Page 48 - Shahrvand BC No.1220
P. 48
English Section 48
Criminal injustice: 48
Idle No More, the prison system and Indigenous people in Canada
By MATT MOIR the risk of extermination."
JANUARY 1, 2013
rabble.ca It's a narrative equally
Change the conversation, support provocative and
rabble.ca today.
compelling. Alexander
Idle No More is forcing many
Canadians to be Willfully Blind No argues that Americans'
More.
Ostensibly, the movement obsession with 'law 1391 ید15 جمعه- 1220 شماره/ سال متسیب
spearheaded by Attawapiskat
Chief Theresa Spence is about the and order' began as a
protection of First Nations' treaty
rights. At its core, though, might be conservative attempt to
something more profound, perhaps
best described as a demand for all breed white opposition to
of us in this country to re-think the
relationship between Aboriginal the burgeoning civil rights
and non-Aboriginal Canadians. The
relationship is, of course, an uneven movement. Politicians
one, though it might be far more
uneven than most of us in this country on the right labeled civil
care to acknowledge.
Against this backdrop, policy makers disobedience a precursor
and average Canadians alike would
be well advised to ring in the New to criminality, and
Year by considering the lessons
Michelle Alexander highlights in branded supporters of
her important book, The New Jim
Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age civil rights legislation as
of Colorblindedness. The context
is American, but the lessons may promoters of lawlessness.
hit closer to home. In the book,
Alexander writes the following in Exploiting the fears of
regards to African-Americans and
the United States' criminal justice poor and rural whites,
system:
"It is fair to say that we have witnessed Republican politicians invented and vulnerable in a nation of skyrocketing over 40 per cent of new offenders to
an evolution in the United States inequality -- being under the control state and federal prisons are African
from a racial caste system based propagated the 'War on Crime' and, of the criminal justice system is American. In Canada, more than
entirely on exploitation (slavery), to not entirely inconceivable. It's an one in five new admissions to men's
one based largely on subordination more specifically, the 'War on Drugs' ugly commentary on contemporary prisons are of Aboriginal descent.
(Jim Crow), to one defined by American society. Canadians should Among women offenders, over one
marginalization (mass incarceration). as a means to incarcerate, and thus pay attention. in three are Aboriginal. In the U.S.,
While marginalization may sound Troublingly, there are significant one in three black men can expect to
far preferable to exploitation, it may control, the black population. parallels between the plight of African be incarcerated at some point in their
prove to be even more dangerous. Americans in the United States, and lives. In Canada, young Aboriginal
Extreme marginalization, as we have The scheme was so successful that the Aboriginal population in Canada. men are more likely to go to prison
seen throughout world history, poses As American history is steeped in than complete a high school diploma.
any politician that questioned the institutional savagery toward African And once in custody, a significantly
Americans, Canada’s history, too, is larger proportion of African American
effectiveness or morality behind pockmarked by the white majority's and Aboriginal Canadian prisoners
mistreatment of Indigenous peoples. are recommended for maximum
the supposedly colourblind 'War on Most notable among a litany of gross levels of security than white prisoners
violations of justice are the permanent charged with similar crimes.
Drugs' was accused of being 'soft occupation of ancestral lands While it might be unfair to claim
beginning in the eighteenth century, that Canadian politicians and the
on crime' -- the death knell for one the noxious attempt to 'civilize' Canadian criminal justice system
Aboriginal people in residential have joined forces to consciously
seeking public office. In 1992, Bill schools in the early 1900s, and the ensure that our Aboriginal
refusal to recognize Aboriginal communities remain repressed and
Clinton recognized that Democrats Canadians as legal 'persons' until the disenfranchised, it cannot be denied In touch with Iranian diversity
middle of the twentieth century. And that Aboriginals across the country
could peel off right leaning white the similarities, unfortunately, are not suffer from poverty, injustice and lack
only historical. of opportunity more than other type
voters by outflanking the Republicans Though Canada doesn't yet lock up of Canadian. One in four Aboriginal
the same percentage of its citizenry children live in poverty.
on issues like crime and welfare as its southern neighbor --the most The life expectancy for Indigenous
people in Canada is eight to twenty
reform, and promptly advocated for heavily incarcerated society in the years less than non-Aboriginal
world -- measures passed by Prime Canadians. On First Nations reserves,
a number of policies that resulted in Minister Harper's Conservative sixty percent of children do not
government have resulted in a graduate high school, and the lack of
the largest increases in federal and steady increase in the number of suitable housing and access to clean
Canadians behind bars. Canadians water is endemic. To be Aboriginal in
state prison inmates of any president of Aboriginal ancestries have borne Canada today is to be a second-class
the brunt of the surge of prisoners. citizen.
in the history of the United States, the The proportion of African As a new year begins, we should take
Americans and Aboriginal this opportunity to look closely at
overwhelming majority of which were Canadians in prison far exceed the society that we have created, and
their representation in the U.S. address the appalling inequalities of
people of colour. The normalization and Canada, respectively. In the our criminal justice system. There is
U.S., black Americans account for still time to prevent the prison state
of racial marginalization, according 12 per cent of the total population, of our southern neighbors, but only if
but represent nearly 40 per cent of we hurry.
to Alexander, was finally, quietly the prison population. In Canada,
Aboriginal peoples make up four No Canadian should be idle.
complete. percent of the total population, but
20 per cent of the prison population. Matt Moir is a teacher and a graduate
The book is more than a lament; These significant discrepancies school student in journalism. Vol. 20 / No. 1220 - Friday, Jan. 4, 2013
are not shrinking. In the U.S.,
it's a warning. Alexander paints a
bleak portrait of a future in which
the majority of African Americans
-- increasingly economically
Criminal injustice: 48
Idle No More, the prison system and Indigenous people in Canada
By MATT MOIR the risk of extermination."
