Guest speakers at a Queen’s Park ceremony honouring Louis Riel talk about the importance of reconciliation with the Canadian Métis community.
The path towards reconciliation with the Canadian Métis community was discussed at a ceremony held at Queen’s Park honouring Louis Riel on Friday.
Every year on Nov. 16, the Métis community gathers to commemorate Riel and his fight towards equality for the Métis people of Manitoba.
Through initiatives like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Canada has strived towards restoring relations with Indigenous communities.
Greg Rickford, Minister of Indigenous Affairs, spoke at the ceremony on Friday. He said provinces must continue towards working to create a “mutually beneficial future” for the Métis community.
“The government of Ontario is committed to strengthening the relationship between the Métis nation,” said Rickford. “Part of reconciliation means to recognize the painful truths of the past in order to build a more positive future.”
However, many speakers still insisted there is more that needs to be done in order to acknowledge the pain and suffering that Indigenous people experienced.
Sol Mamakwa, Critic of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, spoke about the concerns he sees regarding Ontario’s efforts to acknowledge the rights of the Métis people.
“Reconciliation is currently not apart of the government’s agenda, and I can see that everyday when we talk about policies in the house,” he said.
Kathleen Wynne, former Premier of Ontario, attended the ceremony as well and shared some words regarding Riel’s history and the way Canada has approached this topic.
She acknowledged Riel as “a hero” who worked to gain rights for the Métis people. But she argued there still needs to be work done in bettering relations with Canadian Métis communities.
“Reconciliation isn’t about words on a page, reconciliation is about the tough work of coming to agreement on issues that are hard to come to an agreement on,” she said.
Margaret Froh, President of the Métis Nation of Ontario, raised the Métis flag this morning, allowing the blue fabric to wave swiftly in the wind. She echoed Wynne’s statement on working towards reconciliation.
“After looking at all the reports to action, such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, it seems that the Métis people have been left to the side once again,” she said. “There are so many of our truths that still need to be told and there’s a lot more that we can do.”
Wynne’s final statements were focused on her plans to ensure all Indigenous people are recognized in the community.
“I am going to work with the members of this house to make sure that we continue to make investments on Métis businesses. We should ensure that reconciliation and truth is taught in our schools,” she said.
“And at the end of every few years, we can say that we’ve moved the bar a little bit on this relationship. But it’s going to take a lot of hard work.”
Story by: Nour Al-Saied
Multimedia by: Tim Falco
Video by: Denise Paglinawan
Social media layout/web design: Mariyam Khaja
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