossoyoos into a paradise with hotels and spas and a successful winery, and made his band wealthy and disproved many other band theories that such have sucked them into the abyss.
Leadership is key and a willingness to move on! The Kainai have rich land with great potential for their people, yet they lease it out to non-indigenous, while many of their young people could be working the land, building up their self esteem and moving forward. Unemployment in any nation breeds high addiction rates, crime, domestic violence and early deaths. Many who have left their communities and are working have higher self esteem, as do those who have jobs in their communities.
I am tired of seeing the needless deaths on our streets and our leadership is moving the direction to end that. They have watched what the failed policies have done to BC and to communities and are being innovative, with the encampment strategy being the first step and ending the loitering and open drug use on our streets the next step.
Ending the carnage on our streets will reduce the anger that has grown against the innocent Indigenous. Is it racism or anger after all the high costs?
Change needs to begin right in the homes of the Indigenous peoples and they need better leadership for that to happen!
Isn’t it great when people tell other people how to respond to issues based on their perception of the problem?
Racist policy and oppression = needless deaths.
Yes blade of grass, it does appear that the gap between the haves and have nots has widened on the reserve. Their system of who gets housing on the reserve and who doesn’t needs to be explained.
Yeah, not like the egalitarian wonderland the rest of Canada lives in. Time to get some Timmies made by underpaid foreign workers amirite?
there is much in the “report” that is offensive. insofar as racism being overt, yes, we can see it being overt from both sides. the reference of “settler groups” is offensive, demonstrates intolerance, and is as unacceptable as any racist terminology that is out there.
many of us were born here, and whatever instances of nastiness that was perpetrated by earlier generations of leaders and the usual thoughtless glut of followers – that make up societies here and the world over – predates the existence of most of us alive today.
in fact, it is during the times of the most of us alive today that what amounts of massive sums of money and supports/services/infrastructure have been shared out among us each. keeping in mind we cannot undo the past, there seems to me there has been much tried aimed at remedying that past.
question: does the report at all examine what indigenous peoples in this province have done with massive sums of money and services and supports that have been shared out? what has worked, what went wrong…how and why…audits…what gets in the way of audits and why?
that is not an angry question, it is simply one that requires consideration.
i understand the historical indigenous ways of life have been busted up since europeans and natives came into conflict. indeed, lost are many ways that i see as preferable given they are sustainable and respectful of the planet, and of one another; put another way, there is much to our present approach to the planet, stemming from self service and greed, and that i have no tolerance and respect for. some of our most pressing issues seem to be in the process of being addressed, but, then again, given what motivates the most powerful and wealthy, and given they are the ones that truly make the decisions, i do not hold much in the way of a positive outlook. i am not alone in this outlook.
thus, there is common ground among many of us…but how do we get there when we are stuck in the us and them game? divide and rule is an ages old game, and it is ages old because it works. it works for the tiny group that seeks to exert power and control over the many, and always to the great advantage of the tiny group.
to be clear: i will not be stereotyped into any category of simple ignorance and hate. i am not a settler; i am more than a wicked white male; i am not a person of colour…nor, what would amount to the stupidity on the other side of that ugly categorising of divisiveness and exclusion, am i person of non-colour. i do not buy into skin colour, ethnicity, language, sex, religion as any way of being or needing to be. each of those outlooks actually limits one – sticks us each into some cookie cutter mold of conformation – rather than allows for experience that leads to true growth.
i am universal, as i see and believe with all my heart that we each truly are universal. we are energy as we come from energy; we are beautiful souls, we are here to grow past the illusion that we are somehow separate and not of the one creator and one whole; we are here to develop our capacity for love such that we must improve at being tolerant and nonjudgmental and inclusive. we have problems and issues here so that we have challenges to help us grow, should we choose to accept those challenges.
all that said, we must be responsible for how we respect the rights of one another. too little works out well for the most of us so long as we buy into us and them, exclusiveness, and anything that divides us such that we are not each equally worthy. surely, we can begin a better path forward together, without mean and nasty categorisations for one another. are not those “names” the very basis of the chains that imprison and the walls that divide?
“I do not buy into skin colour” AKA colour blindness: meaning you refuse to acknowledge atrocities that have been experienced by racialized bodies.
i find it curious that from all i shared, one chooses to focus on a soundbite, “colour blindness,” and further twist that so as to mark me as one that refuses to acknowledge there are victims. and yet, there is nothing at all in my entry to suggest that.
i do not deny anyone their pain, nor their right to whatever it be or for how long one chooses to hold onto something, or “identify” as. moreover, whether and when one is able or willing to further their healing and growth i also see as the sole right of each.
what i have chosen to practice, albeit later in life, is to exercise my right to my outlook, and here, to share my belief that our socially conditioned fixations upon what amounts to “gang” mentality – be it in the form of a “superior” religion, skin, ethnicity, sex, language – is utterly nasty and ignorant, and forms the very basis upon which we will ever have exclusivity for some and disenfranchisement for many among peoples in a society.
