
First Nations leaders in Quebec appeal directly to residents to join fight against systemic racism
CBC
It's been exactly one year since the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) produced its own action plan to address racism and discrimination.
Today, the assembly appealed directly to Quebecers to engage in the fight, saying everyday people are part of a "wave of change" in favour of reconciliation, more so than the government of Quebec.
"To achieve the reconciliation that we are talking about these days, we call on citizens to engage in the fight against racism and discrimination toward First Nations people," said AFNQL Chief Ghislain Picard at a Wednesday news conference.
He was joined by Adrienne Jérôme, chief of the Lac Simon First Nation and spokesperson for the AFNQL Council of Elected Women, and Nadia Robertson, another spokesperson for the council and councillor for the Micmac Nation of Gespeg in the Gaspé.
Last year, instead of waiting for the government to implement recommendations from three commissions, AFNQL introduced a plan consisting of 141 suggested actions on how individuals and organizations can get involved.
The action plan was announced one day after Joyce Echaquan, an Atikamekw woman, died in a hospital in Joliette, Que., after live streaming hospital staff mocking her while she cried for help.
A sombre vigil to mark the one-year anniversary of her death was held yesterday, where leaders said issues of racism in health care persist.