Urban Indigenous people too often overlooked
It’s up to Quebec to ensure access to services, but not much is being heard in this campaign, Tanya Sirois says.
Many people seem to have the impression that Indigenous people in Quebec all live in communities (also called “reserves” within the meaning of the Indian Act of 1876). This is far from the reality. In fact, more than half of the Indigenous population resides in urban centres; some were born in the city and have always lived there, while others move there by choice to pursue their life goals. There continues to be a need to raise awareness of this reality among the various government bodies and public institutions.
Life in the city is different from that in the community. It is neither easier nor more difficult. The challenges are simply different: racism, poverty, insecurity, precariousness, isolation, language barriers and distrust with regard to public services for historical reasons. We encounter a lack of understanding, intransigence and discrimination.
It’s up to the provincial government to ensure the urban Indigenous population has access to services. Yet, during previous election campaigns, most political parties remained silent on urban Indigenous issues in Quebec. The focus generally has been on issues relating to economic and territorial claims, overlooking the global Indigenous context. Indigenous people living in the cities, and more specifically women, elders and children, face poverty and discrimination against a background of total indifference. These issues of economic and territorial recognition are essential, but what about direct services to the urban Indigenous population? How can we hope to have full participation of the Indigenous population in the development of Quebec if the socio-economic disparities between them and Quebecers continue to get worse?
Since 1969, a large infrastructure of urban services created by and for Indigenous people has existed in Quebec. These are the Native Friendship Centres established in more than 10 cities. The Native Friendship Centres are environments where front-line services are offered to Indigenous people living off-reserve or who are in transit through the cities. The centres meet the needs of this growing segment of the Indigenous population, be it through innovative services in health, early childhood, perseverance in school or support for employability, to provide a few examples.
In the aftermath of the Viens Commission hearings, it seems obvious that social issues must be taken seriously. Today, we can only observe that there exists a real gap between Indigenous people and Quebec society. It shouldn’t take another social crisis such as the one in Val-d’Or (2015) for this to be made a provincial priority.
In a perspective of reconciliation, initiatives for collaboration between Indigenous organizations and municipal administrations have been launched over the past few years, including the collaboration effort between municipalities and the Native Friendship Centres initiated in 2014. This led to the signing of a common commitment between the cities of Chibougamau, Joliette, La Tuque, Maniwaki, Montreal, Roberval, Senneterre, SeptÎles and Val-d’Or, and the Native Friendship Centres located in these cities, to work together to provide concrete solutions toward the improvement of living conditions for Indigenous people.
More recently, the First Nations chiefs met with municipalities in Quebec at the Reconciliation Summit in Montreal. These are the initiatives that must continue in order to entrench dialogue and collaboration.
Although much progress has been made, much work remains to be done. Quebec must assume its responsibilities and make it a priority to ensure a better access to services for the urban Indigenous population, making Quebec a more equitable society for all.
We therefore request that the political parties engage in maintaining and developing sustainable partnerships with the Regroupement des centres d’amitié autochtones du Québec to offer, in a complementary way, more direct services to the urban Indigenous population. From our end, we commit to providing our expertise and knowledge in order to co-construct with governments and public institutions policies that are relevant to our realities. Tanya Sirois is executive director of Regroupement des centres d’amitié autochtones du Québec. An Innu from the community of Pessamit, she lives in Quebec City.