‘Underwhelming’: Indigenous advocates react to City’s results of Indigenous reconciliation strategy

Indigenous advocates raise concerns over the City of Montreal’s recently released progress report on measures taken to implement Indigenous reconciliation strategies, which was adopted five years ago. The City says this strategy has served as a roadmap to transform relations between the municipal administration and Indigenous communities.

From integrating Indigenous communities in its urban planning to renaming of spaces and installation of Indigenous artwork, the City listed several achievements of the 125 actions. While some may be true, advocates say otherwise.

“It’s not enough, right? Like I think that, you know, there needs to be like a concrete action plan, and that’s what was one of my sort of criticisms of, of their plan,” said Nakuset of Résilience Montréal.

The City unveiled its reconciliation strategy “Stratégie de réconciliation avec les peuples autochtones 2020-2025” in the fall of 2020. Two different task forces – the Viens Commission and the Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM) – called on the City to address systemic racism. Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante said that the report demonstrated the City’s commitment to Indigenous reconciliation.

“Montreal is taking action, listening, and transforming. It marks a turning point in our governance,” Plante said.

Under Plante, the City created the position of commissioner of Indigenous relations in 2018, where Randy Legault-Rankin, from the Abitibiwinni Nation, currently occupies the position and is the third person to hold the office.

“We have a commitment to continue on this path. This is a long-term relation that the city wants to have with the Indigenous population, and they see that as a priority,” Legault-Rankin said.

“This is kind of what the commissioner’s role is, is every time there’s a conversation about a project, every time there’s a conversation about anything, I want to be the Indigenous voice that says this organization told me this or that,” he said on Montreal organizations facing challenges.

“I want to be the voice internally when they can’t be there.”

Recognizing the criticisms, Legault-Rankin says he remains open to all forms of comments in order to better understand the greater needs in Montreal.

Though acknowledging the various initiatives, Nakuset and David Chapman of Résilience Montréal say issues continue to persist.

“It’s been a little underwhelming,” Chapman said on the report.

$150k in the red

“We’re still having to rely far too much on private sources, and the city of Montreal could easily fix that problem. It’s not been a priority,” Chapman said.

Chapman adds that they have a 100 per cent Indigenous board, with an 85 per cent Indigenous intervention team.

“What’s really, really strange to us is how a truly Indigenous-led initiative does not have core operational funding after six years in a city that talks about reconciliation.”

Résilience, an Indigenous-led organization that supports Montreal’s homeless community, has historically struggled to secure core operational funding while having access to very limited resources. Over the summer, they called on all three levels of government to support the implementation of recommendations made by the Office de Consultation Publique de Montréal (OCPM) in its July report on homelessness and social cohabitation, which included 22 recommendations for the City of Montreal.

“When you have like the OCPM report that came out, where it talks about the municipal, the federal, and the provincial government all working together, that’s not happening,” Nakuset said.

The day centre serves up to 1,000 meals per day to those in the unhoused community. Chapman notes that they are currently $150K in the red as discussions with governments and City officials remain stagnant.

Among the results, the City said it funded the completion of 104 housing units for Indigenous people. It said it also funded the Iskew Ligne 1800 project to support Indigenous women who are victims of sexual exploitation. Other projects supported by the City include the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal and the Native Friendship Centre.

As part of the strategy, the City said it has also supported several cultural events and projects, such as the Sanaaq Cultural and Community Centre, which has also seen its fair share of criticism.

A number of spaces were renamed to honour or recognize Indigenous community members, including a future station on the Blue metro line extension, for Mary-Two-Axe-Earley, a Kanien’kehà:ka activist for Indigenous women’s rights, and the naming of White Pine Room in the city hall.

Requesting a seat at the table

“I know that even like they changed a street sign. You know, I’m not sure how that helps Indigenous people to change a street sign, ” Nakuset said. ” Like I think if people are in crisis, that’s not going to alleviate their crisis.”

“Finding out exactly what is the most pressing issues and there’s a lot of pressing issues, that’s how the new reconciliation plan… that’s what it should address.”

Legault-Rankin says that preliminary plans are set for the next phases of the next strategy, though did not provide details on whether they will stick to a five-year plan or match the 125 actions.

“Is there more work to do? Totally, and the commitment is that we’re not coming here to say ‘this is what we’ve all done, we’ve cracked the code, no, it’s we’ve did that now we know that we can do it, so how can we do it better and answer the needs of the population,”

Both Nakuset and Chapman reassure that they aren’t downplaying the City’s initiatives and are looking for a seat at the table with officials to address their matters.

“Have an honest conversation with different Indigenous organizations and ask them what is the pressing issue and how can we develop a plan to help you?” Nakuset asked.

With Montreal’s municipal election just over a month away, all eyes are on how reconciliation strategies will be approached in the coming months.

“I hope one day we get their attention,” Chapman said.

“One day.”