Occupy #Attawapiskat, Phase Two

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Clearly, the people living in Attawapiskat are existing in a crisis that represents Canada’s dysfunctional relationship with the first peoples.

How can we truly “fix” Attawapiskat? By fixing the underlying broken relationship.

Occupying #Attawapiskat in Twitter two weeks ago was a great start to engaging in serious improvements.

Phase two begins now with a call for a national dialogue to address the past and create a healthy future. This means looking at cultural genocide, racism, the Indian Act as obsolete in the 21st century, residential schools, language and potlatch prohibitions, treaty neglect and so much more.

Read more about this month’s Twitter action down below, but first join the call by emailing these MPs.

Your email will go to the following email addresses: John.Duncan@parl.gc.ca, Stephen.Harper@parl.gc.ca, Nycole.Turmel@parl.gc.ca, Bob.Rae@parl.gc.ca, Louis.Plamondon@parl.gc.ca, Elizabeth.May@parl.gc.ca, Linda.Duncan@parl.gc.ca, Carolyn.Bennett@parl.gc.ca, Charlie.Angus@parl.gc.ca.

Fixing Attawapiskat
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Call for a National Dialogue:	To: Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development; Prime Minister; Leaders of the Official Opposition, Liberal Party, Bloc Quebecois, Green Party; NDP and Liberal Aboriginal Affairs Critics, Charlie Angus. The crisis in Attawapiskat is not an isolated incident, but a symbol of generations of social, cultural, economic and political problems in relationship between Canada and the first peoples. Residential schools, assimilation initiatives, voting prohibitions, the Indian Act, language and potlatch prohibitions, treaty neglect, cultural genocide, racism, bigotry, ignorance, a history of colonial mentality and other problems have contributed to a failure of our cultures to co-exist and flourish together. So, we call for all parties in the government of Canada to lead a national dialogue on healing the dysfunctional relationship between Canada and the first peoples so we can address our broken past and build a constructive, healthy future for all.
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On December 7, traffic for the Twitter hashtag #Attawapiskat grew 2 to 3.5 times higher than most days in the previous week. And while the hashtag didn’t trend because it was not new that week, it nevertheless became a focal point, especially as Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan attempted to spin/deflect/skew the issues in question period. And thanks to George Stroumboulopoulos for drawing some attention to the Twitter occupation. David Ball also wrote an integrating piece at the Vancouver Observer covering the Twitter action.

The occupation also drew a small but annoying group of racists, with predictable bigoted and stereotypical comments. It also featured government apologists whose main message box ideas was to focus on solutions and steer away from blaming anyone for anything. The king of apologists was Conservative Senator Don Meredith, who, in but one tweet, managed to offend people in three different ways!

@SenatorDonM Senator Don Meredith

The events in #Attawapiskat are troubling. We need to focus on the solution & not on the problem. Children & families are at stake. #cdnpoli

There are no “events” happening there. There are current manifestations of generations of systemic bureaucratic neglect and abuse.
Nothing is troubling. That word captures but 1% of the extent of the crisis there and throughout the country.
While focusing on a solution is great, the advice to not focus on the problem is extraordinarily dismissive and also symbolic of Canada’s broken relationship with first peoples.

So now we have an opportunity to channel our demands to our leaders with a call to act. Scroll back up if you didn’t send in your letter to the Aboriginal Affairs Minister, the prime minister, leaders of all four federal parties, the Aboriginal Affairs critics and the Attawapiskat MP.Truly fixing Attawapiskat means fixing our national shame: looking back to address our past and looking forward to build a new future together.

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Stephen Elliott-Buckley

Post-partisan eco-socialist. at Politics, Re-Spun

Stephen Elliott-Buckley is a husband, father, professor, speaker, consultant, former suburban Vancouver high school English and Social Studies teacher who changed careers because the BC Liberal Party has been working hard to ruin public education. He has various English and Political Science degrees and has been writing political, social and economic editorials since November 2002. Stephen is in Twitter, Miro and iTunes, and the email thing, and at his website, dgiVista.org.

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