Grand Chief Stewart Phillip spoke today about words, promises and missed chances.
“Reconciliation is becoming a word that’s overused, misused, and that’s misconstrued,” said Stewart Phillip. “It’s become a word political convenience for both the government of Canada and the province of British Columbia.”
He was speaking in a nearly full auditorium at Langara College, two days after making international headlines for his refusal to join the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Royal Black Rod Ceremony in the B.C. legislature on Monday.
“On the one hand the Trudeau government has made much of embracing the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and it went to NY and made those grandiose statements,: Phillip said. “But, in terms …show more content…
He doesn’t want into real, actions. Actions that support meaningful change for First Nations, aboriginals and all Canadians.
Don Bain, executive director at the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, said that reconciliation will only happen if the government makes time to do the work.
"To have true reconciliation, you are going to need change how funding is distributed,” Bain said. He would like to see, both on and off the reserve, a concerted effort across the country to bring graduation rates up for First Nation students in secondary and post-secondary schools.
Both men want to see provincial and Federal leaders move beyond spin and photo-ops.
“Governments have to walk to the walk.” said Phillip. “These grandiose symbolic ceremonies convey to the general public a message that things are going very well for the indigenous peoples, aboriginal peoples, in this country. That there's harmonious relationships amongst ourselves and the governments of the day, federally and provincially. And the general public should have that warm fuzzy feeling well up inside them that they live in such a great country...when nothing could be further from the truth.
"To participate in a grandiose photo-op sends the wrong the
“Reconciliation is becoming a word that’s overused, misused, and that’s misconstrued,” said Stewart Phillip. “It’s become a word political convenience for both the government of Canada and the province of British Columbia.”
He was speaking in a nearly full auditorium at Langara College, two days after making international headlines for his refusal to join the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Royal Black Rod Ceremony in the B.C. legislature on Monday.
“On the one hand the Trudeau government has made much of embracing the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and it went to NY and made those grandiose statements,: Phillip said. “But, in terms …show more content…
He doesn’t want into real, actions. Actions that support meaningful change for First Nations, aboriginals and all Canadians.
Don Bain, executive director at the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, said that reconciliation will only happen if the government makes time to do the work.
"To have true reconciliation, you are going to need change how funding is distributed,” Bain said. He would like to see, both on and off the reserve, a concerted effort across the country to bring graduation rates up for First Nation students in secondary and post-secondary schools.
Both men want to see provincial and Federal leaders move beyond spin and photo-ops.
“Governments have to walk to the walk.” said Phillip. “These grandiose symbolic ceremonies convey to the general public a message that things are going very well for the indigenous peoples, aboriginal peoples, in this country. That there's harmonious relationships amongst ourselves and the governments of the day, federally and provincially. And the general public should have that warm fuzzy feeling well up inside them that they live in such a great country...when nothing could be further from the truth.
"To participate in a grandiose photo-op sends the wrong the