OUR FIRST NATIONS STEREOTYPES
Negative narratives crafted by people in power, says Tamara Ainscow.
As a “Sixties Scoop” survivor, I can attest to how latent and blatant discrimination can be toward First Nations people in Canada. Adopted by a nonnative family, I grew up on the West Island of Montreal. Because of the racism and stereotypes I was subjected to, my formative years were spent wishing I was a little white boy like my three older brothers and denying my First Nations heritage.
My First Nations’ identity was, and continues to be at times, projected as three main stereotypes.
The first is that all First Nations people are stupid, drunk and lazy. Those who hold this stereotype talk to me like I’m “special,” but not in a good way. Some can’t hide their surprise when I can do basic math, and their eyes bug out upon hearing I have two BAs. At a job interview once, a woman peered down her nose, gave me a sniff and said “well, at least you dress nicely” in a tone dripping with disgust and condescension.
The second stereotype is that natives are spiritual beings, at one with nature. People who believe this tend to look at me with adoration, talk of how they love the First Nations and ask about ceremonies. They seem to think the First Nations have all the answers and can do no wrong. These people cannot hide their disappointment when they learn I grew up in a homogeneously white suburb and don’t practise any ceremonies or do traditional arts.
The third stereotype is that First Nations are primitive savages. People who believe this aren’t comfortable being alone with me. And, it must be said that there are those who focus on the lewd aspect of this stereotype, imagining what First Nations women are like in the bedroom. They tend to look at me with a different kind of disrespect, salaciously, like I’m a sexual object.
Having lived in Manitoba, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec, I haven’t met any First Nations person who embodies these stereotypes.
So, how many people does it take to create a stereotype?
Last year, I engaged in dialogue with a Twitter user who commented that all government payout money would go toward drugs and alcohol. He revealed that he noticed a few First Nations people regularly drinking on a corner in Toronto and that’s why he propagated the stereotype. It didn’t matter that he probably regularly passed seven others who were on their way to school or work who neither drank nor did drugs.
Which raises the next question: What does it take to break a stereotype?
People constantly call on the First Nations to “get over it,” yet the same people can’t “get over” the stereotypes that underlie their racism. They forget that the First Nations narrative was written by those who hold the power, who used negative stereotypes to justify their actions. The idea that there was an “Indian problem” came of this. That the idea persists is evident in the comments of some social media users who lament that the early colonizers didn’t kill off all the First Nations, as it would have solved the problem. But I don’t believe the majority of Canadians support genocide; my experience is that the majority want the injustices against Indigenous Peoples to end.
At a time when many First Nations have lost hope that reconciliation will happen in their lifetime, I empathize and hope being part of the dialogue will help effect positive change for the future.