Mass graves
Published by Sabotabby July 29th, 2008 in First Nations, Rights? What rights?, Shame on you for not being rich white and privileged50 comments and still going strong! I don’t normally get that many comments on anything I post here, so I’m happy to see a lively debate. (That’s not sarcasm. It’s pretty cool that the discussion remained relatively civil, too.)
Anyway, new PunkAssReaders, I hope you’re still reading, because now that I have your attention, I’d like to draw it to something that I care far, far more about than who gets to carry guns in the U.S. That something is the grotesque case of denial that my country has about the violence on which it was founded, the history that makes one poverty-stricken Third World nation for the people who were here first, and another, relatively safe and secure and prosperous country for mostly everyone else. Sure, our government recently said its sorries to the indigenous people, but they stopped short of naming the crime: genocide.
I don’t think they’ve ever done a survey of how many people in Canada know that there are mass graves of children here, but I’m guessing if you randomly suggested it to strangers, all but a few would splutter and deny it. According to Hidden From History, there are possibly thousands of dead indigenous children buried at 28 different sites. While most, if not all, of the murderers and kidnappers of these children are dead, the institutions—church and state alike—responsible for this crime against humanity are still at large.
I guess I mention this now because we all have issues that drive us into a frothing frenzy and issues that we might recognize as important and might even have an opinion on but we don’t really care all that much. I can’t stand it when people ask why I don’t put the energy into pro-Tibet activism that I put into pro-Palestinian activism (there is a reason, but it probably belongs in a different post). But I really do wish more people would get into a frothing frenzy about residential schools. It’s a crime that’s gone unpunished because the only ones speaking about it are its victims.
That page I linked to has the locations of the graves, as well as the sources of information. Much of it seems quite credible. I’m not sure what to do with this information, other than keep talking about it until I’m blue in the face, because as long as we continue to deny the fact that genocide took place here, we are still perpetrating it.
I think part of why people don’t get into a frothing frenzy about it is that the entire situation is so fucked up. This is not an excuse for refusing to talk about it. But recognition of historical wrongdoing can only go so far. After that, how do we fix genocide?
Do we take the Catholic, Anglican, and United churches to court, and force them to pay reparations? To whom? Do we take the Government of Canada to court?
And who is this “we,” anyway? People of conscience in Canada? Or do we simply lend our support and voices to First Nations members who wish to take their claims before the U.N. or the Supreme Court of Canada?
I felt like this when Harper made the apology on behalf of Canada to Canada’s First Nation people—like, okay, it was a start, but not enough, and who was I to say what was enough, when I was part of the oppressing class, anyway?
As you can tell, I have a difficult time thinking clearly about this. This difficulty is perhaps why it’s easier to discuss something simple, and straightforward, such as gun ownership and the efficacy of guns as a crime deterrent.
What can people of conscience do in Canada? There are a lot of ways we can help. Be an ally to First Nations groups. March in Aboriginal-led protests and show that these issues are important to all Canadians, not just Natives. Fight the ongoing systemic injustices faced every day by Aboriginal Canadians. Speak out against a legal system that is biased against Native offenders and victims. Join your annual Valentine’s Day March in remembrance of missing and murdered women or one of the many Stolen Sisters Walk events across the country to draw attention to the ongoing genocide against Aboriginal women. Ask First Nations people what you can do to help out. Stop trying to do things for Native people; support the actions Native people are taking to improve their own lives.
I feel like aboriginal rights groups have to tread a thin line between talking about past and current atrocities. You can do both, of course, but if you spend too much energy raising awareness of past crimes, you risk people saying you’re just dwelling on the past (and, additionally, offering vacuous apologies without addressing present injustices). If people aren’t aware of the genocide, though, it’s easier for politicians and others to write off contemporary problems as all “their” fault.
Sabotabby, do you know of alliances or any kind of cross-pollination between aboriginal rights groups in Canada and the States? It seems like there’s slightly more general awareness in the States of past crimes against indigenous people, though I suspect the general understanding of problems faced by indigenous people today boils down to, “they’re either drunk, gambling, or rich casino-owners.”
The name “Hidden from History” is well-chosen. A friend of mine is doing work on colonial violence between the French and the Native Americans in Michigan, which, he says, is still pretty shockingly poorly known. It should be good work and, without (hopefully) getting too jargony, it should also highlight the systemic and systematic way this kind of base, naked and local violence gets perpetuated.
Anyway, I’m way far from an expert here, but just wanted to add a bit to a good post.
It’s awful. The States had its share of Indian schools–I don’t know if there’s been any similar revelations about them in terms of student deaths, though it’s common knowledge that the kids were beaten if they were ever caught speaking their native languages.
Violet: I don’t know of any, but there probably are some links. If I find out anything, I’ll post about it.
My brain never processes this properly. Mass graves. In Canada. Of Children. Let’s not call it what it is, because it will upset someone?
I don’t understand. I don’t understand.