that noted, it is not at all to deny “gangs” of people have been oppressed and markedly hurt by other “gangs.” this brutal and ignorant behaviour has happened throughout the ages on this planet, and over pretty much every square foot of its geography. nowhere where one group of people feels so strongly separate from, and superior to, another has there not been bloodshed – for resources, for power, for “god” and, not least, for hate.
perhaps one can see my perspective another way: our energy comes from the one creator – thus, we are not separate – and takes root in the form of this plane via a physical entity/host. each life form in a physical casing exits its initial host or housing, be it a seed/shell/placenta of some form. that is our first shedding, which happens without much thought by the emerging form; the second shedding is that of the trappings of ego – that illusion of the physical form one has inherited for this experience – a process which requires much thought.
this is a process i feel we must experience, as per the outlook of several philosophies throughout the ages, a very many times in human form. moreover, we will experience from pretty much every perspective that serves our capacity to grow our ability for love.
consequently, we experience this plane over and over, as victims and victimisers, as the judged and as those given to being judgmental. eventually we learn to love unconditionally, at which point we can choose to be here so as to share that love and wisdom which can come only through the heart in this plane: love, light, and healing. in that vein, i wonder, if we “knew” or were more fully able to acknowledge that we take form here many times, might we more readily able to be kinder and more compassionate with one another, rather than play out roles as victim and victimiser.
so, to you, to each, and to myself, the all and the one, as i do my best to catch myself in moments of ignorance and anger and hate – all that is fear – and to instead share out whatever i can in the way of love and light and healing.
Biff, you and I always have been at odds, but I agreed with much of what you stated in your first comment and wondered if this was the same person or you allowed someone to comment under Biff. You stated some very valid points.
thank you – each for taking time to read lengthy entries and for sharing out your thoughts. i feel where and when we do not agree allows for more extensive examination of solutions to issues.
over the last handful of years – thanks to some exceptional people, some curious readings, and a life altering moment that proved to be the spiritual whack i needed – i have come to see life(lives) as spiritual journeys, and not one simply of a passage of time that makes up one life span here.
perhaps where we and the good many may agree, life is best lived when our focus is most upon service to others; we do not get to take stuff with us, not even the shell that housed our soul on this visit, but only the energy that comes from loving acts shared.
because this is still a new outlook for me, i still default to old habits now and again, but i do my best to correct myself and apologise when i see i have been in the moment foolish and unwise.
The business local area downtown has been devastasted by the issues and this very report smells of prejudice in itself.
I was born here, and my ancestors contributed to the development of Lethbridge as a city. We are not settlers, colonialists, Englishmen, or whities, as the militant racist Indigenous’ call us, along with the researcher of this racist and biased report has referred to us as well!
This ‘attack’ on us was paid for with our local citizen tax dollars and neglects to recognize all the difficult work we have done in the past couple of years or all the tax dollars we have contributed.
Allow me to remind the researcher that we are the city of Lethbridge, not a community on the reserve.
We are a city with its own government. Our forefathers built this city with their own blood, sweat, and tears. However, the city has been marred by problems with aboriginal communities being pushed onto our streets.
If you want a shelter that is more aligned and focused on your culture I would suggest that you move it to Standoff. The contract was made in this city with the agreement with the Blood Tribe Department of Health that the shelter would allow non-aboriginals to be sheltered at the Lethbridge Shelter as well.
I for one would rather it was on the reserve! Your report proves the aboriginals do not want to reconcile! !
Yes R.U. Serious I have heard complaints from non indigenous users of the shelter and their experiences there. Perhaps they may need a separate reporting structure that is accountable and reportable to the public. The public who has a right to know how the services that they enable are being applied.
Uh, they aren’t supposed to reconcile with us. Wow. This is why we can elect parasitic demagogues for decades and freak out about “socialism” while reading oil company cue cards. Because of bald ignorance and spite.
I find that comment interesting. Koreans run the majority of businesses in Standoff and First Nations have bought into pipelines prior to this point and are trying to buy part of the TransMountain. They have also purchased Oil Reserves within Canada. Many First Nations are running drilling companies and spin off companies for Oil. So it sounds like you may be in opposition to your own community, which is fine, because I am in opposition to this one. Its tough to use slurs when everyone is participating in it, isn’t it?
Can you provide the data to support your comment please?
TransMountain- https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/trans-mountain-pipeline-alberta-nesika-1.6376011
Gas- https://edmontonjournal.com/business/energy/tc-energy-plans-to-discuss-selling-natural-gas-pipeline-stake-to-indigenous-groups
Ownership in oil producing properties – In the largest energy-related Indigenous partnership transaction in North America, 23 First Nations and Métis communities in northern Alberta are investing $1.1 billion to become part owners of seven Enbridge oil sands pipelines.
Through a new company called Athabasca Indigenous Investments, communities will hold an 11.57 per cent ownership stake in pipelines that transport about 45 per cent of Canadian oil sands production.
https://madethecanadianway.ca/indigenous-equity-energy-industry-2/#:~:text=In%20northern%20Alberta%2C%20the%20Fort,sands%20project's%20East%20Tank%20Farm.
