Kenora lawyer thinks First Nations require "postracial style of politics" to gain power in Canada
Why Canada has to wait for its Obama moment
JEFF ROBERTS - February 2, 2009
Many Canadians shared in the sweet sense of pride as they watched the first black U.S. President take his oath of office. That moment, still lingering, symbolized an opportunity for Americans to feel free of their racial demons.
Watching the inauguration, it was hard not to long for an Obama moment of our own - for the emergence of a transcendent figure who could help Canadians move past their own racial troubles. In our country's case, it would mean the election of an aboriginal person capable of unifying and representing all Canadians. Unfortunately, this will not happen any time soon.
A comparison between the political progress of African-Americans and Canadian aboriginals is not necessarily intuitive. Nonetheless, there is no doubt that each became their country's most maligned and disenfranchised citizens. Why then has their recent experience been so different?
Much of the political progress made by black Americans in recent decades is the result of a change in their political culture. Whereas the civil-rights era provided legal protections and a discourse of empowerment to both blacks and aboriginals, this alone did not prove enough to end marginalization. In the case of black Americans, their ascension to the political mainstream came in part from leaving behind talk of rights and identity and embracing a postracial style of politics.
Barack Obama's rise has followed his willingness to move away from the swamp of identity politics. His success has been described by a Wall Street Journal columnist as "the Obama bargain" - with terms amounting to widespread white support in return for a candidate who would not invoke the long-time shame of racism. This "bargain" analysis is crude but not inaccurate. In any event, an evolution has certainly taken place.
No similar movement is taking place in Canadian aboriginal politics, however.
Instead of moving toward a message of unity, Canadians are trapped in an incessant dialogue of shame, rage and apology. While America has come to appreciate the limits and dangers of identity politics and chosen to move away from them, Canada has moved in the opposite direction.
Instead of aboriginal leaders standing with other national leaders and talking about inspiring Canadians, their speech is often a familiar litany of complaints focusing on colonialism and perceived entitlements. The news media encourage this at every turn. The result is a sorry situation where even the most basic decisions - such as on roads, health or safety - are deliberated on the basis of whether a proposed solution is a white or aboriginal one. We stand more apart than ever.
Certain chiefs are not the only ones who benefit from this state of affairs. So do legions of lawyers, expert witnesses, consultants and bureaucrats who feed off the "Indian industry." All benefit from the unending series of lawsuits and government inquiries that create a tidy profit for everyone involved except most aboriginals, who do not have the good fortune to be plugged into it.
Meanwhile, life for many first nations people continues to be a cycle of poverty, violence and hopelessness. While many African-Americans are part of their country's thriving middle class, Canadian aboriginals are more marginalized than ever. Those who move to join the country's larger economic and political context are often rejected by their own communities. The result is that few aboriginals enter mainstream politics, while the handful who do are derided as tokens or sellouts.
It is true that the cruel legacy of residential schools created barriers to success that were worse even than the discrimination faced by American blacks. This will require more time to overcome. Unfortunately, progress will not occur until aboriginal leaders show the courage to move away from a style of politics based on identity and entitlement.
To bring change, all Canadians - aboriginal and non-aboriginal alike - will have to create a forward-looking narrative based on hope and inclusion. Mr. Obama's election teaches us that from the most painful moments of a nation's history can emerge a figure symbolizing transcendence and unification. But for this to happen requires political leaders capable of challenging the status quo.
America continues to bask in its Obama moment. Canada will have to wait a long time for one of its own.
Jeff Roberts practises aboriginal law in Northwestern Ontario.