There Is an Alternative

Fast FACTSCANADIAN CENTRE FOR POLICY ALTERNATIVES - MANITOBA June 12, 2017 The Pallister Government and the Path to Reconciliation Act First published in the Winnipeg Free Press June 8, 2017 On Friday May 26, I attended an impromptu develop a strategy for reconciliation that alternative. event organized by supporters of the North “builds upon meaningful engagement Point Douglas Women’s Centre. The event with Indigenous nations and Indigenous was held to show support for the Centre, peoples…” which was reeling from the news that it I wondered, what the strategy was? Did would not receive an expected $120,000 Minister Clarke consult with Indigenous required for its operations. This represents women in North Point Douglas before one third of the Centre’s budget and losing cutting funding to their Centre? Did it means that North Point Douglas Women’s the Minister consult with the many Centre will be forced to cut important Indigenous women who use the services programs that are serving the community of the North End Women’s Centre, well. It got me thinking about reconciliation. which has also been informed that it Indigenous women spoke passionately will receive less funding this year? And about the important role the Centre plays in what about the many other services their lives. They spoke about the culturally that have lost funding, or are waiting to there is an based programs that are helping them to hear of their fate, but are too nervous heal from intergenerational trauma caused to talk about it? Most if not all of these by government policies and programs like organizations employ Indigenous people residential schools. As I listened to these and serve large numbers of Indigenous women, it became clear that the Provincial people. government’s decision to cut funding for The Path to Reconciliation Act was CCPA-MB this and other community based programs 205-765 Main St. introduced by the outgoing NDP serving high numbers of Indigenous Winnipeg, MB government; it was given Royal Assent peoples, is inconsistent with the Truth and on March 15, 2016. On June 2nd, 2016 R2W 3N5 Reconciliation Commission 94 Calls to Action Eileen Clarke, the Minister of Indigenous and Manitoba’s Path to Reconciliation Act. and Municipal Relations addressed the phone The Path to Reconciliation Act (http://web2. House of Commons to acknowledge the (204) 927-3200 gov.mb.ca/bills/40-5/b018e.php) defines one-year anniversary of the release of the email reconciliation as “the ongoing process of Truth and Reconciliation Commission [email protected] establishing and maintaining mutually of Canada’s executive summary and 94 website respectful relationships between Indigenous Calls to Action. Clarke also reported to www.policyalternatives.ca/ and non-Indigenous peoples in order to the House that the Pallister government, manitoba build trust, affirm historical agreements, through the Department of Indigenous blog address healing and create a more equitable and Municipal Relations, would www.policyfix.ca and inclusive society. “ Among other things, “proceed with work to implement the twitter it requires the Minister responsible to Path to Reconciliation Act.” @ccpamb The Act requires the government to The Pallister government keeps telling us appoint a Minister responsible for we need to balance our books so that he developing a strategy that “builds upon can fulfill his promise to cut the PST. We meaningful engagement with Indigenous need “all hands on deck” he tells us. nations and Indigenous peoples”, creates At a time when we are beginning to a framework to advance reconciliation; recognize the damages we have done, establishes immediate and long-term it is simply not okay to cut funding to actions that are responsive to “priorities organizations that are doing the important and needs” of Indigenous nations work that needs doing - work that is and peoples, including those set out needed because of deeply damaging in the calls to action of the Truth and government policies. This is not a ‘path to Reconciliation Commission”; and “fosters reconciliation’. the involvement of all sectors of society in the reconciliation process” and establishes Where to from here? transparent mechanisms to monitor and It is hard to know how the Pallister continued... evaluate measures taken…” government plans to address the Although light on detail, The Minister requirements of the Path to Reconciliation tabled a report on the Governments Act. Among other things, the Act requires action to date in July 2016. Minister the Minister responsible to “make Clarke stated she looks forward recommendations to the government to continued engagement of “all on financial priorities and resource stakeholders to promote initiatives to allocation across the government in advance reconciliation across all sectors relation to reconciliation.“ In doing so, of our society and continue to recognize she/he must remember the high number the contributions of Indigenous peoples of Indigenous people who continue to live to the founding of Manitoba.” in poverty in urban centres. In the spirit of reconciliation— in respect of the Act — As the minister responsible for they should be consulted. Indigenous relations and the Path to Reconciliation Act, Ms. Clarke will know This month Premier Pallister will ride his that a critical component of reconciliation bike to Peguis First Nation to honour 200 is to close the gaps between Indigenous years of the Selkirk Treaty as “a gesture of and non-Indigenous communities. The reconciliation”. This gesture will remain TRC Commission Report outlines clearly hollow, even insulting when stacked next what needs to be done. to the funding cuts. The Premier needs to move beyond gestures and take action In urban centres, the gaps between to fulfill his government’s obligations as Indigenous and non-Indigenous people outlined in the Path to Reconciliation Act. CCPA-MB is most notable in inner city and north 205-765 Main St. end neighbourhoods where high Winnipeg, MB numbers of indigenous people live. For R2W 3N5 example, upward of 40 percent of North Point Douglas residents identified as Shauna MacKinnon is Associate Professor, “Aboriginal” in the 2011 census – almost University of Winnipeg Department of phone 4 times that of the City of Winnipeg. Urban and Inner City Studies (204) 927-3200 Fully 20 percent of Inner City residents email are Indigenous and a high proportion live [email protected] in poverty. website While addressing the 94 Calls to Action www.policyalternatives.ca/ manitoba will require a far more grand response than funding small organizations, these blog non-profits can and do provide one www.policyfix.ca means by which non-indigenous people twitter can support reconciliation through our @ccpamb tax dollars. References available upon request..

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