Human rights advocate and former MP Elijah Harper spoke about the Indian Act and the need for a greater population of college-educated aboriginals at Carleton’s Elder and Student Conference Jan. 28.
The conference’s theme: “Knowledge Keepers and Learners: Celebrating Lifelong Learning,” ran throughout the day-long event in several workshops in Residence Commons. Harper delivered his address after a showcase of traditional aboriginal music.
Harper began his speech by giving a background to his life’s experience, including the history of aboriginal participation in elections and his struggles in getting nominated to the New Democratic Party.
“At the time, I didn’t know what I was going to be getting myself into,” Harper said, referring to his involvement in the rejection of the Meech Lake Accord in 1990.
Harper also spoke about the importance of helping aboriginal youth attain post-secondary education and helping them thrive in post-secondary institutions.
“Often, aboriginal students have a hard time expressing their identity as aboriginals because professors do not seem to listen to their experiences and how these experiences shape their perspectives,” he said.
To receive the respect of these academics, Harper said aboriginals have to reach the same success mainstream Canadian students have in attaining master’s and doctorate degrees.
“While we must keep the knowledge of our ancestors as well as their values, we must have our own medical M.D. holders, and our own people as doctors of law, science, as well as aboriginals wanting to enter the arts and areas of child and social welfare.”
One obstacle to this goal, according to Harper, is the Indian Act, which he described as “paternalistic,” “destructive to aboriginal culture” and a violation of basic human rights.
“When our ancestors signed the treaties, they never signed to surrender the land, but rather to share it with the Canadian government in exchange for a share in the profits that are derived from public lands,” he said.
“What the Indian Act did was declare those treaties null and void and made aboriginal communities subservient to Ottawa rather than make them partners in government.”
The key to moving forward, according to Harper, involves scrapping the Indian Act, recognizing aboriginal communities as equal to provinces, and promoting the education of aboriginal peoples.
“Educated people are harder to control by a government because educated people will question and demand change from their governments,” he said.
