A NEW WAY OF THINKING? TOWARDS A VISION OF SOCIAL INCLUSION

FOCUS PAPER For A NEW WAY OF THINKING

by Wayne Helgason

1. Introduction/Context

Aboriginal people are probably the most sensitive to the issues of exclusion and inclusion due to a significant number of historical and current circumstances. Given that First Nation, Metis and Inuit people have a special relationship particularly with the Federal government, considerations in terms of advancing a social inclusion agenda trigger issues from several points of reference.

First Nation people have only recently been included in the democratic process of voting in Federal elections. (1961). Residential Schools run by the Catholic and Anglican churches closed only recently (70’s) and were seen by the dominant perspective to have had the purpose of equipping First Nation children to more easily be included in Canadian Society.

Just at the point when Aboriginal people seem to be achieving progress as to their circumstances they are likely to be reticent to eagerly engage in a discussion or agreements led by proponents external to their community. There is however a tolerance for especially among the youth who have not been as barriered as previous generations and have had increasing educational success.

The political context is also quite unique. While nation-to-nation treaties have existed since the last century, the last decade has produced The Royal Commission on Aboriginal People; an Inherent Right Federal Policy and a Gathering Strength Agenda which have raised expectations within Aboriginal communities as to resolution on many social and economic issues.

At a recent consultation/discussion on the issues of social inclusion held in Winnipeg with the support of the Laidlaw Foundation the following points were raised.

II. Key Points

• There are and have been benefactors from marginalization and social exclusion.
• The experiences of Aboriginal people need to be examined and understood before any significant discussion on social inclusion can take place.
• The focus will initially need to be on social exclusion and who and what is doing the excluding before the principles of social inclusion can be explored.
• Choice is necessary; choice in who sets the agenda and the right to choose whether or not inclusion is an objective.
• Social inclusion requires fundamental changes in institutions and individual perspectives.

III. Summary of Discussions

How does Social Inclusion resonate as a concept with Aboriginal people in general?

• Social exclusion is the current method of solving all social problems.
• There are many layers of inclusion and exclusion.
• Marginalized groups need to determine for themselves how to best meet their needs and goals given the options at their avail.
• Balancing and maintaining relationships is an important element of SI.
• Many people benefit from marginalization; our marginalization is an industry.
• The first step towards SI is to understand how people have benefited from exclusion and to understand how the dominant culture has actively excluded people (including through racism).
• The excluded must be ensured the right to decide when they wish to remain excluded and act on their own terms (for example, the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry Child Welfare Initiative).
• Aboriginal people need to think about how they perceive inclusion.
• Can SI be used to change the direction of public policy and practice toward Aboriginal people?
• The Canada West Foundation document points out that there is no urban Aboriginal policy framework in Manitoba; could SI fill this role?
• The urban Aboriginal population faces different problems than immigrants.
• Any Aboriginal policy framework must include federal, provincial and municipal levels of government.
• We need to examine what it is the marginalized group (in this case, Aboriginal people), are being included in, what they are excluded from, and on whose terms the exclusion and/or inclusion is occurring.
• Sensitivity is fundamental; people need to be understood and feel that they are valued. One participant shared the story of being invited to a barbeque as a child and then being asked why he did not bring any food. Inclusion needs to be about more than access alone, rather about full citizenship and respecting the individual as a whole person.
• For many Aboriginal people, mainstream society denied them their Aboriginal identity as children (for example, nuns in residential schools telling them not to act like an Indian). As adults they are expected to fit into mainstream society, while they feel caught between two different worlds.

Problems in applying SI to Aboriginal people

• The dominant culture (and all of its vehicles- for example, the education system) will not accept that they are actively exclusionary.
• Canadian institutions have proven themselves effective at propaganda, convincing people that racism and exclusion do not exist. There is a veil of ignorance that must be lifted before SI for Aboriginal people can be implemented.
• We consistently use the example of the United States, and in the process hide behind our own exclusionary system. For example, we point to health care as representative of our universality in order to demonstrate to the US that we are inclusive when it actuality we are not.
• Not everyone aspires to the same thing, as is implied in SI.
• Will social inclusion be a continuation of assimilation?
• Who will define what it is people are to be included in?
• Society thrives on exclusion; there is exclusion even within the Aboriginal community.
• Will SI become just another buzzword and an excuse not to do anything?
• Policy makers often fail to recognize the diversity among people and it can be a struggle to be identified as having unique needs and concerns.
• Employment equity programs have had little to no impact; how will social inclusion be different?
• Policy depends on who interprets it and may not be indicative of front-line implementation and practice. For example, money for training programs is tied to practice, which ultimately has led to gender exclusion.

IV. Proposed Actions

• A paradigm shift is required (provincially and federally).
• Exclusion and inclusion need to be understood in the broadest sense.
• Change needs to start with the Indian Act; we need to acknowledge and understand that First Nations people are a sovereign people with inherent rights to land and resources.
• We must understand culture; to do so requires education, particularly targeted towards mainstream institutional thinking and bureaucratic lock-in. The culture of poverty cannot be confused with Aboriginal cultures.
• Marginalized groups need full participation in decision-making. Women being involved in the decision-making process. This involves determining who sets the agenda.
• The primary focus should be exploring the sources of exclusion. We need to closely examine which mechanisms and policies are exclusionary.
• We need to recognize that there is a historical relationship between Aboriginal People and non-Aboriginal People, but the relationship has been highly exploitive of Aboriginal people. SI requires a fundamental change in the dynamics of this relationship.
• Institutions and individuals need to recognize the history of Aboriginal People in terms of racism, discrimination and misconceptions; the magnitude of exclusion needs to be acknowledged. Inclusion requires total change in both institutions and individuals.
• Insist upon coordination (between various departments and sectors). A multi-sectional approach including different departments is necessary for an urban Aboriginal strategy to be undertaken.
• One suggestion was that a truth commission be established to overcome a legacy of racism and discrimination.
• A paper should be commissioned from the Aboriginal community reflecting their perspectives of SI.

Wayne Helgason is currently the Executive Director of the very active and ever-expanding Social Planning Council of Winnipeg, a position he has held for six years. One of his goals for SPC is to broaden its partnership base among its many stakeholders. Action-oriented research and support for community groups are key priorities.

In addition to lecturing locally on such varied topics as children at risk, poverty, employment and training, Aboriginal self-government, human rights and social security reform, Mr. Helgason has been a contract lecturer at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Preventive Medicine, Banff School of Management, and the Canadian Centre for Management Development in Ottawa.

Mr. Helgason is a graduate of Carleton University (1973) and has recently participated in a program at Harvard University focused specifically on Aboriginal people.

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