Don’t be a coward, read and you’ll understand!
People always say we should look at ourselves before we talk about others, so let’s look at ourselves as Quebeckers.
THE WHITE PEOPLE DESPISED!
Nearly 400,000 people born in Quebec have been subjected to systemic racism since birth, both from the government and from certain segments of the population. Including immigrants who have settled in Quebec and claim to be Quebecers without knowing the historical foundations of the people who welcome them.
Do you think of the Quebecois as a Francophone white person or the entire people of Quebec?
If you choose the first choice, you are surely part of the societal problem. This means that in your eyes the word Québécois has no meaning or belonging as a distinct people in Canada in 2024.
The dual meaning of racism in Quebec is manifested in a complex way, as recent events and political debates have shown.
L'incident de Shake La Cabane à Montréal, proposant une tarification différenciée selon la couleur de peau, a suscité une vive controverse et des critiques de la part des élus québécois.
First of all, whoever had the idea to do this got away with it.
You know what’s the most ironic thing about this situation? This facility mentions that Black, Aboriginal or coloured people will have a great price.
How do they know who is who and only that people who are white and Métis are also considered to be Aboriginal in the federal law and in the eyes of the Supreme Court of Canada?
Quebec is the champion of the world when it comes to solving or looking at other people’s problems, but when it comes to addressing racial injustices and systemic discrimination against the Métis in Quebec, that’s not enough, so we don’t dare talk about it. We prefer, as Quebeckers, to talk about and solve the problems of others.
THE GOVERNMENT’S HISTORICAL HYPOCRISY
Everyone remembers Philippe Couillard, who led a majority Liberal government after winning the 2014 general election. François Legault succeeded him following the victory of the Coalition avenir Québec in the 2018 elections, also forming a majority government. Please note that Mr. Legault is still in office as premier of Quebec with a majority government.
The same elected officials who have neglected the recognition of Métis in Quebec since the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision on Daniels in 2016.
Because it is certain that no elected knows the administrative maze for an official recognition that is worthy of the 12 works of Asterix.
No provincial or even federal elected official has spoken to this issue and has not put in place any resources for obtaining recognition.
WHAT IS AN UNREGISTERED MÉTIS?
Section 12(1)(b) of the Indian Act, racist and discriminatory!
The 2016 Supreme Court of Canada decision in Daniels recognized that Métis and non-status Indians are "Indians" within the meaning of the Constitution Act, 1867, which means that the federal government has legislative jurisdiction over them.
This landmark decision recognizes that Métis and non-status Indians must be considered “Indian” within the meaning of section 91(24) of the Constitution Act, 1867.
This decision paved the way for more than 400,000 people, including those considered white, to apply for recognition as Aboriginal.
An unregistered Métis is a person of mixed Aboriginal and European ancestry who has not been officially recognized as Métis by the government since 1876, 9 years after the founding of Canada in 1867.
This non-recognition was part of a broader strategy to assimilate indigenous peoples, including "Indians", as quickly as possible.
This situation stems from a historical gender discrimination: children of Aboriginal women with white men lost their status, while children of Aboriginal men with white women retained it. A major turning point in this situation was the Daniels decision of the Supreme Court of Canada.
All children whose grandmother or great-grandmother were Aboriginal are affected by this decision. This represents a large number of people who are Métis and recognized, but at the same time not recognized until they apply for their card.
C'est une belle hypocrisie, sachant que le gouvernement connaît très bien qui est qui, ainsi que les dates et lieux de naissance de nos arrière-grands-mères. En fait, le Canada fait tout pour que cette information ne se répande pas dans le public
THE GOVERNMENT BLINDED?
However, this decision did not result in any significant changes to the recognition of Métis people in Quebec unless your descendants were from western Canada.
In Quebec, the provincial government does not recognize a Métis nation on its territory, unlike the western part of the country.
The Métis communities in Quebec are therefore continuing their struggle to establish their legitimacy, which begins with recognition of their existence at the provincial level.
The recognition process is very complex. This often lengthy and difficult process can effectively discourage many people from seeking recognition of their Métis identity.
Although racism is a widely discussed topic, discrimination between white people is never addressed. Recognition of the rights of Métis people in Quebec could be a starting point for resolving this complex problem.
Looking in the mirror, seeing, believing and coming out of the funnel. Is that not hope?