Watch Mumilaaq Qaqqaq, Member of Parliament (MP) for Nunavut in the House of Commons of Canada from 2019 to 2021 deliver her farewell speech to the House on June 15, 2021. She was not seeking re-election. In her speech she passionately shares her frustrations with our government’s racist indifference to the very serious social problems plaguing her community. In addition tell of her racist mistreatment by Parliament security showing first hand how she was profiled.
What does racism look like in Canada? In 2016 the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal found that the Canadian government discriminates against First Nations children on the basis of race.
In this video below, Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada shares the story of little Jordan River Anderson.
Why is a quarter of Canada’s prison population Indigenous? The Canadian justice system works against Indigenous people at every level, from police checks and arrests to bail denial and detention, sentencing miscarriages and disparities and high incarceration rates. It is clear that the problem lies in our justice system. Watch the video below for a better perspective and understanding.
How does racism affect things like healthcare, media coverage, and education? This video was made by Shaera Rahim, Suraj Mahida, James King and Michael Kwok at McMaster University and “elaborates on common issues experienced by indigenous individuals in Canada, in particular, the problems they face regarding access to healthcare. Indigenous populations are affected by all social determinants of health, as well as a complex history of colonialism, racism and residential schools.”
As Canadians we must stop normalizing racism.