Two years ago, the Viens Commission laid out recommendations to address violence and discrimination against Indigenous people in Quebec. The provincial government said it has now put into effect, or is actively working on 68 of the 142 calls to action.
Quebec’s Indigenous Affairs Minister Ian Lafrenière said the provincial government is working to improve services for Indigenous people, but he concedes it will take a long time.
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Speaking at the First Nations and Inuit exhibit at the Museum of Civilization in Quebec City Friday, Lafreniere told reporters that the government is now working on 68 recommendations, up from 51 a year ago.
He asked the public not to focus on the numbers, because while some recommendations, such as making apologies, were easy, others require legislative change or discussions with the federal government.
The minister also announced his priorities for the future.
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“Those priorities have been established with chiefs and grand chiefs, over my visits that I’ve done over the summer,” said Minister Ian Lafrenière.
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He said he and leaders from 30 First Nations communities he visited agree priorities are to improve education, youth protection and the well-being of Indigenous women.
To date, the government has spent $125 million of the $200 million set aside for the Viens Commission recommendations.
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Sept. 28 will mark one year since the death of Joyce Echaquan, an Atikamekw woman who died in hospital while staff uttered racial slurs at her.
“This is a duty to remember, a duty to remember what happened a year ago,” Lafrenière said.
But First Nations leaders say it’s also a duty to recognize systemic racism, particularly in the health-care sector.
“I’ll be extremely honest and transparent with you. When I first got this position, it was in every, every conversation that we had,” the minister said, referring to systemic racism.
Still, the Atikamekw Nation Grand Chief Constant Awashish said the government has always been on the defensive.
“We have to call a dog a dog, a cat a cat,” said Awashish. “For us, First Nations, for the family of Joyce Echaquan, and for the community of Manawan, it’s important to call it the way that it should be called, so we can address it in the proper way,” the grand chief said.
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Awashish did commend Minister Lafrenière though for making other efforts.
“They appointed an Atikamekw person at the CISSS de Lanaudière,” the grand chief gave as an example.
However, he said it’s too early to tell if there’s been systemic change.
Quebec’s ombudsman will follow up on future government actions and Lafrenière promises another update in spring 2022.
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