94 Quilt: Blocks 36 - 42

I acknowledge that I am living on unceded territory of Anishinaabeg (Source: Canadian Encyclopedia) on the shore of erielhonan, (Iroquoian word meaning 'long tail') now called Lake Erie.

The post that explains my 94Quilt project is here.  Since July 1 I've been making a flying geese block a day as I read one of the 94 Calls to Action, its accompanying explanations and progress report, and links that go with each one.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is the main website with a wealth of information.

Beyond 94 is the CBC-created site that is an ongoing report card monitoring how we are doing with the calls.

Justice (continued)

36. Provide culturally relevant services to inmates on issues such as substance abuse, family and domestic violence.

In progress. Projects underway.

What is omitted in the Beyond 94 shortened version of the Call is the final phrase: "and overcoming the experience of having been sexually abused."

37. Provide more supports for Aboriginal programming in halfway houses and parole services.

In progress. Projects proposed.

"In 2020 the Office of the Correctional Investigator stated the number and proportion of Indigenous individuals under federal sentence had reached new historic highs."

 "'Overall, Correctional Service Canada prepared Indigenous offenders for parole hearings less often than non-Indigenous offenders, and when they did, it was later in their sentence.'" (Beyond 94)

38. Eliminate the overrepresentation of Aboriginal youth in custody.

Not started.

The fact that nothing has been done for our youth makes me quietly enraged. Bill C-75 was passed in 2019, making amendments to the Youth Criminal Justice Act, but it does not address the root causes of over-incarceration.

39. Collect and publish data on the criminal victimization of Aboriginal people.

Complete.

Are you ready?

• The 2016 report, Victimization of Aboriginal People in Canada found that the overall rate of violent victimization is more than double that of non-Indigenous people.
• Indigenous females' violent victimization was twice that of Indigenous males AND...
• close to TRIPLE that of non-Indigenous females. Let that sink in.

40. Create adequately funded and accessible Aboriginal-specific victim programs and services.

In progress. Projects underway.

Money has been committed to creating FILUs (Family Information Liaison Units) that link with their existing victim services departments. All provinces and territories now have these, but some are run by pre-existing non-Indigenous victim service programs. 

41. Appoint a public inquiry into the causes of, and remedies for, the disproportionate victimization of Aboriginal women and girls.

Complete.

The final report from the national inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Committee was released in June 2019 and concluded that these women and girls are victims of a Canadian genocide. There are 231 recommendations. 

42. Commit to the recognition and implementation of Aboriginal justice systems.

Not started.

No wonder they feel that they are still being colonized, Europeanized. They are. Several provinces have established 'Indigenous courts' but they operate within the Canadian justice system. In April 2019, the Government of Canada and the Red Earth Cree Nation (nation to nation) has had talks and has established a Memorandum of Understanding, regarding the creation of an Indigenous justice system. I get that Justice moves at a glacial pace, and if you read the comments under this call on Beyond 94, there are talks, there was a symposium in May 2019, and so the cogs have maybe started to think about moving...

This is the end of the Justice section so I made a fifth orange heart block.

Sites, Articles, Books of Interest

How A Cree Grandmother Helps Dangerous Offenders Find Their Path to Rehabilitation

I've mentioned it several times over the past 14-15 months, but here is the link to

The University of Alberta's MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) Indigenous Canada.

It's free.

It's run by AMAZING professors and presenters with many more professors making guest appearances. This is the course Dan Levy encouraged all Canadians, well, all North Americans, to take. Anyone who lives in a country where Indigenous peoples were overthrown will profit.