Premier accused of racism

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Newfoundland Premier Brian Tobin made remarks on June 8 that Indigenous leaders found very disturbing.

Speaking to the National Post, a newspaper that the Assembly of First Nations has criticized as anti-Native, Tobin said, "Alcohol isn't being openly acknowledged for the problem that it is, in significant part because members of the leadership of northern communities are themselves abusers of alcohol and are themselves in need of help.

"I really believe that I have an obligation to say that publicly, in effect to speak on behalf of those who can't speak themselves - who feel, quite frankly, intimidated about speaking for themselves. I really spent a lot of time thinking about whether or not I would even do this interview. [But] I can not, in conscience, stay silent."

Tobin claims he is genuinely concerned about the problem and not attempting to assign blame or use the issue to dismiss the legitimacy of Native leaders with whom he and his officials have been, and will continue to be, involved in very competitive land claim negotiations. Many Native leaders don't believe him.

Interestingly enough, Tobin made time to talk to a national newspaper that caters to the business establishment and other conservative groups to make his inflammatory remarks. He did not, however, return Windspeaker's numerous phone calls during the six days between the time when his office was first contacted and our publication deadline to address the matter head-on with the Windspeaker readership.

Assembly of First Nations Grand Chief Phil Fontaine accused Tobin of perpetuating racist stereotypes. He said Tobin's remarks were about blaming the victims. Some Native leaders say Tobin's remarks categorize them and could be - and probably will be - used in attempts to discredit them as they engage in negotiations with government officials.

Some observers who are familiar with the root causes of mental diseases such as alcoholism in Indigenous communities, including but not limited to trauma experienced at government residential schools, loss of control over community and self, forced relocation, and loss of dignity, say Tobin's remarks are like shooting someone in the head and then saying he is not competent to discuss the matter because he's suffered a head wound.

"I'm really disappointed that someone like Mr. Tobin would put forward such outdated views of Aboriginal peoples," Fontaine said.

Inuit leaders in Labrador responded by saying Tobin has labeled Aboriginal leaders as alcoholics in a bid to undermine land claim negotiations. A Native leader in another part of the country said there's no way to justify Tobin's remarks but he still has mixed feelings about the issue.

"Number one, I'm a recovering alcoholic myself," said Stewart Phillip, chief of British Columbia's Penticton Indian Band. "Number two, I've been in this business for 26 years and I remember the heyday of Indian politics when conferences and conventions were notorious for the amount of drinking that went on. I remember those days."

But he said things have changed a lot in recent years.

"There's a greater sensitivity to the need to heal our communities. A lot of the contemporary leadership has understood the need to act as role models for our communities and have clean and sober lifestyles," he said.

He and his wife Joan, a Penticton band councillor, went into treatment 13 years ago and have been sober since then. He said a majority of the adult population in his community has also taken that step. What Phillip finds encouraging is that, while people in his generation waited until they were in their 30s or 40s to get help, he's seeing that the younger generation isn't waiting that long.

"We have a lot of young people around 20 years of age or thereabouts who are going into treatment. So the cycle is not as long. But there is a very serious problem with drugs and alcohol in communities, particularly with drugs with the younger people," he said. "It's something our laders are not inclined to discuss publicly. They don't want to admit there's a lot of these problems in our communities and that's certainly generated a thriving drug trade. The outside criminal element recognize that Aboriginal communities are difficult to police so they're attracted to our communities. It's a serious situation that needs to be addressed and acknowledged but that hasn't happened."

But he doesn't believe Brian Tobin is the person to start the process.

"No, no, no. Absolutely not. It was a senseless racist remark. He made no distinctions. At the same time I do know this situation does exist and we're all very deeply concerned when we discuss the issue of teen suicide and that's one of the collateral issues with drug and alcohol abuse. It needs to be addressed but I don't support Tobin and his racist rhetoric," he said.

Phillip added that poverty, being denied access to lands and resources, is the biggest contributing factor to social ills in First Nations, and outside governments, including the Newfoundland government, have had a hand in creating that situation.

Dr. Lawrence Kirmayer, the director of the social and transcultural psychiatry division at McGill University's medical school, thinks Tobin could have done a bit more research before he spoke if he really wanted to help.

"What he was expressing was what many people would think of stereotypically, but it's not in tune with things," said Kirmayer. "I don't really think that there's much to be done in terms of addressing him because this is a much broader issue. I just think it would be helpful to bring the message of the actual history to people."

Research by University of British Columbia psychiatrist Micheal Chandler reveals the best way to deal with the problem. Chandler studied coroner's reports of suicides and was able to identify a trend. He found that the more local control of governance there was in an Indigenous community, the fewer suicides there were. Phillip agreed. He said tat real self government will restore dignity and get rid of many of the causes of the problem.