Governor General visits Saskatchewan’s Aboriginal communities

Photo captions:

During a speaking engagement at the University of Saskatchewan on women’s rights, Governor General Michaëlle Jean was given a Cree name, “Great Woman Who Leads” (Kihcokimaskwew Kanikanit) and presented with a ceremonial Cree blanket by Elders Walter and Maria Linklater (far right) as well as the university’s Special Advisor to the President on Aboriginal Initiatives Joan Greyeyes (left).

On her recent visit to Saskatchewan, Canada’s Governor General, Michaëlle Jean, was presented with a gift – a colorful red blanket – by First Nations Elders, during a speaking engagement at the University of Saskatchewan on the topic of women’s rights.

Governor-General Michaëlle Jean spent a few days in Saskatchewan, including time in the cities of Saskatoon and Regina, and a stopover in Lac La Ronge, where she spoke with community members and Band Chief Tammy Cook-Searson.

“I have been looking forward to this meeting with the community,” said Jean, adding that she believed the vitality and success of the community were development models for not only Aboriginal communities but for all communities across Canada.

“I want to congratulate the community for working hard on these goals and achieving them,” the Governor General said. Cook-Searson noted it was a short meeting, but believed the concerns shared – housing shortages being the biggest issue – would be passed along by the Governor General to people in position to bring about change.

Jean stated that a shortage of housing was a common theme she heard in her past five years of travel across Canada, and it was strongly connected with other major issues such as health and education.

In Saskatoon, Jean began her tour on Monday evening, listening to youth at Egadz talk about their lives, challenges, hopes, dreams, and realities.

“Empowering youth is empowering a community, a city, and a nation,” Jean said in her opening remarks. “For any revolution and major turning point in world history, young people have always, always been deeply involved…the theme of the International ‘Year of Youth, dialogue and mutual understanding’, reminds us we have an individual and collective responsibility to address issues that divide us by building upon the goals and aspirations we have in common.”

Listening intently, Jean took notes as youth, mostly Aboriginal, talked about foster care, life on the streets, barriers to education, housing concerns, and lack of governmental support at all levels. Mike Tanton, a youth worker at White Buffalo Youth Lodge, asked why the government wasn’t spending some of the $9 billion preventatively on youth centers and programming, rather than new jail cells and penitentiaries. Others shared experiences with violence, foster care abuse, addictions, discrimination, and racism.

One young Métis man noted that his parents had advised him to try and be as white as possible so his life would be easier. After closing remarks and a reception at Egadz, Jean ended the evening attending a showcase gala of Saskatchewan artists and performers, and began Tuesday morning at the University of Saskatchewan.
She was welcomed ceremonially by Elders Walter and Maria Linklater and Joan Greyeyes, who gave her a beautiful blanket and a Cree name, “Great Woman Who Leads” (Kihcokimaskwew Kanikanit). 

She began her opening address on Human Rights, and specifically women’s rights – celebrating 50 years of the Canadian Charter of Rights - by speaking of her familial experience fleeing Haiti. Her grandmother arrived in Canada a widowed mother of five, and her own mother experienced many challenges as a single parent, but both women supported her and taught her that education is the key to freedom, and empowering women decreases inequality, poverty, and tyranny.

“Women’s rights are human rights,” noted Jean, adding they are relatively new in Canada, and shouldn’t be taken for granted. “Indeed we must not forget it was not until the beginning of the last century that we obtained the right to vote in Canada. In Quebec, it was not until 1940, and for all Aboriginal women [and men] it was not until 1960,” she said.

Her remarks were followed by a panel discussion with U of S faculty and student body, including Graduate Student President Omeasoo Butt who said she is proudly of Cree descent. Butt began by saying that she had carefully chosen her remarks in the traditional way – by consulting with her mother, her friends, her mentors – and continued on to receive applause several times throughout her presentation.

The floor was then opened for questions, beginning with a man who was concerned about women’s rights eroding men’s rights to the point of domination, which Butt and Jean both said was an unnecessary concern.

In her closing remarks, Jean said that women are mothers of both sons and daughters and they tend to avoid such traps – “domination is so destructive – but more than that, it’s boring,” she stated.

Both the panel and Jean emphasized Aboriginal rights, particularly those of the more than 600 missing and murdered Aboriginal women, as priority.

“These are not just statistics…these are our sisters and mothers,” said Jean, adding that past policies of assimilation and discrimination and the legacy of residential schools are something all Canadians need to face.  “I am sorry to say we are not yet equals in this country,” she added.