Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his new Cabinet on November 4, 2015. The Cabinet includes two Native representatives: Minister of Justice and Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould and Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Hunter Tootoo. Photo from Facebook
Steve Bonspiel, the editor and publisher of The Eastern Door, and Onawa Jacobs, a resident of the Kahnawake First Nation in Quebec, pen a letter to Justin Trudeau, the new prime minister of Canada:
We want a committed, loyal and respectful partner. Someone who is interested in our well-being, who supports us on key issues when we need it and has a shared vision for the future. And if you show us the respect we deserve, we will reciprocate. However we, as Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island, are the battered partners in this relationship with Canada, and it seems all we have been getting from your predecessors are abuse, neglect, and a blatant lack of respect. So it should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone that we are extremely cautious with you in that position of power — but we'll come around if you're true to your word and deliver what you've promised. We aren't looking for someone to take care of us, but rather a leader who will respect our independence, understand our history, our uniqueness, and our goals for the future. And with the responsibility on your shoulders to lead everyone in Canada to a better place, post-Harper, you have a duty to listen — most notably to the ones who helped to build this country from the ground up, from the beginning; a people whose very land you stand on, shouting for equality while far too many indigenous people still suffer greatly.Get the Story:
Steve Bonspiel and Onawa Jacobs: Dear Justin Trudeau: The honeymoon is on, but will the romance last? (CBC 11/20)
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