The Quebec government is trying to make new inroads with non-Indigenous people to better inform them on Indigenous issues.
Sixty-second ads are currently running, highlighting the different cultures, languages and histories of the 11 nations in Quebec.
”Start a little discussion saying you know what, we heard a bit about different Nations but we don’t know them that good . So this is a good opportunity to visit them, to know more on social medias, on the web,” Ian Lafrenière, the minister responsible for relations with the First Nations and the Inuit, told Global News.
The government spent $2 million and visited the 11 nations to produce the ad.
Lafrenière insists that this is not a one-off attempt to better educate the public, but instead, it’s part of an ongoing campaign.
”We never pretend that the publicity by itself would change everything,” he said.
Lafrenière insists announcements were also made last year to improve the school curriculum on Indigenous affairs and better educate students.
But some say that’s not happening fast enough and more efforts are required.
”In Quebec, we’re still not very well represented in the history books and people still have no idea of what we stand for,” Joe Delaronde, spokesperson for the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke, told Global News.
The executive director of the Native Women’s Shelter agrees.
”It all comes down to education and if we’re not teaching this in the schools then people will continue to be ignorant,” Nakuset told Global News.
Nakuset says there should at least be a link at the end of the ad to help people find more information on the 11 nations.
”That’s how you learn because having a small ad isn’t actually offering anything,” she said.
Lafrenière says more work is in progress in the ongoing efforts to break down stereotypes against Indigenous people and continue to educate the non-Indigenous population.
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