On June 21, 2021, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples entered into force in Canada. Sixteen months later, the Canadian commitment is still slow to make itself felt in the Aboriginal classrooms of Quebec.
In particular, this law provides for the presentation of an action plan by June 2023, two years after its adoption by the House of Commons. The Canadian government is currently consulting with First Nations, Métis and Inuit for its development.
The declaration of the United Nations states, in article 13, that “indigenous peoples have the right to revitalize, use, develop and pass on to future generations their history, their language, their oral traditions, their philosophy, their writing system and their literature Indigenous schools across the country are working hard to make this claim a reality.
“We are still a long way from recognizing Aboriginal competence in education,” complains lawyer Armand McKenzie, invited to speak at the opening of the Innu Education Summit, which will be held in Uashat mak Mani-utenam until Friday. “The federal government is giving insufficient money to fund Aboriginal schools, while ordering us to follow the Quebec curriculum, or we risk no longer receiving funding. “
Language and culture in the classroom
In his opinion, the constraints imposed by the Ministry of Education hinder the development of indigenous peoples promoted by the United Nations declaration. ” [Celle-ci] provides that it is a right to learn your own history and do it in your own language, remembers Ms.And McKenzie. That’s not what we do: we promote Quebec culture in schools and make it a condition for obtaining a diploma upon completion of school. “
In his view, the law respecting Quebec’s official and common language, French, better known as Bill 96, further reduces the already shaky place given to Aboriginal languages in the school curriculum. “I was surprised to learn that there is still no more than an hour or two a week devoted to language learning,” says Armand McKenzie. He means that since I attended boarding school in Pointe-Bleue, almost nothing has changed. “
The summit held in Uashat mak Mani-utenam is important, according to the lawyer, to allow the Innu to adopt their own education law. “The federal government must recognize the right of Aborigines to have power over their schools. This has been done in some Aboriginal villages in Canada, for example in Nova Scotia and Ontario, where communities are responsible for graduation programs and certification. It has not yet been done in Quebec, regrets MAnd McKenzie. Quebec is very jealous of its educational skills, but also very jealous of its culture and language. “
It is surprising, however, that the situation in Quebec – 8 million French speakers who more or less cling to their own language in the midst of an English-speaking ocean – does not produce greater empathy for the danger facing indigenous cultures.
“We, the Innu, are about 10,000 speakers – worldwide, the lawyer points out. He imagines what situation we are in. We are not taking anything away from the Quebecers by giving more importance to the Aboriginal language and culture. “
The new Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, says he listens to the concerns of the Aborigines. ” We [les] let’s hear it, ”he says, adding that he wants to take the time to find out more about the file before commenting further.
Two allies in Quebec
Although he welcomes the investments made by the federal government to finance indigenous schools, Armand McKenzie regrets that behind the enormity of the amount – 1.2 billion dollars – there is above all a necessary recovery from the 1980s. .
“Yes, the federal government has reinvested, but it follows the cuts made 40 years ago,” recalls the lawyer. Since then, the gap between provincial schools and Aboriginal schools has only widened to the point that there are decades of catching up to do. “
However, he is optimistic about the future. The federal action plan should soon strengthen Ottawa’s commitment to Aboriginal nations. In his eyes, the political situation in Quebec is also favorable to the claims of the First Nations.
“Within the Quebec government, we have two champions: Minister Ian Lafrenière and Kateri Champagne Jourdain, the lady believes.And McKenzie. I think they will be able to maneuver with the power in place to allow a greater role for Aborigines in Aboriginal education and language. “
If neither level of government has access to the rights recognized by the United Nations Declaration on Indigenous Rights, it will be up to the Supreme Court to decide, warns Armand McKenzie in conclusion. «He will do it, concludes the man of law, certainly in our favor. “
