Before reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people can really take place, it’s essential that Canadians understand how the country came to exist— and how some people benefitted from it and others didn’t.
“It's time people start to hear the truth of our version of our collective history, and how we came to live here together,” says Janice Makokis, a lawyer and educator who participated in legal matters relating to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Canada. She is an advocate for Indigenous rights at the United Nations Permanent Forum and consults on legal issues that many Indigenous communities face.
“In the courses I teach, a lot of people just want to talk about reconciliation, but without really knowing the true history and the truth of what happened here between and among our people. It’s hard to get to that place to talk about reconciliation.”
Makokis was taking part in a webcast organized by Scotiabank’s Indigenous Employees Resource Group to mark National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21.
Makokis, who is Cree and grew up on reserve but attended school off reserve, said her perspective was shaped by the teachings she received about the meaning of treaties from her aunt, a knowledge keeper, who in turn received it from her great-grandfather and others for thousands of years before. They passed along a view of what the treaties were intended to create, which was a way for Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultures to live together with mutual respect.
“These principles and laws have existed for a long time, and our people knew that when visitors from across the big water came here, we were supposed to greet them with kindness, to teach them about our ways so we could peacefully coexist.
“But what happened with the establishment of Canada, through the imposition of its own laws and policies, is that one side started to take over the other side,” she said. “And what you see today, in the stories you hear on TV or the statistics that paint a bleak picture, is all of the things that are a result of one side benefiting and the other side not. And one side not being able to live and exist the way that we thought we were supposed to.”
Makokis pointed out that only nine of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 calls to action have been implemented so far, and that much work remains to be done. But she said she remains hopeful that the country can get past the deep divisions that exist and emphasized the “spirit of survival” among Indigenous peoples.
“I choose to inform and educate people about our collective history and what it was supposed to be and what it can be,” she said. “Let's not get stuck in these stories of hate, experiences of racism or politics of division. We have the power to change our children's future. Let's learn to listen to one another again in a respectful and meaningful way, and let's learn from each other the way that that treaty teaching intended.
“My hope for change lies in each one of us as individuals, in having these conversations about these issues. Sometimes they're not the most pleasant happy conversations, they are difficult and challenging, but we have to have them.”
Jonathan Davey, National Director of Aboriginal Financial Services, said during the webcast that as the Indigenous economy grows, so too does the need for Indigenous peoples to have financial institutions that they can work with and trust. Scotiabank has been working with Indigenous communities since it first partnered with the Blood Tribe in Stand Off, Alberta, in 1971 to put a branch on their lands. The Bank now has over 20 Aboriginal banking centres throughout the country, including four branches on reserve.
“Year after year, Scotiabank is becoming a more respected partner within the Indigenous community,” Davey said. “We're listening to each and every Indigenous community so we understand the respective visions that they have for future generations.”