NATIONAL POST

October 25, 2013

Colonialism and racism are not academically generated narratives

A Rude Dismissal of Canadas Generosity, Rex Murphy, Oct. 19. Rex Murphy states: The resort to the academically-generated narratives of colonialism and racism and genocide are an abuse of reality and, yes, disrespectful to many most Canadians. These words are a both a denial of reality, and do not represent me as a Canadian. I have been a witness to both colonialism and racism. As a child, I watched a First Nations man being forced into the trunk of a police car, in the dead of winter. My father wrote a letter of protest to the police. The police wrote back that the man had voluntarily entered the trunk. Does any man voluntarily enter an ice cold -30C dark trunk of a car? Mr. Murphy states, there is also an even more deplorable effort to frame the interactions between Canadians and Canadas aboriginal peoples as a genocide an accusation both illiterate and insulting. On Feb. 19, a National Post story noted: At least 3,000 children, including four under the age of 10 found huddled together in frozen embrace, are now known to have died during attendance at Canadas Indian residential schools. Historians and human rights lawyers will continue to debate whether, according to the UN definition, genocide took place in Canada. From my experience, I know firsthand that a systematic demeaning and degradation of an entire people has taken place in Canada, and continues to this day. Colonialism, racism and genocide are not academically-generated narratives. Many and perhaps even most Canadians still need to come to terms with the reality faced by First Nations people in the past and in the present. First Nations protests are not all altruistic. There are many conflicting agendas at work. However when First Nations people specifically launch protests to protect our water and our Earth, they are working for all of us. Eleonore Schnmaier, Ketch Harbour, N.S.