Indigenous suffering just not in the past, issues persist today: activist

CALGARY – Mi’kmaw lawyer and human rights activist Pam Palmatar says while the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is an important day to mark, there are still several issues affecting Indigenous people today that need to be urgently addressed.

Canadians over the last few months have come to realize just some of the atrocities that happened within the walls of residential schools.

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RELATED: A look at the horrors inside Alberta residential schools

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But just because residential schools closed over two decades ago doesn’t mean there isn’t still institutionalized racism toward Indigenous people.

“There are extremely high levels of First Nations kids in foster care in Alberta, First Nations kids in youth corrections in Alberta, over-incarceration in Alberta, high rates of murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls, which are all related to these policies that were meant to destroy families, and which provinces very much took a part in,” said Palmater.

While Indigenous communities in Alberta are pleased about this day, Palmater says some are angry about what was left out.

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“A large number [is] extremely disappointed that Alberta Premier Jason Kenney did not make this a statutory provincial holiday, like some of the other provinces.”

Palmater points out Alberta had the most residential schools in the country.