Thank you, Stephen Harper. Sincerely, Indigenous women

Thank you, Stephen Harper. Sincerely, Indigenous women

Postby Oscar » Fri Oct 16, 2015 6:17 am

Thank you, Stephen Harper. Sincerely, Indigenous women (with Numerous LINKS on Original URL)

[ http://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/10 ... nous-women ]

October 15, 2015

QUOTE: “So what's the message from these Indigenous women? Thank you, Stephen Harper — and don't come back.”

Indigenous women have a message for Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Under his watch, nearly 300 of their own have been found missing, murdered or dead under suspicious circumstances, but a national inquiry “isn’t really high” on the PM's radar. Their children make up nearly half of the country’s foster care population, and one in four Indigenous children currently lives in poverty.

Under his watch, more than 90 First Nations communities lack access to safe drinking water, and over $60 million has been slashed from Indigenous organizational budgets.

Yet today, days before the federal election, Indigenous women say they would like to thank him.

Thank you, Stephen Harper

“All of the bad stuff he has been doing has translated into this beautiful response from Indigenous people that ends up being led by Indigenous women,” said Tanya Kappo, an Edmonton lawyer from the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation and First Nations activist.

“I would thank him because he forced us as Indigenous women to take our place instead of waiting for the place to be made for us.”

- - - SNIP - - -

So what's the message from these Indigenous women?

Thank you, Stephen Harper — and don't come back

Kappo, Marchand and Maloney share the view that it's time for the veteran prime minister to go.

He's already done enough damage to his own party's reputation, let alone the reputation of the federal government.

“I think Stephen Harper and the Conservatives for all Canadians have been the worst offender ignoring the foundation of Canada, which is the Constitution," said Maloney. "That’s bigger than just saying they’re ignoring aboriginal rights.”

Both the Liberals and NDP have made large election promises to Indigenous Canadians, including an end to boil-water advisories across all reserves, a national MMIW inquiry, and billions of dollars in infrastructure, health, and education investments.

Repair work will have to start right away if the government aspires to have a real relationship with First Nations communities, said Marchand, and those initiatives must involve Indigenous scholars, philosophers, and law-makers.

"If you look within the Harper Conservatives, that has changed forever the political landscape for Canadians," she explained. "It has infiltrated every board, every area of federal reach within the country. I don't think anything is going to turn on a dime."

The Conservative Party National Campaign did not answer multiple calls for comment on this story.

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