KARINE MARTEL BELINDA NICHOLSON as a racial classification, as this would have been true in 1867. However, as this paper has shown, it is inconsistent and problematic to rely on a colonial mindset from the year 1867 as the basis from which to interpret the law and to then create a decision which is meant to serve as the foundation on which Métis people will negotiate claims with the 17. CANADIAN CYBER STORIES ON INDIGENOUS federal government and further clarify their section 35 rights. If we are hoping to start TOPICS AND WHITE FRAGILITY somewhere, it is time we allow ourselves to move away from colonial understandings of Indigenous identity and colonial understandings of Canada’s Constitution. Why is the Online Comment Section So Volatile and Divisive? REFERENCES Adese, J. (2016). A tale of two constitutions: Métis nationhood and section 35’s impact on interpretations of Daniels. TOPIA: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies, 36, 7–19. We all donate enough money to the government to keep thier [Indigenous Anderson, C. (2014). ‘Métis’: Race, recognition, and the struggle for indigenous peoplehood. Vancouver: people’s] sorry assess on welfare, so shut the f**k up and don’t ask me for University of British Columbia Press. another handout! (sic) Chartrand, L. (2013). The failure of the Daniels case: Blindly entrenching a colonial legacy. Alberta Law – Lorrie Steeves (Facebook, CBC News) Review, 51, 181–189. Citizenship/Membership. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.mmf.mb.ca/membership.php Daniels v. Canada. 2013 FC 6. (2013). Retrieved from The Canadian Legal Information Institute. INTRODUCTION Daniels v. Canada. 2014 FCA 101. (2014). Retrieved from The Canadian Legal Information Institute. Daniels v. Canada. 2016 SC 12. (2016). Retrieved from Lexum. When online media intersects with the topic of Indigenous people, a frightening Dubois, J., & Saunders, K. (2013). ‘Just do it!’: Carving out a space for the Métis in Canadian federalism. Canadian Journal of Political Science, 46(1), 187–214. trend can be found. The online comments sections often become volatile and heated, Gaudry, A., & Andersen, C. (2016). Daniels v. Canada: Racialized legacies, settler self-indigenization with malicious and racist statements overriding any constructive comments. What and the denial of indigenous peoplehood. TOPIA: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies, 6, 19–30. makes the responses to Indigenous stories so explosive? What causes this knee- Gunn, B. (2015). Defining Métis people as a people: Moving beyond the Indian/Métis dichotomy. jerk reaction of vitriol and rage? Through Robin DiAngelo’s (2011) theory “White Dalhousie Law Journal, 38(1), 414–446. Macdougall, B. (2016). The power of legal and historical fiction(s): The Daniels decision and the enduring Fragility” the inappropriate reaction of white commenters who encounter race-based influence of colonial ideology. International Indigenous Policy Journal, 7(3), 1–6. news stories can be explored. This issue of prejudicial remarks inundating the online R. v. Powley. 2003 SCC 43. (2003). Retrieved from Lexum. comment sections had become so rampant, that on November 30, 2015, the Canadian Stevenson, M. (2002). Sec. 91(24) and Canada’s legislative jurisdiction with respect to the Métis. Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) had to close their comments forum until they Indigenous Law Journal, 1, 237–262. Stevenson, M. L. (2004). Métis aboriginal rights and the ‘core of Indianess.’ Saskatchewan Law Review, could find a way to mitigate the harm that these often-anonymous commenters were 67, 301–313. causing. This step by CBC calls into question another facet of online commentary, Taylor, E. C. (1979). The Métis and non-status Indian population: Numbers and characteristics. Retrieved how would the removal of anonymity help stop racist internet attacks? Through from http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2017/aanc-inac/R5-166-1979-eng.pdf John Suler’s (2004) theories, the “Online Disinhibition Effect” and “Dissociative Teillet, J., & Teillet, C. (2016). Devoid of principle, the federal court determination that sec. 91(24) of the constitution Act, 1867 is a race-based provision. Indigenous Law Journal, 13(1), 1–20. Anonymity” a breakdown of the psychological mechanism of online spaces and The Constitution Act, 1867, 30 & 31 Vict, c 3, 12. Retrieved from The Canadian Legal Information Institute. anonymity resulting in cyber racism can be analyzed. The Constitution Act, 1982, Schedule B to the Canada Act 1982 (UK), 1982, c 11. 