Doug Ford's anti-Indigenous racism on full display

Doug Ford’s Bill 5 is an omnibus disaster threatening Indigenous sovereignty, worker and environmental protection and basic democratic rights. His goal is to strip these hard fought protections to allow corporations to plunder resources for profit.

 

Ramming it through despite the objections of Indigenous leaders, environmentalists, unions and civil liberties organizations, shows the Ford government’s disdain for the people of Ontario that he claims to protect.

 

Recent Ford comments emphasize this.

 

When asked about the Greenbelt scandal investigations, Ford quipped: “People don’t give two hoots about this Greenbelt. That’s done, that’s gone — and we’re moving forward.” That’s news to the many whose province wide protests led to the repeal of Bill 23 in 2023.

 

Anti-Indigenous Racism

 

Then he dropped a bomb three days before National Indigenous Peoples’ Day and one day before meeting leaders of the Anishinabek Nation around Bill 5 provisions.

 

Ford remarked at a press conference that he’d told Northern Development and Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford to “treat ‘em well, give ‘em what they need … to prosper”, but that they “can’t just keep coming, hat in hand, all the time to the government.”  

 

He went on to say that fast-track proposals for “gold mines, nickel mines, every type of critical mineral” are “an opportunity of a lifetime for them … $3 billion … to be equity partners, to make their communities more prosperous and wealthier and have services they’ve never had before.”

 

“When you literally have what the world wants, and you’re saying, ‘No, no, I don’t want to touch that, by the way, give me money.’ Not going to happen.”

 

His statement led to widespread calls for his resignation by Indigenous leaders.

 

Ongoing Settler Colonialism

 

Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler of Nishnawbe Aski Nation - representing 49 First Nations in northern Ontario - posted on social media that the remarks were “offensive, rooted in racism and colonial violence.”

 

On CBC’s Power and Politics news program he added: “We’ve known for some time now that Bill 5 and now Bill C-5 have undercurrents of racism. Ford showed that to the world today. It just shows his ignorance and his disrespect, and I would say to Doug Ford and his government that it’s Doug Ford coming to our nations with cap in hand begging for our resources.”

 

Indigenous nations “are not against creating and building community infrastructure or to make sure communities have access to clean, safe drinking water or housing. What we said yesterday is that we need to be part of these conversations right from the beginning, not after these bills have been developed.”

 

And Ford isn't the only one trying to trample Indigenous rights. The federal government is fast-tracking Bill C-5, expected to be passed with support from the Tories by Canada day. Indigenous leaders were not even allowed to appear before the committee discussing that legislation

 

“It’s about our land, it’s about our resources and it’s about our children’s future and … we’re not even allowed to be in the committee room to appear and talk about our rights and to remind governments the obligations that they have.” Fiddler stated. 

 

Idle No More 2.0

 

He promised a long hot summer of resistance: “Our young people are ready to stand and meet with them on the ground, and to stop this massive overreach that both these bills represent. I think it’s similar to what happened in 2012/2013 with Idle No More, it’s gonna be an organic movement, and it’s not just one meeting or one event. I think what you will see across this country is a gathering of our people, standing up for themselves, standing up with those who want to protect our lands and our resources.”

 

Idle No More erupted in reaction to the Harper government’s omnibus Bill C-45 that amended over 60 laws including the Indian Act and environmental legislation. Actions included flash-mob round dances and occupations of malls and government buildings, city centres and highways. The movement influenced the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), contributed to the downfall of the Harper government in 2015 and created pressure for the new Trudeau government to call the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s Inquiry and adopt a new tone in relationships with Indigenous peoples.

 

Idle No More also inspired the subsequent developments of Land Back struggles, including Standing Rock resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline, Wet’suwet’en land defense against the CGL pipeline that led to Shut Down Canada in 2020, 1492 Land Back Lane on Six Nations territory and the Land Defence Alliance of First Nations on Treaty 9 territory encompassing the so-called “Ring of Fire”.

 

The lasting and broad influence of Idle No More has influenced many settlers as well, including during the Cancel Canada Day movement in 2021 after the confirmation of children’s deaths at residential “schools” as documented in the TRC report. Instead of red and white maple leaf flags, July 1st that year was a sea of orange shirts in solidarity with survivors of these genocidal institutions.

 

The failure of the Trudeau government to go beyond a change in tone, and the continuation of Harper era “energy superpower” policies has set the stage for the current struggles.

 

Building the struggles for social justice, democracy, workers’ rights and a livable future cannot be separated from the struggles for Indigenous sovereignty within the settler colonial Canadian state.

 

We must stand with and support Idle No More actions as they develop and shut down the racist attacks from all levels of government.