Supplementary Report on Quebec
As part of its final report, the National Inquiry into
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls issued a separate
supplementary report on Quebec. The report is a product of
Quebec's provincial Commission of Inquiry into Missing and
Murdered Indigenous Women in Quebec. The Quebec government of
then-Premier Philippe Couillard, announced the creation of the
commission on August 9, 2016, six days after the National Inquiry
was launched. The National Inquiry decided to issue the report of
the Quebec commission "in order to give particular attention to
the issue of violence against First Nations women, girls and
2SLGBTQQIA people in Quebec. This report is a complement to the
National Inquiry's Final Report, which includes a more thorough
treatment of the realities of Inuit in Canada, including Inuit in
Quebec."
The introduction to the supplementary report on Quebec
explains a number of differences between the experience in Quebec and
the rest of Canada, including the political and socio-historical
context, language and cultural barriers, the James Bay and Northern
Quebec Agreement in 1975, the unique experience of religious
institutions' management of health, social and educational services, as
well as the treatment of orphans, young offenders and children
considered "illegitimate" and their placement in institutions of a
religious nature. Another difference cited is the larger number of
Indigenous police forces in Quebec to which victims of violence must
turn to for support.
The introduction points out:
 "Quebec's political and
socio-historical context is different
from the Canadian context. The James Bay and Northern Quebec
Agreement (JBNQA) in 1975 and the Northeastern Quebec Agreement
in 1978 represent so-called 'modern' treaties concluded between
the Crown and First Nations that are applicable in what is now
called Quebec, for example the 1760 Huron-British Treaty and the
Treaty of Oswegatchie.
"The consequences of colonization and settlement took
hold
quickly after the arrival of the Europeans, but other genocidal
policies sometimes occur in distinct time periods within the
history of Quebec, even if they represent many of the same
consequences for Indigenous communities in the rest of Canada.
One example is the "Indian" residential schools. The first school
opened in 1931 in Fort George, and so at least two generations
of First Nations in Quebec who spent significant parts of their
lives in Indian residential schools are living together to this
day.
"Another major difference is the fact that a large
proportion
of First Nations in Quebec, particularly those who are not
signatories to the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, use
French as a first or second language. This has a significant
impact on building solidarity between Indigenous Peoples. The
language barrier makes communication more difficult among
Indigenous women in Quebec and between them and their sisters
elsewhere in Canada. In particular, this can prevent the sharing
of culturally adapted practices and resources for preventing
violence and ensuring well-being in the communities.
"The institutional context in Quebec is also unique.
Until
recently, religious congregations managed health and social
services and educational services. They played a major role in
education, in providing care to the sick and in ensuring child
welfare until the 1960s. It was at that time that the state
gradually took control of the institutions that were providing
these services. For example, in 1960, religious congregations
still operated 104 facilities, or 35 per cent of hospitals in Quebec,
and
were responsible for the internal governance of 23 secular
hospitals.
"Similarly, up until the 1960s orphans, young offenders
and
children who were considered 'illegitimate' were put in the
care of religious congregations, which favoured placements in
institutions. Elsewhere in Canada, child welfare has, for a long
time, been under the responsibility of secular agencies mandated
by the state, with a preference for placing children in foster
homes or facilitating their adoption. This specific
socio-historical context means that the effects of colonization
could have been experienced differently in Quebec.
"In terms of public safety, Quebec has the highest
number of
independent Indigenous police forces of any province. Thus, when
Indigenous women experience violence in Quebec, the Indigenous
police forces are often the ones called to act as first
responders."
The Quebec report goes into the colonial experience of
the
particular situation facing Indigenous women and girls in Quebec,
presenting the historical and social context in which crimes
against them are committed. It also informs of the scope of the
problem of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and
potential solutions. The cases of various
individual victims are also recounted. It concludes with 21 calls
to justice addressed to the Quebec government.
To read the complete supplementary report on Quebec, click
here.
This article was published in
Volume 49 Number 21 - June 8, 2019
Article Link:
Supplementary Report on Quebec
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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