12. Retrieved from The Canadian Legal Information Institute. The Indian Act. (1996). Report of the royal commission on aboriginal peoples (Chapter 9, pp. 234–308). WHITENESS, RACISM AND WHITE FRAGILITY United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf. A cursory examination of news stories in Canadian media discussing Indigenous Vowel, C., & Leroux, D. (2016). White settler antipathy and the Daniels decision. TOPIA: Canadian people quickly demonstrates a disheartening proclivity of online commenters Journal of Cultural Studies, 36, 30–42. toward the outpouring of racist and sometimes violent comments aimed at Native Canadians. Throughout online media, the comments section affords readers the Karine Martel ability to add their perspective to most news stories. These forums are platforms that Department of Native Studies create a space for diverse viewpoints to be shared, and at times, debates to be waged University of Manitoba as opinions clash. Despite the positive aspects of having a comment section, this Winnipeg, Manitoba © KONINKLIJKE BRILL NV, LEIDEN, 2018 | DOI 9789004367418_017 154 BELINDA NICHOLSON CANADIAN CYBER STORIES ON INDIGENOUS TOPICS AND WHITE FRAGILITY forum has provided a voice for a different type of commenter, the discriminatory, The defensive moves that DiAngelo refers to includes “anger, withdrawal, emotional biased, racist individual to have their voice amplified. This ‘keyboard racist’ enters incapacitation, guilt, argumentation, and cognitive dissonance” (2011, p. 55). These the comment section and quickly unleashes an array of prejudiced, ignorant and reflexive responses, when applied to an online forum, can manifest in hostile, ill-informed worldviews. Who are these individuals? Are they always blatantly malevolent and discriminatory statements. White Fragility acts to shut down any racist, publicly making their harmful views known to all? Not always. Often these progress or learning that could have been achieved through conversations about “keyboard racists” are people who do not think they are racist, people who may start race, as well as allows white individuals to harm PoC through their racist tirades. a sentence with “I’m not racist but…”, people we interact with every day. For readers perusing the online news forum, when they encounter an Indigenous Socially, white citizens are taught to see their worldview as objective. Whiteness report they are confronted by the media’s othering and labelling of the individual’s is viewed as race-less and normative. Whites carry an “invisible knapsack” of indigeneity. When faced with the terms “Aboriginal”, “Indigenous” “First Nations” privileges that often blind them to the realities for People of Colour (PoC) (McIntosh, and so on, some white Canadians’ White Fragility is activated. Whites desire to 1989, p. 1). Peggy McIntosh details how white people inherently create conflict for insulate themselves from race-based stress can result in the “keyboard racist” releasing PoC through their Whiteness and ignorance of their white privilege: their (misplaced) blame/guilt/anger/rage upon the online comments section. As DiAngelo states ‘this blame results in a socially-sanctioned array of counter-moves as my racial group was being made confident, comfortable, and oblivious, against the perceived source of the discomfort, including: penalization; retaliation; other groups were likely being made unconfident, uncomfortable, and isolation; ostracization; and refusal to continue engagement” (2011, p. 61). One such alienated. Whiteness protected me from many kinds of hostility, distress, and retaliatory comment was posted on Facebook, and noted in the Macleans’ article: violence, which I was being subtly trained to visit in turn upon people of color Welcome to Winnipeg: Where Canada’s racism problem is at its worst (Macdonald, […] Power from unearned privilege can look like strength when it is in fact 2015). Macdonald’s article scrutinizes the pervasive racism problem in Winnipeg, permission to escape or to dominate. (p. 3) including the racist post made by Winnipeg teacher Brad Badiuk: This unearned power of white privilege is entrenched in our society. In media, white Oh Goddd how long are aboriginal people going to use what happened as people are often not labelled, while People of Colour are. This tendency is not only a crutch to suck more money out of Canadians? They have contributed othering, but the listing of a racial descriptor other than “Caucasian” in a news story NOTHING to the development of Canada. Just standing with their hand out. can act as the catalyst for whites to start their racist diatribe. Unfortunately, the The benefits the aboriginals enjoy from the white man/europeans far outweigh online world creates the perfect platform for individuals to share their antipathy any wrong doings that were done to a concured people. Get to work, tear the concerning racially focussed discussions. treaties and shut the FK