JANUARY 1, 2013
rabble.ca It's a narrative equally
Change the conversation, support provocative and
rabble.ca today.
compelling. Alexander
Idle No More is forcing many
Canadians to be Willfully Blind No argues that Americans'
More.
Ostensibly, the movement obsession with 'law 1391 ید15 جمعه- 1220 شماره/ سال متسیب
spearheaded by Attawapiskat
Chief Theresa Spence is about the and order' began as a
protection of First Nations' treaty
rights. At its core, though, might be conservative attempt to
something more profound, perhaps
best described as a demand for all breed white opposition to
of us in this country to re-think the
relationship between Aboriginal the burgeoning civil rights
and non-Aboriginal Canadians. The
relationship is, of course, an uneven movement. Politicians
one, though it might be far more
uneven than most of us in this country on the right labeled civil
care to acknowledge.
Against this backdrop, policy makers disobedience a precursor
and average Canadians alike would
be well advised to ring in the New to criminality, and
Year by considering the lessons
Michelle Alexander highlights in branded supporters of
her important book, The New Jim
Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age civil rights legislation as
of Colorblindedness. The context
is American, but the lessons may promoters of lawlessness.
hit closer to home. In the book,
Alexander writes the following in Exploiting the fears of
regards to African-Americans and
the United States' criminal justice poor and rural whites,
system:
"It is fair to say that we have witnessed Republican politicians invented and vulnerable in a nation of skyrocketing over 40 per cent of new offenders to
an evolution in the United States inequality -- being under the control state and federal prisons are African
from a racial caste system based propagated the 'War on Crime' and, of the criminal justice system is American. In Canada, more than
entirely on exploitation (slavery), to not entirely inconceivable. It's an one in five new admissions to men's
one based largely on subordination more specifically, the 'War on Drugs' ugly commentary on contemporary prisons are of Aboriginal descent.
(Jim Crow), to one defined by American society. Canadians should Among women offenders, over one
marginalization (mass incarceration). as a means to incarcerate, and thus pay attention. in three are Aboriginal. In the U.S.,
While marginalization may sound Troublingly, there are significant one in three black men can expect to
far preferable to exploitation, it may control, the black population. parallels between the plight of African be incarcerated at some point in their
prove to be even more dangerous. Americans in the United States, and lives. In Canada, young Aboriginal
Extreme marginalization, as we have The scheme was so successful that the Aboriginal population in Canada. men are more likely to go to prison
seen throughout world history, poses As American history is steeped in than complete a high school diploma.
any politician that questioned the institutional savagery toward African And once in custody, a significantly
Americans, Canada’s history, too, is larger proportion of African American
effectiveness or morality behind pockmarked by the white majority's and Aboriginal Canadian prisoners
mistreatment of Indigenous peoples. are recommended for maximum
the supposedly colourblind 'War on Most notable among a litany of gross levels of security than white prisoners
violations of justice are the permanent charged with similar crimes.
Drugs' was accused of being 'soft occupation of ancestral lands While it might be unfair to claim
beginning in the eighteenth century, that Canadian politicians and the
on crime' -- the death knell for one the noxious attempt to 'civilize' Canadian criminal justice system
Aboriginal people in residential have joined forces to consciously
seeking public office. In 1992, Bill schools in the early 1900s, and the ensure that our Aboriginal
refusal to recognize Aboriginal communities remain repressed and
Clinton recognized that Democrats Canadians as legal 'persons' until the disenfranchised, it cannot be denied In touch with Iranian diversity
middle of the twentieth century. And that Aboriginals across the country
could peel off right leaning white the similarities, unfortunately, are not suffer from poverty, injustice and lack
only historical. of opportunity more than other type
voters by outflanking the Republicans Though Canada doesn't yet lock up of Canadian. One in four Aboriginal
the same percentage of its citizenry children live in poverty.
on issues like crime and welfare as its southern neighbor --the most The life expectancy for Indigenous
people in Canada is eight to twenty
reform, and promptly advocated for heavily incarcerated society in the years less than non-Aboriginal
world -- measures passed by Prime Canadians. On First Nations reserves,
a number of policies that resulted in Minister Harper's Conservative sixty percent of children do not
government have resulted in a graduate high school, and the lack of
the largest increases in federal and steady increase in the number of suitable housing and access to clean
Canadians behind bars. Canadians water is endemic. To be Aboriginal in
state prison inmates of any president of Aboriginal ancestries have borne Canada today is to be a second-class
the brunt of the surge of prisoners. citizen.
in the history of the United States, the The proportion of African As a new year begins, we should take
Americans and Aboriginal this opportunity to look closely at
overwhelming majority of which were Canadians in prison far exceed the society that we have created, and
their representation in the U.S. address the appalling inequalities of
people of colour. The normalization and Canada, respectively. In the our criminal justice system. There is
U.S., black Americans account for still time to prevent the prison state
of racial marginalization, according 12 per cent of the total population, of our southern neighbors, but only if
but represent nearly 40 per cent of we hurry.
to Alexander, was finally, quietly the prison population. In Canada,
Aboriginal peoples make up four No Canadian should be idle.
complete. percent of the total population, but
20 per cent of the prison population. Matt Moir is a teacher and a graduate
The book is more than a lament; These significant discrepancies school student in journalism. Vol. 20 / No. 1220 - Friday, Jan. 4, 2013
are not shrinking. In the U.S.,
it's a warning. Alexander paints a
bleak portrait of a future in which
the majority of African Americans
-- increasingly economically
