CANADIAN ETHNOCULTURAL COUNCIL CONSEIL ETHNOCULTUREL DU CANADA 251 Laurier Ave. W., Suite 1100, Ottawa. Ontario K1P5J6 • (613)230-3867 • Fax (613) 230-8051 IN SUPPORT OF THE ASPIRATIONS OF ABORIGINAL PEOPLES Submission to The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples By The Canadian Ethnocultural Council (CEC) August 1993 ^ TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS 2 INTRODUCTION 6 METHODOLOGY 6 I. Literature Search 7 II. Consultation with Member Organizations 7 BACKGROUND 8 Aboriginal People & Minorities 8 Canadian Aboriginal Communities 8 CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES 10 LivinThe Legislativg Conditione Framewors k 110 CEC'S POSITION Brief Overview 11 SELF-GOVERNMENT 13 Time for Action 15 Experiences of Minorities in Canada 15 CommoTreaty ann dIssue Lans d Rights 196 Education 19 Racism and Discrimination 21 Women's Issues 24 Economic Development 24 Employment Inequity 25 Language and Culture 28 Health and Social Services 29 Services for Urban Natives 32 Justice 33 Housing 34 Common Concerns 35 CONCLUSION 36 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS RECOMMENDATION #1 The CEC endorses the recognition of the right to self-government on an urgent basis and calls for the matter to be settled in an appropriate manner with the federal government. The federal government must agree to the following: I A recognition that Aboriginal Peoples have an "inherent right" to self- government; II The issue of self-government be given the highest priority and resolved as soon as possible; m The national Aboriginal organizations including Native Women of Canada (NWC) and heritary Chiefs be included at any future constitutional meetings of First Ministers; RECOMMENDATION ft2 The CEC recommends that there must be a review of all federal and provincial laws affecting treaty rights and a bilateral process established between treaty nations and the Crown to interpret, define and implement treaties based on their original "spirit and intent". The CEC further recommends the creation of fair and unbiased claims process independent of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and government in general. Such a process should be open to allow Aboriginal peoples to respond fully and adequate funding should be provided for claims preparation. The CEC further recommends that the Trilateral Agreement for the Algonquins of Barriere Lake who are participating in economic and resource management decision making affecting their traditional lands be promoted and used as a model for future agreements. RECOMMENDATION #3 The CEC recommends that depending on the local circumstances and needs, Aboriginal communities on reserves if they so desire, should be given authority for their own schools with a level of funding equal to what would be given to provincially-run school. And schools off-reserve with a significant Aboriginal student population should adopt a five-point equity plan similar to the one developed by the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission. The CEC also recommends that each and every native child should have the right to education and that the federal government should provide adequate funding for the construction of schools for native students. RECOMMENDATION H The CEC recommends that the federal government place the highest priority on reducing racism and racial discrimination in Canada by launching a comprehensive anti-racism program. This should include public education campaign, stronger human rights legislation, reforms to make the Canadian Human Rights Commission more effective, the establishment of the Race Relations Foundation, reinstatement of the Court Challenges Program, expanded funding program to fund anti-racism projects and research and mechanisms to monitor hate crimes and racism. RECOMMENDATION #5 The CEC recommends that Aboriginal leaders and the federal government should ensure that Aboriginal women are part of the decision-making process in any discussions that affect their communities. RECOMMENDATION #6 The CEC recommends that the federal government develop a comprehensive economic development strategy in conjunction with Aboriginal groups and communities. Some key elements of such a strategy should include the establishment of Aboriginal financial institutions, more flexible economic development support programs, sharing of royalties for resource development on traditional lands, and the creation of small business incubators. There should be more support for economic development activities directed at urban areas, women and Metis. RECOMMENDATION #7 The CEC strongly supports the recommendations of the Special Committee on the Review of the Employment Equity Act which asked the government to strengthen the Employment Equity Act to include enforceable action plans, timetables, goals and broadened to cover the federal public service, Federal Contractors Program, federal agencies, boards and commissions, armed forces, uniformed personnel of the RCMP, Parliament, federal political parties and all federal judicial and Governor in Council appointments. This includes a National Employment Equity Strategy which should be coordinated to include a public education campaign and partnerships with community organizations and assistance to employers and employees to support the implementation of employment equity. 3 ^RECOMMENDATION M The CEC recommends that the Department of Supply and Services adopt a minority procurement policy to give a fair share of federal contracts to contractors owned by Aboriginal peoples as well as visible and ethnic minorities and that a directory of Aboriginal, visible and ethnic minority contractors and sub-contractors be developed and utilized to support this policy. RECOMMENDATION #9 The CEC strongly recommends that the bill to establish the Aboriginal Language Foundation should be taken into serious consideration and rapid efforts should be made to establish the foundation as soon as possible. The CEC recommends that funding for Aboriginal Communications Societies be restored and funding for training programs for Aboriginal journalists be restored as well. RECOMMENDATION 110 The CEC recommends that Aboriginal communities on reserves be able to assume authority in developing health care systems based on Aboriginal traditions of personal responsibility and preventive health. The CEC recommends that health care services for urban natives should be provided with native health care providers where possible and if not, health care providers with appropriate cross-cultural training. The CEC recommends that there be adequate government funding for the establishment of alcohol and drug treatment centres with adequate staff of addictions counsellors and that per diem payments to Aboriginal agencies providing treatment must be equal to non-Aboriginal institutions as well as salary scales. The CEC recommends that Health and Welfare provide funding for the development of cross-cultural training modules in family practice, nursing, psychiatry, psychology and social work. The CEC further recommends that Health and Welare and its provincial counterparts encourage all social, health, and mental health service agencies to adopt and promote employment equity programs and improve their hiring and promotion of Aboriginal as well as ethnic and visible minority staff. RECOMMENDATION #11 The CEC recommends that the federal government provide adequate funding to Native Friendship Centres or similar agencies providing services to assist urban 4 natives to integrate into Canadian society particularly for youth. Where such agencies do not exist, funding should be provided to settlement agencies to provide such services. Service providers should given cross-cultural training to ensure they are sensitive to native culture and traditions. RECOMMENDATION #12 The CEC supports Aboriginal peoples in their call for the creation of a parallel Aboriginal-controlled justice system which should be tailored to local circumstances and needs. There should be safeguards to ensure that the concerns of Aboriginal women are taken into account. RECOMMENDATION #13 The CEC recommends that the federal government take steps to alleviate the housing shortage in many Aboriginal communities and to ensure that housing standards are satisfactory and rent-to-income scales more realistic for Aboriginal communities. 5 INTRODUCTION This submission is prepared for the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) by the Canadian Ethnocultural Council (CEC), a non-profit coalition of 38 national groups representing 2000 local and regional organizations across the country (Please see Apendix A). The CEC would like to recognize the commemoration of the United Nations International Year of the World's Indigenous Peoples: a year to develop partnerships and support for the Aboriginal peoples who have struggled to affirm their rights and have suffered years of systemic abuse and inequality all around the world. In preparation of this submission, the CEC held consultations with its member organizations from March to June, 1993 to fulfill the following objectives: I. To sensitize its members to the issues of concern to Aboriginal Peoples; II. To develop an understanding of those issues; III. To seek solutions to those issues from the ethnic minority perspective; and IV. To develop strategies for a mutually self-supportive relationship. This submission will therefore, serve two purposes: I. To provide ethnic minority perspective to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples on the ongoing consultations on Aboriginal issues; and II. To provide a report of research and consultations undertaken