What Do Canada's Native Residential Schools And Barack Obama Have In Common?
Published April 30, 2008
When the African National Congress became the first majority rule government in South Africa's history, one of the first things they established was a Truth and Reconciliation Committee whose mandate was to travel around the country hearing from people about their experiences under apartheid. Headed by Bishop Desmond Tutu, their mission wasn't simply about apportioning blame, but to try and find a way out of the hate of the past by facing up to the the truth and accepting it. You can't undo the past, but you can come to terms with it so it no longer controls you. The Canadian government hopes that under the guidance of Native Canadian judge Harry LaForme, Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Committee will be able to begin that process in Canada.
Although slavery was outlawed in the United States with the defeat of the Southern states in their Civil War, segregation of Black and White exists to this day. Up until the 1960s it was common to see signs in restaurants, swimming pools, and public washrooms forbidding service to people of colour. In the 1970s white communities were still protesting the forced integration of their schools. Although circumstances have obviously improved, there is still a sizable economic and social gap between the two races.
While Barack Obama claims to be running for President of the United States because he says he was convinced that people no longer wanted to be divided by race, religion or what region of the country they live in, he doesn't have to look any further than the pastor of his own church to see that sharp divisions still exist between black and white. Rev. Jeremiah Wright has given speeches damning the Untied States for its history of racism and accusing the American government of using AIDS as a weapon against the Black community.
Memories of Hurricane Katrina and tens of thousands of poor Black people seemingly abandoned by their government as they were dying of starvation and dehydration in the Super Dome are still fresh in plenty of peoples' minds. When that's combined with the continual foot dragging by all levels of government when it's come to rebuilding the homes that these same people lost when the waters flooded the Ninth Ward, and the obscenely quick way in which residences were bulldozed after the waters retreated before there was chance to see if they could be salvaged, you can see why even people more moderate than Wright might be having trust issues.
Richard Marcus is a long-haired Canadian iconoclast who writes reviews and opines on the world as he sees it at Leap In The Dark and Epic India Magazine.
- What Do Canada's Native Residential Schools And Barack Obama Have In Common?
- Published: April 30, 2008
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Politics
- Filed Under: Culture: Education, Culture: History, Culture: Religion, Culture: Society, Politics: Government, Politics: Law and Rights, Politics: Policy
- Part of a feature: Canadian Politics in Review
- Writer: Richard Marcus
- Richard Marcus's BC Writer page
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Comments
It's a wonderful insight into what was done in both Canada and the United States to their own citizens. The TRC is timely welcomed to heal past wounds. And I believe also it takes a person like Obama at the White House Office to bring about this sort of TRC.
Mr. Marcus: While I am very heartened and glad to read about the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee, I feel a huge let-down when I see you have (unwittingly?) omitted the Native Peoples of the U.S. from your article. It would have been a natural, and obviously long-overdue, step to carry your picture of the experiences of Canada's Indians over into at least a token accounting of those of our original tribes here in America, and to include their needs for Truth and Reconciliation (I like to say those words - I think they should remain capitalized) alongside those of our black brothers and sisters.
I am so weary of this continuing widespread absentmindedness regarding those red people who have suffered every bit as much of deceipt, abuse and neglect at the hands of European invaders as have other minorities. Actually, their plight is still the most overlooked of serious problems among our citizens, in every state of the union - and continues today much as it has for hundreds of years. Please remember them as you (hopefully) expand your purview in future articles.
I feel compelled to add that there seems, herein, to be an undertone of judgement toward Mr. Obama that is unfair and undeserved; unfair in that no one should be held accountable for the choices of another (Wright), and undeserved because Mr. Obama has worked for twenty years for the betterment of minorities and the underpriveleged in community organizing and legislation in the areas of civil liberties, education, food programs, ethics reform, healthcare for kids, earned income-tax credit, etc., etc.. He has promised to create a position of Native American Advisor in his cabinet, and also to host an annual national Council of Tribal Leaders. Of course, it is ridiculous to assume that he would not also include African Americans in every aspect of his administration's program of healing and change. Why do you make this presumption? What are you in judgement of here? What are you afraid of?
Please be fair, help us to support the first real light of hope to come into the presidential election process in 40 years. We desperately need him. If, in your writing, you are truly invested in helping to create positive change in the world, then you must recognize this - and rather than project your fears - lend your support. I thank you.
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(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/76342)
Richard,
How human of you. Thank you.
Obama knows exactly what Wright is saying, he just cant acknowledge it, not in a land where there has never been a TRC or ever will be one, just over acted Hollywood approximations of simple minded theatrical Negros whaling about their mama and babies; no depth and no humanity revealed.