Quebec Govt Invited to Recognize Existence of Systemic Racism & Discrimination in Quebec

KAHNAWA:KE – Quebec Native Women (QNW) today tabled a petition in the Blue Room of the Quebec National Assembly calling on Premier Legault’s government to recognize systemic racism and discrimination in Quebec and to adopt Joyce’s Principle.

The petition, submitted by Québec solidaire member and co-spokesperson Manon Massé, calls on the Quebec government, through the recognition of systemic racism and discrimination and the adoption of Joyce’s Principle, to guarantee all Indigenous People, through concrete action, the right to equitable access, without discrimination, to all health and social services, as well as the right to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

It was reiterated that systemic racism and discrimination are at the root of the issues that Indigenous women and girls face on a daily basis. The tragic death of Joyce Echaquan is an extreme example of this, as well as the cases of the Val D’or women, missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, forced sterilizations, etc.

Indigenous women are omnipresent in all spheres of society and are at the heart of the preservation and transmission of our peoples’ ancestral knowledge. It is imperative that major changes take place to ensure their safety, integrity, and well-being everywhere in Quebec.

‘’It is important to recognize a fact, an issue, a reality in order to improve conditions in society. The filing of this petition, initiated by Quebec Native Women, indicates to the government to take a step forward if it really wants to work in reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples’’, said Sipi Flamand, Chief of the Manawan Atikamekw Council.

The petition was launched on November 30th and its official announcement was the subject of a rally in front of the National Assembly, organized by QNW, in partnership with the Manawan Atikamekw Council and Joyce’s Principle Office. The petition collected nearly 4,000 signatures.

A press conference was held in the lobby of the National Assembly during which Marjolaine Étienne, President of Quebec Native Women, Sipi Flamand, Chief of the Manawan Atikamekw Council and Ghislain Picard, Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) spoke.

“The tabling of our petition in the National Assembly was a highly anticipated moment, as we have had proof that it has truly mobilized the Quebec population. Our allies are numerous and the number of signatures collected has exceeded our expectations. The support of the people of Quebec is being felt, it is now up to Premier Legault to listen to us and become an ally of Indigenous women and girls,” declared Marjolaine Étienne, President of Quebec Native Women.