SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

Danette Starblanket

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 9, 2023
Context: Bill C-53, An Act respecting the recognition of certain Métis governments (INAN) - Nov/9/23
Professor Danette Starblanket (Assistant Professor, As an Individual)
  • 03:43:08 p.m.
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Thank you. Good afternoon. I come from Star Blanket Cree Nation in southern Saskatchewan. I've served first nations organizations as a first nations public servant. I've worked at the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations and, for the past several years, as a sessional instructor in indigenous studies and political science. More recently, I've worked as an assistant professor in public policy at the University of Regina. I hold a Ph.D. in public policy from the Johnson Shoyama graduate school of public policy. I also hold a Master of Arts in indigenous studies through the First Nations University of Canada, in collaboration with the University of Regina, where I gathered data and conducted research on Treaty No. 4 in southern Saskatchewan in 2001. This included gathering the oral history of the elders and knowledge-keepers, along with other primary and secondary data. Prior to that, I completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Indian studies, where I researched the history of my first nation, including Chief Starblanket's alleged and misperceived involvement in the northwest uprising of 1885. Some of the research conducted for my B.A. (Honours) informed the graduate research for my Master of Arts degree. I'm presenting evidence today related to the historical rights of the Métis peoples, based on my understanding and training, both informal and formal. Métis people have aboriginal rights, which include the right to hunt, fish, trap and gather, the right to self-government and the right to the land. These are inherent rights based on Métis people belonging to the group of indigenous peoples. Métis people have asserted their rights throughout the colonial history of this country. In some cases, those rights were aligned with the rights of first nations people. For example, the Métis were questioning the Crown's right to occupancy pre-treaty. The involvement of Métis people at the time of treaty negotiations demonstrates their vested interest in the outcomes that would follow. First nations and Métis people had very different relationships with one another historically than we do today in contemporary times. The impacts of colonization changed those relationships and damaged kinship ties in very negative ways. Those relationships were familial. We knew our blood ties to one another. Certain Métis people were recognized as having rights as road allowance people during the early reserve years. Many first nations in Saskatchewan had road allowance people camped just outside their reserve boundaries. In many cases, these were our Métis relatives. In my historical research, I found that first nations people were very concerned about the Métis' situation and pressed the Crown to deal with them in a just and fair manner. First nations people, at the time of treaty, were insistent that the government deal with the Métis in the same ways they were treating with the first nations. Métis people were interpreters, advisers, company men, witnesses and servants of the Crown during treaty negotiations. Most importantly, Métis people were the relatives of the first nations people present. Research demonstrates that Métis people were involved in, and relevant at, many of the treaty negotiations. In the case of my research on Treaty No. 4, the spokesmen for first nations people referred to a Métis presence. Alexander Morris's textbook, which was reprinted in 1991, provides a written account—albeit a colonial account—of the negotiations for the early treaties and the post-Confederation numbered treaties up to and including Treaty No. 7. In the Treaty No. 4 negotiations, the Gambler was appointed by Loud Voice to speak for him. He was a principal chief of the Cree, so when he spoke, all listened. Loud Voice would later take up as leader of the Ochapowace Nation. He told Commissioner Alexander Morris through the Gambler that certain things were “in the way” of moving forward in the Treaty No. 4 discussions. One thing was.... Earlier that day, the first nations people had observed that Morris was reluctant to shake the hand of a Métis person. This caused a lot of mistrust among first nations people. The Gambler described it by saying: This morning I saw the chief of the soldiers, who asked me what is in your way that you cannot come and meet the Queen's messengers; then I told him what was in the way. And now that I am come in, what do I see? You were rather slow in giving your hand. You said that the Queen spoke through you and spoke very plainly, but I cannot speak about what you said at present; the thing that is in the way that is what I am working at. The Gambler continued: I told the soldier master you did not set your camp in order, you came and staid beyond over there, that is the reason I did not run in over there. Now when you have come here, you see sitting out there a mixture of Half-breeds, Crees, Saulteaux and Stonies, all are one, and you were slow in taking the hand of a Half-breed. All these things are many things that are in my way. I cannot speak about them. Commissioner Morris responded to the Gambler with: We have here Crees, Saulteaux, Assiniboines and other Indians, they are all one, and we have another people, the Half-breeds, they are of your blood and my blood. The Queen cares for them, one of them is here an officer with a Queen's coat on his back. At the Lake of the Woods last winter every Half-Breed who was there with me was helping me, and I was proud of it, and glad to take the word back to the Queen, and her servants, and...you may leave the Half-breeds in the hands of the Queen who will deal generously and justly with them. There was a Half-breed came forward to the table. He was only one of many here. I simply wanted to know whether he was authorized by you to take any part in the Council.... I will continue as we proceed. Thank you.
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Context: Bill C-53, An Act respecting the recognition of certain Métis governments (INAN) - Nov/9/23
Prof. Danette Starblanket
  • 04:19:23 p.m.
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Thank you. I believe that, when we're looking at what's happened with colonization throughout our history, we've seen a real breakdown in those relationship. We've come to compete with one another within first nations communities, between Métis and first nations, and between Métis communities. This is part of our colonized face now. This is who we are. We have to work to decolonize those ways of thinking. I think we have to understand that, upon contact, we started to create Métis societies. Métis culture came to be born. From there came communities. Métis folks were all over this place that we now occupy and today is called Canada. They did occupy these regions. They moved amongst these regions. As I've mentioned earlier, they were very involved with first nations people. As far as trappers and hunters, they were taking up those avocations as well, those ways of life, and surviving from them. I think that historical existence has to be understood and it has to be realized. I think we also have to realize that we have come to break each other down. That's who we are today—tearing each other apart. Unfortunately, that's where we're at. We have to heal that. We have to move towards changing that. I hope that's where we're at. There are people who will put those arguments against Bill C‑53 forward, but I think we have to look at that history and those Supreme Court decisions that have been made and the positions of the Métis people. Their voices and their oral history are really important. I think that all has to be taken into account. As far as talking about recognition—
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