Maclean's
The cover of Maclean's this week, profiling the racial divide in Winnipeg.

Canada’s Ferguson: Maclean's Slams Indigenous Race Relations in Winnipeg

ICTMN Staff
1/22/15

Branding Winnipeg Canada’s most racist city, the country’s most influential newsmagazine has put indigenous relations front and center, declaring them worse than the U.S.’s relations with its African-American population.

“Unfortunately, the truth is we have a far worse race problem than the United States,” writes Scott Gilmore in one of the cover stories. “We just can’t see it very easily.”

Newly elected Mayor Brian Bowman, who is Métis himself, gave a tearful news conference at which he vowed to fight racism after the magazine hit the stands on January 22, CTV News reported. But collectively, the array of stories is damning. From racist public comments on social media by a teacher (who has since been placed on unpaid leave), to the brutal murder of yet another aboriginal girl, 15-year-old Tina Fontaine, the illustrations of what indigenous people face on a daily basis in Winnipeg, Manitoba—ironically, the city with the highest aboriginal population in Canada—is starkly different than that of their white counterparts.

RELATED: Top 5 Cities in Canada With the Most Indigenous People

“Someone honks at me, or yells out, ‘How much’ from a car window, or calls me a stupid squaw, or tells me to go back to the rez,” indigenous writer Rosanna Deerchild told Maclean’s about what she faces every few weeks as she goes about her daily business. “Every time, it still feels like getting punched in the face.”

What galvanized the city most was the case of Tina Fontaine, who fell through the cracks of numerous agencies, only to be found wrapped in plastic in the Red River after she had been missing for days, having been sexually assaulted.

RELATED: Heartbreak in Winnipeg: Bodies of Two First Nations Citizens Pulled From Red River

“It was an atrocious story, and it hit home in Winnipeg in a way that it never did before with the murder of an indigenous woman,” said Maclean’s Associate Editor Nancy Macdonald in an interview previewing the magazine's Next Issue.

RELATED: Vigil for Murdered Teen and Homeless Hero Draws 1,300 Mourners in Winnipeg

The bright spot in all this, Macdonald said, is that racism is finally being talked about. And, standing beside Bowman at the press conference, Ovide Mercredi, Cree Métis and a former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said it does not just happen to Indigenous Peoples.

“It’s experienced by people of color and white people as well,” he said, according to CTV News. “This is a national problem.”

Read Welcome to Winnipeg: Where Canada’s Racism Problem Is at Its Worst and Canada’s Race Problem? It’s Even Worse Than America’s.

You need to be logged in in order to post comments
Please use the log in option at the bottom of this page

POST A COMMENT

Comments

100IndigenousAmerican's picture
100IndigenousAm...
Submitted by 100IndigenousAm... on
The illusions of the pop culture on both sides of the border has made life values blurry; knowing how to fish and hunt to feed the family is replaced by incalculable time with the smart phones and big screen TV. Colonial valued education has brought some Native people "success" with empty morals because they ignorne the problems of their struggling brother and sisters by helping with the judgemental attitude and language rooted in colonialism. The assimilated Indians no longer see themselves as coming from a "TRIBE", only when it suits them. Take the time to reach out to children and tell them the beauty of their Native Culture or else they will never know. Organize, organize, and organize. Schools cannot do the job. Perhaps write letters of support to Rosanna Deerchild and Scott Gilmore to please the ancestors.

indianmedicine's picture
indianmedicine
Submitted by indianmedicine on
What "Turtle Island" experienced was the importation of :The European & Mideastern Culture" as a "religion and lifestyle that even the Presenters could / can not live up to................................................................................................ ............................................................................................................................. This Euro-Notion being applied to the Aboriginal Peoples as a "Lifestyle Standard" effected the decline of a People compelling them to live a "Watered Down" Standard of care towards People, and specifically Tribal Members that exceeded the "New Dogma" Standards of Care toward one another. ............................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................... The "imported" value system undermined the Human Values applied to the various Tribes; that already had a "Life Style & Human Value Standard" that was so envious, the Euro-American incorporated that Model into State Constitutions (Carolinas) and eventually The American Constitution & Bill of Rights - contradicting the Euro-America's Judgement against The Red People's.......................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................................... The shameful conduct towards The Red People in the Americas to this day, is demonstrated Maltreatment and disparity in application as a "Standard of Law" according to multiple Public Cases involving Murder & Mayhem directed at The Red People's and their Young.......................................................... ......................................................................................................................... It appears that the lack of equal Care given to Indigenous Cases by Government and Law Enforcement continues into this day, as demonstrated by the Murder & Mayhem gone unnoticed by The Courts of The American Nations as a practice and unwritten policy of those Nations - to wit, The Code of Silence practiced by its Agents and Representatives............................... ......................................................................................................................... The Tribal Values and Red People's Way of Life are ignored by the upcoming generations, being overcome by Technology rather then a practical application of Physical Survivor Skills and Values.......................................................... .......................................................................................................................... An interesting Note and "Summary Judgement" of personal values stemming from Aboriginal Way of Life according to a "Warrior Ethos" was reduced to Writing by "Raven Walker" in his book entitled "The Dog Soldiers Manual"- A Practical Guide to Character Formation and like Cultivations of the Human Spirit - Writers Club Press, 2000 - ISBN: 0-595-09108-3 URL: https://www.writersclub.com - for those that may want to pursue te subject. ............................................................................................................................ ............................................................................................................................ This is not just a Nations problem as presented, it is an International Problem toward Indigenous People's of the World...................................................... ............................................................................................................................ It is the Hypocrisy of Canada as well as The United States; and nations within The Americas.................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................ I wish this valent argument by the Author be given serious thought by The Red Nation's Elders, and Governing Bodies - where as a matter of law - The Nations are held accountable for their Malfeasance in Office by their Representatives, Agents, and Responsible Persons given Trust & Responsibility to perform their duties equally toward All Peoples.......... ........................................................................................................................ I applaud Ms. Rosanna Deerchild and Mr. Scott Gilmore for their "Intestinal Fortitude" to raise "The Red Flag" on this Question................................. ........................................................................................................................ - De Oppresso Liber - Non Gratum Anus Rodentum - ............................ ........................................................................................................................
2