Thread by @RomboughSunni

I read your thread, several times.

You make some compelling arguments. But there are problems I couldn’t ignore. I’m prepared to put them to the test. From my perspective, there was no one optically better suited to assume the Indigenous Services Ministry than JWR.

https://twitter.com/Fancysez/status/1104584176852848640

Mandela didn’t take power. He wasn’t a dictator. Negotiations between Mandela & the government in power were held in secret to GIVE Mandela the opportunity to lead reconciliation. He was in prison.

JWR is a sitting MP. An advantageous position to begin negotiations from within.

Disadvantages for women in politics is ever present. But a leader refuses to be deterred by roadblocks. Using your line of reasoning would have prevented the impact of Angela Merkel, Benazir Bhutto, Aja Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, or Ilhan Omar, and Rachel Notley.

A progressive, Rachel Notley has lead AB through a difficult recession, with neophyte ministers & managed to reduce the child poverty rate to historic lows amidst powerful well funded opposition. That’s a leader who didn’t cave when facing obstacles. And she’s also a woman.

JWR wasn’t given a mandate. She supported reconciliation from the time her nomination papers were signed. She ran as a Liberal because she supports the policy platform. Unless she’s changed her mind, it can be assumed reconciliation was her mandate as well, not forced upon her.

If change is made, it’s made from within through legislation. Right or wrong, the Crown holds purview. Government approval led to release of Mandela and his eligibility to hold office in South Africa. Indigenous people can bring political pressure, but the power is on the inside.

If representing all citizens through a difficult & painful reconciliation is impossible for an Indigenous woman, how can she then effectively represent all of her constituents in her riding? She either represents all, or a subset. Which is it? All I hope.

Using Mandela as a comparison, you’ve overlooked that the day he was elected to a majority government, he became the oppressor. That is, until, new legislation was passed and racist policies abolished. That’s how it works. Real change comes from within, not from outside pressure.

Mandela was only positioned to bring change for South African Indigenous population in government. It didn’t change until they were the majority govt. Power resides in setting policy, not pressure from outside. Until he had the legal authority to change policy, nothing changed.

JWR was not PM. But she had the entire Liberal Caucus supporting reconciliation. That’s never happened in Canadian history before. She also had support across Canada from Progressive voters to move towards reconciliation. Again unprecedented in our nation’s history.

She was asked to propose changes & the path to get there. It wasn’t an insult to ask her, it was the ideal path to achieve real change, positioning an Indigenous MP who’s knowledgeable of the realities of Indigenous issues, the legislation creating them, & power to change it.

Mandela, as a newly elected oppressor, was forced to uphold past legislation. Incentive to immediately repeal racist legislation, and develop new legislation bringing real change. The transition is the most difficult & darkest part of the journey to reconciliation. Always.

As a feminist and Métis woman, I am not surprised in the least that the discrimination against women remains unchanged in the Indian Act.

Indigenous denotes all Aboriginal women: Inuit, FN, Métis & Non-status.

Resolving equal rights for all 4 versions of Indigenous women isn’t easy & will require FN compromise (yet unachieved), additional funding in perpetuity, & clear determination on what is Aboriginal identity

This isn’t as simple as it seems and is a political mine field that most Canadians don’t understand.

Indian Act identified women as second class citizens in 1876 when it was enacted. Not unexpected due to contemporary 19th century beliefs. White women weren’t persons yet either.

It means male FN can pass on their status no matter who they marry, but female FN are restricted to 2 generations if they marry outside of FN status.

So govt has been an intimate observer in FN women’s bedrooms & choice of partner since the 19th century.

Bear a child with anyone other than FN man, and in 2 generations, your descendants lose their status. FN women lose their rights to reserve resources if they marry outside of the reserve. It’s a discriminatory policy, meant to discourage leaving the reserve.

It’s also a way to eliminate status and Treaty obligations of government. Seems easy to just change the act. But the implications are enormous.

What happens to ALL the descendants of FN women who lost status? And their descendants? They are a large portion of Indigenous people.

What about newly recognized Métis of both sexes who’ve never had status in the past. The only place in Canada that recognizes a small number of Métis is Alberta. Métis Settlements are recognized provincially, not federally. And governed by provincial & Canadian laws.

Budget implications are overwhelming to say the least.

Add in that about 90% of federal indigenous funding goes to FN only, and protecting the funds becomes political motivation for restricting Indigenous women’s rights by FN politicians. Sharing limited resources isn’t welcome.

So criticism regarding acting upon Indigenous women’s rights is unwarranted. The issue is complicated and all implications need further examination and discussion. Treaty obligations include funding, so it may take time to determine a solution. That’s reconciliation when done.

The Mandela comparison doesn’t help JWR at all. She balked & refused, concerned about how her FN political credibility would be affected. Was it an impulsive poorly thought out decision, or influenced by the RCMP arrests of Wet’suwet’en protesters the same day it was offered?

RCMP raided Wet’suwet’en territory the previous day. They made arrests January 7, 2019 of protesters using enforcement of an injunction for corporate interests, citing Wet’suwet’en could not produce land title.

A crisis worsened by PM inability to interfere in law enforcement.

His response the same day was to ask the most qualified member of his Cabinet, a lawyer & an experienced MOJ, FN in origin, tons of political clout to once and for all guide Canada through reconciliation efforts.

What was JWR thinking? She blew it. She refused to take the reins

As far as I’m concerned, her judgement is questionable at best. She’s trying to make her refusal of the most crucial Ministry into a spat about SNC. With help from MSM, CPC & NDP.

The scandal is why did she refuse!

It’s clear faith was lost; justifiably PM’s faith in her.