Let me know if you would like more. As I said its tough to claim green when you own black.
Nothing about Koreans I see. At least one of the stores is owned by an Indian family, and then there’s Kainai Market… Yeah seems like you just spout whatever half truth you’ve heard somewhere. Also no one anywhere said anything about claiming green. Everybody eats and travels and lives as they can afford. Not wanting to end up with a fouled water table doesn’t make you green, it makes you not foolish. And no one is unaware that FNMI groups have interests in OandG projects. It’s been in the news constantly for years.
“an Indian family”?
It’s like a Canadian family, but from India.
Koreans- I am repeating what I was told when helping at Kiimapiipiitsin(sp) camp. I was trying to come up with ways to give jobs to Standoff Natives. Including sending bedding in to be cleaned. At that point there was a “chuckle” from the people around the camp and they stated “Koreans run all the businesses in Standoff”. No one countered the statement so my assumption, rightfully or wrongfully was that it was truthful.
If it is an incorrect statement then I retract it with apology.
O&G it seemed to be a surprise to you because the comment suggested the “settlers take their orders from O&G as if natives did not participate.
Please don’t use “they” it’s called othering, you should say Indigenous Peoples if you are referring to Indigenous Peoples.
I will try to remember that, but I am just an old settler and use that as an excuse.
That’s not an excuse. Willful ignorance is your only excuse, or stupidity, your pick. Same as the rest of the self-righteous bullies on here, it’s all about how you’ve done no wrong. You have done plenty wrong, just in these comments. You’re an arrogant, spiteful racist, if the things you’ve written (then edited multiple times) are any indication.
You are an old settler. Also a racist and ignorant one. I’m also a settler. I acknowledge that I stand on the opportunities that my forebearers had as settlers, and that those opportunities were built directly on top of the suffering, misery, and death of the Indigenous peoples of Western Canada. Because I’m a man, not a coward. I recognize that it is our responsibility as settlers to see that we, individually make sure that we do nothing to block and, where possible, do what we can to encourage the paying forward of those opportunities to the Nations with which we signed treaties. Nickel and diming and bringing up figures for FNMI people’s costs to society when you don’t even consider you own or those of every other settler using health care, public schools, colleges and universities, etc, etc, is a disgusting reminder of what you stand for.
Okay Daffy, whatever you say is Gospel
Yep, I figured you wouldn’t have much to say there, Denny.
what is it that we all can do to make things better for everyone? can we move forward with inclusion for all, or is it to be with a new exclusiveness, a mere changing of the middle class of haves and have nots?
what we all have in common is that we suffer under the greed, self service, utter disregard for the planet perpetrated by big corps – mostly, but not at all limited to mining/oil and gas/fisheries/forestry, industrial agriculture, finance, the industrial military complex.
let me further state i am not a settler – and what then, do we call immigrants and migrants to canada? take a good look – even good old lethbridge is a multicultural city now. i was born here, and, like everyone, i have been socially conditioned into much of my outlook, as are all peoples socially conditioned into much of their outlook wherever societies exist. i am, however, aware that we must grow past mere robotic adherence to social conditioning…social conditioning is not an excuse.
let us also be fair – the brunt of FNMI peoples have, historically, also warred and raped and tortured and pillaged. just pointing that out so we do not erroneously see this as an issue whereby we have had one gang of villains butchering another gang of innocent “good” fellas. my point is that all peoples historically have a common ground in being gross and nasty, and, we had best see that we can have a common ground in being kind and compassionate.
we seem to be undergoing a significant awakening, in a very short span, no less. we are dealing with legacies from an era of unbridled colonialism, nationalism, imperialism…now globalism, all underscored by lust for power, fame/ego, wealth, ignorance/fear/hate.
so, back to the queries i began this entry with. and, how do we ever see kind and compassionate society taking the fore when we bow down to leadership that serves the tiny fraction that is hell bent on power and greed, and without near enough social conscience and respect for all life forms and systems on this living planet?
This city was built on prostitution and coal, almost in that order. It’s built on the murder, rape, forced starvation, crooked government and community treatment, and general destruction of the way of life of the Blood Tribe and other local First Nations. Also on the destroyed lives of women forced into prostitution and the brutal starvation policies of mine managers that made all people of non-Brit/non-Mormon ancestry into second class citizens. It’s an ugly history that apparently hasn’t changed much, if at all. Racism, ignorance, and greed. And pride in empty myths about a past that never took place.
the past lives on
the word aboriginal is outdated and offensive
Aboriginal group refers to whether the person is First Nations (North American Indian), Métis or Inuk (Inuit). These are the three groups defined as the Aboriginal peoples of Canada in the Constitution Act, 1982, Section 35 (2). A person may be in more than one of these three specific groups.
From the exact same document: Status: This standard was replaced by ‘Indigenous group of person’ as of April 1, 2021.