Benefit of the doubt rarely given to Indigenous Canadians

The federal government has convened an emergency meeting on racism against Indigenous peoples in the health-care system. It’s a start. But it has to do the serious internal work to fully understand unconscious bias, and discipline and fire anyone who cannot serve Indigenous Canadians with compassion.

Canada's federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu, pictured Sept. 30, 2020, on the Hill. The federal government has to ensure provinces and territories sign on to implement an anti-racism plan through law which requires Indigenous members on every provincial/territorial health authority, every large urban hospital and every public health agency and ministry, or face defunding, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY ROSE LEMAY

October 19, 2020

OTTAWA—If 200 First Nations had committed the actions seen on video by white Canadians in Middle West Pubnico, N.S., we can all be sure that the RCMP would have broken out full tactical gear and called in military reinforcements. Instead, we hear about "mischief" and property damage by white Canad...

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