Elected chiefs of New Brunswick First Nations are not happy about the announcement of the hiring of a commissioner for systemic racism in the province.
The Wolastoquey Nation said in a release they were not consulted prior to the announcement and the timeframe of less than a year doesn’t seem realistic.
“We are profoundly disappointed that Minister Arlene Dunn has made this announcement with no consultation with Indigenous people,’’ said St. Mary’s Chief Allan Polchies on behalf of WNNB.
“There could be no better example of what systemic racism looks like than non-racialized people setting out a process to address racism without consulting those most affected – First Nations people.’’
The chiefs say there was no mention of the qualifications the commissioner would need to have and there was no mention of seeking any input from Indigenous peoples during the process.
They are also concerned that by focusing specifically on only systemic racism, racialized groups will not have their needs addressed in unique and singular ways.
“These are serious and entrenched issues that require time to examine properly. I’m not sure any individual can handle such a huge undertaking within twelve months,” said Chief Bill Ward of Metepenagiag Mi’kmaq Nation.
Mi’gmawe’l Tplu’taqnn Incorporated and the Wolastoquey Nation proposed an inquiry focused on systemic racism in the justice system last summer.
